We aren’t able to smell or see viruses and germs like we can smell spoiled food.
Nevertheless, every year food poisoning sends close to 128,000 people to the hospital.
Usually, it isn’t the last thing you ate that might make you sick. From 20 minutes to six days after a meal, you can come down with food poisoning.
Food Poisoning Most Likely Caused By These Foods
In the early 1990s, more than 700 adults and children became ill from undercooked hamburger patties sold by a fast-food chain. Four people died. E. coli became a household name.
E. coli remains a mainstay culprit behind food poisoning outbreaks.
The following is a list of foods most likely to cause food poisoning:
- Flour — Boxed cake mixes and prepared cookie dough can provide a haven for germs. Though it’s not common, raw flour can be contaminated with E. coli during harvesting, grinding, and sifting. Additionally, bleaching flour won’t kill E. coli, which can cause bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and even kidney failure and death.
- Bagged Lettuce — Fresh salads are on the list of top source of food poisoning. However, pinpointing the cause can be difficult. Specific kind of greens cause some outbreaks. These often include spinach and romaine lettuce, in addition to certain packers and growers. Bacteria — including Salmonella — can lead to dirty soil, irrigation water, or human hands. Inside the bags, juice from cut leaves can help germs to become trapped and multiply. They can cling to the leaves even after washing.
- Sprouts — Sprouts are seeds that have sprouted. Raw and lightly cooked sprouts have caused multistate outbreaks of food poisoning every year since 2006 — especially alfalfa and clover. The humid and warm growing conditions that nurture sprouts also promote E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. You can’t get rid of the germs my merely washing the sprouts. Instead of tossing these seedling packed with antioxidants into salads and sandwiches, it’s safer to cook the sprouts first.
- Eggs — Salmonella-tainted eggs cause nearly 79,000 cases of food poisoning and 30 deaths in the United States on a yearly basis. Before the egg shell forms, chickens can pass salmonella to their eggs. Bacteria can also infect eggs through poultry feces. To be on the safe side, it’s recommended to refrigerate eggs at or below 40 F. Some products and recipes call for uncooked eggs. In this case, use pasteurized eggs…though they’re hard to find.
- Oysters — Oysters draw food from coastal waters through their gills. However, they trap viruses and bacteria the same way. Eating tainted raw oysters causes vibriosis or norovirus, sometimes called “stomach flu.” Every year, more than 80,000 Americans become ill and end up with fevers, vomiting, diarrhea, and chills from eating raw oysters. Cooking oysters is the only safe way to eat them.
- Hot Dogs — Every year, Americans eat a about 20 billion hot dogs. Hot dog packaging can be a haven for listeria. Always reheat hot dogs before you eat them to help in avoiding an illness.
- Ground Beef — The E. coli bacteria is naturally inside animals and humans. To be safe, cook steaks and roasts to 145 degrees F on the inside. Ground beef and pork need to reach 160 degrees.
- Poultry — Poultry is America’s No. 1 choice of meat. And every year, close to a million Americans get sick after eating chicken. Like all animals, chickens have bacteria in their gut. Pathogens such as campylobacter and salmonella can get on the birds during processing and packaging. These microorganisms can end up on utensils and cutting boards. Washing a raw chicken can contaminate your kitchen. On the other hand, cooking chicken to the proper temperature kills bacteria.
- Raw Milk — Raw milk is one of the most dangerous sources of foodborne illness. In addition, in some states it’s illegal. Raw milk is milk from animals that hasn’t been heated, or pasteurized, to kill bacteria. Raw milk can harbor salmonella, campylobacter, listeria, and E. coli. These pathogens can cause vomiting, and diarrhea for days. Additionally, they can cause serious illnesses like Guillain-Barré syndrome that can lead to paralysis. Check your milk container to make certain it’s pasteurized — especially at farmers markets.
- Pre-cut Melon — In the summer, when more of us consume honeydew melon, cantaloupe, and, watermelon, Salmonella infections from melons are more common. The melon vines grow on the ground, where the rinds can pick up germs. They can be hard to sanitize because of their hard surfaces. Pre-cut melon can pass on listeria, norovirus, and other harmful agents. It’s safer in having whole melons that are washed.
Take Foodborne Illnesses, Seriously
Every year, 1.35 million people in the U.S. get salmonella. Nearly 27,000 are hospitalized. And food poisoning sends roughly 128,000 people to the hospital.
In addition, harmful germs can cause serious illnesses like Guillain-Barré syndrome, as well as listeria, norovirus, vibriosis, E. coli, and campylobacter. Moreover, E. coli remains a core cause behind food poisoning outbreaks.
Take foodborne illnesses, seriously.
Remember, in most cases, it isn’t the last thing you ate that might make you sick. You can be a victim of food poisoning, from 20 minutes to six days after a meal.
Separate foods to avoid cross-contamination.
Above all, wash your hands and surfaces often.