No way not to die eventually to Food Poisoning and it sucks

[TattooedMac]

In the latest update, Hotfix v.170, you won't get food poisoning with any food that has a 75% condition and above now. This excludes Raw meat, and fish, but anything that is above 75% condition, will save you from any food poisoning.

TIP : To keep food at its optimum %, if you find it, DONT pick it up, to go and store somewhere, because once you pick it up and its in your pack, it will start to degrade. If you are on the Coastal Region Map, and are around Quonset Station, leave all food in the cupboards, and so on, to have them keep there current condition.

If its below 75%, I would be collecting and eating it first (even though you have a chance of food poisoning) and leaving the others for a time when you need it.

[elloco999]

Yes, good news about the changes to food poisoning in the v.170 update!

I think the not picking up stuff doesn't work anymore for items that are in containers. The degradation starts when you find the item, even if you don't pick it up. At least I noticed this with some wooden matches I found in a locker in the dam. They where at 96% and I didn't need matches so I put them back (yes by clicking the RMB when finding them) figuring I'd save them for later. When I went to pick them up weeks later they had deteriorated quite a bit.

But you can still leave items that are not in containers alone (don't pick them up at all) and they won't degrade I think.

I actually think they should change this. Food (and any other items that degrade over time) should start degrading as soon as the game starts. Or at least as soon as you enter the map. Food degrades whether you found it or not IRL.