By Dona Suri
Don’t you just love cantaloupe? It’s full of Beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Vitamin B-9, potassium, fiber, lots of water. Just 60 calories and no fat per 1-cup serving. Nutritious, delicious, versatile … and potentially loaded with salmonella that can give you a week of diarrhea at best and send you permanently belly up at worst.
In the last week of October, 73 people in 22 US states came down with salmonella food poisoning after consuming bagged diced onions and celery made by an Oxnard California-based company. The infection struck again in mid November. As of the beginning of December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had reports of 99 cases. Out of these, two people died and scores were hospitalized. Cases were also reported from Canada.
Salmonella is not to be taken lightly. But exactly what is it?
Salmonella is a gram negative, rods genus, bacterium belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family. It has two species, Salmonella bongori and Salmonella enterica, and more than 2500 different serotypes. The bacteria live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces. Humans become infected through contaminated water or food, notably raw poultry, eggs, meat, and sometimes through unwashed fruit and vegetables.
Risk of salmonella infection is great in countries without clean drinking water and proper sewage disposal. But it’s not rare in the United States. The US Department of Agriculture statistics show that salmonella is the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the annual number of cases at 1.35 million, with 420 fatalities and 26,500 hospitalizations. In mid- to older age groups, women are more likely to fall ill from salmonellosis than men.
Some people infected with the bacteria show no symptoms but most will develop diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within 8 to 72 hours after exposure. Most healthy people recover within a few days to a week without specific treatment but, a bad case of salmonella may produce diarrhea so severe that the victim becomes fatally dehydrated. Life-threatening complications also may develop if the infection spreads beyond the intestines.
If a food is tainted with salmonella bacteria, there is nothing to tip you off before you handle it or eat it. It will not look, smell, or taste spoiled. The consumer has no way of knowing. This means that the onus of salmonellosis detection falls on food growers, processors, packagers and anyone else in the food business. Most of the regulations about processing (including testing, inspection and packing requirements) are state regulations, but the law that has the sharpest teeth is a federal law.
In the US, every organization involved in the entire food supply chain – from growers to processors, packagers, importers, distributors and retailers – is covered under a law called the Food Traceability Final Rule. They all have to maintain records containing Key Data Elements (KDEs) associated with specific Critical Tracking Events (CTEs); and provide information to the FDA within 24 hours or within some reasonable time to which the FDA has agreed. This law enables the FDA to spring into action the minute an outbreak of any food-borne ailment is reported. Within hours, the FDA can trace the source of the food that carried the infection. Fast identification and rapid removal of potentially contaminated food from the market, is what stands between the consumer and foodborne illnesses. This same law also makes food producers/suppliers extremely careful to ensure that the products they sell are free of pathogens, securely and cleanly packed and that the products are supplied well within safe timeframes. After all, the sellers can be pin-pointed almost immediately and held to account.
While a person knows that he has been in contact with salmonella only after he or she gets sick, there are ways to evade the bacteria.
Salmonella bacteria are passed from feces of people or animals to other people or animals. Contaminated foods are often animal in origin (meat, poultry, seafood, milk, eggs) but all foods, including some unwashed fruits and vegetables can become contaminated.
Rules to Avoid Salmonella Infection
Wash everything
* Wash hands with soap after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and before handling or eating any food. Make sure that children follow this rule.
* Keep kitchen utensils, cutlery, cutting boards, pots, dishes and counter tops clean. Disposable paper towels are better for cleaning kitchen surfaces than sponges or cloth towels. If you use cloth towels, they should be washed in hot water in a washing machine after each use.
* Thoroughly wash fruits/vegetables before consuming.
* Peel and discard outer leaves or rinds of fruits and vegetables.
* Scrub solid vegetables, such as potatoes and carrots, if you want to eat the skin
* Keep raw meat and poultry separate from fruits/vegetables and other foods when storing or cooking. This avoids cross-contamination.
Avoid unpasteurized foods
* Avoid unpasteurized (raw) milk and foods made from unpasteurized milk.
Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs
* Use pasteurized eggs when making items that do not require cooking, such as hollandaise sauce, salad dressing, uncooked pies, or homemade ice cream.
* Discard cracked eggs.
* Keep eggs refrigerated.
Cook thoroughly
* Meat, poultry, and hamburgers should be cooked until they are no longer pink in the middle. To destroy salmonella bacteria, the internal cooking temperature must be at least 165° F (73.8° C).
Maintain appropriate temperatures
* Defrost food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave.
* Food should be stored in a refrigerator that is 40°F or cooler or a freezer that is 0°F or cooler.
* Be extra cautious during warm weather when perishables spoil quickly. Never leave prepared foods or leftovers sitting out for more than two hours. If outside temperature is 90°F or hotter, food should go into the fridge within one hour.
* Cover and refrigerate fruits/vegetables you have cut.
* Read and follow label instructions such as “Keep Refrigerated” or “Use By”.
* Keep prepared fruit salads or other cut produce items in the refrigerator until just before serving.
Avoid contamination from animals
*Always wash hands thoroughly with soap after contact with pets and farm animals. This is particularly important if you have handled any reptiles or birds, since reptiles and birds are more likely to carry salmonella than other animals.
* Love your pet — dog, cat, horse, etc – but don’t kiss it.
* Clean pet beds, cages, aquariums, food and water bowls outdoors. If you must clean your pet’s habitat indoors, use a bathtub that can be cleaned and disinfected. Do not use the kitchen sink.
* Keep your pet healthy. This keeps you and your family healthy too.
* Minimize contact with animals with diarrheal illness.
* Do not eat food in areas where animals are present.
* Wash your hands after handling pet food. It can sometimes be the source of salmonella infection.
Use caution when swimming
*Avoid swallowing lake or pool water while swimming.
* Anyone with a diarrheal illness should avoid swimming in public pools or lakes, sharing baths with others, and preparing food for others.
IF YOU COME DOWN WITH SALMONELLA, REPORT IT !
Most cases of salmonellosis go unreported. People just suffer through bouts of stomach ache and diarrhea; they do not consult a doctor or get tested to figure out if the salmonella bacteria is the cause of their illness. Public health authorities can’t take action to stop more people from contracting salmonella if they don’t have information about cases.
By reporting, you help health authorities and the FDA to take preventative action quickly so that other people don’t get it.
If you find out that you have salmonellosis inform the Foodborne Illness or Outbreak Unit of the Centers for Disease Control. Call 1-800-232-4636.
You can also report to the Food and Drug Branch of the California Department of Public Health. Call 800) 495-3232.