Akron Food Poisoning Attorney

When you hear about food poisoning, you probably think of someone with a stomachache, but it can be much more serious than that. The CDC estimates that around 48 million people are affected by foodborne illnesses each year in this country. In many cases, the people affected suffer no long-term effects, but around 128,000 of them are hospitalized. Approximately 3,000 people lose their lives each year due to foodborne illnesses.

So, if one out of every six people in the country gets sick each year due to the consumption of contaminated foods, we have to wonder how these incidents happen. We know that there are four basic ways that our food gets contaminated:

1. Contamination during production: When food is being produced, whether we are talking about plant- or animal-based foods, it can become contaminated along the way due to water used for irrigation or drinking, animals consuming contaminated feed, and more.
2. Contamination during processing: Most of the foods we eat, no matter how “organic” or natural go through some kind of processing. This processing can contaminate foods in various ways, such as cleaning and storage to packaging.
3. Contamination during distribution: When a food product is being shipped and distributed to stores and consumers, it can experience various problems such as improper handling or improper temperatures during delivery.
4. Contamination during preparation: The final step in the process of food production is the preparation process. This can take place in a restaurant or in a person’s personal home. Food should always be properly washed, prepared on clean surfaces, and cooked at appropriate temperatures.

There are various types of food poisoning, many of which you have heard about them. They include:

• E.coli
• Listeria
• Norovirus
• Salmonella
• Botulism
• Hepatitis A
• And more