food poisoning

Meaning

Food poisoning is an illness caused by eating contaminated, spoiled, or toxic food. Its common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and stomach cramps. It is a very common topic when discussing bad dining experiences or food hygiene.

Examples

• I think I got food poisoning from that seafood buffet we went to yesterday.

  I think I got food poisoning from that seafood buffet we went to yesterday.

• She had to miss work because she was down with a bad case of food poisoning.

  She had to miss work because she was down with a bad case of food poisoning.

• To avoid food poisoning, always make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

  To avoid food poisoning, always make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

• The restaurant was temporarily closed after several customers reported food poisoning.

  The restaurant was temporarily closed after several customers reported food poisoning.

• He suspects the undercooked eggs gave him food poisoning.

  He suspects the undercooked eggs gave him food poisoning.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I got a food poison from the street food.

  ✓ I got food poisoning from the street food.

  The correct, uncountable noun phrase for the illness is 'food poisoning'. 'Food poison' refers to a toxic substance used to intentionally contaminate food.

• ✗ The bad fish poisoned my food.

  ✓ I got food poisoning from the bad fish.

  While grammatically possible, native speakers do not say that the food 'poisoned' them. Instead, they say they 'got food poisoning from' the bad food.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you leave dairy products out in the hot sun, you might get ___.

  💡 Illness caused by eating bacteria-ridden or spoiled food.

  Show answer

  food poisoning

• He spent the whole night in the bathroom with a terrible case of ___.

  💡 The sickness you get from bad or undercooked food.

  Show answer

  food poisoning