The foods that we take every day when not handled, stored, cooked, or prepared correctly can increase food poisoning risk. The disease affects millions of people around the globe. Foodborne illness can be caused due to bacteria, viruses, moulds, toxins, parasites, and chemicals present in foods. Contaminated foods can make you sick sometimes more than others.
Symptoms usually develop after a week or two hence, it’s hard to find the exact cause behind the food poisoning. All we need to do is to take care of the foods we eat, cook them at the right temperature, and avoid eating raw foods that bring allergies.
To help you out here, we have listed foods that can carry a higher risk of causing food poisoning. Let’s check a few of them below now! Before stepping into the list, let’s understand the causes and symptoms of food poisoning.
What are the possible causes of food poisoning?
Improper storage, transport, harvesting, shipping, preparing, processing, and serving if not in a proper mode may increase the risk of food poisoning. Yes! The bacterial, viral, and parasitic agents may invite food poisoning and bring severe illness to you.
Food poisoning is caused mainly due to the presence of following parasites like
- E.Coli
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Salmonella
- Clostridium perfringens
- Toxoplasma gondii
- Bacillus cereus
- Clostridium botulinum
- Norovirus or rotavirus
- Listeria
- Campylobacter
Who are at high risk of developing food poisoning?
Yes! The most vulnerable groups to developing food poisoning are
- Older adults
- New-borns
- Pregnant women
- Young children
- Individuals with chronic health conditions
What are the symptoms you notice if you have food poisoning?
The most common symptoms noticed in individuals having food poisoning include:
- Stomach pain
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Chills
One of the major and common symptoms individuals have is diarrhea. But, frequent visiting to the washroom may result in dehydration of the body. The loss of fluid also invites other symptoms like tiredness, irregular heartbeat, weakness, and many more.
What should I do if I have any of the above-listed symptoms?
As the first line of treatment, drink plenty of water and keep your body well hydrated to prevent severe dehydration. Book an appointment with your healthcare provider immediately. Your doctor will check for the symptoms and may suggest you specific tests to confirm the type of parasites that have tagged you with the label of food poisoning.
Based on the type of food pathogens your doctor will decide the treatment to solve the issue. If antibiotics are prescribed as a mode of treatment, order them from a trusted online drug store in the comfort of your home and get them delivered directly to your doorstep.
List of foods with a higher risk of causing food poisoning:
Certain foods multiply the pathogens very easily and put you down with illnesses and diseases. Here, we have compiled the list of foods that can cause dangerous food poisoning in you. Check out the list below:
- Eggs: Eggs offer countless health benefits and are one of the most frequently consumed food by people of all walks of life. But, the risk of developing food poisoning is more when consumed in raw or undercooked form. Many popular meals like mayonnaise or salad dressing may contain raw eggs so choose such meals wisely. Also, while using eggs make sure the eggs are cleaned properly and use unbroken eggs, preferably stored at a 5-degree temperature.
- Raw milk: The use of raw milk may cause food poisoning due to the presence of bacteria such as E.Coli, salmonella, or listeria.
- Sprouts: Sprouts, which are rich in protein is one of the most sought foods by many individuals who are on the road of the weight-loss journey. Sprouts are the perfect bed for the growth of bacteria due to the warm and wet environment. Most of us eat raw sprouts to gain maximum health benefits. The risk of food-borne diseases like salmonella and E.coli can cause food-borne illness in you. It’s always good to consume sprouts in the cooked form to avoid contamination, especially among elders, pregnant women, and children as they have weakened immune systems.
- Seafood: There is an increased risk of getting food poison after consuming seafood. This is because the toxin present in the seafood when mixed with dangerous contaminants can cause foodborne illnesses. So, in case you develop an allergy or are a first-time seafood user then refrain from eating seafood to avoid food poisoning.
- Fresh fruits: Listeria and salmonella are the major foodborne pathogens that grow on the skin of the fresh fruits and these when consumed increases the risk of causing food poisoning. The fruits are grown in a cold, warm environment, and hence it is the perfect breeding place for the microorganisms to grow. So, before consuming the fruits, wash thoroughly with running water to minimize the risk of contamination.
- Cheese: Consuming soft cheese is considered to be a high risk of contamination and causes serious complications mostly among pregnant women. To avoid the risk always check the storage temperature and wash your hands thoroughly before handling any cheese products.
- Leafy greens and vegetables: Never consume fresh leafy greens and vegetables in the raw form due to the presence of harmful pesticides in them. Most of us add leaves and vegetables while making salads. To avoid contamination, wash the leafy greens and veggies thoroughly and peel the skin of the vegetables if you are using them in the raw form.
- Poultry: There is an increased risk of contamination when fresh meat is not handled properly. Make sure to cook poultry well before eating. This helps to kill harmful bacteria. Any allergic reaction if developed should be treated immediately. Visit your healthcare provider and get his or her advice to treat your symptoms. If medicines are prescribed, order prescription medicines from the best online pharmacy store in India and avail of amazing medicine discounts on all the medicines you order.
- Deli meats: Deli meats like bacon, ham, and hot dogs are one of the major sources of food to cause food poisoning. So, make sure to store the food at the right temperature and cook thoroughly before consuming it.
- Rice: Rice is the staple food for many of us. But, the spores of the bacterium Bacillus cereus live on uncooked rice. Hence consume the rice immediately after cooking and refrigerate the leftover to avoid the risk of infection.
Tips to prevent food poisoning
Here are a few tips that when followed at home may reduce the risk of food poisoning:
- Never mix raw foods along with the ready-to-eat foods as there is an increased chance of bringing cross-contamination. So, to avoid such issues store them separately.
- Refrigerate perishable goods immediately at the right storage temperature.
- If you feel the smell of the stored foods is not good, throw them immediately.
- Wash your hands, utensils, and the cooking platform often to avoid any contamination.
- Cook foods at the correct temperature.
- While shopping, place poultry in one shopping cart and veggies and fruits in other grocery bags. Never mix them up.
- Never have raw eggs or consume raw dough prepared using raw eggs.
- Always check labels and try to consume the foods as per the instructions and date mentioned on the label.