While there are around 250 diseases that can infect people through food, there are two major, overarching types of food poisoning. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites known as ?infectious agents? is one way. Getting through ?Toxic Agents? is another way. The list includes mushrooms, foods that are not properly or fully prepared, and incompletely cleaned foods which still contain things like pesticide. High levels of sanitation and hygiene is one of the best methods of preventing food poisoning.

Because food poisoning is so complex, there are 250 types of food poisoning diseases, and there are many "infectious agents," there are many symptoms and effects of food poisoning. A partial of symptoms includes:

?nausea

?headaches

?vomiting

?abdominal pain

?diarrhea (both watery and crampy as well as bloody and even mucusy)

?fever

?inflammation of internal organs

?kidney failure

?muscles aches

?blurry vision

?speech problems

?bodily weakness

?death

There are several ways by which doctors can test for food poisoning. It is blood and urine tests that are usually taken. Finally, doctors may choose a rectal exam as well. Aside from these tests, doctors will also check common things, like breathing rate and blood pressure.

Inspite of its intricacies, food poisoning problem can be prevented by people in many ways. When shopping, they can avoid purchasing packages that appear open or torn, waiting until the end of their shopping trip to buy frozen or cold items and taking them home immediately, and avoiding contact between raw foods (like meat) and other foods. Cleanliness is what is most important, furthermore. After going to the bathroom, it is important to wash hands. Also, before working with uncooked foods, it is crucial to wash hands before and after handling them. At the time of actually cooking their food, people can take a number of steps also to avoid food poisoning. A meat thermometer should be used to measure the temperature of the meat when cooking meat. It should be ensured also that leftovers are consumed within four days. At the end, it also helps if food is not left for more than two hours outside to avoid its spoiling.

At times, people can not realize that it is food which caused food poisoning to them. Especially, someone falls since after eating in a restaurant, it is the fault of restaurant. Food would not have been cooked completely by the chefs. The safety measures like washing hands after going to bathroom or before and after handling the food would not have been taken by them or others. The restaurant may have spoiled ingredients. {Whatsoever be the reason, it is because of others? errors the person has fallen sick due to food poisoning.

Finally, it reaches down to keeping food out of the risky zone temperature range (40 - 140 degrees) to avoid growing of bacteria easily and quickly, maintaining HOT foods HOT and COLD foods COLD; and the proverb ?When in doubt, throw it out? should be remembered always.