Food Poisoning Facts: True or False?

 Posted on July 02, 2017 in Food poisoning attorney

If you think you know a lot about food poisoning, test your knowledge by trying to guess whether the following statements are true or false. If you get them all right, you are well-versed in food poisoning. If not, take some time to learn more about different types of food poisoning, how they are transmitted, their symptoms, and how to treat them. In fact, do this anyway – it never hurts to refresh your knowledge or learn something new.

Fruits with Rinds are Safe from Harmful Bacteria

False. A fruit's outer rind protects it from pests and microbes found in its environment. Although it does keep out some of the bacteria that can harm the fruit, do not assume it will keep out bacteria that can harm you. Fruits like honeydew and watermelon can harbor listeria, sometimes right on the rind. This is why you should always wash your fruit thoroughly before consuming it.

Pork Has to be Cooked Well Done

Not any more. At one point in time, nutritionists recommended cooking pork well done to kill any lingering Trichinella roundworms, which can cause trichinosis. Newer research has found that these worms do not survive past 137 degrees Fahrenheit, making it perfectly safe to cook and consume pork medium rare.

Food Poisoning can Have Deadly Complications

True. Although most types of food poisoning resolve themselves within a few days, there have been cases of victims dying from complications of listeriosis, salmonellosis, botulism, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which is a complication of E.coli.

Food Poisoning is Impossible to Trace

False. It can be difficult to trace the cause of your food poisoning symptoms, but it is not impossible. Use your symptoms to determine which condition you suffered. Then, determine which foods can cause that condition and think back to see if you consumed any of those foods within the timeframe that would have led to your symptoms. Sometimes, it helps to compare your experience with others you recently ate with or others in your household. If you suffer monetary damages and plan to file a food poisoning claim, you must be able to link your case to another party's negligence.

You Can Recover Monetary Compensation for Your Food Poisoning Damages

True. If another party caused you to suffer the food poisoning because of unsafe cooking or food handling procedures, you could be entitled to monetary compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other related damages.

Work with an Experienced Mundelein Food Poisoning Lawyer

Understanding food poisoning can help you reduce your chance of facing it, but it cannot eliminate that chance completely. If you have suffered from food poisoning because of another party's negligence, such as a restaurant or a grocery store, consider working with an experienced food poisoning lawyer to pursue compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. Contact our team at Newland & Newland, LLP today to set up your initial consultation in our office. We serve clients in the Arlington Heights, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Libertyville, Mundelein, Buffalo Grove, Schaumburg, Elk Grove, and Itasca areas.

(image courtesy of James Sutton)