Every year, one in six Americans are affected by food poisoning. According to the CDC, there are at least 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
As a food service provider, other people’s health and well-being is in your hands. Your food handling practices can often make all the difference.
You can learn all about how to keep customers safe by working toward the Texas Food Handlers Card through leading online providers. We’ve also provided answers to some of our more commonly asked questions below, such as ‘How long can food poisoning last?’ and ‘How long after eating do you get food poisoning?’
What Is Food Poisoning?
Before learning how long food poisoning lasts and what causes it, it’s essential to know what it is. Food poisoning is an illness caused by food that has been contaminated with toxins, parasites, viruses, or bacteria.
Toxins and organisms present in food can cause uncomfortable and sometimes even life-threatening symptoms. While most cases of food poisoning are mild, food poisoning still claims the lives of thousands of people every year.
How Long Does Food Poisoning Last?
How long food poisoning lasts can depend on the type of foodborne illness you have, the symptoms you’re experiencing, and even your overall health before you become sick. Most people experiencing mild cases of food poisoning recover from their symptoms within 12 to 48 hours and generally within a week.
How Long Until Food Poisoning Symptoms Appear?
Most people who have eaten food contaminated with toxins, pathogens, viruses, and bacteria experience symptoms within one to three days. However, symptoms can also present within just half an hour and could take as long as eight weeks.
The timeframe for food poisoning symptoms can depend on what in the food has made you sick. For example, people with salmonella poisoning experience symptoms like diarrhea and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours.
However, if you were to be infected with Giardia lamblia from contaminated meat, water, or produce grown in contaminated soil, you may not notice symptoms for one to two weeks. The hepatitis A virus from contaminated water, undercooked shellfish, and frozen berries and vegetables can take up to 50 days.
The symptoms for many types of food poisoning often include:
- Stomach cramps
- An upset stomach
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
What Causes Food Poisoning?
Many people ask, ‘What causes food poisoning?’ And ‘How do you get food poisoning?’ because they don’t want to experience the pain and discomfort foodborne illnesses can cause.
Knowledge is power, and if you know what causes it, you can often be positively positioned to avoid it. Contamination is the most common cause. This is when harmful things like germs are found in foods and drinks and are then consumed by people who become sick.
Food can become contaminated through:
- Poor handwashing
- Improper food storage
- Failure to disinfect eating and cooking areas
As a result, avoiding food poisoning can be in the hands of home cooks and food service workers alike. The more excellent food safety practices you abide by, the safer you and the people eating your food can often be.
How to Prevent Food Poisoning
Preventing food poisoning is something we can all do – whether we’re food service workers or home cooks. Take these actions:
- Wash your hands before cooking or cleaning and after touching raw meat
- Don’t use foods with a spoiled taste or odor
- Use food thermometers when cooking
- Do not cross-contaminate food
- Practice safe storage
- Refrigerate perishable food within two hours
- Clean dishes and utensils when they come into contact with raw meat, eggs, poultry, and fish
- Maintain safe food temperatures
Learn More During the Texas Food Handlers Certification with TABC Pronto
If you want to learn more about preventing food poisoning, you’re in the right place. Food service workers throughout Texas can brush up on essential food safety knowledge in our 100% online Food Handlers Certification course. Enroll today and become a safe food handler for your and your customers’ peace of mind.