Food poisoning explained

Food poisoning refers to the presentation of acute illness due to the ingestion of food. It can lead to infectious diarrhea.

The term usually includes:

• The consequences of ingested enterotoxin
• The consequences of ingested bacteria that produce toxins, but do not invade the mucosa, and are usually quickly cleared by the immune system.

The term usually does not include the consequences of invasive organisms acquired via the food supply (though the broader term foodborne illness accommodates these conditions.)

Food poisoning can be a notifiable disease in some jurisdictions.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Day F, Sutton G. General practitioner notifications of gastroenteritis and food poisoning: cause for concern. J Public Health (Oxf). 29. 3. 288–91. 2007. September. 17622646. 10.1093/pubmed/fdm043.