Shocking Truth about food that makes people sick will often! Are You at Risk?

The food that makes people sick will often have a bitter taste. The taste of food becomes sharp and bitter due to the bacterial effect. The food will be poisonous due to the production of toxins by the bacteria.

Importance of understanding food safety:

Food is required to maintain the energy of the human body. It is the nutrient-rich material that is absorbed by humans, animals, and plants in order to sustain their life and growth. Consuming low-quality food instead of fresh food that makes people sick will often

The main sources of food are animals and plants. 

Healthy food can reduce the risk of diseases and deaths caused by unsafe food consumption.

 Also, it reduces the burden of financial losses due to foodborne illness. Life-threatening diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, typhoid, and even hepatitis A may occur after the consumption of unsafe food. So to reduce the burden on the country’s health care system, it is mandatory to consume healthy food.

Common Causes of Foodborne Illnesses:

A. Bacterial contamination:

When bacteria multiply on food and cause it to spoil, then bacterial contamination will occur. Food that makes people sick will often be either directly from the bacteria or from the toxins they release.

1. Examples of bacteria that cause illnesses:

Norovirus, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Typhi, E. coli, Shigella, and Hepatitis A. These are highly infectious and cause severe disease

2. How bacteria multiply in food:

When sufficient foods are available, bacteria multiply quickly by doubling in size and then splitting in two halves, to create two new cells.

B. Viral contamination:

Most of the food that makes people sick will often. Ultimately poor hygiene, contamination with sewage, or contamination by food handlers will be the culprits for spreading viral infections.

1. Common viruses responsible for foodborne illnesses:

The common viruses that are responsible for foodborne illness are –

• Cryptosporidium
• Cyclospora
• hepatitis A virus
• shigella and 
• Yersinia

2. How do viruses spread in food and food that makes people sick will often?

Basically, the viruses are originated within the intestines of humans and animals. These are predominantly spread through faces and other body fluids.

C. Parasitic contamination:

Different types of human infections occur through the consumption of raw vegetables and other food items. The potential source of contamination with the eggs and larvae of parasite infection is using sewage and other forms of liquid waste during cultivation.

1. Types of parasites found in food: 

 The following parasites are commonly found in foods —-

• Nematodes
• Cestodes
• trematodes

2. Ways parasites can infect people:

There are three main classes of parasites that can cause disease in the human body –

1. Prozoa

2. Helminths and 

3. Ectoparasites.

Factors Contributing to Food Contamination:

A. Poor hygiene and sanitation:

Poor hygiene of food means it is undercooked resulting the chances of bacteria remaining on it. The core temperature is to be increased to 75℃ for 2 minutes to destroy all bacteria.

Poor sanitation of food is defined as those food items which may contain bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances.

“Negligence” is the basic indicator of poor hygiene and sanitation. Those are having bad or non-existent self-care that can lead to a messy appearance and health concerns. These are linked to the transmission of so many diseases.

1. Importance of handwashing and proper food handling:

It is very important to keep away from foodborne illness. This will be possible after washing both hands with soap and cold/ lukewarm water before eating the food. Always soak your hands with dry and clean clothes before consuming the food.

Always try to wash all vegetables and food with plenty of water before using it for cooking or preservation.

2. Cross-contamination risks:

Cross-contamination can cause food poisoning. It will occur when the bacteria is transferred onto food and that food is ready to eat. Let us suppose that the raw meat comes into contact with a sandwich. The person eating the sandwich will consume the bacteria that was on the raw meat. As a result, he will suffer from foodborne illness.

B. Inadequate cooking or storage of food that makes people sick will often :

Adequate cooking of any raw food items is defined as “fully cooked food”. That means it has been cooked above 75 degrees C. There will be no possibility of any germs above that temperature.  Hence inadequate cooking of any food item means it is cooked below 75 degrees C. 

On the other hand, inadequate storage of food items indicates that those are kept above 5 degrees C for more than one hour or kept above 90 degrees F for more than two hours. Also, it can say that raw food items are kept in the refrigerator or freezer without washing properly with clean water. 

1. Optimal cooking temperatures:

It is better to cook raw food by increasing the temperature up to 75 degrees or more. Most of the food poisoning bacteria will be abolished after heating the foods to that temperature.

2. Safe food storage practices:

• Wash all foods with plenty of water (If it is washable) before preserving it.
• Take special care for high-risk foods. Keep high-risk foods at 5 degrees centigrade or below to avoid temperature danger zones and food poisoning.
• Check and observe the use-by dates on food products.
• Store in a suitable and covered container to avoid spreading the germs.
• Try to store raw food below the cooked foods.

C. Unsanitary food sources:

Those foods that are brought from the market are not safe to consume, as those food items may be full of germs. These food items are called unsanitary food sources. Examples of such food items are raw milk without cover or packet, raw chicken, meat, vegetables, etc. 

These are to be sanitized with clean water or pasteurized properly  before using it  

Foodborne illness caused due to raw milk, raw or undercooked poultry, and drinking water. Escherichia coli is associated with unpasteurized milk, undercooked meat, and contaminated fruits and vegetables. It could be very dangerous to consume all those food items without maintaining proper health and hygiene. 

1. Risks associated with contaminated water and raw ingredients:

Most of the diseases are transmitted through contaminated water and poor sanitation. There are so many microbiological contaminants found in contaminated water. It may be arsenic, nitrates, and nitrites, even pesticides. These microbes may be fatal to health and life.

