Food Poisoning - Prevent & Recognize Food Poisoning, Food Borne Illness Hazards

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Using Your Symptoms, Suspected Food(s), Duration of Your Illness and Time Symptoms Appeared,

Determine the Most Likely Microorganism That Caused Your Food Borne Illness

Type of Organism Microorganism Type of Illness Onset Time for Symptoms Duration of Illness Symptoms Foods Commonly Implicated Preventative Measures
 

Bacteria

Bacillus cereus Infection and or intoxication Intoxication:

1\2 - 5 hours

Infection:

8-16 hours

 		1 day or less Vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal discomfort

Boiled and fried rice, custards, cereal products, puddings, casseroles, pastries sauces, and other starchy foods, vegetable dishes, soups, and  meatloaf.

Store foods at proper temperature. Chill foods rapidly in small quantities. Avoid storage at room temp. Thoroughly reheat leftovers.
Campylobacter jejuni Infection 1 - 2 days 1 - 5 days Diarrhea, sometimes bloody stools, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, muscle pain and headaches. Poultry, raw milk, meat, raw beef liver, raw clams, mushrooms, unpasteurized milk and dairy products.

Cook food thoroughly. Consume only pasteurized milk and egg products. Avoid cross­ contamination. Observe strict hygiene and eliminate all vermin.

Clostridium botulinum Intoxication 12 - 36 hours Days.

Fatality Rate: <10%

Headache. double vision, vertigo or dizziness, loss of reflex to light. weakness, droopy eyelids, constipation, dry mouth, muscle and respiratory paralysis.

Improperly canned low-acid foods (green beans, corn, beets, asparagus, chili peppers, mushrooms, spinach, figs, olives, tuna), improperly home- cured hams, smoked fish.  Baked potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil, cooked beef, turkey, gravy, dressings, stews, casseroles and meat pies.

Use proper canning practices. Discard swollen cans.  Minimize temperature abuse.

Boil thoroughly (10 min.) all home­ canned food before serving.

Clostridium perfringens Intoxication 8 - 16 hours 1 day or less Diarrhea, acute abdominal pain, gas pains. Nausea, vomiting, fever and chills are rare.

Cooked beef, turkey, gravy, dressings, stews, casseroles and meat pies.  Cooked beans and other thick stews and soups that have been cooled slowly in deep containers.

Store hot & cold foods at proper temperatures. Cool foods quickly and reheat thoroughly. Divide large portions into smaller containers.
Escherichia coli O157:H7 Intoxication 2 – 8 days 5 - 10 days Watery or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and pain, vomiting, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)

Raw and undercooked ground beef, sprouts, lettuce, spinach, salami, unpasteurized milk and juice, imported cheeses

Cook all ground beef and hamburger thoroughly, Drink only pasteurized milk, juice, or cider.
Listeria monocytogenes Infection A few days to 3 weeks Days.

Fatality rate as high as 70 %

Persistent fever, muscle aches, gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhea Raw milk, pasteurized fluid milk[, cheeses (particularly soft-ripened varieties), ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats (of all types), and raw and smoked fish

Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry. Wash raw vegetables thoroughly before eating.  Keep uncooked meats separate from vegetables and from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods. Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk.

Salmonella Infection 12 - 36 hours Several Days Headaches, vomiting, abdominal pain, cramps, fever, chills, diarrhea, dehydration Raw milk, eggs and egg products, shellfish, meat. poultry and smoked fish.

Cook food thoroughly. Consume only pasteurized milk and egg products. Avoid cross­ contamination. Observe strict hygiene and eliminate all vermin.

Shigella Infection 1 - 7 days 1 - 8 days Mild to severe abdominal cramps, fever, chills, diarrhea (sometimes bloody), watery stools, nausea, vomiting, lassitude, prostration and dehydration Salads (potato, tuna, shrimp, pasta, turkey and chicken), raw vegetables, milk and dairy products, and meat, beans, poi

Personal hygiene, proper sewage disposal. Chill foods rapidly and in small quantities. Sanitary food preparation: ovoid touching foods that will not be cooked before eating, cook thoroughly. treat and protect water and control flies

Staphylococcus aureus Intoxication 4 - 6 hours 1 - 2 days Nausea, vomiting, cramps, retching, weakness, sweating, diarrhea, , dehydration, usually no fever

Starchy foods, cooked & cured meats(ham), poultry & dressings, sauces and gravy, cream-filled pastry, high-protein leftover foods

Store foods at proper temp. Avoid contact of food by infected skin, sores. Reheat food thoroughly.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus Infection 12 - 24 hours 3 days Diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, headache and fever Recontamination of cooked foods or eating raw seafood. Seafood most often implicated includes squid, mackerel, tuna, sardines, crab, shrimp, and bivalves like oysters and clams

Cook shellfish (oysters, clams, mussels) thoroughly. Do not eat shellfish that do not open during cooking. Do not allow seafood already cooked to touch raw seafood, and do not touch cooked seafood after you have handled raw seafood without washing your hands first.

 

Viruses

Hepatitis A Viral Infection 2 - 6 weeks 6 - 12 months Fatigue, Fever, Abdominal pain, Nausea, Diarrhea, Appetite loss, Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes. Raw or undercooked seafood or shellfish.  Can be on any ready to eat foods that have been contaminated by an infected food handler.

Do not eat raw or undercooked seafood or shellfish such as oysters from areas of questionable sanitation (just about everywhere).

Norwalk Viruses Viral Infection 1 - 2 days Several Days Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. General lethargy, weakness, muscle aches, headache, and low-grade fever may occur Cold Salads, Sandwiches, Fresh Produce, Shellfish, Raw or insufficiently steamed clams and oysters

Cook all shellfish thoroughly before eating;  wash raw vegetables before eating; make sure your food handlers are frequently washing their hands.

Other

Scombroid fish poisoning Histamine poisoning A few minutes - 2 hours 12 hours

Metallic, sharp or peppery taste to food, followed by Intense headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, facial swelling and flushing, burning of throat, thirst, difficulty in swallowing, itching, wheezing and diarrhea

Tuna, bonito, mackerel. skipjack, blue dolphin (mahi mahi), sardines, anchovies Ice or  refrigerate fish soon after capture and maintain cold temperature until cooked. Discard any fish with sharp or peppery taste.

 

 

About the Author

Michael Doom worked as a Registered Environmental Health Specialist (REHS) for Los Angeles County for more than 21 years.  For most of these years he worked as a field inspector and Supervising Senior REHS in the retail food inspection programs. His experience within Los Angeles County has taken him to some of the smallest “mom and pop” restaurants and markets in the poorest areas of south Los Angeles, as well as to the largest facilities and affluent areas on the west side. He has literally conducted thousands of inspections of numerous types of restaurants, food markets, warehouses, events, and more; educated hundreds, if not more than a thousand, food facility owners, managers and employees on food sanitation and food safety, and how to prevent food poisoning hazards; has supervised more than 50 field inspectors that were responsible for an inventory of food facilities larger than many U.S. states.

Mr. Doom has a B.S. in Biology from Loyola Marymount University, an REHS with the state of California, holds a Project Management Professional (PMP®) credential from the Project Management Institute, and a Masters Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University.  Mr. Doom continuously works to expand his knowledge and experience in the subject of food safety, sanitation and food poisoning prevention.

He can be reached at Mike@foodpoisoningprevention.com