Overview of Bacterial Food Poisoning

Health inspectors examining the hygiene conditions of food and tableware
Among various types of food poisoning, bacterial food poisoning has the highest incidence rate. In China, the more common types include Salmonella, Proteus, and Staphylococcus aureus food poisonings, followed by Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Bacillus cereus food poisonings.
Bacterial food poisoning usually has obvious seasonality, occurring mostly in hot seasons, mainly because bacteria grow and reproduce or produce toxins more easily at higher temperatures. At the same time, human defense mechanisms are weaker during this period, making people more susceptible, which leads to high incidence rates, but generally low mortality.
Characteristics of Bacterial Food Poisoning
1. Short course, fast recovery, good prognosis, low fatality rate. (Listeria food poisoning has a long course, severe condition, and slow recovery.)
2. Can occur year-round, but more frequent from May to October.
3. Animal-based foods are the main cause of bacterial food poisoning, with livestock meat and its products ranking first, followed by poultry, fish, milk, and eggs. Plant-based foods such as leftover rice, rice cakes, and rice noodles are prone to Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus food poisonings.
Classification of Bacterial Food Poisoning
1. Infection Type Caused by pathogenic bacteria contaminating food and multiplying extensively within it, then directly affecting the intestines after the food is consumed, leading to food poisoning—for example, Salmonella food poisoning and Proteus food poisoning.
2. Toxin Type Caused by pathogenic bacteria producing toxins in food, leading to food poisoning when these toxins are ingested—for example, Staphylococcus aureus toxins and Clostridium botulinum toxins.
3. Mixed Type Some food poisonings caused by certain pathogens result from both the direct action of the pathogen and the synergistic effect of the toxins it produces, hence called mixed type—for example, Vibrio parahaemolyticus food poisoning.
Causes of Bacterial Food Poisoning
1. Food is contaminated by bacteria.
a. Contamination by utensils, etc.; various tools, containers, and packaging materials do not meet hygiene requirements.
b. Cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods; knives, cutting boards, cloths, containers, etc., are not separated for raw and cooked use, and raw and cooked foods are stored together.
c. Poor hygiene habits among food handlers or carriers of bacteria themselves.
d. Unhygienic food production and storage environments. Exposure to flies, mosquitoes, mice, cockroaches, dust, etc.
2. The food has high moisture content and is improperly stored.
Foods with high water content are prone to spoilage after being contaminated by bacteria. Normally, if cooked food is contaminated and left at room temperature for 3–4 hours, some bacteria can multiply to toxic levels.
3. The food is not thoroughly heated before consumption.

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