In some cases, food poisoning is of course unpleasant and the symptoms can be mild. In these types of cases, the bug usually lasts no more than 24 hours and we feel much better when it is out of our system – with the lesson learned never to eat there again! However, there are more extreme cases of food poisoning that can often cause the person suffering the disease to become extremely; ill and in some cases place them in hospital.
Food poisoning is caused by bacteria, toxins, or viruses that have contaminated food or drink. All food should be prepared in conditions that abide by stringent health and safety regulations.
There was a story in the news a few months ago about a school boy whom tragically died just weeks after he ate a contaminated school meal that left him battling the e-coli bug. The company responsible for supplying the school meals had let raw meat come into contact with cooked meat, causing the foods to be contaminated. This caused one of the biggest E-coli outbreaks Britain has ever seen, with over 150 pupils coming into contact with the contaminated meat.
If you fear that you may be suffering from food poisoning, the symptoms to look out for are:
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Temperature increase
- Loss of appetite
If you are suffering from food poisoning, you should seek medical attention if the symptoms persist. You should also ensure that you drink plenty of water to prevent your body from becoming dehydrated.
Unfortunately, we cannot always prevent food poisoning; however, there are precautions we can carry out to keep the possibility of us contaminating it to a minimum. We should always make sure that the food we are going to eat is cooked thoroughly, and we should not re-heat food more than once. If we are freezing or storing food, we should always make sure the conditions we are storing it in are hygienic. We should always wash our hands before eating or preparing food to prevent the spread of germs.
If you have suffered food poisoning and you suspect that it originated whilst eating out at a food establishment, you should get checked out by your GP and report the case to the local environmental health authority. You can usually get in contact with them through your local council.
You may be entitled to make an injury compensation claim if the symptoms do persist.