1. What causes foodborne illness?

2. How does food get contaminated?

3. Will heating the food make it safe to eat?

4. What are the symptoms?

5. What should I do if I think I have a foodborne illness?

6. How serious is this problem?

7. How can I prevent foodborne illness?

8. Who can I call?

9. How can I get more information?

What causes foodborne illness?
You may know someone who had "food poisoning" after eating at a picnic or out at a restaurant. Foodborne illnesses can also take place in the home. A foodborne illness occurs when a person eats a food that contains a bacteria, virus, or parasite. Most of these organisms, also called pathogens, cannot be seen, smelled, or even tasted. These are some common foodborne pathogens:

People can also get sick when chemicals such as lead and pesticides get into food.

How does food get contaminated?
Food contamination can occur in the following ways:

• Natural bacteria found in food are allowed to grow to harmful levels. This can happen when food is cooked or stored at the wrong temperature.

• The cooking area is not kept clean. For example, when insects or rodents get into the kitchen area.

• The cooking utensils are not cleaned properly. For example, a board used to cut raw meat is then used for foods eaten raw. This is called cross-contamination. Bacteria may also grow on wet, contaminated cloths and sponges (water may get rid of dirt you can see, but not bacteria).

• Cooks or servers contaminate food as it is being cooked, prepared or served. This can happen when hands are not adequately washed, there are sores on the hands, or food handlers sneeze or cough into the food.

Will heating the food make it safe to eat?
Heating or re-heating contaminated foods to high temperatures will kill many organisms. But, there are some bacteria (e.g., Staph and Bacillus cereus) that make a chemical, also called a toxin, that can not be "killed" by heat.

What are the symptoms?
Many times foodborne illness goes unrecognized, or is thought to simply be a "stomach flu." Symptoms may occur within a few hours to days after eating contaminated food. It is often not the last thing eaten that makes a person sick. Symptoms may include:

What should I do if I think I have a foodborne illness?
The length of time a person is sick from a foodborne illness varies. Most people get better quickly, while some may have severe symptoms that can become serious. Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting can cause you to become dehydrated. You may need to see your doctor for your symptoms. Your doctor may need to do tests to find the cause of your illness.

How serious is this problem?
Our country’s food supply is one of the safest in the world. Still, foodborne illnesses are fairly common. Each year, about 76 million persons become sick from food that they ate, nearly 325,000 people are hospitalized, and an estimated 5,000 people die.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

How can I prevent foodborne illness?

• To obtain food safety tips, go to: "Four Simple Steps to Food Safety" 

• For food and water precautions for travelers, go to: www.cdc.gov/travel/foodwater.htm

Who can I call?
If you think you are sick from foods that you bought at a store or ate in a restaurant or at a public event, call your local health department.  If you live in Orange County, call:

County of Orange Health Care Agency
Environmental Health Division (EHD)
(714) 433-6000
7:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except holidays
All calls are confidential.

How can I get more information?

County of Orange Health Care Agency
www.ocfoodinfo.com/illness.htm

Consumer Information on the Web

• USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Center

• Gateway to Government Food Safety Information

• FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition

• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Consumer Information by Telephone

US Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline:
1-800-535-4555 
TYY 1-800-256-7072
Recorded information is available 24 hours/day.
Representatives are available to answer questions Monday through Friday, except on holidays
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT).

Food and Drug Administration Food Safety and 
Applied Nutrition Information Line:
1-888-SAFEFOOD
1-888-723-3366
Recorded information is available 24 hours/day. Information is also available in Spanish. 
Representatives are available to answer questions Monday through Friday, except holidays
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. PT).

Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention Foodborne Illness Line:
1-404-332-4597 
(24 hour recorded information)

For Physicians

• Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network at CDC (Food Net)