If not kept refrigerated or in cold storage, foods can become exposed to bacteria, and cause sickness. They're easily treatable, but their symptoms are various and uncomfortable. To better understand foodborne illnesses, and the simple ways to avoid them, refer to the guide below.

How To Easily Avoid These Food Sicknesses

Why Is Food Poisoning Common? 

Staphylococcus aureus is a contagious bacterium that thrives in temperatures between 50- and 120-degrees Fahrenheit. When food is left out in the open for too long, or kept in a damaged cold storage system, the warmer temperatures allow the bacterium to grow.

While cooking the food will kill the bacterium, the toxins they secrete remains, potentially causing food poisoning. Symptoms of nausea, vomiting, stomach, and headaches usually occur within a few hours of eating the tainted food. While the sickness usually subsides in a few days, the best way to avoid food poisoning is to keep food in cold storage, where staph aureus can’t produce.

How Is Botulism Prevented?

Like staph aureus, Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium affecting foods that aren’t properly contained. Its toxins can cause botulism, which is extremely rare, but dangerous if not treated quickly. It also shares some symptoms with food poisoning—cases of nausea and vomiting are common. When quickly detected, botulism is curable within weeks or months after seeking treatment.

Cases of botulism have been linked to seafood, fruits, vegetables, and home-canned foods that are low in acid. Most modern cases are due to leaving milk, honey, poultry, and baked potatoes unrefrigerated, or kept in poorly wrapped in foil.

Often, boiling canned or low-acid foods can destroy the bacteria, and avoid illness. However, the best way to avoid infection is to prevent it completely. At home, food should be refrigerated and kept in secure containers. Businesses should use cold storage units and refrigerated warehouses when transporting food.

The Unicold Corporation’s year-round ocean freight and cold storage services have kept food safe for 60 years. Their trained and professional staff ensure all refrigeration units are functioning properly, and that all food is maintained at the correct temperature. Unicold offers refrigerated shipping throughout Hawaii, its neighboring islands, and the American west coast. Call them at (808) 836-2931 for air, sailing, and ground transport schedules. For a detailed listing of their amenities, including warehousing and freight forwarding, visit their website.