EACH year, around 2.4million people Brits suffer from a bout of dreaded food poisoning.
And while most recover within a few days without treatment, not all are so lucky, with around 180 dying from the bug annually.
In fact, cases of food poisoning are rising in the UK, despite improving health and safety measures.
There are a number of reasons why it can happen and any type of food can cause poisoning.
Thankfully, microbiologist Dr Primrose Freestone, from the University of Leicester, has shared what foods she avoids in an attempt to steer clear of the nasty bug.
Bagged salads
Grabbing a bagged salad during your weekly shop feels like a healthy choice.
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But according to Dr Primrose, these easy-to-eat greens are teaming with potential illnesses.
"My research group has found that these pathogens grow more than a thousand times better when given juices from salad leaves, even if the salad bag is refrigerated," she wrote in the Conversation.
"Worryingly, the same germs use the salad juices to become more virulent, and so better at causing an infection."
For those salad lovers alarmed by this information, fear not, most bagged salads are safe if stored refrigerated.
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Just make sure you wash it and eat it as soon as possible after buying, Dr Primrose said.
Picnics foods
The risk of food poisoning goes up when food is taken outdoors – think BBQs or picnics.
This is because it can be hard to keep your hands clean when eating outside, Dr Primrose said.
"You can use alcohol hand gels (they’re better than nothing), but they don’t kill all germs," she explained.
While outside, food can attract an array of flying and crawling critters, such as flies, wasps and ants, all of which can transfer germs, including E coli, Salmonella and Listeria, to your food.
Buffets
The longer food is left out on display the more chance it has to be exposed to nasty bugs.
"Indoors, food can be exposed to contamination from insects, dust and above all, people," the microbiologist said.
Food poisoning is, therefore, an inevitable risk when dining at a buffet.
Dr Primrose said: "Contamination comes from buffet visitors touching food, and germs can be sprayed on to buffets from people sneezing or coughing close to the food.
"Even indoors, one must consider contamination by insects, such as flies or wasps, settling on the uncovered food.
"Also, germs may be deposited from the air, which is rich in bacteria, fungi and viruses."
Dr Primrose said she makes sure the buffet has a two-hour catering rule: perishable food will become unsafe to eat within two hours if not kept covered and refrigerated.
"The problem is buffets tend to be laid out before you arrive, so it is difficult to tell if the platters of cooked meat, seafood, salads, desserts and appetisingly arranged fruit and vegetables will have been sitting for more than two hours when you come to eat them," she explained.
What are the symptoms of food poising?
The first symptoms of food poisoning normally come on about one or two hours after eating contaminated food – although they could take a few hours, or even weeks, to develop.
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According to the NHS, the main symptoms include:
- Tummy cramps
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea/feeling sick
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea (which may contain blood or mucus)
- Lack of energy/weakness
- High temperature
- Aching muscles
- Chills
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