Toxins, not bacteria, cause illness. Toxins may not alter the appearance, odor or flavor of food. Common kinds of bacteria that produce toxins include Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium Botulinum.
An example of food intoxication is Clostridium botulinum poisoning. Botulism, a neuroparalytic disease paralyzing or weakening skeletal muscle in the body, is caused by the ingestion of food containing toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It is associated with the consumption of poorly preserved and improperly handled foods.
Foodborne intoxication can cause disability; these diseases can be caused by toxins produced by bacteria or other toxic substances in the food, which can cause severe diarrhea, toxic shock syndrome, debilitating infections such as meningitis and even death.
A bacterial toxin is a macromolecule mainly of protein origin, which can cause toxic damage in a specific organ of the host. Toxins can be divided in endotoxins and exotoxins.
Food poisoning or intoxication can be prevented by adopting good hygienic practice with proper methods and conditions of food handling, storage and preservation.
Foodborne bacterial intoxication
