Food Poisoning: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

Some people suffer from food poisoning due to exposure to various food contaminants—chemical, physical, or biological. Preventing food poisoning mainly involves protecting food from contamination.

According to nutrition specialist Dr. Youssef Ramadan Al-Timaz, here are the main causes and prevention tips:

Causes of Food Poisoning:

Exposure of food to harmful contaminants like pesticides, plastic bags made from chemicals, or biological contaminants such as mold, bacteria, or worms.
Frequently eating out at restaurants that do not maintain hygiene standards, such as leaving food uncovered, not refrigerating cooked food for long periods, exposing food to insects, or placing it on unclean surfaces.
Poor hand hygiene or using unclean utensils during food preparation.

Most Vulnerable Groups:

Children under 5 years old.
People with weakened immune systems.
Pregnant women.
Elderly people over 65 years.
Newborn babies.

Symptoms of Food Poisoning:

Diarrhea.
Fever.
Blood spots in stool.
Nausea and vomiting.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning:

Maintain personal hygiene, especially clean hands and clothes while preparing food. Wash hands well after touching raw meat or poultry.
Separate cooked foods from raw foods, especially meat, poultry, and fish.
Do not leave cooked food uncovered; refrigerate it within two hours.
Keep cooking utensils and equipment clean.
Avoid storing hot food in plastic containers or bags to prevent harmful chemical reactions that could lead to serious health issues, including cancer.
Do not place food near garbage bins and dispose of garbage daily.

Treatment of Food Poisoning:

According to Mayo Clinic experts, treatment depends on symptom severity and cause:

Rehydrate to replace fluids lost through vomiting and diarrhea. Electrolytes like sodium, calcium, and potassium are essential to maintain balance. If oral hydration is insufficient, hospitalization for intravenous fluids may be necessary.
Antibiotics are only effective if bacteria cause the poisoning and should be prescribed by a doctor, usually for severe cases or vulnerable patients.
Antiparasitic drugs are prescribed for parasitic infections.
Probiotics may be used to restore healthy gut bacteria.
Anti-diarrheal or stomach disorder medications may be prescribed for non-bloody diarrhea without fever.