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Chapter 3 Nutrition 95
When Food Causes Illness
Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, refers to illnesses that are transmit-
ted by foods. Foodborne illnesses are a common, yet preventable, public
health problem. An estimated 48 million people—or 1 in 6 Americans—get
sick from consuming foods or beverages each year. About 128,000 of these
people are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases. Most food-
borne illness can be prevented by practicing safe food handling.
Foodborne illnesses aren’t especially harmful for most people. Many
people experience only a brief period of illness and make a full recovery
without medical care. However, these illnesses can be dangerous for peo-
ple who are very old or very young, as well as pregnant women. People
who are already in bad health, or have weakened immune systems, can
become extremely sick, and can even die from foodborne illnesses.
Foodborne Illness Caused by Infection
Some foodborne illnesses are caused by agents, such as bacteria, vi-
ruses, or parasites. This type of illness is called a foodborne infection. Many
different disease-causing organisms can contaminate foods—more than
250 different foodborne infections have been discovered. When food is
handled improperly, these organisms rapidly multiply to dangerous levels
at which foodborne illness becomes more likely.
The most common foodborne illnesses are caused by four agents:
• Norovirus (or the Norwalk-like virus) is an extremely common
cause of foodborne illness, which causes an acute gastrointestinal
illness, including vomiting and diarrhea. This virus spreads pri-
marily from one infected person to another, often through con-
taminated food, water, or environmental surfaces.
Skills for Health and Wellness
Improving the Nutrition in Your Diet
•
Substitute whole-grain fl our for up to half of the fl our
called for in pancake, waffl e, and other recipes.
•
Drink water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
•
Have a piece of fruit for dessert and skip desserts
with added sugar.
•
Choose leaner cuts of red meat that include “round”
or “loin” in the name and trim away any fat you can
see. For chicken and turkey, remove the skin to
reduce fat.
•
Include fi sh or seafood high in omega-3 fatty acids
such as salmon, trout, or herring in your diet each
week.
•
Choose whole-grain, unsweetened, ready-to-eat
cereals or oatmeal for breakfast.
The strategies listed below can help you increase
the level of nutrition in your own diet.
•
Vary your fruit choices to benefi t from a wider array
of nutrients.
•
Select potassium-rich vegetables such as sweet
potatoes, tomato products, lentils, and kidney
beans often.
•
Try to eat two vegetables (choose dark green, red,
or orange vegetables often) with your evening meal.
•
Make a meal around dried beans or peas
(legumes) instead of meat. Substitute pinto or black
beans for meat in chili and tacos.
•
Include low-fat or nonfat milk or calcium-fortifi ed
soy milk as a beverage with meals.
foodborne illness
a disease that is
transmitted by food; food
poisoning
foodborne infection
an illness caused by a
bacteria, virus, or parasite
that has contaminated a
food