Types of Foodborne Illnesses You Need to Know About

Foodborne illnesses have the potential to affect practically everyone in the world and here in the United States, the food industry is strictly regulated to avoid the potential for foodborne illnesses. However, even with all of the regulations in place, approximately 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses are reported annually. Here are some of the most common foodborne illnesses that you need to know about to help protect your family from infection.

Coli

Outbreaks of E. Coli are one of the more common outbreaks in the food industry. The reason it is so common is due to the prevalence of E. Coli in the human body and other animals. E. Coli is found in human intestines and is generally regarded as harmless, but certain forms of Escherichia Coli, E. Coli’s real name, can cause intestinal cramps, diarrhea, and in some cases, bloody stools. Contaminated food and water have the potential to cause widespread outbreaks.

Salmonella

When the common person hears the word Salmonella, they immediately think of raw chicken or eggs as the culprit, but Salmonella can affect much more than just this specific type of food. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and even spices can have Salmonella infections. Drowsiness, high fever, constipation, diarrhea, headaches, and body aches can be signs of Salmonella and make no mistake about it, Salmonella poisoning can potentially be fatal. 10% of all infected people that experience high fever related to the illness die.

Norovirus

Contaminated food and water are often the culprit of a Norovirus outbreak. This type of foodborne illness is remarkably common, even with strict processing stipulations, and is often seen as an issue on cruise ships and other areas in which people are isolated with a sole source of drinking water. Contracting Norovirus is generally not fatal, and symptoms will occur between 12 and 48 hours after being exposed. Symptoms are uncontrollable vomiting, diarrhea, and severe cramps. Norovirus is one that can also be spread person to person, so infected individuals are often placed in isolation until symptoms reside.

Listeria

It is likely you have heard of Listeria at least once in your life. Listeriosis is not as common as the above foodborne illnesses, but outbreaks can happen and deaths from listeria are more prevalent than with similar sicknesses. Mild listeria has symptoms of diarrhea, fever, body aches, and nausea or vomiting. The milder form of the condition will generally resolve itself within a few days, but Invasive Listeriosis is what is most concerning. This second, more severe case of Listeria has been known to cause internal bleeding of the brain and gut along with miscarriages, stillbirths, per-term labor, and possible death of a newborn, so expectant mothers are particularly vulnerable.

The Best Solution

Foodborne illnesses are a factor that most of us will have to contend with at some point in our life, but Gentle Processing™ is working to do something about the high statistics related to foodborne illnesses. Gentle Processing™ is a comprehensive way to eliminate foodborne illness at various stages in food processing. With this tool, we could potentially see the end of foodborne illnesses in the United States and beyond. Is your food protected from foodborne illnesses?