Salmonella

Salmonella is a bacterium commonly found in the intestines of birds and mammals. It can spread to humans via foods especially through meat and eggs (especially cracked eggs). The illness it causes, salmonellosis, usually involves fever, diarrhea, abdominal cramps and sometimes vomiting. If it invades the bloodstream it can cause life-threatening infections.

Salmonella growth example:
If you have 100 bacteria on cooked meat and it takes 1000 to make people sick...

20 Minutes                           200 Salmonella
40 Minutes                           400 Salmonella
60 Minutes                           800 Salmonella
1 Hour, 20 Minutes              1600 Salmonella

In just one hour and twenty minutes, under right condition,  it will be enough Salmonella to make people sick.


Prevention:
  • Cook whole poultry to a minimum internal temperature of 82ºC (180ºF).
  • Cook ground poultry to 74ºC (165ºF).
  • When reheating a product make sure it reaches 74ºC (165ºF).
  • Clean and sanitize all utensils and surfaces in contact with raw poultry.
  • Wash your hands properly.


Related Links:

Real Cooking
More About Salmonella
Salmonella is a rod-shaped, motile bacterium -- nonmotile exceptions S. gallinarum and S. pullorum--, nonsporeforming and Gram-negative. There is a widespread occurrence in animals, especially in poultry and swine. Environmental sources of the organism include water, soil, insects, factory surfaces, kitchen surfaces, animal feces, raw meats, raw poultry, and raw seafoods, to name only a few.

Acute symptoms --Nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, minal diarrhea, fever, and headache. Chronic consequences -- arthritic symptoms may follow 3-4 weeks after onset of acute symptoms. Onset time -- 6-48 hours. Infective dose -- As few as 15-20 cells; depends upon age and health of host, and strain differences among the members of the genus. Duration of symptoms -- Acute symptoms may last for 1 to 2 days or may be prolonged, again depending on host factors, ingested dose, and strain characteristics. Cause of disease -- Penetration and passage of Salmonella organisms from gut lumen into epithelium of small intestine where inflammation occurs; there is evidence that an enterotoxin may be produced, perhaps within the enterocyte.