Food poisoning is when someone gets sick from eating food that contains germs. Most of the time, food poisoning goes away on its own in a day or two. 

• Give your child any prescribed medicine as directed by the health care provider.
• Don't give over-the-counter anti-diarrhea medicines. These medicines can make food poisoning symptoms worse.
• Let your child rest as needed.
• Offer your child lots of liquids, such as water or pediatric electrolyte solutions (such as Pedialyte®, Gerber® Replenish™ or a store brand). Have your child take small, frequent sips.
• If you are breastfeeding, you may continue. Your child may want to nurse more often, but for shorter times.
• Don't give fruit juices or high-sugar drinks (such as sports drinks) because they can make diarrhea worse.
• Offer bland, low-fat foods (like rice, potatoes, bread, lean meats, yogurt, fruits and vegetables) in small amounts. Don't force it if your child doesn't want to eat.

Your child has:

• diarrhea that lasts longer than 2 days
• vomiting that lasts for more than 12 hours
• a new fever, or a fever that lasts more than 2 days
• a rash
• blood in poop
• blood in vomit (throw up)
• seems dehydrated; signs include dizziness, extreme thirst, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, peeing less than usual, crying with little or no tears.

• Your child has severe belly pain that doesn't go away after having a bowel movement (pooping).

How do germs get into food? Germs (such as bacteria, viruses or parasites) can get into food in different ways, including when:

• Germs from animal or human poop get into the water used to grow food.
• Meat or poultry touches germs during processing or shipping.
• Cooks or other food handlers don't wash their hands or don't use clean utensils or cutting boards.
• Food is stored at the wrong temperature or kept too long.

When do symptoms start after someone eats contaminated food? Food poisoning symptoms might start a few hours after someone eats infected food. But sometimes, a person doesn't feel sick until days or even weeks later.

How can we prevent food poisoning? To help prevent food poisoning:

• Wash hands with soap and warm water (scrub well for 15 seconds):
  • after using the bathroom
  • before eating
  • before and after preparing food
• Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs thoroughly.
• Wash cutting boards and utensils thoroughly with soap and warm water (or use a dishwasher) after preparing raw meat, fish, poultry or eggs.
• Keep raw meat, poultry, fish (or their juices) and eggs away from other foods.
• Wash fruits and vegetables well before eating.
• Do not let cooked foods or foods that need to stay cold (such as milk or uncooked meat) stay out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the room temperature is above 90ºF [32.2ºC]).
• Do not give honey to babies younger than 1 year old.
• Make sure that your child's immunizations are up to date.