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Can a piece of chicken ruin someone's life? That's what the family of an 11-year old girl are saying. She got food poisoning last year and it left her in a wheelchair and with serious intellectual disabilities. They're blaming KFC and they're taking the fast food company to court. So what is food poisoning and how serious can it be? Sarah has more.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: Sitting around at the table eating dinner, you'd think you were pretty safe right. Wrong! In a few hours, or even a few days, these guys could be in a bad way. Think stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or worse. They could end up in hospital.
REPORTER: Food poisoning! It can turn a meal like this into your worst nightmare!
Most food poisoning is caused by these; bacteria. They're tiny, simple little creatures that eat just about anything and multiply by the millions. You'd never know it, but bacteria are all around us; in the air, on our skin, in our hair and even in our mouths.
REPORTER: I know that sounds totally gross but it's OK, most bacteria won't hurt you. In fact, some are helpful.
But there are a few that can make you really sick if too many get into your system, and unfortunately they like the same sorts of food we do. You might have heard of a few of them, like salmonella, E. coli and listeria.
They can make people sick for a few days or a week but occasionally it can be much more serious. Kelly Owen was just a kid when she ate a piece of mettwurst infected with E. coli. It caused an infection in her kidneys. She had to have a transplant and she'll be taking medicine for the rest of her life.
KELLY OWEN: I have the first three meds which are my anti rejection medications, I take four of these a day, 12 of these a day. This scar is from my initial fistula...
Serious cases of food poisoning can be fatal. Fighting off the bacteria can put huge pressure on your internal organs and in rare cases they can shut down.
Now I'm probably putting you off your lunch right about now but don't panic! There are things you can do to avoid food poisoning.
Lots of nasty bacteria love raw meat so it's important to keep it away from other food. That means using separate knives and chopping boards for the meat and the vegies, and keeping them separate in the fridge. A lot of bacteria are pretty fussy about temperature. They like things not too hot and not too cold so keeping things in the fridge and cooking them thoroughly can protect you. Keep the kitchen clean and wash fruit and vegies before you eat them. And last but not least, wash your hands, especially if you've touched raw meat or your pets.
It might seem obvious but a proper wash with soap and water is one of the best ways to protect yourself from nasty bacteria. Food businesses also have to follow these rules. They're inspected regularly and if anything's dodgy they can get into big trouble. Food is should be something we enjoy and a feast like this shouldn't be something to fear.