Food poisoning symptoms typically take about six hours to develop after eating contaminated food, but they can appear anywhere from 30 minutes to several days depending on the specific cause (type of bacteria, virus, or toxin) involved. For example:

• Staphylococcus aureus symptoms can hit as soon as 30 minutes to 8 hours after consumption.
• Salmonella symptoms usually develop between 6 hours to 6 days.
• Norovirus symptoms appear within 12 to 48 hours.
• Some bacteria like Listeria can take up to two weeks for symptoms to appear.

Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and sometimes fever or headache. Most people experience symptoms within 2 to 6 hours, but it varies by the germ involved and individual sensitivity.