"Tools to Spark Culinary Inspiration #12" by @rossnenye

Good morning to you all and welcome back to my blog. Food poisoning is a thing of serious concern in the World today.

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What do you understand by the word "food poisoning?" In your own word, explain.

Food poisoning can be defined as the illness that occurs when someone consumes contaminated food or drinks. It is usually caused by pathogens like Virus, bacteria, parasites or toxins. It can be mild and stop on it's own after some days, but in most cases it is usually severe and can lead to serious complications if action is not taken.

Causes of Food Poisoning

• Bacteria

This is the common Pathogen known for causing food poisoning. It can be Esherichia coli, Salmonella Listeria etc.

• Virus

The Virus conversant with food poisoning is the Noro virus.

• Toxins

This are harmful substance produced by bacteria and fungi. Their examples includes Botulinum toxin and Aflatoxin.

• What are the symptoms of food poisoning? And what are some tips to avoid it.

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Symptoms of Food Poisoning

Some of the symptoms of food poisoning includes

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramps
• Fatigue
• Cold chills
• Muscle pain.
• High fever
• Tiredness
• Blurry vision

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Ways of Preventing Food Poisoning

• Regular hands washing

Wash your hands with soap and water before cooking or touching food.

• Cook food properly

Do not undercook food, cook food like meats, seafoods properly in order to kill harmful pathogens and make it safe for eating.

• Wash fruits and vegetables

Wash your fruits and vegetables very well with water and salt before eating them.

• Practice hygiene

Always clean and wash surfaces, utensils with soap and water before and after handling food.

• Do not eat expired food

Discard any food that has passed the expiration date.

• Store food properly

Always use airtight containers to store grains inorder to prevent contamination. Store perishable food like meat, vegetables in the fridge.

• Avoid putting cooked and raw food together

Separate cooked from raw food in order to avoid contamination.

• At what point can we say that a particular food is safe for consumption?

A food is said to be safe for consumption if it passes the following criteria.

• Fresh and free from spoilage

It is fresh and free from any sign of spoilage like mold, awful odour or discoloration.

• Expiration date

If the food hasn't expired.

• Proper cooking and processing

Processed in good sanitary conditions and cooked properly.

• Reputable source

Buy food stuffs from vendors known for selling quality food.

• Labelling and Certification

Buy processed food products with labels from known organizations.

• Good storage

Stored at a good temperature either hot or cold.

• Ingredients

Made with good and safe Ingredients.

Thanks for reading through my post, I invite @bela90, @chilaw and @ogechukwu-martha to participate in this contest.

Cc:

@ninapenda