The symptoms of food poisoning tend to start within a few hours to several days after eating contaminated food. However, sometimes they start just hours after or are delayed for a few weeks. The time it takes for symptoms to appear depends on the type of bacteria or virus that caused the illness.
For example, symptoms of **Salmonella** infection usually appear 6-48 hours after eating contaminated food. Symptoms of **Campylobacter** infection usually appear 2-5 days after eating contaminated food. Symptoms of **E. coli** infection usually appear 2-5 days after eating contaminated food. Symptoms of **Listeria** infection usually appear 1-4 weeks after eating contaminated food.
It is important to note that the time it takes for symptoms to appear can vary depending on the individual's immune system and the amount of contaminated food consumed.
