Food poisoning is an illness that you may get after eating food contaminated by certain bacteria, parasites, viruses, or chemicals. Eating a few bacteria usually won't hurt you. However, if you eat bacteria that are very harmful or large quantities of certain bacteria, you may become sick. These poisons may be produced by the bacteria before or after you eat contaminated food.
Many types of bacteria grow best in a warm, moist place.
Food can provide a great place for bacteria to grow if it is not properly cooled, stored, or heated. However, even if you cook and eat your food promptly, you can still get food poisoning. For example, bacteria can get into your cooked food if the cooked food touches a dirty utensil or countertop that was used to prepare uncooked meat. That is why it is important to wash your hands, utensils, and countertops before and after you handle raw meat. Botulism is a type of food poisoning caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.