Food Poisoning Causes
Getting statistics on the causes of food poisoning is a bit hard for doctors because not everyone reports poisoning cases since most are mild cases that are treated at home. Also when a patient does consult their doctor for food poisoning treatment, the cause of the food poisoning is not always addressed just the symptoms and treatments.
However the known food poisoning causes are split into 2 categories:
Infectious Agents: made up of viruses, bacteria and parasites.
Toxic Agents: Made up of poison mushrooms, exotic foods prepared wrong and pesticides.
Also, food poisoning results from the lack of hygiene during the preparation of the food. Many cooks do not wear gloves and some don't even wash their hands! But not just the cooks are responsible, the storage of the food at home and restaurants as well is important. Foods that are not stored at correct temperatures can become infected with a bacterium which leads to food poisoning.
A couple of other food poisoning causes:
- Undercooked meat.
- Dirty cooking utensils such as unwashed knives.
- Raw or uncooked eggs
- Salads prepared with wrongly stored vegetables.
- Raw food such as oysters and other fish products.
So remember to always keep your kitchen area clean and foods stored in the correct place. Check expiration dates and throw away foods that look unhealthy. When eating out, make sure the restaurant is clean and follows hygiene rules.