Diarrhea, Age 12 and Older

Food poisoning is a common cause of diarrhea in children and adults. Most cases of food poisoning may be prevented by taking a few precautions when preparing and storing food at home. Perishable foods, such as eggs, meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, and milk products, should be treated with extra care. Also, precautions should be taken if you are pregnant, have an impaired immune system or a chronic illness, or you are preparing foods for other high-risk groups, such as young children or older adults. For more information, see the topic Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends the following steps to prevent food poisoning:

• Prepare foods safely.
• Shop safely.
• Cook foods to a safe temperature.
• Store foods safely.
• Follow labels on food packaging.
• Serve foods safely.
• When in doubt, throw it out.

Many counties in the United States have extension services listed in the phone book. These services can answer your question about safe home canning and food preparation.

For information on how to prevent traveler's diarrhea, see traveler's diarrhea.