Food Poisoning! Bummer!

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Food borne illnesses are nothing to joke about and they can ruin your day really fast. Unfortunately, it will happen to all of us at some point, no matter how careful we are (well, probably, if it hasn't already). Some people claim to be immune to food poisoning, while others simply get too close to bad mayo and run for the toilet. There are lots of little critters that can make us sick, ranging from bacteria to fungi and protists. Washing your hands, your food and properly cooking and storing food keep us safe from most of them. 

I'll start with a personal story of food borne illness. Growing up working in a restaurant, I was taught proper food handling (heck-I was serve-safe certified!). Our business depended on it, so you know I have always been careful and aware. However, in 2015, I was struck with one of the most nasty, horrendous food-borne illnesses I've ever had. Thankfully, I was the only one in my family affected by it and we never found out the source. After several trips to the ER for severe dehydration and multiple tests, it was determined that I contracted a bacteria called Campylobacter, which is usually found in raw or undercooked chicken or their fecal matter. I had to take some heavy doses of antibiotics and I was actually contacted by the CDC since this is food borne illness that is tracked and can be linked to outbreaks (mine was not). That experience, which caused me to lose 15 pounds and down for 2 weeks was enough to beef up my food safety practices in the kitchen!

According to the FDA, there are 48 million cases of food borne illness each year (thats 1 in 6 Americans!) and many are hospitalized and some unfortunately die. Probably the most common and fast moving is from a bacteria called Bacillus cereus. Symptoms can begin within hours, but thankfully are gone in 24-48 hours. The infection I had from Campylobacter can take days before onset and lasts 2-10 days. This can make it tough to pinpoint what you ate that made you sick! There are also several variants of E. coli  that can travel in fruits, veggies and meats that are often linked to recalls. 

While you can certainly be safe in the kitchen and throw out "past its prime" food from the fridge, you can also be vigilant about tasting raw baking mixes and doughs. Just recently, it was reported that there is a new Salmonolla outbreak linked to people eating raw cookie dough. You might be thinking, "It's the eggs-duh!", but the bacteria is actually being traced back to the flour. Eggs do harbor Salmonella, but the processing of flour exposes it to harmful bacteria that will be eliminated by simply cooking the flour. Most bacteria don't withstand the cooking process, so think twice before you scoop out the last of the batter or lick the beater! Read more on the Salmonolla outbreak HERE.

Despite being able to cook away most nasty pathogens, some still have the ability to make you sick even throughout the cooking process. Another common pathogen is Staphylococcus aureus and unlike many other bacterial infections that take time, this one is the quick hitter. Staph has the ability to reproduce and make toxins as a byproduct of their metabolism. These toxins will make you hit the puke button pretty quickly. If Staph is already established in the food, chances are there is quite a bit of toxin already in the food (which cooking will not eliminate). Ingesting the food means ingesting the toxin and your body will find a way to get rid of that quickly. According to the CDC, this type of food poisoning can hit in as little as 30 minutes.

As a foodie and kitchen enthusiast, this is something to be aware of! I want to thank my good friend and page follower for suggesting the topic, as she was reading the news of the flour outbreak! Thanks for the blog idea KO! 

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