Food poisoning is defined as any disease of an infectious or toxic nature caused by the consumption of food or drink. It is used to describe the illness caused by bacteria, viruses or parasites. Food poisoning is very common, almost too common. It is very preventable and if everyone just took the necessary precautions then it would be much less of a problem.
People get food poisoning for a variety of reasons. When food is left out to long, bacteria starts to grow and these organisms multiply into many more. These are the components that make people sick. With warm, moist food, one bacterium can divide itself every half-hour and produce 16 billion clones in 12 hours. The most common cause of food poisoning is poor personal hygiene. This means yourself, your family, your guests" hands, and the restaurants who feed you. Washing hands is one of the most important factors to keeping food safe. The second cause is inadequate cooking and cross- contamination. It "s better safe than sorry. If you think that something is undercooked, chances are you"re right and should cook it for longer or not eat it at all. The third cause is when foods are kept as unsafe temperatures. Do not leave foods out for more than two hours. In hot weather no longer than one hour. It is best to keep your fridge door closed as much as possible. The best thing to do is to become aware of cleanliness and safe cooking when preparing food.
There are many simple ways to avoid food poisoning that are well worth the extra time and effort put in. One is simply washing your hands often. Not just when preparing food, but always. This could cut the cases of food poisonings in half and also reduce the spread of the common cold or flu. Another way is to keep raw meats and other foods separated. Don't ever let a cooked food come near a raw food. Use different utensils for different foods. You should always cook your food to the proper temperatures.
