Eat a spoonful of raw cookie dough or eat unwashed raw fruits or veggies and realize you may be taking your life into your own hands.  Yet how many of us have done just that over the years and lived to tell about it.  However, also think about times when you’ve suddenly, out-of-the-blue, felt sick to your stomach, vomited or had diarrhea for several hours or even days?  There’s a pretty good chance you had a foodborne illness or food poisoning. 

Food poisoning in the U. S. is very common with estimates of 76 million people who contract it yearly or 1 in 6 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  There is a very good chance most of you reading this article have had at least a minor if not major bout with some sort of food poisoning in your lifetime.  Even though this illness is often trivialized or joked about, it should be taken seriously as up to 325,000 people who contract a foodborne illness will be hospitalized and annually, up to 5,000 people will die from it.

Knowledge and awareness is power and the more each of us are aware of types of foodborne illnesses, the better we can protect ourselves from them.  To avoid being a victim of food poisoning, here are five common foodborne illnesses and how to prevent them.

1.  Norovirus

Norovirus is a group of viruses that cause gastroenteritis or what we know as the “stomach flu.”  It is also believe to be responsible for about 50% of all foodborne outbreaks from contaminated food in the U. S.  Noroviruses are contracted by eating food that is contaminated with the virus or by touching a contaminated surface and then putting your fingers in your mouth.  Leafy greens, fruit and shellfish are foods often involved in these outbreaks. 

How to protect yourself – Always wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly, wash hands both before and after touching food and cook seafood to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F.  Norovirus tends to be more prevalent in the winter only because of the increased time spent indoors around other people making it easier to spread germs. 

2.  Clostridium Perfringens

Often referred to as the “cafeteria germ,” this foodborne illness is commonly found in foods prepared in large quantities and kept warm for long periods of time such as food on a buffet line or cafeteria – think of casseroles, meat or stews to name a few.  Clostridium perfringens can develop if the food is not kept warm enough and is tightly packed making for an anaerobic condition perfect for this bacteria to grow and multiply creating its toxin. 

How to protect yourself - Perishable foods need to be held at over 140 degrees F or put in the refrigerator within two hours of sitting out.  Large batches of food should be separated into small quantities for refrigeration and then reheated to at least 165 degrees F. 

3.   Campylobacter

About 1.3 million people in the U.S. are infected with this illness each year.  Foods most commonly associated with this type of food poisoning are raw and undercooked poultry, unpasteurized aka raw milk, contaminated water, and fresh produce.  Contracting this illness can result in diarrhea and sometimes other serious complications. 

How to protect yourself – Never eat raw or undercooked poultry, always cook it to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Always wash hands before and after touching raw meat, avoid drinking unpasteurized milk, wash fruits and vegetables, and always use clean cutting boards.  Cleaners and disinfectants easily destroy the bacteria so simple hygienic measures are the best way of eliminating the spread of campylobacter. 

4.  Listeria or listeriosis

Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with this bacteria.  An estimated 1,600 people get listeriosis each year and about 260 die from it.  The infection is more likely to sicken pregnant women and their newborns, adults aged 65 or older, and people with weakened immune systems.  Foods most likely to contain this are uncooked meats, unpasteurized milk and soft cheeses (like Brie and feta), ready-to-eat deli meats, and hot dogs.

How to protect yourself – Do not consume uncooked meats or unpasteurized milk or cheese, especially pregnant women.  Always wash your hands, knives, countertops, and produce.  Eat perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible and never past their use by date. 

5.  Salmonella

This common bacterial infection will affect the intestinal tract.  The salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces.  People become infected most frequently through contaminated food or water.  It is usually contracted by eating raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs or egg products and typically causes stomach flu-like symptoms of nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. 

How to protect yourself – Prevent salmonella by always washing your hands to prevent the transfer of the bacteria to your mouth or food every time you use the toilet, change a diaper, handle raw meat or poultry, clean up pet feces, or touch reptiles or birds.  Prevent cross-contamination of raw meat, poultry or fish from fresh produce by using two separate cutting boards and avoid eating raw eggs such as found in raw cookie dough, homemade ice cream, and eggnog.