Food Safety

What you need to know about food poisoning

Most bouts of food poisoning clear up on their own. But severe symptoms—like diarrhea that’s bloody or lasts more than three days, vomiting too much to keep liquids down, a fever over 102ºF, or signs of dehydration (like dizziness or infrequent urination)—require medical help. (If in doubt, call your doctor.) Here’s when and how contaminated food typically makes people sick.