Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, affects about one in six Trusted Source Americans every year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source estimates that of these cases, there are 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually.
You can get food poisoning when your food carries dangerous germs or toxins. Salmonella is the most common known cause of hospitalization due to food poisoning in the United States with over 19,000 cases per year Trusted Source.
This pathogen, along with others, can get into your food through:
- improper food handling
- unsafe practices on farms
- contamination during manufacturing or distributing
- contamination in stores
Read about the biggest foodborne outbreaks in recent U.S. history, and learn how to recognize food poisoning and protect yourself from it.
