GLUTEN FREE: OATS
October 18, 2025
A significant part of our lives revolves around food, but have you ever wondered what food is (or is not) food?!
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “food is any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink in order to maintain life and growth.”
In addition to being essential for sustaining life, food can also become a cause of disease, which occurs as a result of inadequate handling and/or processing of food. In order to prevent this, we are protected by numerous rules dictated by food safety standards and legislation, about which there is a large number of articles on this blog.
But what happens when preventive measures are lacking? What diseases can food cause?
Unfortunately, there can be a large number of diseases / ailments, depending on the causative agent (hazard), but they can be grouped into:
- Caused by pathogenic microorganisms: viruses and bacteria
- Caused by allergenic substances: allergic reactions of the body
- Caused by chemical hazards: mycotoxins originating from fungi (molds), pesticides, migration from packaging, etc.
Diseases Caused by Pathogenic Microorganisms
There is a large number of pathogenic bacteria and viruses that can cause foodborne diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 200 different diseases that can be transmitted through food due to contamination with bacteria, viruses, parasites, and other agents, transmitted by more than 250 species of pathogenic organisms.
However, the five most common diseases that occur globally as a result of contaminated food (foodborne diseases)—that is, the most common causes of illness associated with the consumption of unsafe food—are:
Norovirus infection – a viral disease that causes acute gastroenteritis (diarrhea, vomiting) and is considered the most common cause of foodborne diseases worldwide.
Non-typhoidal Salmonella infection (Salmonellosis) – a bacterial disease very common after the consumption of contaminated food (e.g. eggs, poultry, meat, vegetables); it often leads to diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain.
Enterotoxigenic and other pathogenic Escherichia coli infections – include ETEC and other strains of E. coli; they cause diarrhea and food poisoning; in some strains (e.g. EHEC), more severe complications may occur.
Campylobacteriosis – a bacterial intestinal infection caused by Campylobacter spp.; a common cause of diarrhea and abdominal pain after consumption of contaminated food or water.
Shigella infection (shigellosis) – a bacterial disease transmitted via the fecal–oral route (often through dirty hands or contaminated food/water) and causes severe diarrhea (often bloody).
Causes and Symptoms of Diseases
Here we will briefly list examples of the most common diseases mentioned above, while in the following texts more detailed explanations will be provided about pathogenic microorganisms, conditions for their growth and development, and the foods in which they most commonly develop.
1. Norovirus infection:
- Cause: Norovirus (RNA virus);
- Main symptoms: sudden vomiting, watery diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, mild fever, headache, malaise.
The incubation period is very short (12–48 h), and it is extremely contagious; it is a frequent cause of outbreaks (collective settings, restaurants, hospitals).
2. Salmonellosis:
- Cause: Salmonella enterica (most commonly S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium);
- Main symptoms: diarrhea (often profuse), fever, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, dehydration.
The incubation period is 6–72 h.
3. Escherichia coli infections:
- Cause: Pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli;
- Main symptoms: diarrhea, severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, possible fever.
4. Campylobacteriosis:
- Cause: Campylobacter jejuni (less frequently C. coli);
- Main symptoms: diarrhea (often with mucus or blood), high fever, severe abdominal pain, nausea.
Incubation period: 2–5 days.
5. Shigella infection (Shigellosis):
- Cause: Shigella spp. (S. sonnei, S. flexneri…);
- Main symptoms: severe diarrhea (often bloody), fever, painful abdominal cramps.
Allergic Reactions of the Body
Allergens are substances that cause a chemical reaction in the body and, according to their chemical composition, are most often proteins, but also polysaccharides (sugars), lipoids (fat-like substances), as well as inorganic substances. From this sentence follows the answer to the question of which type of hazard allergens belong to: allergens are classified as chemical hazards.
Allergens can be divided into: nutritional (food allergens) and inhalant allergens (airborne allergens – pollen of various tree species (poplar, birch, willow, hazel), grasses and weeds, mites, dust, hair and feathers of domestic animals and pets). Both types cause allergies (allergic reactions).
What are allergic reactions? In the case of nutritional allergens, reactions may appear in the form of rashes, eczema and redness of the skin, swelling of the skin, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. If inhalant allergens are involved, symptoms may include upper respiratory tract infections accompanied by nasal discharge, prolonged irritating cough, itchy eyes, exhaustion and fatigue, dry skin that cracks and itches. More about allergens and allergic reactions can be found in our article:
Diseases Caused by Chemical Hazards
Unlike microbiological hazards, chemical hazards most often do not cause acute gastrointestinal infections, but rather:
- chronic organ damage
- toxic and carcinogenic effects
- hormonal and neurological disorders
Molds are NOT considered pathogens in the classical sense, like bacteria or viruses that cause acute infections in healthy people. They do not cause typical “foodborne infections”.
Why are they still a serious risk? Because many molds produce mycotoxins, which are toxic, carcinogenic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, and immunosuppressive. Examples include:
- spergillus spp. → aflatoxins
- Fusarium spp. → DON, zearalenone, fumonisins
- Penicillium spp. → ochratoxin A, patulin
Mycotoxins are considered chemical hazards, not microbiological ones.
They are thermostable, are not destroyed by cooking, and can have chronic consequences.
Pesticide Residues
They arise from improper or excessive use of pesticides in primary production.
Main groups and health effects:
- Organophosphates and carbamates
Diseases / effects: neurotoxicity, headaches, dizziness - Organochlorine pesticides
Diseases / effects: carcinogenic potential, endocrine disorders, bioaccumulation in adipose tissue
Migration of Substances from Packaging Hazards that may originate from packaging include: bisphenols, phthalates, and heavy metals. More about this can be found in our article:
We will not worry about food safety as long as food safety management standards are applied. If you need assistance with the implementation of any of the standards or with upgrading your management system, please contact our Agency!!!
