Food poisoning

Food poisoning is a type of foodborne illness.

Every year in Queensland thousands of people suffer from food poisoning after eating contaminated food. The condition may be caused by bacteria (such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and Shigella), viruses (such as rotavirus or norovirus) or parasites (such as cryptosporidium).

Food poisoning will vary in severity depending on the toxin associated with the illness and the amount that has been ingested.

Symptoms and treatment

Symptoms of food poisoning may include:

  • diarrhoea
  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • abdominal cramps
  • fever and headaches.

A person suffering a foodborne illness may have one or more of these symptoms.

Symptoms of food poisoning are often the same as for gastroenteritis (gastro) type illnesses caused by other sources (e.g. a virus spread from another person), which can make it difficult to tell if the illness is caused by food or another source.

The incubation period (the time between eating the food and when symptoms start) may be between 8 hours and 3 or 4 days but it can be as long as 70 days. This means that the last meal eaten may not necessarily be to blame. It is common for the illness to last between 1‐7 days. It is important to note that foods that cause food poisoning will not necessarily look, taste or smell any different to safe food.

Many people have mild symptoms and recover within a few days. However, if symptoms persist for more than 3 days or are severe, medical advice should be sought.

Common foodborne illnesses

Read about the symptoms, treatment, transmission and prevention for each of these diseases:

Preventing food poisoning

Preparing and cooking food properly helps you prevent food poisoning. This includes:

  • washing your hands
  • handling food safely
  • keeping hot food hot, and cold food cold
  • cleaning and sanitising plates, utensils and cooking equipment
  • reducing risks of pests and animals coming into contact with food.

Read more detailed information about how to prevent food poisoning.

Report a suspected case of food poisoning

Read about current gastro alerts.

If you have a concern about a food product or a food business, you can use our online form to make a food safety complaint. If you would like to speak directly with the agency responsible for monitoring and enforcing food laws, see roles and responsibilities.

Report a food safety issue