Food System that Lead to Salmonellosis
- The government sets no microbial standards or pasteurization specifications that can be used to control the presence of this microorganism in raw food in retail food operations, Meat animals and poultry are often infected as a result of the environment in which they are slaughtered. Since they often appear to be disease free, they contaminate other carcasses through cross contamination during slaughtering procedures. Salmonella are present at low levels within the yolks of eggs produced by diseased flocks of chickens. They are found in fish and seafood taken from contaminated water.
- During transport and distribution, are often above 41 degree F allowing Salmonella to multiply in food products.
- Food may not be heated sufficiently to destroy Salmonella. Cooks can only guess when food is cooked adequately. Hence, Salmonella spp. survive to cause illness.
- There is post cooking cross contamination of cooked food when it is cut on contaminated cutting boards or with knives used to prepare raw products contaminated with Salmonella.
- In spite of regulations forbidding people to work when they are ill, people who are ill or carries of Salmonella spp. continue to work in food operations. These individuals shed the microorganism in their feces and spread Salmonella to the food they prepared or touch. This occurs when they do not properly washed their fingertips and under their fingernails after defecating.
Food System that Lead to Salmonellosis
