What are the causes of food poisoning?
Food poisonings are common, usually mild, but in some cases fatal diseases.
Bacterial growth occurs with toxins (poisons) produced by bacteria, toxic substances contaminated with food from outside, or ingestion of foods containing natural toxins.
· What are the symptoms of food poisoning?
Typical symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.
Symptoms begin between 30 minutes and 72 hours after food consumption.
Symptoms and duration of occurrence vary depending on the factor that contaminates the food, the amount eaten, and the sensitivity of the person
· What dangerous situations does food poisoning cause?
Food poisoning is usually mild and short-lived. However, it can be severe in young children, infants, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. It can cause shock and death.
· What should a person who suspects food poisoning do?
If food poisoning is suspected due to the appearance of diarrheal nausea and vomiting symptoms, first of all, attempts should not be made to prevent vomiting or diarrhea that ensures the elimination of the factor causing the poisoning from the body.
It is important to compensate for the fluid and salt loss lost through diarrhea and vomiting. Therefore, adequate fluid intake should be provided.
If the severity of the symptoms increases, insufficient fluid and food intake due to nausea, bloody diarrhea, high fever, a doctor should be consulted.
· How should food poisoning be treated?
The most important point in treatment is to meet the loss of fluid and salt.
Short-term (less than 24 hours) and infrequent vomiting and diarrhea can be treated at home. Drink plenty of fluids (taking small and frequent sips is the best way to compensate for dehydration during nausea). Caffeine, alcohol and sugar Liquids containing water should be avoided. With the reduction of nausea, food intake can be started slowly. First of all, it should be started with potatoes, rice, white bread, lean meat and chicken.
In cases where diarrhea and vomiting are severe and fluid loss cannot be adequately met by mouth due to nausea, intravenous fluid may be required. These patients require observation in the hospital. In children, observation is especially important in the hospital.
· What should be considered in order to prevent food poisoning? (Things to watch out for at home, things to consider while shopping in the markets, examples of foods that should not be taken outdoors, etc.)
Things to consider while shopping:
-The expiration dates of the products should be checked during shopping
-Frozen foods should be bought at the end of the shopping and brought home without waiting. Leaky, torn packages should not be taken. There should be no pieces of ice inside
– Raw meat and poultry products should be kept separate from other foods
-Pasteurized Unprocessed milk and dairy products should not be used, open milk, cheese and yoghurt should not be purchased
– When buying eggs, care should be taken that the shell is not broken, cracked and dirty, the egg should be washed before use
Things to consider during home storage and cooking
– Attention should be paid to hand hygiene, especially after toilet hand hygiene
-Vegetables and fruits should be washed with plenty of water
-Reliable drinking water should be used
-Food should be kept in the refrigerator, the refrigerator temperature should be 4 degrees, the freezer should be -18 degrees
– Raw meat, fish and chicken should be stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator
– Cereals and legumes should not be stored in humid and hot environments
– Hot foods should be kept hot and cold foods should be kept cold
– Raw meat and after touching poultry products, hands should be washed thoroughly
– The cutting board, knife and kitchen counter used after cutting raw meat should be disinfected
– Ground meat and products containing minced meat should be cooked well
-Cooking temperature should be above 65 degrees for bacterial agents to die
-Rice foods should be prepared daily and not kept waiting
– Meals are close to consumption It should be cooked quickly, if it is not to be consumed immediately, it should be cooled quickly and placed in the refrigerator, the reheating process should not be repeated frequently
– Frozen foods should be thawed under appropriate conditions (in refrigerator temperature, cold water or with microwave)
– Cooked food at room temperature It should not be kept for more than 2 hours (1 hour in summer)
· Which foods cause poisoning the most?
Bacterial growth is facilitated in foods with high protein content. Therefore, meat, chicken, fish, milk and dairy products, eggs and foods containing eggs cause poisoning.
· Can it be said that it is seen more frequently in summer? So what is the reason?
Bacteria reproduce more easily in hot and humid environments. Therefore, bacterial growth in foods becomes easier with the increase in temperature and humidity in summer months. Food poisoning is more common in these months.
· How does ice cause food poisoning?
The temperature range in which bacteria reproduce best is between 5-65 degrees. Freezing food does not kill bacteria, but stops their reproduction. Bacteria whose reproduction has stopped but not dead in ice that is not prepared under appropriate conditions and from clean water can become active and cause disease by thawing the ice.
· Apart from food and drink, what can cause food poisoning?
In addition to bacterial growth in food or poisoning caused by bacterial toxins, poisoning can also be seen as a result of contamination of food by the dissolution of chemical substances, natural food toxins, and inappropriate storage conditions.
Agricultural pesticides, keeping foods in copper, aluminum, lead or painted plastic containers, and some types of food containing natural toxins (such as mushrooms, honey, sprouted potatoes) cause this kind of poisoning.
· Can foods cause poisoning without a change in appearance, smell or taste?
Bacteria are invisible, they have no smell or taste. Therefore, since they can reproduce rapidly when they find suitable conditions, poisoning may occur without a change in the appearance, smell and taste of the food. There may also be contamination during production and transportation.
· Is everyone consuming the same food poisoned?
If the amount of bacteria or toxin ingested with the food consumed is the same, anyone who consumes the food can give symptoms. However, the severity of the symptoms may vary depending on the amount consumed by the person and the sensitivity of the bacteria or toxin.
· Which bacteria cause food poisoning, in which foods are these bacteria found?
Bacteria that most commonly cause food poisoning: Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia Coli, Campylobacter jejuni,Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella, Staphylococcus aereus, Clostridium botulinum, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio cholera703, Vibrio cholera703, Vibrio cholera703 It is most commonly found in the intestines of poultry. It is contaminated with poorly cooked chicken meat, eggs, unpasteurized milk.
E. Coli: It is found in human and animal intestines. It is transmitted from raw meat and unpasteurized milk, water contaminated with feces, fruits and vegetables irrigated with these waters.
Clostridim Pefringens: Found in human and animal intestines, soil, and water contaminated with feces. It is transmitted by meat, broth, poultry
Listeria monocytogenes: It is a bacterium that can reproduce even at temperatures close to freezing. It can be transmitted through raw meat and chicken, frozen foods, cream and cheese.
Shigella: Found in human and animal feces. Contaminated water and food washed with these waters are transmitted from chicken and fish.
Campylobacter: Found in animal feces. Contaminated water, poultry products, milk.
Staphylococcus aereus: It produces toxins and causes poisoning. It reproduces in creamy foods, dairy products, salads, desserts, raw meat and poultry products.
Clostridium botulinum: It is found in soil, spring waters and sea water. It is especially transmitted by canned foods.
Bacillus cereus: It is found in soil and many plants. It is especially transmitted with rice, pasta, milk desserts, creams.
Vibrio cholera: Transmitted by contaminated water
Vibrio parahemoliticus: Contaminated by contaminated seawater and raw or undercooked seafood.
