Food Poisoning and Contamination

Food poisoning, which is also called food-borne disease and food-borne illness, is a term used to describe illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food. This entry provides general information on food poisoning and contamination, including symptoms and a discussion of common food contaminants. Food poisoning is a common, sometimes mild and sometimes life-threatening problem for millions of people around the world every year. Although there may be no symptoms in some cases, symptoms may range from mild intestinal discomfort or nausea to severe diarrhea or even dehydration. Depending on the type of contaminant, fever, chills, bloody stools, dehydration, nervous system damage, or even death may occur as a result of food poisoning. Cases where two or more people become ill as a result of consuming the same food are called outbreaks.

True food poisoning occurs as a result of ingesting a contaminating chemical or toxin, while most cases of food-borne illness are caused by foodborne bacteria, viruses, prions, or parasites that contaminate food. Food-borne illness generally results from poor sanitation or the improper handling, preparation, or storage of food. Following good hygiene practices before, during, and after food preparation can reduce the probability of contracting a food-borne illness. Food handlers who have infections or do not wash their hands after using the bathroom may cause contamination, and improperly packaging or storing food can also lead to contamination.

More than 250 different diseases can be transmitted through foods, most of which are infections caused by a variety of parasites, viruses, and bacteria that can be food-borne. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), unknown or undiscovered agents cause 81#x0025; of food-borne illnesses and related hospitalizations. However, many cases of food poisoning are unreported because the symptoms are mild and victims may recover quickly. Also, doctors do not test for a cause in every suspected case of food poisoning because it would not change the treatment or outcome.

According to CDC estimates, food poisoning causes about 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalizations, and up to 5,000 deaths each year in the United States. Visitors to developing countries often encounter food poisoning in the form of “Montezuma's revenge” or “traveler's diarrhea,” and diarrheal illnesses are among the leading causes of death worldwide. In addition, there are new global threats regarding the contamination of the world's food supply through terrorist actions, using food toxins as weapons.

The types of food-borne diseases affecting humans constantly change over time. Common food-borne diseases a century ago, including typhoid fever, tuberculosis, and cholera, have been controlled as a result of improvements in food safety, such as the pasteurization of milk, proper canning, and disinfection of water supplies. Other food-borne infections have taken the place of these diseases of the past, and new food-borne infections continue to be discovered. These new diseases emerge because contaminating agents can easily spread around the world and evolve, the environment and ecology change, food production practices and consumption habits change, and better laboratory procedures make it possible to identify previously unrecognized agents.

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