Every year or so I manage to give myself food poisoning, and as any of you who’ve ever had it can attest, it’s pretty much the worst thing ever. A few years ago it was a plate of fast-food Thai that had an egg — not cooked too well, in retrospect — cracked over it. The following year I had some eggs benedict that had been sitting under a lukewarm heating lamp for too long; I ate them a few hours before a good friend’s wedding and got so sick that I passed out during the vows — then was super sick the whole night and had to get on a plane first thing in the morning. So I swore off eggs benedict and cheap Thai food. But such a piecemeal approach to food safety (that made me sick, therefore I won’t eat it again) will never completely protect me from future poisonings — there are too many foods out there that could potentially be carrying harmful bacteria. For instance, earlier this week I discovered — the hard way, of course — that frozen yogurt can make you violently ill. So no more fro-yo for me — but I also wanted to take a look at some of the major kinds of food that can make you sick, and how best to protect against food poisoning.
Leafy Greens
Since 1990, 363 separate food-borne illness outbreaks were traced to leafy greens like lettuce, endive, spinach, cabbage, kale, arugula and chard, sickening more than 13,500 people. In 2006, leafy greens hit the national radar when bagged spinach was linked to a rash of E. coli poisonings, which led to several deaths. Another pathogen that makes a frequent appearance in leafy greens is Norovinus, commonly spread by the unwashed hands of a food handler or consumer. They can also pick up nasty bugs on the farms where they’re grown, where they come into contact with farm animals and their poo, the pathogens from which can hang out and grow despite chlorine washes and post-harvest treatments — in fact, bacteria can inhabit the washing systems used in making pre-washed bagged lettuce, so always wash your leafy greens thoroughly before you eat them, no matter what it says on the bag.
Shell eggs
Most people who get sick from eating eggs are infected by salmonella, which can inhabit the ovaries of otherwise healthy hens. The best way to kill salmonella is heat, so avoid eating eggs that are either raw or “runny,” or leaving egg dishes on breakfast buffets or under weak heat lamps for long periods (this is how I got sick from eggs benedict and almost ruined by friend’s wedding). Catered events account for the largest proportion of egg-related poisonings behind prisons.
Tuna
Tuna contain a natural toxin dangerous to humans that begins to be released if it’s stored in temperatures that are too warm, and once that’s happened, it can’t be destroyed by cooking, cleaning, freezing, curing, or canning. Which means that if at any point after being caught the fish is handled improperly, there’s nothing you can do to make it safe — besides throwing it away. Known as scombroid poisoning (an aptly sinister name), symptoms can include skin flushing, headaches, cramps, nausea, diarrhea, palpitations and loss of vision. More often that not, scombroid illnesses involve fresh fish — we’re looking at you, sushi-lovers.
Oysters
Though they compose a tiny part of the average American’s diet, oysters are responsible for a much larger percentage of poisonings. When served raw or undercooked, oysters contaminated with Norovirus (which can come from the water they live in) can give you gastroenteritis. Yikes. Another pathogen oysters can carry is called Vibrio, which is related to cholera and is very dangerous — for immuno-compromised people, Vibrio poisoning can cause an infection of the bloodstream, which is fatal in about 50% of cases. Bottom line: if you suffer from HIV, AIDS or another immune system compromising condition, DON’T EAT RAW OYSTERS.
Potatoes
Really? Potatoes? Yep: especially when prepared as potato salad, which can contain a broad range of ingredients and a broad range of pathogens. Cross contamination due to improper handling is often the culprit — potatoes can pick up and transfer nasty pathogens from uncooked meat very easily.
Cheese
83 cheese-related illness outbreaks have sickened thousands of Americans since 1990. Salmonella is the top hazard when it comes to cheese, which can become contaminated during the initial phases of production (curdling, molding and salting) or during processing. Most cheeses are now made with pasteurized milk, which lowers the risk of contamination, but warnings have been issued about Latin American-style cheese like queso fresco which are sometimes made by unlicensed manufacturers using unpasteurized milk. Pregnant woman should avoid eating soft cheese like feta and Brie, which can carry Listeria, a pathogen that can trigger miscarriage. (Yikes, this blog is kind of a downer.)
