Top 10 Everyday Foods That Can Give You Food Poisoning
Welcome to this blog post ”Top 10 Everyday Foods That Can Give You Food Poisoning.” Do you know that around 4 million people suffer from food poisoning every year?
There are various causes for food borne illnesses like bacteria, chemicals, contamination and toxins but there are some foods that are at higher risk of giving you food poisoning than others.
Ever since we were kids. We were taught to clean our fruits and vegetables before eating to ensure safety.
Food poisoning happens when you consume food containing harmful bacteria, parasites and viruses and its symptoms start up in a couple of days – they include vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps and loss of appetite.
There are certain foods that are more likely to cause food poisoning. Especially when they are not stored or cooked properly.
Sprouts are definitely healthy or are they? No not cheese! Read till the end to hear about some high risk foods that can give you food poisoning.
Poultry
Didn’t see this coming? Well, poultry like chicken, duck and turkey rank among the top causes of food poisoning. Raw or undercooked poultry items have proven to cause some serious life threatening illnesses.
The bacteria present inside the poultry meat stay alive throughout the slaughter process and they can survive until cooking kills them. It’s shocking that around 40 to 84% of chicken sold in supermarkets is contaminated.
Don’t lose hope yet! The good news is that all these harmful bacteria thriving in raw poultry meat are completely destroyed when the meat is thoroughly cooked.
This means you can enjoy your favourite plate of chicken wings without thinking twice. What’s one chicken dish that you’ll never give up?
Leafy green vegetables
Green vegetables are a major source of nutrients and essential vitamins in our everyday diet. So why is it on this list?
Well, did you know that 20% of all food poisoning cases in the world can be traced back to contaminated vegetables? Like lettuce, kale, spinach, celery, cabbage and tomatoes.
Vegetable contamination occurs due to unclean water and unhygienic processing equipment. Leafy greens have been found to be the common culprit for a large percent of food borne illnesses in the USA.
Don’t say goodbye to your favorite green smoothie just yet, remember that you should always wash all the salad leaves thoroughly under running water.
Avoid prepared salad sitting at room temperature or if it has turned mushy and you are good to go.
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Eggs – Top 10 Everyday Foods
While eggs are an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12, iron and other minerals, they can prove to be extremely harmful if consumed raw or undercooked.
Although one of the most nutritious and economical foods a humble egg can carry harmful bacteria that can be found inside and on the egg shell as well.
In the past contaminated eggs have been found to be a major cause of salmonella outbreaks. Which later on called for some major improvements in the production and processing.
An excellent solution is to always make sure that you properly check the egg for some pre-existing cracks or dirty shells. It’s really that simple to ensure food safety and enjoy a good old breakfast burrito.
Deli meats
Deli meats include ham, bacon, salami and hot dogs which we all know and love. However they can get easily contaminated and may cause some serious problems.
A listeria outbreak in the USA has been linked to the deli meat sold at a store in 4 states. These meats are prone to get contaminated at any stage of processing and manufacturing.
Sliced beef, turkey, chicken and ham have been reported to contain harmful bacteria and parasites.
Make sure the next time you are hosting a barbeque that the hotdogs, sausages and minced meat are cooked thoroughly and should be consumed immediately after being cooked.
If there are leftovers remember to store it in the fridge.
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Fruits – Top 10 Everyday Foods
It is hard to believe that fruits can ever be harmful for us. Sadly, numerous fruit based products like blueberries, melons and pre prepared salads have been directly linked to food poisoning outbreaks.
Fruits that are high risk include the ones that grow underground like cantaloupes, honeydew melon and watermelon.
Fruit contamination mainly occurs if the plants are being grown in dirty water. Unhygienic habits of the pickers and cross-contamination with an infected fruit during processing.
To break this dense web of contamination remember what you were taught as kids, always wash the fruits before eating.
It’s a simple practice that can save you and your loved ones from food poisoning. Avoid pre packaged or pre cut fruits at all costs.
Sprouts
Eating sprouts everyday promotes good health and gives the body a lot of nutrition it needs. These include alfalfa, clover sprouts, mung bean and more.
Sadly, they have also proven to cause serious food poisoning when consumed raw or lightly
cooked.
This occurs mainly due to the presence of various viruses and parasites as the sprouts are grown in warm and moist conditions. Which are breeding grounds for harmful bacteria.
It is also advised that pregnant mothers should totally avoid sprouts. Being a high-risk food you should be extra careful while preparing or including it in your meals.
This requires you to wash and cook the sprouts well before eating it. This helps with any trouble-causing microorganisms to perish and lower the risk of food poisoning.
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Cheese – Top 10 Everyday Foods
Oh no not cheese! Unfortunately, cheese ranks among one of the top foods that may put you at a high risk for food poisoning through contamination.
The chances are so high that expecting mothers are usually told to avoid eating any soft cheese during pregnancy like ricotta and feta.
Bacteria living inside cheese have a high tolerance for salt content. And are often transferred from an infected person that handles the cheese.
They are so stubborn that in some cases even cooking the cheese thoroughly doesn’t kill them.
The only way of saving your favorite cheese from becoming infected with harmful bacteria is to store it properly at or under 5 degree Celsius and maintain high standards of hygiene.
Make sure that all the equipment, surfaces and utensils are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Seafood
Fishs are always at a high risk of potentially life threatening food poisoning.
Other than being at risk of coming in contact with toxins or germs and bacteria at any point of processing or catching. If these fish items are not stored properly it can cause some serious health problems.
Food poisoning through shellfish like crabs, shrimp and oysters. consumption is another common occurrence in the US. You can also differentiate the contaminated food by stink of taste.
Food-borne illnesses in seafood cannot be eliminated through cooking. So in order to safeguard against these toxins, it has been advised to avoid eating seafood in places where the hygiene levels are not up to par.
Always ask the waiter when the fish was brought in for cooking and order yourself the best seafood platter.
If you are looking for a healthier diet then check out this post titled ”9 Foods to Lose Weight – You Need to Eat This Every Week.” Now back to foods that you use every day that can potentially cause food poisoning.
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Rice – Top 10 Everyday Foods
Rice is our trustworthy ‘go-to’ food but it is also at a high risk of getting contaminated. When it comes to food poisoning.
Harmful bacteria and parasites infect and live inside the spores of the uncooked rice. Which gets activated as the rice is cooked.
The moist environment for these harmful bacteria serves as the perfect breeding ground. What causes the rice to get infected?
Not storing the cooked rice properly is a major problem for food related illnesses in the world.
The next time you decide to cook rice remember to strictly store the leftovers in the refrigerator at 5 degrees Celsius or less.
This will successfully hamper the growth of bacteria and you can enjoy your delicious rice dish without any problem.
Raw milk
Raw milk means unpasteurized milk or simply the milk that has not gone through the process of pasteurization. Which is a necessary step taken to kill all the harmful bacteria.
This milk can come from any animal like a cow, sheep, or goat and can potentially carry dangerous germs that can cause some serious harm to your body if consumed.
Preparing milk based products like cream, cheese and cottage cheese from raw milk is not a good idea and equally harmful as consuming it directly.
Make sure that whatever milk you are consuming or including in your food has been pasteurized. To make it’s completely safe for you and your loved ones.
As an extra measure, you can also boil the milk to make it safer for consumption. All these high-risk foods should be monitored closely. With regard to time, storage and temperature.
Have you ever had food poisoning? What lifestyle or food changes did you have to make afterwards? Share your experiences with us in the comment section below.
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