food poisoning

• the general symptoms of food poisoning include sickness, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever. in extreme cases, when people are old or very young and vulnerable, it can cause death
• you can get food poisoning by eating contaminated food containing pathogenic bacteria - it can take a few hours to several days before you get any symptoms
• there are many different types of bacteria: including, salmonella, campylobacter, E. coli, staphylococcus aureus
• salmonella:

  • found in raw poultry, untreated milk and eggs
  • symptoms include: diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting
  • onset time: 6- 72 hours
• campylobacter:

  • the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK
  • found mainly in raw or undercooked poultry, but also in other raw meat and untreated milk / water
  • symptoms include: diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever
  • onset time: 2 - 5 days
• E coli:

  • E. coli live in the intestines of animals and can contaminate raw beef, untreated milk / water, unwashed vegetables and salad leaves
  • most types are harmless, but E. coli can cause kidney damage and death
  • onset time: 1 - 3 days
• staphylococcus aureus:

  • S. aureus live on the skin and hair, and in the noses of animals and people
  • poor personal hygiene can contaminate food
  • symptoms include: diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and mild fever
  • onset timer: 1 - 6 hours
• two common foods that could be contaminated with bacteria are untreated milk and eggs, so there are methods to make these food safe for us to eat:

  • pasteurisation - all milk sold in supermarkets is pasteurised. milk is heated at around 72 degrees for 15 seconds to kill off any pathogenic bacteria before being chilled
  • vaccinations - the british lion quality mark on egg shells and boxes is for hens that have been vaccinated against salmonella