Science Cafe KL - Food Poisoning: Appearance can be deceiving.

Food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated by bacteria and/or their toxins, parasites, viruses, chemicals, or other agents. WHO estimated 600 million people (one in ten people) worldwide fall ill and 420 000 people die from contaminated food each year. Most of the food poisoning outbreaks involved consumption of food that appears normal and not spoiled. These outbreaks are caused by virulent or toxigenic food pathogens which require only a small number to cause diseases.