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Print: What foods are most likely to cause food poisoning?
Raw or undercooked meat or poultry, unpasteurized dairy products, raw shellfish, unwashed fruits and unwashed vegetables most commonly cause food poisoning.
Food poisoning is more common at picnics and buffets, where food (such as the mayonnaise in potato salad) is often left out of the refrigerator for a long time.
Who is at greater risk of getting food poisoning?
Children and the elderly are most likely to get food poisoning. You may also be at a higher risk if you:
- Have a chronic medical condition, such as kidney disease or diabetes.
- Are pregnant.
- Have a weakened immune system, which could be caused by drugs taken after an organ transplant, certain chemotherapy medicines or infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Have recently traveled to areas outside the United States where you may have had greater exposure to germs that can cause food poisoning.
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Source
Poisoning, Envenomation, and Trauma from Marine Creatures by RA Perkins, M.D., M.P.H. and SS Morgan, M.D. (American Family Physician February 15, 2004, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040215/885.html)
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff
Reviewed/Updated: 02/11
Created: 09/00
