FOOD POISONING FAST FACTS

According to the CDC approximately 48 million (1 in 6) Americans contract food poisoning each year. Because of its prevalence, it is important to know the facts about food poisoning so you can do your best to avoid it:

Foodborne illness is preventable with proper hygiene and caution.
There are over 250 types of known foodborne infections and illnesses.
Contaminated fruits and Veggies account for about 1/4th of all food poisoning cases
A foodbourne illness outbreak occurs when 2 or more people become ill from the same food source.
1 in 6 Americans Americans contract food poisoning annually
Salmonella is the #1 cause of food poisoning in America?
128, 000 of these people end up in the hospital for their poisoning, and over 3,000 die annually.
Food poisoning affects the gastrointestinal tract in different ways depending on the person and the responsible illness, common symptoms include: diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal pain and cramping and fever.
Food poisoning is caused by food that is inadvertently contaminated by harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites and other infectious organisms that are poisonous to humans. It can also be caused by traces of toxic chemicals.
The Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which presents as botulism can cause one of the more severe forms of food poisoning, leading to vision problems, muscle weakness, dizziness or even respiratory failure (resulting in death). It is most often caused by contaminated canned foods.
Aside from the immunocompromised, pregnant women, young children and the elderly are most likely to become more seriously poisoned.
It is recommended pregnant women refrain from eating any deli or sandwich meats as they may have traces of listeria that can be dangerous (or fatal) for an unborn baby.
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