New Bad Bug Book Now Online
Due to mass media coverage involving outbreaks, many people know that Salmonella and E. coli cause food poisoning. But do you know anything about Yersinia?
If you would like to know about it, along with other bacteria, viruses, parasites and natural toxins that can contaminate food and cause illness, the second edition of the Bad Bug Book (BBB) can be found at www.fda.gov/badbugbook.
The new book provides current information for both the general public and health professionals about the major known agents that cause food borne illness in the U.S. The book includes information about living and non-living organisms such as: bacteria, protozoa, worms, fungi, viruses, prions, and natural toxins.
For the General Public
The new book features a consumer snapshot for each agent with an explanation of symptoms of the illness it causes, as well as the types of foods it is associated with. Also included is information on safe food-handling practices that help prevent each agent from causing food poisoning. Another new feature is a special consumer glossary of terms used in talking about the causes and prevention of foodborne illness.
For Professionals
Each agent’s characteristics, habitats and food sources are included, along with infective doses, and general disease symptoms and complications. How much illness each agent causes in the U.S. and the populations most susceptible to each agent are also covered. There is an overview of the analytical methods used to detect, isolate, and/or identify the various agents.
So what about Yersinia?
According to the book, foods that have been linked to illness from Yersinia are pork (including chitterlings, sometimes called “chitlins”), unpasteurized milk, and oysters. Anyone can get yersiniosis, the illness Yersinia causes, but young children get it most often. The symptoms usually start within 1 day to 2 weeks and include high fever and stomach pain with diarrhea and sometimes vomiting.
Besides young children, people who are elderly, have poor health, a weak immune system, or take medications that weaken the immune system are at highest risk. Some people get arthritis-like symptoms, such as joint pain and rashes (which often go away in a month or several months), or other, more serious complications that may affect the heart.
Most mild cases of yersiniosis go away by themselves, but health professionals can prescribe antibiotics to treat it if necessary.
Prevention
To help protect against yersiniosis:
- Wash hands before and after handling food for 20 seconds with soap and water
- Wash food-contact surfaces and utensils after each use
- Wash raw fruits and vegetables
- Cook food to a safe temperature—for pork that is 165°F with a 3-minute rest time, and for oysters the shells should open during cooking
- Keep cooked food from contacting raw food
- Keep food refrigerated at 40ºF or lower
- Use only pasteurized milk and products made from pasteurized milk, not raw milk
Spring Celebrations: Handling Leftovers
By Diane Van, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
Now that we have served that delicious ham and brisket and hunted for our hard-cooked Easter eggs, callers to USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline have questions about the storage of these leftovers. Here are some answers based on questions our Hotline food safety specialists have reviewed from callers.
How long can I keep a leftover cooked ham in the refrigerator?
Many people believe that because most hams are cured that they can be stored longer than fresh meat. However, leftover cooked ham should be used within 3-4 days or frozen. To determine how long different types of ham can be stored safely in the refrigerator and freezer, see the Ham Storage Chart.
How long can I keep leftover cooked brisket in the refrigerator?
Store cooked brisket in the refrigerator (40 °F or below) and use within 3 to 4 days. