With all the different foods and preparations constantly going on across the state, it’s inevitable that bacteria can breed and spread. How sure are you that the food you’re consuming is totally safe? Sometimes it’s impossible to tell when the food you’re eating is contaminated, but here we discuss the risk of foodborne illnesses and what you can do to prevent them.

Foodborne diseases are generally caused by the consumption of food, which carries different types of contaminants (microbes, pathogens, bacteria, toxins, parasites, and virus) and chemicals.

Most common foodborne illnesses:

E. Coli

Escherichia coli are bacterium naturally found in the intestines of people and animals. Some types are more harmless (you may experience slight diarrhoea), while those with a different strain will cause far worse reactions. Some symptoms of E. coli are: ranging cases of diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting.

Primary Causes of E. coli:

• Contaminated Food – this includes meats like ground beef, unpasteurized milk, and fresh products, mostly leafy vegetables like lettuce.
• Contaminated Water – this roots from human and animal wastes that pollute bodies of water. Wells and rural water supplies are mostly prone to water contamination.
• Personal Contact – when infected people don’t wash their hands often and properly, E. coli is passed onto others easily.
• To prevent E. coli, take note of the food you eat – cook beef (as well as other meat) products properly and wash raw and fresh products carefully. Additionally, avoid cross-contamination at all cost; make washing your hands a habit, thoroughly wash kitchen utensils and make separate preparations for raw products.

Salmonella

Salmonella bacteria are found in human and animal intestines and can also infect the intestinal tract. Some of its symptoms include fever, diarrhoea, chills, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Typically, these symptoms last up to seven days. Additionally, some bad cases can lead to death.

Primary Causes of Salmonella:

• Contaminated Food – this may be raw meat, poultry, and seafood products. Even fruits and vegetables can also be infected when washed with water that’s salmonella-contaminated.
• Contaminated Water – this happens when water becomes contaminated with animal wastes.
• Practicing preventive measures such as regular washing of hands and exercising proper hygiene, avoiding cross-contamination, and not eating raw food (especially raw eggs), can save you from getting salmonella infection.

Hepatitis A

This liver infection is considered highly contagious, and is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The tricky thing with this one is its symptoms aren’t detected until you’ve been infected for weeks. These symptoms include fatigue, jaundice, joint pain, and dark urine.

Primary Causes of Hepatitis A:

• Eating food prepared by carriers who don’t wash their hands properly. Drinking contaminated water is also part of this.
• Having intercourse with someone infected.
• Getting in contact with a carrier.
• Some of the ways to prevent this are to practice good hygiene and avoid cross-contamination.

Considering the humid temperatures and extreme weather conditions in Queensland, it’s evident that transporting perishable goods long distances without proper preparations and temperature-controlled environments is extremely dangerous. Food spoilage is a serious issue in food logistics, and at Cannon Logistics we take refrigerated road freight very seriously. Our vehicles have temperature control systems that prevent food and transported goods from deteriorating and becoming contaminated.

Looking for refrigerated or general road freight in Brisbane? Take a look at our pricing guide.