Food-borne diseases are illnesses caused when people consume contaminated food or beverages. Contamination is frequently caused by disease-causing microbes called pathogens. Other causes of food-borne diseases are poisonous chemicals or harmful substances in food and beverages. There are so many different pathogens that more than 250 food-borne illnesses have been described, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC). CDC estimated that food-borne pathogens cause approximately 76 million illnesses, 5,000 deaths, 325,000 hospitalizations in the United States each year.

Most food-borne illnesses are infections caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites such as Cryptosporidium. Harmful toxins cause food poisonings. Since there are so many different types of food-borne illnesses, symptoms will vary. However, some early symptoms are similar because the microbe or toxin travels through the gastrointestinal tract. The initial symptoms of food-borne diseases are nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.

According to CDC, the most common...