How quickly do you know you have food poisoning?

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crankin

Senior Cook
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
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1. I know the answer to this question can vary greatly, but in general, would you know you have food poisoning relatively quickly or would it take many hours (6-12) before you felt sick?

2. Does it matter how much of a contaminated food you eat? For example, if you eat a piece of meat that is not fully cooked in the center but most of the rest of the piece is fully cooked, is there as much risk as if almost the entire piece is undercooked?
 
it depends on the organism that is making you ill, from 1 hr for staph, to 48 hrs for Salmonelliosis to 7 days for Shigeliosis. There are more organisms than this that can make you ill.
 
Crazy you made this post today. My husband just had Campylobacter, a very very nasty food poisoning which can take 2-5 days after exposure. Unfortunately he is one of the rare cases that develop reactive arthritis caused by the bacteria. He is still in the hospital. :(

Google food poisoning and you will get loads of information about the most common types of bacteria and how you can get them.
 
1. I know the answer to this question can vary greatly, but in general, would you know you have food poisoning relatively quickly or would it take many hours (6-12) before you felt sick?

2. Does it matter how much of a contaminated food you eat? For example, if you eat a piece of meat that is not fully cooked in the center but most of the rest of the piece is fully cooked, is there as much risk as if almost the entire piece is undercooked?


My daughter had food poisoning. It only took a couple of hours to hit, and a week for her to get over it. If you "wonder" if you have it, you don't. If you have food poisoning, it smacks you right down, right away.
 
Sorry, Redkitty...hadn't read your post. The doctor said my daughter had salmonella poisoning, which we suspected came from a chopped steak at a local cheapo steakhouse. I've never seen anyone so sick for so long!
 
If you "wonder" if you have it, you don't. If you have food poisoning, it smacks you right down, right away.
Constance this is not an entirely accurate statement. There are varying types of food poisoning. Some food poisoning may gave you a mild case of diarrhea and nothing else. You could also get a headache and nothing else. There are many many symptoms ranging from very mild to death.

Red I hope he gets better soon. That is horrible to hear!
 
To answer the original question, you would know once the doctor diagnosis you. That is the only time you will know for sure.

It can take just one bite.
 
Question one has been dealt with but question two hasn't.

If you are referring to steak, unless the steak is contaminated in some manner, you should be fine with blue or rare steak. Same with most fishes. Talking about poultry - more of an issue. Likewise ground meat.

As to quantity, if the meat is contaminated, you are exposing yourself to a greater risk and therefore, in all likelihood, your chance of getting ill from it will increase. But in certain people, esp those with a weakened immune system like the elderly, young or infirm, the smallest exposure to dodgy food can produce food poisoning.

End of the day, if the food is good, not being thoroughly cooked is not relevant in a lot of situations, but if it is dodgy, you may have an issue.
 
I got Campylobacter two years ago. I was sick for five days BEFORE I became paralized and had to be hospitized. This was the worst time of my adult life. I was in for 11 days and out of work for at least 7 more.
The bad thing is I remember the chicken wing I ate. I looked at it and said "OH this one is under cooked." Then I dipped it in blue cheese and I ate it.
I will never do that again. I bet I did not eat chicken wings for 2 months after that.
 
I got Campylobacter two years ago. I was sick for five days BEFORE I became paralized and had to be hospitized. This was the worst time of my adult life. I was in for 11 days and out of work for at least 7 more.
The bad thing is I remember the chicken wing I ate. I looked at it and said "OH this one is under cooked." Then I dipped it in blue cheese and I ate it.
I will never do that again. I bet I did not eat chicken wings for 2 months after that.
I know what you mean!! I vividly remember the burger that gave me kidney failure, although not because it tasted bad but because I usually ask for something to be added or taken away to make sure it gets made up fresh but I didn't on that occasion. First burger I had when I eventually was up to it was from the same store cos what I had was pretty rare and I had been there several times in the past with no problem. (Close to work.)
 
There are varying types of food poisoning. Some food poisoning may gave you a mild case of diarrhea and nothing else. You could also get a headache and nothing else. There are many many symptoms ranging from very mild to death.

Red I hope he gets better soon. That is horrible to hear!

Exactly. there are MANY things that can be attributed to food that are simply blown off. fact is, there are very few things that hit you right away. Normally there is a 24-5day grace period before something rears it's ugly head. Not to mention, food borne illnesses are some of the most misdiagnosed things in the medical world.

