What is foodborne illness, and what are the symptoms?

Answer 1

There are a ton of foodborne illnesses. Anything from e. coli to lysteriosis. Some are found more in some foods than others, and usually comes from the mishandling and storage of the foods. In other words, bad food. Symptoms for the bulk of them include cramping, diarrhea, vomiting, fever. They can start in anywhere from 2-72 hours after eating the contaminated food, depending on which foodborne illness you have.

Answer 2

Foodborne illness often presents itself as flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or fever, so many people may not recognize the illness is caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food.

Thousands of types of bacteria are naturally present in our environment. Not all bacteria cause disease in humans. For example, some bacteria are used beneficially in making cheese and dahi.
Bacteria that cause disease are called pathogens. When certain pathogens enter the food supply, they can cause foodborne illness. Millions of cases of foodborne illness occur each year. Most cases of foodborne illness can be prevented. Proper cooking or processing of food destroys bacteria.

Age and physical condition place some persons at higher risk than others, no matter what type of bacteria is implicated. Very young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems are at greatest risk from any pathogen. Some persons may become ill after ingesting only a few harmful bacteria; others may remain symptom free after ingesting thousands.

Answer 3

to the best of my knowledge, a food borne illness is the result of contaminated foods. generally i think most cases are from what is called CROSS CONTAMINATION. most likely caused in the improper storage of food (product) as an example: each product carries with it a certain amount of bacteria specific to to that product and requires a specific temperature to kill. TAKE CHICKEN it requires a higher temperature to kill bacteria commonly found in chicken. now if you prepare a raw chicken on your kitchen table and then prepare a salad on the same surface, you have now CROSS CONTAMINATED the salad. since you don't cook salad, it will hold the raw chicken bacteria which can cause a food borne illnes such as e-coli. the same kind of thing can happen in your fridge. unfortunatly most refridgerators here, store veggies on the bottom. the worst place for them. any spillage that may occur in moving products around will eventually meet your vegetables and may cause a serious illness in anyone who may eat their veggies raw. if you look at your cookbooks, you'll see a pattern in the degrees of temperature required to cook meals. these temperatures are speciffically designed to kill any bacteria on the foods being prepared.

most obvious symptoms would be:
death
stomache ache
nausea
trouble breathing
swelling of throat or other parts of the body simillar to an allergic reation might cause
vomitting- i real serious sign that the body cannot handle what you just gave it. never try to prevent vomitting. if anything call a doctor and see if inducing vomitting is required

if you suspect you have foodborne illness get medical assistance immediatley!

Proper Food Storage

Proper food storage includes maintaining proper food temperatures and storing food in such a way as to keep it clean and safe prior to the time it is served to the customer. The following are some simple rules to follow when storing food.

Keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.

* Keep hot food above 140° Fahrenheight and cold foods below 41° Fahrenheight

* Don’t let foods stand at room temperature

Do not thaw frozen meats at room temperature

* Thaw foods in a refrigerator, in a microwave, under a steady stream of cold, running water or through cooking

Store all bulk foods in a clean, dry storage area

* Once opened, bulk foods should be transferred to clean, labeled containers with tight fitting lids

Protect foods from sneezes, customer handling, and dust

* All food should be kept covered or otherwise protected from contamination

Wash, rinse and sanitize all dishes

* All dishes, glasses, and utensils should be sanitized in chlorine, iodine, or quaternary ammonium solutions.

Keep kitchens, dining rooms and storage rooms free from rats, mice and insects

* Maintain a vigorous program to prevent the entry of vermin

Be sure poisons are well labeled and kept away from food preparation areas

* Provide adequate storage for non-food items

Proper Food Handling

Proper food handling includes protecting food from possible contamination during the processing stages prior to being served to the customer.

Keep hands clean and touch food with hands as little as possible

* Make sure that food workers wash hands in warm soapy water before handling food

Separate the preparation of meats (potentially hazardous foods) from other foods

* Prevent cross-contamination - do not prepare fruits or vegetables on surfaces used for the preparation of uncooked meats, poultry or fish

* To prevent bacterial growth, frequently clean preparation surfaces and utensils with a sanitizing solution - one tablespoon of bleach per each gallon of water

Don’t let anyone with a skin infection, open sore or illness handle food

* If food workers are sick, send them home or assign them to non-food related duties

the following temps. are from *
Product °F
Eggs & Egg Dishes
Eggs Cook until yolk and white are firm
Egg dishes 160
Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures
Turkey, chicken 165
Veal, beef, lamb, pork 160
Fresh Beef
Medium Rare 145
Medium 160
Well Done 170
Fresh Veal
Medium Rare 145
Medium 160
Well Done 170
Fresh Lamb
Medium Rare 145
Medium 160
Well Done 170
Fresh Pork
Medium 160
Well Done 170
Poultry
Chicken, whole 180
Turkey, whole 180
Poultry breasts, roast 170
Poultry thighs, wings 180
Stuffing (cooked alone or in bird)165
Duck & Goose 180
Ham
Fresh (raw) 160
Pre-cooked (to reheat) 140
Seafood
Fin Fish Cook until opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
Shrimp, lobster, crab Should turn red and flesh should become pearly opaque.
Scallops Should turn milky white or opaque and firm.
Clams, mussels, oysters Cook until shells open.