Salmonella and Food

"You may know that Salmonella can contaminate poultry and eggs, but it also sneaks its way into many other foods. Learn what you can do to make your food safer to eat.

Salmonella is a bacteria that commonly causes foodborne illness, sometimes called “food poisoning.” CDC estimates Salmonella causes 1 million foodborne illnesses every year in the United States. During the past few years, outbreaks of Salmonella illness have been linked to contaminated cucumbers, pre-cut melon, chicken, eggs, pistachios, raw tuna, sprouts, and many other foods.

Five Facts That May Surprise You

Don’t let Salmonella make you or your loved ones sick. Learn these five facts and tips for lowering your chance of getting a Salmonella infection.

1. You can get a Salmonella infection from a variety of foods. Salmonella can be found in many foods including beef, chicken, eggs, fruits, pork, sprouts, vegetables, and even processed foods, such as nut butters, frozen pot pies, chicken nuggets, and stuffed chicken entrees. When you eat a food that is contaminated with Salmonella, it can make you sick. Contaminated foods usually look and smell normal, which is why it is important to know how to prevent Salmonella infection.

Watch AJ’s story to learn how he got Salmonella from eating contaminated chicken.

2. Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Warmer weather and unrefrigerated foods create ideal conditions for Salmonella to grow. Be sure to refrigerate or freeze perishables (foods likely to spoil or go bad quickly), prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours. Chill them within 1 hour if the temperature is 90°F or hotter.

3. Salmonella illness can be serious and is more dangerous for certain people. Symptoms of infection usually appear 6 hours to 6 days after eating a contaminated food. These symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps. In most cases, illness lasts 4–7 days and people recover without antibiotic treatment. Some people may have severe diarrhea and need to be hospitalized. Anyone can get a Salmonella infection, but some groups are more likely to develop a serious illness: adults aged 65 and older, children younger than 5 years, and people with immune systems weakened from medical conditions, such as diabetes, liver or kidney disease, and cancer, or their treatment..."
   Salmonella

Do I have a Salmonella infection?
Contact your doctor or healthcare provider if you have:

• Diarrhea and a fever over 102°F
• Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving
• Bloody stools
• Prolonged vomiting that prevents you from keeping liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as:
  • Making very little urine
  • Dry mouth and throat
  • Dizziness when standing up

Solve Foodborne Outbreaks

"Did you know you can help disease detectives find and solve foodborne disease outbreaks? Learn some ways you can help protect others from getting sick.

Foodborne Illness Basics

Foodborne illness, or food poisoning, is an enteric (gastrointestinal) infection caused by food that contains harmful germs, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, or Listeria. Most illnesses happen suddenly and last a short time, and most people get better without treatment. Anyone can get food poisoning, but certain groups of people are more likely to get sick and have a more serious illness.

Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

Each year in the U.S., about 1 in 6 people (or 48 million) get sick from a foodborne illness. Many of these illnesses occur one by one, but some are part of outbreaks. Foodborne disease outbreaks have been linked to many different types of foods including fruits and vegetables, seafood, dairy, chicken, beef, pork, and processed foods. Some types of animals or pets can also carry these germs and make people sick.

CDC uses three types of information to solve outbreaks caused by contaminated food:

• epidemiologic
• traceback
• food and environmental testing.."
  Foodboune outbreaks

Food Safety at Fairs and Festivals

"A big part of summer for many people is attending fairs and festivals. There are always fun things to see and experience, including art work, music, games, and rides. One of the biggest draws to these events is the many different types of foods and drinks available.

Foodborne illnesses increase during the summer months, making it even more important to follow food safety steps. There are several reasons that foodborne illnesses increase in summer; one is that people are cooking and eating outside more often. Sometimes the usual safety controls that a kitchen provides, like monitoring of food temperatures, refrigeration, workers trained in food safety and washing facilities, may not be available when cooking and dining at fairs and festivals.

Remember that food safety practices should be the same at fairs as they are at restaurants and at home: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill. Learn more about these steps here, and reduce the chance you’ll get a foodborne illness this summer...."
Food safety and fairs

The Federal Food Safety System: A Primer
"Numerous federal, state, and local agencies share responsibilities for regulating the safety of the U.S. food supply, which many experts say is among the safest in the world. Nevertheless, critics view this system as lacking the organization, regulatory tools, and resources to adequately combat foodborne illness—as evidenced by a series of widely publicized food safety problems, including concerns about adulterated food and food ingredient imports, and illnesses linked to various types
of fresh produce, to peanut products, and to some meat and poultry products.

A number of comprehensive food safety proposals aimed at addressing perceived shortcomings in the U.S. food safety system were introduced but not enacted by the 110th Congress. These included measures to reform the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) oversight of food and other imports, to create a new independent food safety agency, and to impose a variety of new requirements on food manufacturers, handlers, and producers (including farms), such as mandated risk-based safety plans, recordkeeping for product tracing purposes, more rigorous registration requirements, and performance standards. The adequacy of inspection resources also has been at issue, and appropriators have been ramping up funding for the major agencies,
particularly FDA..."