Final answer:
Food contamination means the food contains a harmful substance not originally present, which includes harmful bacteria, poisonous chemicals, or physical hazards. This contamination can lead to foodborne illnesses through improper handling, preparation, and storage of food. Good food safety practices are essential to prevent such diseases.
Step-by-step explanation:
To call a food contaminated means that the food contains a harmful substance that was not originally in the food. This could be due to various factors including harmful bacteria, poisonous chemicals, or physical objects that pose a risk. Food contamination can lead to foodborne illnesses, which may result from the spoilage of contaminated food, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food. In some cases, it includes toxins like aflatoxins or substances from poisonous mushrooms and improperly prepared beans.
Two major categories of chemical contaminants in food are agrochemicals and environmental contaminants. The top four germs that lead to illnesses from food in the United States include Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, and Campylobacter. It is critical to handle, prepare, and store food properly to prevent foodborne diseases. Agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration work to ensure food safety, but it is also essential to follow good food safety practices at home.
Various gastrointestinal diseases can result from bacterial contamination in food. Foodborne diseases can arise from infection or intoxication, and in both scenarios, bacterial toxins are often the culprits for the disease's signs and symptoms.