Diet, Nutrition and the Context of Risk (Part 2): Food Poisoning
G. Douglas Andersen, DC, DACBSP, CCN
Other than the morbidity and mortality linked to eating too much food, "all-natural" organisms that contaminate our food cause more illness, more hospitalizations and more death than food contaminated by heavy metals, plastics, preservatives, artificial colors, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners and pesticides combined. In fact, the numbers are staggering (see Table 1) and yet for some reason, food poisoning does not seem to resonate compared to more innocuous or esoteric threats.
For example, when I lecture on the topic, the possibility that GMO crops might cause widespread illness someday (they haven't yet) generates much more passion than the widespread illness caused every year by contaminated food. After reading quite a bit about it, I believe part of the problem is many people don't recognize food poisoning when they have it, since the CDC estimates one of every six Americans contracts it every year. In other words, people know they're sick when symptoms such as an upset stomach, abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting are present. The problem is they call it the stomach flu or the 24-hour flu – two ailments that technically don't exist (see below) – when in fact, they probably have food poisoning.
tricky to diagnose:6
Most of the time, the last thing you ate isn't what made you sick.
Many foodborne diseases don't produce the toxins until after they are in your intestines, and once the process begins, it can take days to weeks for levels to increase enough to cause problems.
The same pathogen can affect different people differently.
Sometimes only one person gets sick after eating a shared meal that was contaminated.
A person's current immune status and stress level play a role in who can stop a bug and who cannot.
Good fortune can dictate who misses a pocket of high infestation when sharing a common source such as an appetizer.
References
Mead PS, et al. Food-related illness and death in the United States. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 1999 Oct;5(5)
Norovirus Transmission. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Incidence and Trends of Infection With Pathogens Transmitted Commonly Through Food — Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 10 U.S. Sites, 1996–2012. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, April 19, 2013;62(15):283-87.
Food Poisoning: Long-Term Effects. Fact sheet on Foodsafety.gov.
"Salmonella Is a Sneaky Germ: Seven Tips for Safer Eating." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kellis M. "Dispelling 5 Myths About Food Poisoning." The Deseret News, April 14, 2015.
stimates of Foodborne Illness in the United States: CDC 2011 Estimates: Findings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
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Southern California University of Health Sciences has entered into an agreement with Pacific College of Health and Science whereby PCHS’ San Diego and Chicago campuses – including students, faculty, staff, and academic programs – will join SCU effective May 2026, pending regulatory approval. Founded in 1986 as Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, PCHS is not only the largest acupuncture / herbal medicine school in the U.S., but also offers integrative health curriculum in holistic nursing and massage therapy.
