Food Poisoning: Illness Ranges from Relatively Mild Through To Life Threatening

Food poisoning is an unpleasant illness which is caused by eating contaminated food. This includes food which has been poorly prepared, cooked at the wrong temperature or as a result of poor hygiene. It can also occur if raw food is stored next to cooked food. This contamination includes bacteria, viruses, toxins or parasites. This is a common illness which ranges from relatively mild through to serious, even life threatening conditions. The degree of severity of food poisoning will depend upon the cause. Whatever the extent, food poisoning is a horrible illness which most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) there are nearly 900, 000 cases of food poisoning each year. However, this figure may be higher due to the fact that not every case of food poisoning is reported.