Food Poisoning
Many people can remember a family holiday or vacation gone bad because of a nasty case of food poisoning. Food poisoning is quite common, affecting millions of Americans each year. Use this Web guide to learn more about food-borne illnesses, how to treat them and how to prevent them.
Expand All Guide SectionsFood-Borne Illnesses
In some cases, food-borne illnesses can be fatal and they should be taken seriously. The Web sites in this section can help you learn about many common food-borne illnesses and which people are susceptible to them.
Insights for Food-Borne Illnesses
- In 2008, salmonella outbreaks frightened consumers around the country, and sickened hundreds of people. However, reports indicated that despite the scares, the incidence of food-borne illnesses has remained fairly consistent over the past decade.
Top Sites for Food-Borne Illnesses
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
answers an extensive list of frequently asked questions about food-borne illnesses, explaining what some of the most common food-borne illnesses are, how foods become contaminated, why health officials investigate outbreaks and more.
Mayo Clinic
reviews some of the groups of people who are most prone to a food-borne illness. Click an illness name at the bottom of the page to learn more about a particular condition.
Forbes
addresses some common misconceptions about food-borne illnesses, including the idea that meats and dairy are the primary culprits for making people sick.
Food Safety
Preventing food poisoning is a lot easier when you practice food safety handling tips in the kitchen. Learn how to keep your food from coming in contact with bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
Insights for Food Safety
- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a toll free Meat and Poultry Hotline for consumers to call with their food safety questions.
- Irradiation is one method of killing dangerous germs and bacteria in food, but according to the Center for Food Safety, there have been some questions about how irradiated food should be labeled.
Top Sites for Food Safety
Partnership for Food Safety Education
presents Fight Bac!, a site that covers the four elements of food safety: clean, separate, cook and chill. Click on each section title to learn more about each step.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
describes some of the food safety practices you can follow to keep your kitchen clean before and after you’ve handled food products.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
offers several videos on the elements of food safety and preventing food-borne illness. Look for videos on produce safety, food safety for expectant mothers, the FDA’s role in food safety and more.
Food Poisoning Symptoms
Food poisoning often resolves itself without medical intervention, but sometimes a trip to the doctor is necessary. Keep reading to learn how to recognize food poisoning symptoms.
Top Sites for Food Poisoning Symptoms
The Washington Post
explains when food poisoning symptoms are serious enough that a person should seek medical help.
WebMD
discusses how people can know when they have food poisoning, when to call a doctor, how food poisoning is diagnosed and how it’s treated.
Food Safety News
Stay current with food safety news and updates about food poisoning cases using the Web sites recommended below.
Top Sites for Food Safety News
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
devotes a section of its Web site to food safety news and recent outbreaks of food poisoning.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
has a Food Safety Office that highlights many of the current issues and concerns about food safety. Check here for news and research reports.
Food Safety and Inspection Service
offers a quarterly magazine called FoodSafe that provides information on food safety behavior, science and research. Electronic access to the magazine is free.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
