The Basics
Food poisoning (foodborne illness) is when you get sick from eating or drinking something that has harmful germs (like bacteria, viruses, or parasites) in it. Two common causes of food poisoning are E. coli and Salmonella.
Good habits like these can help protect your family from food poisoning:
- Buy food from stores that look and smell clean.
- Don’t buy food past “sell by,” “use by,” or other expiration dates.
- Wash your hands often with warm water and soap – especially before and after touching food.
- Make sure food is cooked to a safe temperature.
- Keep raw meat and seafood away from cooked and ready-to-eat food.
- Keep cold foods cold. Keep hot foods hot.
