I’m reminded of this occasion when we (seven of us), had gone for a retreat at a park. This was about three years ago. Campus life was coming to an end, so we went to crown it all. Since we wanted to share a meal, we prepared and carried packed food. Our packaging included aluminum foil. I can recall it was pilau (celebratory dish, that is cooked throughout East African Countries or Countries situated along the Swahili region in Africa) and beef stew and we also brought along some soft drinks.
During the retreat, everything went well- we had great fun playing games, telling jokes, and strolling around the incredible scenery of the park. At one o’clock we had lunch and soon thereafter, trouble began. Three of us, myself included, started experiencing excruciating stomach upset which was followed by a series of diarrhea. Our retreat came to an abrupt end, as the three of us were taken to see a physician. It turned out it was a case of food poisoning. With medication, everything got better a couple of days later.
I have since learnt that diarrhea can be caused by a myriad of reasons including: consuming contaminated food, as a side effect arising from certain medication, food intolerance, and so forth. Also, there is a possibility that keeping food wrapped in aluminum foil for a longer period can result in the aluminum foil leaching into the food which can be unsafe especially if consumed in large proportions. Smaller portions, however, can easily be excreted from our bodies. All the same, the next time you are packing your meal mind the foil.