Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease) is any illness resulting from the consumption of food. Foodborne illness is commonly called food poisoning, even though the physiological effects of foodborne illness are not always caused by poisons (toxins). True food poisoning occurs when a person ingests a contaminating chemical or a natural toxin, while most cases of foodborne illness are caused by a variety of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, viruses, prions or parasites that contaminate food. Such contamination usually arises from improper handling, preparation, or food storage. Good hygiene practices before, during, and after food preparation can reduce the chances of contracting an illness. The action of monitoring food to ensure that it will not cause foodborne illness is known as food safety. Foodborne disease can also be caused by a large variety of toxins that affect the environment. For foodborne illness caused by chemicals, see Food contaminants.Foodborne illness can also be caused by the presence of pesticides or medicines in food, or by unintentionally consuming naturally toxic substances like poisonous mushrooms or reef fish. Some could even come from the skin and nose, like staphylococcus aureus, which could lead to death.

Food poisoning is an acute gastroenteritis caused by the consumption of a food material or a drink which contains the pathogenic micro organism or their toxins or poisonous chemicals

In recent years, with the increased levels of mercury found in foods and in our environment, health care officials have been associating the effects of mercury poisoning to not only neurological disorders, but to other diseases as well.

It's a dirty little secret of food poisoning: E. coli and certain other food borne illnesses can sometimes trigger serious health problems months or years after patients have survived an initial bout.Scientists only now are unraveling a legacy that has gone largely unnoticed. In interviews with The Associated Press, they described high blood...

Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning,it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque.To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine.

Most short –lasting cases of sickness or diarrhea are due to viral gastroenteritis. The most common cause is human rotavirus, to which children under the age of three are particularly susceptible the treatment is to stop all solid – food intake, and to concentrate instead on fluid intake prevent dehydration.