Contaminated food can be odourless and tasteless. Food poisoning bacteria multiply rapidly at ordinary room temperatures. Hamburger is less likely to contain food-poisoning bacteria than most fresh meat and poultry because the grinding destroys bacteria. Hard-cooked eggs can be safely stored at room temperature for up to two days. Since bacteria cannot be spread from your hands to food, it is safe to use your hands instead of a spoon to mix potato salad.
Extra care is needed if pork or poultry are cooked in a microwave oven.
It is safe to eat raw or lightly cooked meat, fish, poultry, and eggs. Food poisonings can result from failing to properly clean your hands, equipment and work surfaces. Success in the highly competitive food industry depends upon a solid reputation. An incident of food poisoning can damage a business reputation for a lifetime. After eating in a popular restaurant, the restaurant patrons became ill with cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache and vomiting.