Human Food Poisoning – what we know!
A photomicrograph of Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This is a photomicrograph of Clostridium botulinum stained with Gentian violet. The bacterium C. botulinum produces a nerve toxin, which causes the rare, but serious paralytic illness Botulism
More than ever we rely on people preparing our food for us. From the ready-made meals at the supermarket to the sandwich from the local shop on the corner. Does this make us more at risk from food poisoning? Or are we are we now less aware of how to care for our food and so poisoning ourselves at home? Millions of pounds each year are spent keeping the food we eat safe. This chapter in Thought for Food, explores the current understanding of food pathogens both the traditionally recognised culprits such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and theClostridium perfringins and Clostridium botulinum and the newer bugs on the block Listeria and E.coli O157.
Author: Dr Christopher Gooding, environmental health practitioner working in food safety at Norwich City Council.
Tags: Clostridium botulinum, Escherichia coli O157:H7, food, Foodborne illness, Health, Infectious disease, Listeria, Salmonella
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[...] Dr Christopher Gooding is author of the chapter on Food poisoning [...]