Food Poisoning: What You Need to Know

Food poisoning can occur after consuming food, beverages, or water contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals. Most cases of food poisoning are mild and last only a few days. However, the consequences can be more serious for certain groups, especially:

• Children under 5 years old

• Pregnant women

• Seniors over 60 years old

• People with weakened immune systems

Types of Food Poisoning

According to a public awareness campaign by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, food poisoning is categorized into three types:

1. Microbial Poisoning
   Caused by consuming food contaminated with large amounts of harmful microbes or the toxins they produce. This is the most common type.

2. Chemical Poisoning
   Happens when food is contaminated with harmful chemicals, such as pesticides or heavy metals.

3. Natural Poisoning
   Occurs when consuming naturally toxic foods, like certain seafood or wild plants.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning

As temperatures rise and summer approaches, it’s important to follow these key rules (based on the Government of Quebec’s guidelines):

• Always check food items to ensure they are still safe to eat before purchasing.

• Wash your hands and forearms thoroughly with soap before and after handling food.

• Cover any wounds with a bandage and wear disposable gloves while preparing food.

• Store food at correct temperatures and in proper conditions.

• Follow safe methods for cooling, reheating, and thawing food.

• After a power outage, inspect refrigerated and frozen food carefully before consumption.

How to Avoid Food Contamination

Cross-contamination between raw and cooked food is a major cause of foodborne illness. To avoid it:

• Follow strict hygiene and cleaning practices in the kitchen.

• Proper cooking is essential to kill most disease-causing microorganisms.

• Discard cracked or leaking eggs; they may contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella.

• If an egg is only slightly cracked but contents haven’t leaked, it can be stored in the fridge and used within two days in cooked dishes.

• Throw away swollen, leaking, or foul-smelling cans.

• Always separate raw foods from ready-to-eat foods. For example, don’t chop lettuce (a ready-to-eat food) on the same cutting board used for raw meat or chicken.

• Prepare ready-to-eat or cooked foods first, before working with raw items.

• Wash your hands often and avoid touching your mouth while handling raw foods.

Handle "High-Risk Foods" Carefully

Be cautious when dealing with foods that are more likely to cause foodborne illness, such as:

• Ground meat, turkey dishes, frozen chicken products

• Liver and organ meats

• Sushi or any raw fish

• Raw shellfish

• Game meats

• Wild mushrooms

• Sprouts

• Raw milk and its unpasteurized products (like cream, cheese, butter, and ice cream)

Pasteurization is a heat process that kills harmful microorganisms in milk. People who consume raw dairy are at a higher risk of serious food poisoning—especially those in vulnerable groups.

Recognizing Food Poisoning Symptoms

Treatment is often not necessary for mild cases.

Many people confuse food poisoning with viral gastroenteritis due to similar symptoms. But the key difference lies in the timing:

• Food poisoning symptoms typically appear within hours of eating contaminated food and last a few hours to three days. If several people develop symptoms (e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, nausea) after eating the same meal, food poisoning is likely.

• Viral gastroenteritis usually lasts longer and is caused by a viral infection—not contaminated food. If symptoms persist beyond a day after eating a suspected meal, a viral cause is more likely.

Also, fever is more common with gastroenteritis than with food poisoning.

Treating Food Poisoning

According to Mayo Clinic experts, treatment depends on symptom severity and cause. In most cases, medical treatment isn't necessary. Here's what's generally recommended:

• Rehydrate: Replace lost fluids and electrolytes (sodium, calcium, potassium) due to vomiting and diarrhea to avoid dehydration.

• IV Therapy: If a person can’t drink enough fluids, hospitalization might be necessary to receive fluids and electrolytes intravenously.

• Antibiotics: These are only useful if bacteria caused the illness. A doctor must prescribe them, typically for severe cases or vulnerable individuals.

• Antiparasitic Medication: Prescribed in cases of parasitic infections.

• Probiotics: Help restore healthy gut bacteria.

• Anti-diarrheal or stomach-soothing meds: May be prescribed for non-bloody diarrhea and if no fever is present.

Would you like a summarized version for social media, a flyer, or an infographic next?