<http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/Consumers/
brochure.html>
United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and
Inspection Service. ‘‘Meat and Poultry Labeling
Terms.’’ August 24, 2006.<http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
Fact_Sheets/Meat_&_Poultry_Labeling_Terms/
index.asp>Tish Davidson, A.M.Food poisoning
Definition
Food poisoning comes from eating food or drink-
ingwaterthat is the contaminated with a virus, bacte-
rium, parasite, or chemical that causes illness. It is also
called gastroenteritis.Description
Foodborne illness is a serious public health con-
cern in the United States and around the world. More
than 250 foodborne diseases have been identified.
Most food poisoning is unpleasant but not severe
enough to require professional medical treatment.
However, the economic impact of food poisoning is
substantial. The United States Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) estimates that food poisoning costs
the United States between 5 and 6 billion dollars
annually in direct medical care and lost productivity.
The organisms and chemicals that cause food poi-
soning can contaminate food at any point during the
production process. Animal products cause the major-
ity of food poisonings. They can become contaminated
during slaughter, processing, transport, storage, or
preparation. A vegetarian diet, however, does not pro-
tect a person from food poisoning. Fruits and vegeta-
bles can be contaminated in the fields from animal feces
or pesticides, as well as during harvesting, processing,
distribution, and storage. The CDC estimates that
about 97% of all food poisoning comes from improper
food handling. Of that, 80% occurs from food prepared
in businesses (e.g. restaurants or work cafeterias) or
institutions (e.g. schools or jails). The remaining 20%
occurs from food prepared at home. In the twenty-first
century, American bioterrorism experts have become
increasingly concerned that a disease-causing organism
could intentionally be introduced into the food or water
supply to cause a mass outbreak of food poisoning
illness.DemographicsThe CDC estimates that about 76 million cases of
food poisoning occur in the United States each year.
The specific organism causing the disease is identified
in only about 14 million cases. Most cases of food
poisoning are mild, but about 325,000 individuals are
hospitalized for food poisoning each year in the
United States, and about 5,000 die. Internationally,
food poisoning is about five times more common in
developing countries than in the United States and
Europe. In underdeveloped countries where contami-
nated water supplies are common and refrigeration is
rare, foodborne illnesses may cause a billion illnesses
and 4–6 million deaths each year.
Food poisoning is an equal opportunity illness. It
affects people independent of race, age,orgender. How-
ever, the very young, the elderly, pregnant women, and
peoplewithweakenedimmune systems (e.g. peoplewith
HIV/AIDS, leukemia, transplant patients) are more
likely to have severe cases that result hospitalization
and life-threatening complications.Causes and symptomsFood poisoning can be divided into two basic
types: illness caused by infectious organisms and illness
caused by chemicals. The infectious organisms (patho-
gens) that cause food poisoning are bacteria, viruses,
and parasites. Chemicals can be either natural toxins
(poisons) found in plants (e.g. poisonous mushrooms)
and animals (Japanese puffer fish) or they can be man-
made chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides.
Symptoms of food poisoning usually develop any-
where within 1–48 hours after eating contaminated
food. Symptoms of chemical food poisoning often
appear very quickly. The type of symptoms and their
severity depend on the cause of the food poisoning, the
amount of contaminated food eaten, and the health of
the individual. Symptoms usually develop suddenly.
Some common symptoms of food poisoning include:
nausea followed by forceful vomiting
frequent diarrhea. Stools can be extremely watery
and may or may not contain blood.
painful stomach cramps
fever
headache
dizziness
blurred vision, difficulty breathing, tingling in hands
and feet (chemical food poisoning)Food poisoning