Ice cream
Salmonella and Staph can live in ice cream, which can be contaminated by improperly processed or handled eggs used in the mixture. Nearly half of all ice cream outbreaks occurred in private homes and involved homemade ice cream that used undercooked eggs.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes have repeatedly been linked to food-borne illness, including a multistate outbreak in 2006 that did a lot of damage to tomato sales across the country. (A 2008 outbreak was wrongly attributed to tomatoes — it was actually contaminated jalapeno peppers that were responsible.) Salmonella can enter tomato plants through the roots or small cracks in the fruit’s skin — once inside, destroying the pathogen without cooking the tomato is very hard.
Sprouts
Increasingly popular in salad bars and on sandwiches, the seeds used to grow sprouts can become contaminated in the field or during storage, and the warm and humid conditions needed to grow sprouts are ideal for the growth of bacteria, as well. The FDA has been pressing for warning labels on sprouts — you’ll find similar warnings on unpasteurized juice and packages of raw oysters — but it hasn’t been mandated yet.
Berries
Berries can be contaminated with Cyclospora and other pathogens, which result in a parasitic illness that won’t resolve itself without a trip to the doctor and a round of antibiotics.
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I got so so sick from a nice looking fresh tuna steak once. The waitress asked me how i wanted it cooked. I had never been given that choice for fish before and she told me to order it the same way i’d order a beef steak. So medium it was. A few hours later I had never been so sick in my life. I still eat tuna, but it’s ordered well -i don’t care if the Ahi tuna appetizer is supposed to be rare – on my plate it’s well done. And now i read about a poisoning that can’t be killed by cooking – yikes!
posted by jen on 12-4-2009 at 9:36 am
It’s *FRIDAY*! Also, I got about two and a half hours of sleep last night. Those both being the case, can I help it if I read “Catered events account for the largest proportion of egg-related poisonings behind prisons.” and mused about who would hold a catered event behind a prison, anyway. (I suppose the site rental is probably a bit cheaper…)
Naturally, I also wondered whether the Major League Baseball statisticians came up with the figures. They *do* have a flair for the specific, after all. (So-and-so leads the league in batting average with a runner on second and two outs in the fifth inning of Thursday day games and all that jazz.)
Well, I suppose it’s time to get back to work (and stop with the chuckling before someone well-rested and grumpy comes by). Happy Friday, everyone! :D
posted by CJ the Easily Entertained on 12-4-2009 at 9:48 am
What was wrong with the frozen yogurt that made you sick?
posted by Programmher T on 12-4-2009 at 9:55 am
Ground beef didn’t make your list? Why not?
If we all just stick to Doritos and Diet Coke, we’ll be fine. Fresh fruits and veggies are for suckers.
posted by Waverly on 12-4-2009 at 10:11 am
Isn’t it ironic that some of our healthiest foods also carry elevated health risks? This is valuable information, but I hope it doesn’t drive people away from real food. I know Waverly’s tongue is firmly in cheek, but there are those who want to subscribe to that logic. Sadly, less nutritious food is often less expensive than fresh produce, too. It’ll cripple and kill you more certainly, but more slowly.
Conclusion: Know where it came from, eat only at places you trust, and get educated on proper food handling practice. Don’t settle for crappy food!
posted by Tom on 12-4-2009 at 10:38 am
“Catered events account for the largest proportion of egg-related poisonings behind prisons.”
I can’t understand this sentence. Is it Catered events account for the largest proportion of egg-related poisonings, BEHIND prisons? So prisons take #1?
Not to knock you, Ransom Riggs, but I am always wary of articles like these because it’s like, “Hey, don’t eat fresh fruits, vegetables, or anything naturally grown! Eat processed food!” There are risks with everything in life. I will continue to eat my raw tuna and hope I don’t die.
posted by Elissa on 12-4-2009 at 10:49 am
Sorry. I get carried away.
And I suspect that norovinus was intended to be norovirus
posted by Tom on 12-4-2009 at 10:52 am
Food poisoning generally does not strike for MANY hours after you’ve eaten. For the first commenter, and others who think they know what gave them food poisoning, you are probably wrong. What comes up is always what you most recently ate, but that is NOT what necessarily made you sick. We are notoriously bad at guessing which food made us ill.
