10 Signs and Symptoms of Food Poisoning - Healthline

Food poisoning is an illness caused by consuming foods or drinks that contain harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites.

It's extremely common, affecting an estimated 9.4 million Americans each year (1, 2).

While many foods contain potentially harmful organisms, they are usually destroyed during cooking.

However, if you don't practice good hygiene and proper food storage methods, such as washing your hands and keeping raw meat at the bottom of your fridge, even cooked foods can become contaminated and make you sick.

Eating foods that contain poisonous toxins can also cause food poisoning. These toxins can be naturally present in food, such as some species of mushrooms, or produced by bacteria in food that has spoiled.

Because there are many different types of organisms that can cause food poisoning, its symptoms and severity can vary (3).

Moreover, the time from when you get food poisoning to when your symptoms start can range from a few hours to a few days, making identifying the offending food quite difficult.

Some foods carry a greater risk of food poisoning than others. These include undercooked meat and chicken, eggs, unpasteurized dairy products, shellfish and unwashed fruits and vegetables.

This article lists 10 symptoms of food poisoning and what you should do if you think you have it.

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