Food Poisoning May Be Waiting in Your Freezer

Many times you don't even stop to think about it, but the food being stored in your freezer is at risk of carrying a type of bacteria known to be a root cause of potentially lethal food poisoning: listeria.

This bacterium has the fortitude necessary to survive even in the cold conditions of your freezer, and if it succeeds at getting into your food, it can cause some pretty big problems.

Listeria comes from food not being adequately washed or cooked before being stored. For the most part, listeria contraction is rare, but when it is contracted, it basically uses your body's white blood cells against it and eventually causes some not-so-nice side effects.

To avoid being infected with listeria, you can follow simple steps like cooking your animal products to a safe temperature, washing your produce thoroughly, and making sure to check frequently for known food recalls.