Almost everyone has to deal with food poisoning at one time or another . Maybe you ate something wrong, or drank tap water somewhere where it wasn’t supposed to be. In any case, it is something you would rather never experience again, we completely understand that.
In this article we explain what food poisoning is, how you can best prevent it and what you can do if you do get food poisoning.
What is food poisoning?
Food poisoning is a reaction of the body to toxic substances in food or drink. These substances are usually caused by harmful bacteria and fungi. When you leave food out of the fridge for too long, or if you haven’t treated it enough, these bacteria and fungi can develop, causing them to emit these toxic substances.When food is heated, the pathogens often die, but not always the bacteria. It is therefore important to properly process food products such as meat, fish, chicken, egg and dairy products before eating them.
Food poisoning symptoms
Most complaints of food poisoning arise within 8 hours of eating the contaminated food. You will experience abdominal cramps, you may vomit, suffer from diarrhea and feel very nauseous. Many people also have trouble keeping water down. This can be very dangerous in the long run.
The food poisoning duration is between one and three days. If you have serious complaints, it is important to go to the hospital to prevent dehydration and major damage.
How do I prevent food poisoning?
Fortunately, you can easily prevent food poisoning with the right measures. You pay extra attention to the food you ingest, the working environment in which you treat your food and where you get your food from. With these 4 tips you can prevent food poisoning in almost any situation.1. Cleaning
Wash your hands before handling food, especially raw meat and fish. It is also important to keep the countertops clean at all times. Are you going to cut vegetables after preparing meat? Wash your hands thoroughly in between. Cleaning is the best thing you can do to prevent food poisoning.
2. Don’t just put food together
Raw meat, fish, chicken and eggs should be kept separate from ready-to-eat foods, such as vegetables, fruits and grains. When they come into contact with each other, the bacteria can switch to the other food products.
3. Cook everything
Make sure that all raw products are fully heated and cooked through during cooking. Chicken should no longer be raw inside. A food thermometer can help you with this. If you are in a country where your gut is not used to the bacteria there, it is best not to eat raw fruit or drink tap water. It is also important to cook/prepare everything before you eat it. How to reduce the risk of food poisoning
4. Cool your food
Make sure your refrigerator is only 4 degrees Celsius. Leftovers should go straight into the fridge or freezer as soon as they have cooled down. Food that has been left at room temperature for too long is a greenhouse for harmful viruses and bacteria.
What if I already have food poisoning?
If you have become ill from food, it is important to keep an eye on your health. If you have a high fever, dehydration or vomiting blood, you should go to the hospital immediately.
If you have mild symptoms, it is best to rest well, drink plenty of water, and try to eat some dry (salty) crackers. It is also important to get enough fiber , so that they can calm your stomach.