Each year, 1 in 6 Americans gets sick by consuming contaminated foods or beverages. CDC estimates that each year 48 million people get sick from a foodborne illness (or food poisoning), 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die.
Many different disease-causing microbes, or pathogens, can contaminate foods, so there are many different foodborne infections.
Naturally occurring bacteria that you can’t see, smell, or taste can contaminate food at any point in food’s journey from farm to fork. Knowing how to handle food safely at home is a great way to reduce your risk of food poisoning.
About half of the 48 million victims of food poisoning each year are children under 15 years old. Most often a person experiences moderate to severe gastroenteritis for a few days, then feels better. They think “it was just something I ate.” However, food poisoning can seriously affect the most vulnerable and result in chronic health effects many years after a bout of food poisoning. In short, food poisoning can be more dangerous to health than many people realize.
Learn more about foodborne illness, foodborne pathogens as well as causes and symptoms, and food safety glossary words.