A lot of people are so quick to blame the restaurant that they were just at, though it could be something they cooked for themselves a few nights ago.
 
:)That why health inspectors are so important alot of places either dont keep foods hot enough or cold enough or throw it out soon enough.Then there is sloppy dirty cleaning.There are hundreds of way to let food contaminate if its not handled properly.
 
End of the day, if the food is good, not being thoroughly cooked is not relevant in a lot of situations, but if it is dodgy, you may have an issue.

What exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean that if the meat is from a reputable source that the risk of food borne illness is pretty small?

My initial reasoning for opening this thread was that I hate it when I am cooking a roast or any type of meat and I am not 100% sure that it is at the proper temperature (like sometimes my thermometer will say 140 or so for pork or 120s for salmon and I am not sure if it's safe). So I just want to know how much I should be concerned for things like that. Along those lines, whenever I eat a piece of meat that I feel is questionable in terms of whether it was as done as it should have been, I wonder how long it is until I am "clear" or if illness could still occur.
 
What exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean that if the meat is from a reputable source that the risk of food borne illness is pretty small?

My initial reasoning for opening this thread was that I hate it when I am cooking a roast or any type of meat and I am not 100% sure that it is at the proper temperature (like sometimes my thermometer will say 140 or so for pork or 120s for salmon and I am not sure if it's safe). So I just want to know how much I should be concerned for things like that. Along those lines, whenever I eat a piece of meat that I feel is questionable in terms of whether it was as done as it should have been, I wonder how long it is until I am "clear" or if illness could still occur.

Thanks for clarifying, crankin. When I read your initial post, I was under the impression you were talking about "non home cooked" food, that is restaurant-prepared food.
 
Thanks for clarifying, crankin. When I read your initial post, I was under the impression you were talking about "non home cooked" food, that is restaurant-prepared food.

Yes, I was referring to home-cooked foods. I am not so worried about restaurant food because I feel like that is one of those things where if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. There isn't much I can do about it (other than send the food back). But at home I am ultimately responsible for the food and so I feel responsible if the food is undercooked.
 
What exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean that if the meat is from a reputable source that the risk of food borne illness is pretty small?

My initial reasoning for opening this thread was that I hate it when I am cooking a roast or any type of meat and I am not 100% sure that it is at the proper temperature (like sometimes my thermometer will say 140 or so for pork or 120s for salmon and I am not sure if it's safe). So I just want to know how much I should be concerned for things like that. Along those lines, whenever I eat a piece of meat that I feel is questionable in terms of whether it was as done as it should have been, I wonder how long it is until I am "clear" or if illness could still occur.
Wasn't getting into reputable sources at all. Just meant that if it isn't contaminated in some way. For the person cooking it, pretty much just food handling and storage techniques. Very few of us actually know how the food is handled up until the time we receive it so you are somewhat limited by sight and smell of the meat/fish. I assume that we all generally only buy food from places we feel are reliable.

Fish and steak (beef, lamb and presumably veal, venison and other meats) can be served rare, cured or even raw. Pork used to need to be cooked thoroughly but over here in Oz, it is now being marketed that it may be cooked to medium-rare, although most still aren't comfortable with the concept. (I don't eat pork though so my knowledge is limited.) Poultry that isn't properly cooked I would be more suspicious of.

I don't use a meat thermometer but look at the juices instead and use a skewer. It isn't how I was taught to cook and I haven't felt the need to use one, although I do have a meat thermometer somewhere...

Also when cooking a roast, keep in mind that the meat continues to cook a little while it rests, esp when talking about seafood. I eat lots of meats/seafood either raw or done as a cerviche or other semi-cured style. And it isn't the most likely way that I will get ill if the ingredients are good. If you are carving a roast and discover a bit that you think is too undercooked, cut around it as you can put it back in the oven to finish cooking without worrying about your diners.

If you are confident of the ingredient before cooking it, then being out a couple of degrees I wouldn't have thought would be an issue but maybe someone who uses a thermometer will be better to clarify that point.

As already mentioned, the time taken to incubate the organism/bacteria enough to show food poisoning symptoms will depend on the organism/bacteria as well as your tolerence. When I got sick, I had next to no tolerance as I was really run down having been super busy at work and super stressed having my position dissolve underneath me!! Different time, I may have been able to resist the bug better.
 
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