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Food poisoning is caused by eating food that has been contaminated by microorganisms. Many times, toxic chemicals are produced by microorganisms that grow in our food. The food becomes poisoned as a result, causing significant disease and in serious cases, even death. Therefore, we must preserve our food to avoid spoilage.
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Key Takeaways: Food Poisoning, Food Preservation, Pathogens, Food Contamination, Preservatives
Causes of Food Poisoning
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Food is a necessary aspect of life for all living things. It gives us the energy we need to go about our daily lives. It promotes the growth of our immune system, making us more capable of fighting infections. This is why it is more important than ever to eat the appropriate food at the right time.
Food Poisoning causes diarrhoea and vomiting
Microorganisms can sometimes develop in the food we eat. When these microbes proliferate and emit poisonous compounds, food becomes contaminated, causing food poisoning.
Following are the causes of food poisoning explained in detail:
Bacteria
Food poisoning is mainly caused by bacteria. Salmonella is a major cause of food poisoning in the United States. Campylobacter and Clostridium botulinum can also contaminate food, causing food poisoning.
Viruses
Norovirus, sapovirus, rotavirus, and astrovirus are among the viruses that cause food poisoning. Food poisoning caused by viruses is rare, but in certain cases, it can be fatal. Food poisoning can also spread the hepatitis A virus, which is extremely hazardous.
Parasites
Food poisoning caused by parasites is quite uncommon. In cat litter boxes, toxoplasma can be found which is a major cause of food poisoning. During the growing, cultivation, and storage processes, food can become infected.
Food poisoning is caused by microorganisms
Food contamination occurs when hazardous organisms spread from one surface to another. Raw, ready-to-cook foods are particularly vulnerable. The bacteria are not killed because these foods are not cooked, leading to food poisoning.
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Symptoms of Food Poisoning
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Following are the symptoms that can be looked for to identify if a person has food poisoning:
- Weakness
- Headache
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Irritating abdominal cramps
- Mild fever
- Loss of appetite
Treatment of Food Poisoning
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If you or someone else has food poisoning, they should get the following treatment:
- You'll need to drink a lot of water to restore the electrolytes lost.
- Regardless of how many times the vomiting reoccurs, take small sips of water or melt ice cubes inside the patient's mouth.
- Start eating blander things like cereals, toast, rice, bananas, and so on.
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Prevention of Food from Contamination
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It is essential to safely preserve food in order to avoid contamination. We can keep food fresh by reducing fat oxidation and preventing bacteria from growing on it. Different storing and preservation methods are necessary for whole grains and prepared foods. Bacteria thrive in damp conditions, and whole food lacks moisture, thus bacteria prefer to thrive on cooked food. As a result, under damp conditions, left-over bread will be contaminated by germs. Food affected with the disease has a bad odour and tastes different, in addition to observable alterations.
Following are some of the methods that can be used for food preservation:
Chemical Method
The use of preservatives in food preservation controls microbial activity. Preservatives are used in pickles, squashes, jams, canned foods, and other foods to keep them from rotting. The following are some examples of preservatives:
- Edible Oils
- Sodium benzoate
- Sodium metabisulphite
Preservation by Common Salt
Since salt is water-absorbent, it eliminates water from any food substance. Microorganisms do not grow in the absence of moisture. As a result, salt is used to remove moisture from fish and meat, preventing microbial activity. It is also used in tamarind, raw mangoes, and other dishes. In the pickling procedure, a salt solution known as brine is used.
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Preservation by Sugar
Salt, sugar, and other soluble chemicals take water from food, making it too dry for microorganisms to live. Sugar is commonly used to preserve foods like jams and jellies. Sugaring is the process of using pure sugar as a desiccant. Food is dehydrated and then filled with pure sugar. Sugar is commonly used to preserve food, and some fruits are stored in this way. Sugar can also be used in the preservation of meat and fish.
Preservation by Oil and Vinegar
Cooking or frying food in edible oil is a common method of preserving food. Pickles are kept fresh using vinegar and oil. Vegetables and fruits are also protected from spoiling by the oil. Because vinegar has an acidity or pH level that inhibits the growth of microbes, it can help keep food from spoiling.
Heat and Cold Treatments
Boiling milk and food before storing them is one way of food preservation. Pasteurised goods are heated to 70 degrees Celsius for 15-30 seconds before being quickly cooled and stored. As a result, milk does not need to be cooked because germs are not present. For example, meat is kept fresh in the freezer by freezing it at a low temperature to keep microorganisms away.
Storage and Packing
To avoid contamination, fruits, vegetables, and cooked food are kept in airtight jars, aluminium foils, cans, paper bags, and Ziplock bags.
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Things to Remember
- Food poisoning occurs from consuming food that has undergone microbial growth on it.
- Bacteria is the most common cause of food poisoning, while viruses and parasites are rare causes.
- Mild fever, stomach aches, vomiting and nausea, weakness, appetite loss are some of the common symptoms of food poisoning.
- Some methods of preserving food include pickling, sugaring, pasteurising, brining, storing in airtight bags, and by the use of vinegar and edible oils.
- Foods that contain moisture are more prone to getting infected by bacteria and other food poisoning causing microbes.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Define Food Poisoning. (2 Marks)
Ans. Food poisoning is a disease resulting from the presence of a large number of microbial pathogens in the food or the presence of toxic components in food created by the activity of microbes on it.
Ques. What is a common cause of food poisoning? (2 Marks)
Ans. When food is left unattended or is not covered properly, stored properly, or preserved properly, it gets spoiled by the microbes infecting the food and making the food toxic to eat.
Ques. How can you recognize contaminated food? (2 Marks)
Ans. Whenever food is infested by microbes like bacteria, viruses, etc, there are certain indicators that can be used to identify toxic food. Firstly, the contaminated food will give away a foul smell or odour, and its colour may also change.
Ques. How do microorganisms infect food? (2 Marks)
Ans. The microorganisms that are responsible for contaminating food and causing food poisoning come in contact with the food through the air, from dirty hands, dirty utensils, and containers, houseflies, rats, fungus, etc.
Ques. Name some of the common food poisoning microbes. (2 Marks)
Ans. Some of the most common microbes responsible for food poisoning include bacterias like Salmonella and clostridium botulinum. Salmonella is responsible for a major number of food poisoning cases in the US. Fungus like aspergillus also causes food poisoning.
Ques. Why is it necessary to preserve food? (3 Marks)
Ans. Preservation through various techniques ensures that microbes do not get an environment to thrive on the food, and thus the food can be stored and used for a longer period of time for example pickles, jellies, etc. through the use of salt and sugar as preservatives respectively.
Ques. How can oil and vinegar prevent food poisoning? (2 Marks)
Ans. Oil and vinegar are used in a variety of methods to preserve food. This includes frying food in edible oil, pickling vegetables and fruits using vinegar and oil, etc. Vinegar has an acidic property that stops microbes from growing on food.
Ques. What organisms are the most common causes of food poisoning? (3 Marks)
Ans. Microbes like bacteria, viruses, and some parasites are the major reasons for food poisoning. The following microbes are the most common causes of food poisoning:
- Norovirus
- Campylobacter
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Clostridium perfringens
- Salmonella
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