Symptoms of food poisoning include vomiting, nausea, stomach cramps, diarrhea, headache, constipation and fever. Symptoms may appear immediately, hours or even days after eating contaminated food.

People at higher risk of food poisoning are immunocompromised people, pregnant women, kids and seniors.

Learn treatment options for food poisoning and when to see a doctor in this article.

Food Safety Tips

Unfortunately, you can’t always tell if food is spoiled by its smell or taste.

However, you can take these steps to reduce your risk of getting food poisoning.

·      Buy perishable foods right before you head home and don’t buy them if they’re bruised or damaged

·      Before handling food, wash your hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds

·      Discard prepared meals or perishable food if it’s been sitting at room temperature for over two hours.    

·      Follow the federal fridge and freezer storage guidelines. Two takeaways: Discard refrigerated beef, pork and fish after 4 days and refrigerated chicken after 3 days.

·      Keep your refrigerator at or below 4 Celsius and freezer at or below -18 C. If you’ve been without power for over 4 hours, toss out food in the fridge.

·      Store raw meat, poultry, fish and seafood in separate containers and at the bottom of the fridge. Keep all other items on the shelves above

·      Keep your kitchen clean. Before and after meals, sanitize countertops, kitchen supplies and cutting boards. After using a kitchen rag, throw it in the laundry basket

For more food safety tips, visit this federal government webpage. If you still have food questions or concerns, email our dietitian, Caroline Doucet, at caroline.doucet@nisgaahealth.bc.ca.