2. Importance of sourcing food from reputable suppliers:

The sourcing of food from reputable suppliers is an important aspect of supply chain management. They can ensure quality and cost-effective manufacturing. They can maintain also control of inventory levels and overhead costs. It can improve efficiencies and lower the risk in the supply chain.

Recognizing Symptoms of Foodborne Illnesses

A. Common symptoms:

1. Nausea and vomiting:

Common problems found due to food poisoning are Nausea and Vomiting. Most people feel about to vomit, have stomach upset, profuse sweating, and uneasy feeling in the chest, and upper abdomen.

In this situation, drink clear water slowly, eat light and branded foods, and also avoid fried or sweet food.  

2. Diarrhea:

Diarrhea may occur due to the consumption of unsanitary foods or food that already contains toxins. Its symptoms may be loose and watery stools, abdominal pain, or weight loss That time you need to go to the bathroom more often.

A BRAT diet can be followed to prevent this disease which means Bananas, Rice, Apple sauce, and Toast. Those foods that are rich content low in fiber, bland, and starchy can help to prevent this disease

3. Fever:

This disease is usually caused by infections. It is defined as a rise in body temperature above normal temperature. Normal body temperature is around 37 deg.C or 98.4 deg F. Some common causes include fever are –

• Bacterial infection
• Unitary tract infection
• Skin infection
• Viral infections, like influenza
• Gastrointestinal infections 

 4. Abdominal pain:

There are different types of abdominal pain including constipation, food allergies, lactose intolerance, food poisoning, etc. Other serious causes include appendicitis, a bowel blockage gastroesophageal, etc.

B. When to seek medical attention:

We have to seek medical attention after feeling severe pain anywhere on the body. Also in case of severe allergic reaction with trouble breathing, high fever, swelling, tremendous headache stiff neck, etc, we must seek medical attention as soon as possible.

C. Long-term health consequences:

Long-term health consequences are those that cannot currently be cured but can be managed with medications and other treatments. These are also known as chronic conditions. 

It has to be kept in mind that when evaluating the safety of any medical interventions, it is important to consider the immediate potential complications. Also, we have evaluated the potential for associated long-term health effects.

Long-term health consequences may be fatal in our lives due to the following reasons—

• Risk of breast cancer
• Future childbearing and pregnancy outcomes
• Premature death
• Mental health disorders etc.

V. Preventing Foodborne Illnesses:

A. Safe food handling practices: 

1. Washing hands and utensils:

After coming from outside always wash your face and both hands with plenty of clean water by using soap. 

Also, all utensils that are to be used for cutting, cleaning, or cooking should be cleaned first to avoid any illness due to food.

2. Proper cooking techniques:

Always try to cook the food items maintaining the temperature above 75 degrees C. Above this temperature, all microbes will be inactive or dead. So the food cooking above temperature can ensure the safety of food items.

3. Refrigeration guidelines:

As per the U.S Food and Drug Administration(FDA), the refrigerator temperature should be maintained at or below 40 Deg. F and the freezer temperature should be maintained below 0 Deg F. However the ideal refrigerator temperature is between 35 – 38 degrees F.

One thing to be kept in mind that always avoid the” Danger Zone” (which means the temperature range is 40 Deg – 140 Deg F). 

The meat and poultry should not be kept out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. The food items should not be left out for more than one hour if the temperature is above 90 Degrees F.

B. Safe sourcing and food selection:

1. Identifying safe food sources:

Establishments like meat processing plants, dairy farms, or chicken farms are examples of food-providing sources that can be approved for use. All establishments should get approval from the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) or USDA. 

2. Avoiding risky foods:

Risky foods are those that are kept outside of the refrigerator or freezer for more than 2 hours, that food that makes people sick will often. Always avoid consuming food items that look discolored, bad smell, or spoiled taste.

C. Raising awareness:

1. Importance of education and public campaigns:

• A public awareness and education project in our community is a great way to highlight the requirement for preventing illness due to consuming non-hygenic food items.  
• Campaigns can help to raise awareness about important issues that affect the community.
• It can also help to build community by bringing together people who share common goals and concerns.

2. Encouraging responsible food service establishments:

So many people are suffering from different types of illnesses after consuming unsafe food. Food safety is a big responsibility among individual consumers and food handlers. All of us have to play a role in preventing foodborne diseases.

” Five keys to safer food” messages have been developed and validated by an independent body of international scientists in 2001. 

They empower all consumers worldwide with a simple and applicable set of actions to prevent foodborne disease. 

The “Five keys to safer food” are —

• Keep clean
• Cook thoroughly
• Use safe water and raw materials
• Separate raw and cooked items
• Keep food at a safe temperature.

Conclusion

Food safety is uttermost important for avoiding any disease caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, or any other microbes. So we have to follow standard guidelines/ procedures for maintaining proper hygiene regarding the consumption of food. Food safety is a crucial key point we have to notice it otherwise food that makes people sick will often.

Those foods should be traded which are more safe and hygienic. Most of the children under 5 years of age carry about 40% of the foodborne illness.

The production and consumption of safe food have immediate and long-term benefits for people.

The following actions are to be taken to prioritize safe food practices—- 

• Both hands are to be washed properly for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm/cold water. It should be maintained during and after preparing food and before eating.
• Also, it is always advisable to wash hands after handling chicken and other poultry, uncooked meat, eggs, flour, or seafood.
• Do not touch hair, clothes, phone, or jewelry before washing your hands and after coming from outside.
• It is better to use “ready-to-eat food” by using tongs or gloves. 

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