The vast majority of food poisoning, toxic or infectious, results from improper handling of food. At home, washing both hand, fresh foods and kitchen utensils carefully, and cooking foods well helps, though a few infectious agents and toxins cannot be washed away. In the commercial arena, sterilizing foods with irradiation may be a safe and reasonable answer in the future. My last column dealt with reactions to seafoods as well as sea-creatures. In response, I received a very informative letter from Marine Marketing and Consulting in Santa Barbara.
Sea cucumbers irritate the skin without producing a true toxin.
There are no stonefish in California, but there are scorpionfish. For exact information consult the references suggested in the last column. If you have a reaction which you suspect is due to a food, note your symptoms, and list foods you ate during the previous 24-36 hours. When you go to the doctor, describe your symptoms accurately, to help classify the reaction, and decide if further testing is warranted.