ey kids... Hydra here! So whatÕs this food safety thing really all about? What does it mean? I guess it means keeping food safe...ugh! OK so keeping food safe is important for all of us. It really is! People can get sick by eating food that contains microorganism? So what's a microorganism? It's something that is too small to be seen by the naked eye but may be seen through a microscope. You know one of those things that really magnify stuff. You find them in science labs.

nyone can get sick from eating food that has these harmful microorganisms. That's what a foodborne illness is. That's right - a foodborne illness is a disease that is carried or transmitted to people by food containing harmful substances. Yup those microorganism things. But not all microorganisms are bad for us. The people who are most at risk from getting sick from these bad microorganisms are young children, the elderly, and people who are sick already. People who are already sick have what's called a decreased immune system. You know people who have something a little wrong with them. Like maybe people who may have diabetes, cancer, or AIDS.

o here are some of common microorganisms that can cause food borne disease. There are even some foods that are more likely to carry some of these microorganisms. E. Coli is one of them and you might find it in ground beef you don't cook it enough. Actually a deadly toxin might even be produced. A what? A toxin. A toxin is actually a poison produced by some bacteria, molds, plants and animals. Another one of these bad bacteria is salmonella. This salmonella bacteria may be found in undercooked poultry. So what is bacteria? Well, it is a living organism made up of a single cell.

AKE BACTOR'S CHALLENGE See how many words you can unscramble! Click on each letter and use the left and right arrow keys to move it to the right place.

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