Columbus Food Poisoning Cases

• The CDC estimates that around 48 million people get sick from contaminated foods in the US each year.

When a person gets food poisoning, it generally happens because food has been contaminated at some point in the production process or it was not properly prepared. There are four basic steps that food goes through. At every step, there is a potential for contamination that can cause a person to become ill.

• Production – This involves the growth of plants or raising animals. If contaminated water is used or if livestock feed is contaminated, this can be passed onto the food.
• Processing – The slaughter or harvesting, storage, and packaging are all part of the processing. Food can become contaminated at each of these steps.
• Distribution – As food is being delivered from processing centers to its next destination (large distribution centers, grocery stores, or directly to a consumer), it could experience temperature fluctuations in delivery vehicles or temporary storage facilities, or it could be improperly handled, leading to contamination.
• Preparation – The final step is food preparation, either by a consumer or by a chef/prep cook. Food must always be stored, washed, and cooked at appropriate temperatures before being served.

You will see that many of those steps take place before food even gets to a restaurant or your home. That is why, in many food poisoning cases, these can also become product liability cases. We hear about food product recalls all the time on the news, usually because of contamination with one of the following:

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