Hello viewers!
Do you know that around 4 million people suffer from food poisoning every year?
There are various causes for food borne illnesses like bacteria, chemicals, contamination and
toxins but there are some foods that are at higher risk of giving you food poisoning than
others.
Ever since we were kids we were taught to clean our fruits and vegetables before eating
to ensure safety.
Food poisoning happens when you consume food containing harmful bacteria, parasites and
viruses and its symptoms start up in a couple of days -- they include vomiting, nausea,
stomach cramps and loss of appetite.
There are certain foods that are more likely to cause food poisoning especially when they
are not stored or cooked properly.
Sprouts are definitely healthy or are they?
No not cheese!
Watch the whole video to hear about some high risk foods that can give you food poisoning.
Poultry: Didn’t see this coming?
Well, poultry like chicken, duck and turkey rank among the top causes of food poisoning.
Raw or undercooked poultry items have proven to cause some serious life threatening illnesses.
The bacteria present inside the poultry meat stay alive throughout the slaughter process
and they can survive until cooking kills them.
It’s shocking that around 40 to 84% of chicken sold in supermarkets is contaminated.
Don’t lose hope yet!
The good news is that all these harmful bacteria thriving in raw poultry meat are completely
destroyed when the meat is thoroughly cooked.
This means you can enjoy your favourite plate of chicken wings without thinking twice.
What’s one chicken dish that you’ll never give up?
Comment below and let us know!
Leafy green vegetables: Green vegetables are a major source of nutrients
and essential vitamins in our everyday diet.
So why is it on this list?
Well, did you know that 20% of all food poisoning cases in the world can be traced back to contaminated
vegetables like lettuce, kale, spinach, celery, cabbage and tomatoes.
Vegetable contamination occurs due to unclean water and unhygienic processing equipment.
Leafy greens have been found to be the common culprit for a large percent of food borne
illnesses in the USA.
Don’t say goodbye to your favorite green smoothie just yet, remember that you should
always wash all the salad leaves thoroughly under running water.
Avoid prepared salad sitting at room temperature or if it has turned mushy and you are good
to go.
Eggs: While eggs are an excellent source of protein,
vitamin B12, iron and other minerals, they can prove to be extremely harmful if consumed
raw or undercooked.
Although one of the most nutritious and economical foods a humble egg can carry harmful bacteria
that can be found inside and on the egg shell as well.
In the past contaminated eggs have been found to be a major cause of salmonella outbreaks
which later on called for some major improvements in the production and processing.
An excellent solution is to always make sure that you properly check the egg for some pre
existing cracks or dirty shell.
It’s really that simple to ensure food safety and enjoy a good old breakfast burrito.
Deli meats: Deli meats include ham, bacon, salami and
hot dogs which we all know and love.
However they can get easily contaminated and may cause some serious problems.
A listeria outbreak in the USA has been linked to the deli meat sold at a store in 4 states.
These meats are prone to getting contaminated at any stage of processing and manufacturing.
Sliced beef, turkey, chicken and ham have been reported to contain harmful bacteria
and parasites.
Make sure the next time you are hosting a barbeque that the hotdogs, sausages and minced
meat are cooked thoroughly and should be consumed immediately after being cooked.
If there are leftovers remember to store it in the fridge.
Fruits: It is hard to believe that fruits can ever
be harmful for us.
Sadly, numerous fruit based products like blueberries, melons and pre prepared salads
have been directly linked to food poisoning outbreaks.
Fruits that are high risk include the ones that grow underground like cantaloupes, honeydew
melon and watermelon.
Fruit contamination mainly occurs if the plants are being grown in dirty water, unhygienic
habits of the pickers and cross contamination with an infected fruit during processing.
To break this dense web of contamination remember what you were taught as kids, always wash
the fruits before eating.
It’s a simple practice that can save you and your loved ones from food poisoning.
Avoid pre packaged or pre cut fruits at all costs.
Sprouts: Eating sprouts everyday promotes good health
and gives the body a lot of nutrition it needs.
These include alfalfa, clover sprouts, mung bean and more.
Sadly, they have also proven to cause serious food poisoning when consumed raw or lightly
cooked.
This occurs mainly due to the presence of various viruses and parasites as the sprouts
are grown in warm and moist conditions which are breeding grounds for harmful bacteria.
It is also advised that pregnant mothers should totally avoid sprouts.
Being a high risk food you should be extra careful while preparing or including it in
your meals.
This requires you to wash and cook the sprouts well before eating it.
This helps with any trouble causing microorganisms to perish and lower the risk of food poisoning.
Cheese: Oh no not cheese!
Unfortunately, cheese ranks among one of the top foods that may put you at a high risk
for food poisoning through contamination.
The chances are so high that expecting mothers are usually told to avoid eating any soft
cheese during pregnancy like ricotta and feta.
Bacteria living inside cheese have high tolerance for the salt content and are often transferred
from an infected person that handles the cheese.
They are so stubborn that in some cases even cooking the cheese thoroughly doesn’t kill
them.
The only way of saving your favorite cheese from becoming infected with harmful bacteria
is to store it properly at or under 5 degree Celsius and maintain high standards of hygiene.
Make sure that all the equipment, surfaces and utensils are thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
Seafood: Fishs are always at a high risk of potentially
life threatening food poisoning.
Other than being at risk of coming in contact with toxins or germs and bacteria at any point
of processing or catching, if these fish items are not stored properly it can cause some
serious health problems.
Food poisoning through shellfish like crabs, shrimp and oysters.
consumption is another common occurrence in the US.
You can also differentiate the contaminated food by stink of taste.
Food borne illnesses in seafood cannot be eliminated through cooking so in order to
safeguard against these toxins it has been advised to avoid eating seafood in places
where the hygiene levels are not up to par.
Always ask the waiter when the fish was brought in for cooking and order yourself the best
seafood platter.
If you are looking for a healthier diet then check out this video titled ’10 best foods
to eat on a diet’.
Now back to foods that you use everyday that can potentially cause food poisoning.
Rice: Rice is our trustworthy ‘go to’ food but
it is also at a high risk of getting contaminated when it comes to food poisoning.
Harmful bacteria and parasites infect and live inside the spores of the uncooked rice
which gets activated as the rice is cooked.
The moist environment for these harmful bacteria serves as the perfect breeding ground.
What causes the rice to get infected?
Not storing the cooked rice properly is a major problem for food related illnesses in
the world.
The next time you decide to cook rice remember to strictly store the leftovers in the refrigerator
at 5 degrees Celsius or less.
This will successfully hamper the growth of bacteria and you can enjoy your delicious
rice dish without any problem.
Raw milk: Raw milk means unpasteurized milk or simply
the milk that has not gone through the process of pasteurization which is a necessary step
taken to kill all the harmful bacteria.
This milk can come from any animal like a cow, sheep, or goat and can potentially carry
dangerous germs that can cause some serious harm to your body if consumed.
Preparing milk based products like cream, cheese and cottage cheese from raw milk is
not a good idea and equally harmful as consuming it directly.
Make sure that whatever milk you are consuming or including in your food has been pasteurized
to make it’s completely safe for you and your loved ones.
As an extra measure you can also boil the milk to make it safer for consumption.
All these high risk foods should be monitored closely with regard to time, storage and temperature.
Have you ever had food poisoning?
What lifestyle or food changes did you have to make afterwards?
Share your experiences with us in the comment section below.