What is the term for any sickness caused by food or drink?

Study for the Canada Food Safety Test. Prepare with quizzes and multiple-choice questions. Understand key concepts with explanations and hints to ace your exam!

The term that accurately refers to any sickness caused by food or drink is food-borne illness. This encompasses a wide range of medical conditions that can arise from consuming contaminated food or beverages. Food-borne illnesses typically result from pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as from chemical substances or physical contaminants that can enter the food supply.

In contrast, while food poisoning is often used interchangeably with food-borne illness, it specifically refers to the acute sickness caused by consuming food contaminated primarily with harmful bacteria or toxins. Food allergies, on the other hand, involve specific immune system reactions to certain foods and are not classified as illnesses caused by contamination. Lastly, food contamination is the presence of harmful substances in food, which can lead to food-borne illness, but it does not directly define the illness itself. Thus, food-borne illness is the most comprehensive and correct term for illnesses that arise from contaminated food and drink.

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