Food Intoxication

"Other kinds of foodborne illness are food intoxications, which are caused by natural toxins or harmful chemicals. These and other unspecified agents are major contributors to episodes of acute gastroenteritis and other kinds of foodborne illness. 3 Like pathogens, toxins and chemicals can be introduced to food during cultivation, harvesting, processing, or distribution. Some toxins can lead to symptoms that are also common to food infection, such as abdominal cramping, while others can cause different kinds of symptoms and complications, some very severe. For example, mercury, which is sometimes found in fish, can cause neurological damage in infants and children. Exposure to cadmium can cause kidney damage, typically in elderly people.\n\n3. Scallan E, Griffin PM, Angulo FJ, et al. Foodborne Illness Acquired in the United States—Unspecified Agents. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2011;17(1):16-22. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/17/1/p2-1101_article. Accessed January 28,"