This document discusses food poisoning, including the three types (chemical, biological, bacterial), common symptoms, and details about bacterial food poisoning. Bacterial food poisoning can be toxic or infectious, caused by bacteria such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes growing in foods. These bacteria may produce toxins and cause symptoms within hours, or require ingestion of live bacteria which then cause illness after the bacteria die off, typically after 12 hours. High risk foods are also outlined.

1. FOOD POISONING
(c) PDST Home Economics

2. FOOD POISONING
• Food poisoning is caused by eating food containing
harmful substances.
• There are 3 types of food poisoning
• Chemical food poisoning: caused by chemicals such as
antibiotics or pesticides in the food.
• Biological food poisoning: caused by chemicals that
occur naturally in the food e.g. solanine in green
potatoes or toxins in red kidney beans.
• Bacterial food poisoning: caused by the presence of
pathogenic bacteria in the food.

3. SYMPTOMS OF FOOD
POISONING
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal cramps
• Diarrhoea
• Fever
• Headache
• Loss of appetite
• Very serious for infants, invalids, pregnant women
and elderly.

4. (H) BACTERIAL FOOD
POISONING
There are 2 types of bacterial food poisoning:
• 1. Toxic food poisoning
• 2. Infectious food poisoning

5. (H) 1. TOXIC FOOD
POISONING
• Some bacteria produce exotoxins as they grow in
food both before and after its eaten.
• Exotoxins are hard to destroy. Boiling for 30 mins is
required.
• Symptoms develop quickly- often within 2 hours
• Examples: staphylococci and clostridium botulinum

6. (H) 2. INFECTIOUS FOOD
POISONING
• Caused by eating food containing large numbers of
live pathogenic bacteria.
• These bacteria make endotoxins which are released
when they die.
• Endotoxins are easy to destroy. Proper cooking and
reheating will destroy both toxins and bacteria.
• If not destroyed symptoms will appear after approx.
12 hours
• Salmonella and listeria cause infectious food

7. (H) HIGH RISK FOODS
• Liquid protein foods are at high risk of contamination
• Milk, cream
• Eggs & egg dishes e.g. custard, mayonnaise
• Meat, poultry, fish, shellfish
• Meat pies, gravies, sauces, soups and stock
• Reheated dishes

8. (H) FOOD POISONING
BACTERIA
• Learn 3 common strains of food poisoning bacteria:
e.g.
Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria
monocytogenes.
• Habitat /Sources
• Factors affecting growth
• High risk foods
• Incubation period
• Toxic or infectious
• Symptoms

9. OTHER FOOD & WATER BORNE
DISEASES
• Here the food acts only as a means of transport for
the organism. They do not grow in it.
• Incubation longer.
• Only small number of organisms can cause illness.
• Organism enters bloodstream.
• Symptoms varied - may not include vomiting or
diarrhoea.

10. OTHER FOOD & WATER BORNE
DISEASES
• Here the food acts only as a means of transport for
the organism. They do not grow in it.
• Incubation longer.
• Only small number of organisms can cause illness.
• Organism enters bloodstream.
• Symptoms varied - may not include vomiting or
diarrhoea.