Food Poisoning A Growing Summertime Danger

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Food Poisoning A Growing Summertime Danger
Topic Started: Aug 10 2007, 04:34 PM (41 Views)
punka111	Aug 10 2007, 04:34 PM Post #1
~Mistress Admin~ Posts: 24,060 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: June 21, 2003	You can't see it. You can't taste it. And you don't even know it's there until you've already eaten it. It's salmonella and it's the one additive you don't want on your sandwich, meat or produce. Salmonella is a group of bacteria found in the intestinal tract of animals and birds. If it gets into the food supply by contact with meat, milk, fruits and vegetables, it can easily go undetected and prove deadly to those who consume it. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 13 million Canadians will get some sort of food-borne illness this year, meaning roughly 40 per cent of the country will pay the price for what they ate at least once in 2007. And it's a problem, which, like the fruits and vegetables that have become a primary concern, appears to be growing as the amount of low-cost food Canada imports increases. That rate is up 21 per cent over the last 10 years and food now comes from at least 195 different countries and jurisdictions, many of which operate with different food safety standards. "Microbiological contamination is on the rise but that doesn't mean that it's at the panic stage," said Rene Cardinal of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. "For the number of fresh fruits and vegetables that we consume, the number of outbreaks is still low." But according to other experts, Canada's aging population is also a factor. "As the number of people that are at risk of developing these illnesses increases then the problem is going to increase," said Dr. Mansel Griffiths, of the Canadian Research Institute For Food Safety. So what's your best bet for staying safe when you eat? Well, Toronto Public Health insists you always wash your fruits and veggies thoroughly before eating them. It's no guarantee, but it's a very, very good place to start. Here's a primer to help keep you and your family safe. How do you stop it? The answer is good cooking and good cleaning. The bugs can be killed if they're properly cooked at high enough temperature. Thoroughly washing and cleaning fruits and vegetables is another way of ensuring the danger goes down the drain. And cleanliness is not only vital for what you eat, but where. Salmonella can easily spread to food that's prepared on contaminated surfaces. People who don't properly wash their hands after coming in contact with fecal matter are also possible spreaders. The effects You'll feel them 12-72 hours after ingesting food that's been contaminated, and the next four days to a week won't be very pleasant. Among the symptoms: * Diarrhea, * Fever, * Stomach cramps, * Headache, * Nausea, * Vomiting, * Loss of appetite. The good news: most cases resolve themselves in otherwise healthy people within a week. But those who contract the more severe strains and people with compromised immune systems are at the biggest risk. You should always see your doctor if you suspect this kind of food poisoning - the infection can be fatal.



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