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The Symptoms Of Food Poisoning

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Along with the relaxing atmosphere and ease of preparing a BBQ dinner or picnic for friends and family come some well known risks. You are likely aware that e.coli and salmonella can cause symptoms that range from mild discomfort to life threatening emergencies. But why is this more common during summertime meals and how can you protect your loved ones without ruining your summer?

During the summer when we are picnicking or having a BBQ we are not preparing a meal with the usual amenities we have in the house - sink, oven, fridge. Because of this we are more likely to forget to wash hands, store food properly or even grab a clean plate to serve food.

Here are some ways you can protect yourself from summertime dining outdoors:

SEPARATE

From the grocery store, to the cart, to the fridge, to the table - keep meats and other food separated.

Always wrap meats even when thawing to prevent the juices from dripping onto other foods, especially produce. Produce has been identified as a culprit in some food poisoning cases.

WASH

Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes and food.

Always wash your hands before and after preparing foods. Never serve cooked meat on the same plate or tray that you had it on when raw - make sure the resident BBQ expert is given a clean plate to place the finished product on. Also thoroughly clean knives and cutting boards. Ideally you should use a separate cutting board for bread and produce and another for meat products.

Wash produce in cold water and scrub thick skinned foods like cantaloupe as the bacteria can come in contact with the flesh of the fruit when being cut.

COLD and HOT

Keep cold food cold and hot food hot.

Food can normally last for two hours at room temperature, but that is decreased to one hour in warm weather. Cold food (potato salad, sandwiches etc.) should stay in the fridge until ready to serve. If the food must travel, be certain to use ice or commercial freezing gel packets. Hot food should also stay insulated.

When eating outdoors try to keep cold food in the shade and be sure warm food is wrapped and insulated.

When the food is no longer being eaten it should be returned to the ice box or insulated carrier. Food should remain hot or cold for as long as it is being served and then refrigerated in clean, covered containers. If you are not able to refrigerate it within a couple hours it is best to throw it out.

If you suspect a mild case of food poisoning than try to limit the foods you eat to the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. In more severe cases you should seek emergency treatment when there are signs of pain, vomiting for several hours or bloody diarrhea. Pregnant women, elderly, those with immune disorders and children are more at risk.

Food safety is an important part of a fun summer. Taking precautions will help you enjoy your meals and avoid serious consequences.

The Symptoms Of Food Poisoning

Food poisioning is initiated when you consume dirty food or other bacterial affected food. Your symptoms may range from upset stomach to diarrhea, fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps and dehydration. The majority such infections go undiagnosed and unreported.

So what are the symptoms?

About 20 organisms can affect food poisoning. Once you eat the food which is contaminated by bacteria, you can find the discomfort in the stomach. All the bacteria in the stomach will multiply when bacteria gives off toxins. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea occur because of these toxins.Vomiting and diarrhea are the body's way of eliminating the toxin, and most cases of food poisoning run their course without needing medical attention.

These can vary, depending on the cause but most of the conventional symptoms are vomiting,, abdominal pain and diarrhea. However symptoms may also consist of fevers and chills, be as non descript as weakness and exhaustion

Common Sources of Food Poisoning

Campylobacter is the important cause of bacterial food poisoning in the USA. It causes a number of million cases a year, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The food poisioning is caused because of eating undercooked chicken or the food in contact with raw chicken. The Center for Disease Control estimates that up to 70%-90% of chickens are infected with campylobacter.

Avoid Food Poisoning

Make sure that the chicken is cooked well. When meat is uncooked or undercooked, there can be a lot of distinctive kinds of bacteria which can still increase. All these bacteria will produce ferver, vomtings. The toxins released by the bacteria will make people sick. If you're eating meat that's undercooked, you do run into some health risks if the meat is not well treated. The meet, which is cooked well or even over cooked may not cause any harm to health as the bacteria will be killed in the over cooked chicken. Also, when you cook your meat properly, you can refrigerate it safely for longer than undercooked meat.

Temperature: Keeping foods at the suitable temperature-especially dairy, eggs, and meats-is very important . Make sure that the freezer set to zero degrees Fahrenheat and your frodge set to 37 to 40 degrees to store the food.

Eating hygiene food can ease the odds of causing food poisioning. Be smart about your healthiness and take the crucial precautions when working with food.

Summary of Food Poisoning

Most symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea are due to viral infections and are not true cases of food poisoning . An accurate diagnosis can be intractable because the pathogenic organisms are found in different kinds of food and have varying incubation periods. Also, eating a substance and getting sick straight away afterwards is not the normal course for food poisoning. Most people are not perceptive that food eaten a number of days formerly can be the cause of food poisoning. Always be sure to consult a physician when experiencing acute gastrointestinal symptoms.

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About Author

Both Nicky Pilkington & Dancinghorse are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Nicky Pilkington has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Mastercard Credit Card and How to Sell on Ebay. Find out more about at . Nicky Pilkington's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.

Dancinghorse has sinced written about articles on various topics from Education Toys, Software and Web Development. Are you searching for several valuable information on ? do you want to see more resources on. Dancinghorse's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.

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