Acute gastrointestinal illness from eating foods containing toxin s.
These toxins may be poison s that occur naturally in plants and animals, chemical contaminants, or toxic products of microorganisms. Most cases are due to bacteria (including salmonella and staphylococcus ) and their toxins (including botulism ). Some strains of E. coli can cause severe illness. Chemical poisons include heavy metals (see mercury poisoning ), either from food or leached out from cookware by acidic foods. Food additives may have a long-term cumulative toxic effect. See also fish poisoning ; mushroom poisoning .