Food poisoning: would you let your friend know if you think you got it from eating at their house?

Leave it alone and be more mindful in the future about eating at her house. I was in a similar situation once and it created a rift in the friendship that never quite healed. Besides telling her is not going to make any difference in your food poisoning.

With my close friends,I would speak my mind.
Besides,they have made fun of my cooking so much that they should be able to take my claims of salmonella,botulism, dippydoodlitis and slow death like a man!
XD

Sue.

I think it depends a little bit on the situation. Do you think the food poisoning was because of the way the food was prepared (undercooked) or because her kitchen isn’t the cleanest? If I thought it was because the food wasn’t cooked properly, I’d mention it in hopes that my friend would check to be sure the food was cooked all the way to avoid it happening to not only me again, but to her family as well (since you mentioned her daughter is also sick). If I thought it was a cleanliness issue, I might not say anything and just keep that in mind the next time I was at her house so that I wouldn’t hurt her feelings by saying I think she needs to clean more.

Of course I would. I wouldn’t say “Yeah, we reckon we got food poisoning when we ate round yours, because you have a filthy kitchen and probably can’t cook properly!”

Perhaps more like “Were you OK after last night’s meal? Because a couple of us got pretty ill…”

Seriously, getting food poisoning is a fact of life, I’ve had food poisoning from great food at respectable restaurants, yet eating street-food 3 or 4 times a day for 2 months across China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand & Malaysia never gave me any problems. And I’m talking about raw meat just left out on a rock, and then barbecued when needed, the raw bits are all mixed in with the bits presently being cooked, and they guy just picks out the cooked bits to sell you.

I’m living in student accommodation now, and you should see some of the kitchens here! I just make sure I cook everything properly. Haven’t been ill yet…

It might be a 24 hour flu, you cannot know for sure.
The 24 bug comes on quickly as well, often within 12 hours after exposure.

You might have been exposed the day BEFORE somewhere else.

Impossible to say, but, just a caution about making up a story that might not be true.
If you take issue with her cleanliness just avoid eating when you are there.

Yeah I would & they’d probably thank me for it. At least they better had, damn their eyes :¬)

@Coloma The 24 hour flu is usually food poisoning.

I used to think that these symptoms were the 24 hour flu too.

Maybe I am wimping out but I wouldn’t say anything. I would take that info to the grave rather than hurt her feelings. I’d make sure the next meal I ate there was something less prone to spoilage or was something I brought myself.
Telling will change nothing so why do it? The odds of it happening again are slim.

As your friend has told her that her daughter is suffering, I think I would just mention casually that you and your daughter haven’t been feeling well.
You don’t have to say you think it is food poisoning, let her work that out for herself, so you don’t hurt her feelings.

If she mentions again that her daughter isn’t feeling well, casually say you and your daughter are not either. Let her make the connection or not, but I wouldn’t tell her outright that you think you got food poisoning at her house.

What good would it do? She would feel bad, but she couldn’t help you get better. She probably doesn’t know how she gave you food poisoning, so it wouldn’t be helpful for that reason either.

@tranquilsea
True, many cases of food poisoning are mistaken for gastroenteritis. ( damn, big word, spelling? haha )

But, the opposite can be true as well.

Not everyone will get a stomach bug, some are immune from already having the same strain before, or, for whatever reason it just doesn’t take when everyone else around them is sick.

I’m not saying you don’t have a touch of food poisoning, just that it is really, really, impossible to know for sure.

If nobody else in your immediate family gets sick, you might be right. Time will tell.

It’s a process of ‘elimination’, pun intended.

I would – although it might not be definitive, it could be that she purchased something that ended up being bad, and she doesn’t know.

Letting her know may help her. If she gets defensive, just let it go. But holding it in because you think she’ll be offended doesn’t do anyone any good. It will be pretty clear from her reaction whether you need to back off quickly, and apologize.

I would call and ask if anyone else is sick today, because both you and your daughter are ill. If no one else is sick that ate there, it must be from elsewhere. If she mentions that other people are sick, too, then you can say, “Do you think it could be the chicken/salad?”

Her daughter and son are sick too.

I talked to her today and just let her know that we were feeling unwell. She asked if it was the same symptoms as her kids and I told her it was. We had a bit of laugh over it.

Bleh, I still feel crappy.

I hope you all feel better soon, whatever it is, it’s never a good time. lol
I admit I am biased to a degree because I had a friend insist she had food poisoning a few years ago and after dropping over I was barfing my brains out the next morning. Bad Blue cheese, uh uh.

Thanks @Coloma

This isn’t the first time I’ve had it and I hold no ill feelings towards her. Life happens.

I would.

It would depend on the friend, and on the severity of the barfiness. I like @The_Idler‘s suggestion; bringing it up as a concern for your friend and not an accusation would probably be the best way.

After dinner we got so sick! Did anyone else? I wonder if dish x was bad….it tasted good when I ate it.

Just the facts. It’s no big deal, and if it is they aren’t pleasant.