Hidden Poisons In Your Food

Nearly a billion cases of food poisoning and million related deaths occur in the developed countries each year. The very young, the elderly, pregnant females and people with weakened immune systems are typically the most vulnerable. Though, we’re not totally helpless. This short list of certain poisons will help you avoid food borne illnesses.

Botulism

This toxin is most often found in improperly canned foods or foods in dented cans, such as corn, peas and green beans. It can also be found in improperly heated or stored restaurant foods. What’s more, infant botulism might be caused by spores in honey.

BPA

The group of experts recently tested ten brand name canned pasta and soup products and found bisphenol- A in all of them. It is a hormone mimicking toxin which also has recently been proved to impact human DNA and to kill off women’s ovarian cells in a way to cause Down syndrome and fertility problems in future generations. While BPA shouldn’t be in any of foods, kids are thought to be the most vulnerable and the pastas and soups tested were marketed toward this age group.

Campylobacter

Found in the stool of poultry, wild birds, and several farm animals, children get it easily from eating not properly cooked poultry or indulging on unpasteurized milk.

Unpasteurized milk is milk which hasn’t been processed to kill bacteria. It comes straight from the cow to your body. Omitting the process of pasteurization basically means that the same bacteria found in beef can also turn up in your daily beverage of calcium. The solution is simple: avoid unpasteurized milk and raw milk cheese completely, especially if you’re immune-compromised or pregnant.

Clostridium

Found in the stool of humans and different animals, children most often get clostridium if food handlers have not washed their hands properly, or the food is left out for awhile, as on a steam table. Some experts call it “restaurant cramps.”

While cafeteria is a primary source of food-related poisoning, most people who get sick from cheese do so from products eaten at home. Cheese can be contaminated with microorganisms such as clostridium, which may cause miscarriages. Therefore, experts warn pregnant women to reduce eating soft cheeses, such as Brie, feta, blue-veined, Camembert, and Mexican style cheese.

E. coli

Another organism found in the stool of animals and humans, this microbe can be spread by incorrect food handling. Severe cases are often caused by Eating undercooked ground beef or drinking apple juice. Consuming unwashed fruit or veggies can also cause illness. Yes, your favorite salad greens including spinach, lettuce, endive, escarole, kale, cabbage, chard and arugula can be a culprit.

Greens can be contaminated by dirty water rinses, manure, or unwashed hands even before you buy them. In order to avoid poisoning, wash them and prevent cross contamination like improper handling of meat in your kitchen, which can spread bacteria to other types of food, by washing hands and using separate cutting knifes. Like salad greens, tomatoes are a risky food, because they’re regularly consumed raw instead of being cooked in order to wipe out bacteria.

Salmonella

Commonly found in poultry, eggs, and meat, you can get salmonella easily from consuming raw or undercooked eggs, undercooked meat or poultry, or drinking unpasteurized milk. Inappropriate food handling is second common cause of salmonella, for instance, putting cooked poultry back on the same plate where it had been as raw. The breakfast favorite eggs have been linked to at least 150 outbreaks since 1990s, most often due to Salmonella bacteria. This bacterium can lurk inside the egg, so proper cooking is very important in order to kill the germs. Keep off eating any products containing raw eggs, including cookie dough. Always refrigerate eggs before using them. Remember that, raw foods including eggs might be contaminated and need to be handled properly.

Staph

This bacterium is a common cause of skin diseases, from pimples to boils to impetigo. Staph can get in the food during inappropriate food handling. Warm food at about 100 degrees is the ideal place for the bacteria to grow and produce its toxin. Cooking can’t destroy the toxin.

Melting ice cream allows staph to grow, and the biggest mistake you are making with ice cream is putting it back in the freezer after letting it thaw. Avoid leaving the container out on the counter during dessert. Instead, take what you need and put the container back in the fridge. At the market, pay close attention what your pint looks like. Being frosted with ice is a sign that ice cream may have been partially thawed and you should pick a different one.

Solanine poisoning

This toxin is found in potatoes which have started to sprout. The biggest threat comes from the potato skins or from the sprouts themselves. A freshly scrubbed spud if cooked properly is less likely to cause illness. But be careful with potato salads, particularly potato salads which are prepared at a restaurant or a deli.

Germ transfer from one type of food, usually meat, to another type of food is called cross contamination and can be the source of the problem and this can easily happen at any kitchen.

Fish poisoning

Certain fish poisoning is serious, especially from large or tropical fish. Mild type of poisoning is – scombroid. In this particular case, some tuna or similar fish have excess histamine and consuming them leads to immediate allergy-like reaction such as hives, sweating, cramps, flushing, headache, diarrhea, etc. If after eating tuna you have similar symptoms, you have to think that fish was contaminated by scombrotoxin.

If fresh fish is stored above 60° after being caught, it can release the toxin that can’t be destroyed by cooking and is unrelated to mercury contamination or other problems related to tuna and other fish. You just can’t cook out all the things wrong with the food supply right now. Even though freshness is the most important thing with tuna and other seafood, it needs to be kept appropriately cold from the moment fish comes out of the water to the time it reaches your plate.

Shellfish poisoning

Various shellfish, especially during red tides, contain nerve toxins. They can cause unusual sensations, paralysis, and cold – hot reversal among other symptoms.

Norwalk virus

The most common foods implicated are sandwiches, cookies, raw and ice shellfish, salads. Before being transformed into an expensive delicacy, oysters lurk on the ocean floor doing what they do best – filter feeding. And when the water they are filtering is contaminated, so are the oysters. What’s more, they can be contaminated during handling. If served undercooked or raw, they can contain germs—mostly a gut-churner called norovirus and a bacterium known as Vibrio vulnificus—that can cause diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Toxoplasma gondii

Humans are most likely to get toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat. Meat caused at least 1000 illnesses from 1990 to 2011, according to a scientist’s report. Chicken was the number one offender, with 400 outbreaks linked to almost 5,000 illnesses. Ground beef was another one. As experts say, raw food: unpasteurized milk, raw eggs, undercooked meat, and raw shellfish are the most common foods to be contaminated. Consider uncooked poultry and meat as potentially contaminated, and make sure to cook them thoroughly. Clean any surfaces that meat has come into contact with, and follow national guidelines on food preparing to avoid getting poisoned.

Mushrooms

7 different types of toxins are found in a variety of different species of wild mushrooms, some of which are lethal. Many mushrooms, including the Green Gill, Gray Pinkgill, Tigertop, Jack O’Lantern, Naked Brimcap, Sickener, Early False Morel, Horse mushroom  and Pepper bolete, contain toxins that can cause gastrointestinal problems, including but not limited to vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps.