10 foods that can give you food poisoning
Remember the great Cronut calamity of 2013? More than 150 unsuspecting CNE visitors ended their day at the fair feeling fairly ill after noshing on the deep-fried doughnut-croissant concoction, which turned out to be contaminated with the staphylococcus aureus toxin.
What about the 2008 deadly deli outbreak of listeria, traced to Maple Leaf Foods that sickened dozens and killed 12? Or the spinach scare of 2006 that infected hundreds with E. coli? Or the mad cow menace of a decade ago?
Canada has one of the best food safety records in the world, but, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, every year nearly four million of us are felled by food poisoning.
And summertime is peak season for outbreaks because harmful pathogens thrive in warm, moist conditions, busily boiling up a toxic stew of spores, parasites, viruses, and bacteria while we’re enjoying that picnic, barbecue, or camping trip.
Foodborne illness can result from cross-contamination of certain products, raw or under-cooked meat, unpasteurized milk, insufficient hot or cold temperatures, unwashed produce, and foods past their expiration date. It can also occur at the source, during meat processing or packaging, from contaminated water or soil, or spread by an infected food handler.
There are nearly a dozen different types of bacteria that can worm their way into our systems, but the usual suspects are botulism, salmonella, listeria, E. coli, staphylococcus, and norovirus. Symptoms range from mild nausea, diarrhea and cramps to the more serious fever, dehydration and death, and can hit you in as little as two hours (from inadequate meat temperature control) or as long as 28 days (from contaminated raw produce or shellfish). Older adults, children, pregnant women, the sick, and immune-weakened need to take extra care.
Even the most trusted stores, farmers and companies can unwittingly sell you infected foods, so keep an eye and ear open for any recalls (from those same sources, as well as from Health Canada), and be quick to return the tainted product or chuck it. Always handle, store, and cook foods properly to minimize your risk: wash your hands before and after preparing food; never use the same cutting board or utensils for meats and produce; always disinfect surfaces and use a food thermometer to keep cold foods cold and hot foods hot.
Following are 10 foods, in no particular order, susceptible to toxins that can put a cramp your day -- by Robin Roberts