As for eggs benedict, you have to be crazy to order it at any restaurant. If you like it, make it yourself. It’s impossible to prepare it in bulk without storing it improperly, as hollandaise can’t be stored at the temperatures necessary to inhibit bacteria.
Lastly, washing your greens will not help. The bacteria like E. coli that can affect us are not washed off.
posted by Alex on 12-4-2009 at 11:00 am
Dang dude, what more can you expect from a fast-food Thai restaurant? I hold my breath when I order from sit down Thai restaurants.
posted by Joel on 12-4-2009 at 11:58 am
Don’t care… still gonna eat most of those things.
Especially tuna. Sushi, YUM!
posted by Troy H. on 12-4-2009 at 12:31 pm
Darn, i eat a lot of berries everyday (blue, staw and rasp) and i’ll admit that sometimes i am lazy and don’t properly wash the berries. This definitely opened my eyes..i DO NOT want a parasite.
Ransom, you are feeling better.
Happy Friday everyone!
posted by Izzi on 12-4-2009 at 12:48 pm
Well put Tom. I would also wonder what percentage of the population has actually gotten food poisoning. Further, i wonder if certain people are at higher risk, and if so, why?
posted by SteveO on 12-4-2009 at 12:53 pm
I have unfortunately experienced two episodes of food poisoning. The first occurred on the last night of my honeymoon! I ordered the “special” – stuffed shells – and thought the ricotta tasted more like feta. Several hours later, I realized the ricotta had gone horribly bad and I paid the consequences for the next 2-3 days. Our return flight home was the next morning. At least I was able to enjoy the first part of the trip! The second time I got food poisoning, I believe it was caused by improperly handled chicken served at a wedding. Approximately 15% of the guests (and the groom!) got food poisoning 24-48 hours later. Again, at least I was able to enjoy the wedding!
posted by malbo on 12-4-2009 at 12:57 pm
Well, then. I have the perfect solution for you: PASTEURIZED SHELL EGGS!
safeeggs.com
posted by Bette on 12-4-2009 at 1:04 pm
I say be smart…if it smells bad, don’t eat it.
When cooking chicken, use a meat thermometer.
If it’s being served at a restaurant, any temperature they allow you to order will suffice.
Rare tuna is awesome, so are raw oysters.
If you can, try steak tartar. In fact, try any tartar that is on the menu!
If you have the HIV, stay at home…kidding, but seriously, stay at home.
posted by graham on 12-4-2009 at 1:14 pm
Alex — hollandaise at restaurants is not always dangerous. First, the cheap places usually are using a hollandaise mix; it’s not “real” hollandaise. Second, high end restaurants will make it fresh when you order. It’s not a very time-consuming sauce to make, and freshness makes a difference not only to safety but also flavor and texture. It’s the restaurants in between that you may want to worry about (though note that as pasteurized eggs are now available, the risk diminishes somewhat).
There is no food which is not vulnerable to food poisoning, in large part because so many cases of food poisoning involve contamination after processing. If you can eat it, then there is an organism somewhere that can live on it, and that organism may not have your best interests at heart. Preservatives help, but they don’t guarantee anything.
Regarding sashimi (raw fish; “sushi” actually refers to the vinegared rice which is the base of all sushis, whether they contain fish or not), it is vitally important to keep the fish *cold*. That’s the main factor in keeping it safe. It must be served on ice. The Japanese custom of sometimes serving it on a naked lady is, in my opinion, insane. A 98 degree serving surface is basically a pathogen party house. (Mind you, I understand the sashimi items are usually served separately, and they don’t let the stuff stay on the naked lady very long. It still doesn’t seem very sanitary, and it’s certainly degrading.)
BTW, one of the worst salmonella outbreaks related to ice cream occurred not because of a direct contamination but because of an indirect one, making it very hard to trace the source. It turned out to all come down to a single tanker truck which hadn’t been properly sanitized between a load of raw, unpasteurized eggs (out of their shells) and a load of ice cream concentrate later used to make various ice cream products. The trailer *had* been washed, but in their haste, they’d skipped a step, and the missed section happened to already be growing some salmonella.
