How does food poisoning start

This is so it cannot touch or drip onto other foods. Cook poultry, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs until steaming hot. There should be no pink meat inside. Do not wash raw meat including chicken and turkey before cooking. This can spread bacteria around your kitchen. Freezing raw chicken reduces the levels of campylobacter bacteria. But it does not eliminate them completely. The safest way to kill all traces of campylobacter is by cooking chicken thoroughly.

Keep your fridge temperature below 5 degrees Celsius. Use a fridge thermometer to check it. This prevents harmful germs from growing and multiplying. Avoid overfilling your fridge. If it's too full, air can't circulate properly. This can affect the temperature. If you have cooked food that you're not going to eat straight away, cool it as soon as possible. Do this within 90 minutes. Store it in the fridge or freezer.

Use any leftovers from the fridge within 2 days. Do not eat food that's past its use-by date, even if it looks and smells okay. Use-by dates are based on scientific tests. These show how quickly harmful bugs can develop in the packaged food. Page last reviewed: 26 April Next review due: 26 April Read our cookies policy to find out more about our cookies and how we use them.

Food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually caused by eating food that is contaminated by bacteria. Food Safety. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. Food Poisoning Symptoms. Minus Related Pages. On This Page.

Symptoms and Sources of Common Food Poisoning Germs Some germs make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Staphylococcus aureus Staph Symptoms begin 30 minutes to 8 hours after exposure: Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps. Most people also have diarrhea. Common food sources: Foods that are not cooked after handling, such as sliced meats, puddings, pastries, and sandwiches. Vibrio Symptoms begin 2 to 48 hours after exposure: Watery diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, fever, chills Common food sources: Raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters.

Clostridium perfringens Symptoms begin 6 to 24 hours after exposure: Diarrhea, stomach cramps. Usually begins suddenly and lasts for less than 24 hours. Vomiting and fever are not common. Common food sources: Beef or poultry , especially large roasts; gravies; dried or precooked foods. Salmonella Symptoms begin 6 hours to 6 days after exposure: Diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, vomiting Common food sources: Raw or undercooked chicken , turkey, and meat; eggs ; unpasteurized raw milk and juice; raw fruits and vegetables Other sources: Many animals , including backyard poultry , reptiles and amphibians , and rodents pocket pets.

Clostridium botulinum Botulism Symptoms begin 18 to 36 hours after exposure: Double or blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech. In severe cases, blood tests, stool tests , and tests on food that you have eaten may be conducted to determine what is responsible for the food poisoning.

Your doctor may also use a urine test to evaluate whether an individual is dehydrated as a result of food poisoning. Food poisoning can usually be treated at home, and most cases will resolve within three to five days. Sports drinks high in electrolytes can be helpful with this.

Fruit juice and coconut water can restore carbohydrates and help with fatigue. Avoid caffeine , which may irritate the digestive tract. Decaffeinated teas with soothing herbs like chamomile, peppermint , and dandelion may calm an upset stomach.

Read about more remedies for an upset stomach. Over-the-counter medications like Imodium and Pepto-Bismol can help control diarrhea and suppress nausea. However, you should check with your doctor before using these medications, as the body uses vomiting and diarrhea to rid the system of the toxin.

Also, using these medications could mask the severity of the illness and cause you to delay seeking expert treatment. In severe cases of food poisoning, individuals may require hydration with intravenous IV fluids at a hospital.

In the very worst cases of food poisoning, a longer hospitalization may be required while the individual recovers. To prevent your stomach from getting more upset, try to avoid the following harder-to-digest foods, even if you think you feel better:. While having food poisoning is quite uncomfortable, the good news is that most people recover completely within 48 hours.

Learn more about what to eat after food poisoning. The best way to prevent food poisoning is to handle your food safely and to avoid any food that may be unsafe.

Meat, poultry, eggs, and shellfish may harbor infectious agents that are killed during cooking. If these foods are eaten in their raw form, not cooked properly, or if hands and surfaces are not cleaned after contact, food poisoning can occur. Always wash your hands before cooking or eating food. Make sure that your food is properly sealed and stored. Thoroughly cook meat and eggs. Anything that comes in contact with raw products should be sanitized before using it to prepare other foods.

Make sure to always wash fruits and vegetables before serving. Read this article in Spanish. Do you have a stomach bug or food poisoning? Discriminating between the two can be difficult.

A stomach bug and food poisoning can be commonly…. If you have food poisoning, here's what you should know about the duration period, symptoms, and when to see your doctor. Stomachaches are a common occurrence that can be treated at home.

Here are seven home remedies for you to use to ease your stomach.