Note: cooking foods does not guarantee safety even if it is handled entirely cleanly thereafter. If the bacterium has had time to make lots of lovely toxins, you’ll still get sick (though some toxins do denature when cooked, such as the toxins found in cashews — which is why cashews are never sold raw).
posted by Calli Arcale on 12-4-2009 at 1:19 pm
My favorite experience with food poisoning was the first big E.Coli outbreak that made all the headlines that came from undercooked burgers at a Jack-in-the-box in Tacoma, WA. The actual location was 2 blocks from where I worked. We never ate there because it was always so crowded, but after the E.Coli scare the place was (understandably) empty. My friens and I started eating there all the time, as it seemed like we were now their only customers. Everyone thought we were crazy, but I would point out to them that it was now probably the safest place anywhere to eat. Also,the staff was so thrilled to have customers we got tons of coupons, free food, etc.
posted by Andrew on 12-4-2009 at 2:13 pm
Calli Arcale I want to know where they serve sushi or sashimi on a naked lady I might tend to eat more.
I think it is a matter of preperation of the food from farm or tree or vine to your kitchen and the way it is cooked. Be careful and you are less likely to get sick. Happy Friday. It is even better it being a pay day also.
posted by Doug on 12-4-2009 at 2:26 pm
In responce to SteveO, I do think some people are more prone to food poisoning. A modern person getting violently ill once a year from the food they eat seems excessive.
I have eaten food all over the world. From high end, barely cooked kobi beef in Japan to dog meat served from a street vender in the Philipines, and most every thing in between. To my good fortune I have never had food poisoning!!
posted by 'Da guy on 12-4-2009 at 2:30 pm
I’m one of those people who is extremely susceptible to food poisoning. I’d say I get ill from food about 3-5 times per year. I’ve had really bad food poisoning 10 times or so in my lifetime.
Twice from Burger King in the U.S. when I travelled there! Guess who doesn’t eat American Whoppers anymore…
posted by Manda on 12-4-2009 at 4:20 pm
My poor sister ate a tuna sandwich at a popular deli and 20 minutes later she was chucking in a mini golf course arcade. I feel even worse for the teenager that had to clean it.
posted by Tricia on 12-4-2009 at 6:48 pm
Question: Can you get food poisoning from peanuts? I ask because my husband got terrible food poisoning after having spent some time in a bar with his friends. He woke up in the middle of the night feeling suddenly sick, and was throwing up for the next 24 hours, and having diarrhea.
He and his friends had been eating breadsticks with cheese, and I assumed that was the culprit. But none of his friends who ate the breadsticks got sick. The only thing my husband ate at the bar that the rest hadn’t were peanuts – and he feels that this is how he got the food poisoning.
posted by Jaclyn on 12-4-2009 at 8:15 pm
My dog gets sick after a chew session on his balls almost everyday, he gets a bath every week and yet he still gets sick after snacking on his nads. Could this be from ball poisoning? How do I prevent this? How do I was the balls with out touching them?
posted by Jon on 12-5-2009 at 1:11 am
@Jaclyn Bar peanuts are notoriously full of nasty things that come from unwashed hands, saliva, and anywhere else you can think of. It may not have been the peanuts that made him sick, but what people had put on the peanuts?
posted by Liz on 12-5-2009 at 1:26 am
@Jaclyn– I totally agree with Liz, eating food from a “community dish” is a terrible idea. You wouldn’t believe how many people don’t wash their hands after using the restroom. He proabably became sick from fecal matter that was left on the peanuts.
posted by Brit on 12-5-2009 at 2:39 am
So basically, don’t eat.
posted by PunKid on 12-5-2009 at 2:42 am
@Da guy… I’m the same way, stomach of steel. I’ve never had food poisoning, and I will eat anything no questions asked. Maybe my lackadaisical attitude towards germs and liberal adherence to sell-by dates accounts for this? Some kind of acquired immunity or “three stooges syndrome”?
posted by Lynnie on 12-5-2009 at 3:28 am
This article makes me happy to be vegan- yes, there are several veggies that could harm me, but at least that knocks off dairy, egg and fish type products.
posted by Araxie on 6-27-2010 at 10:50 pm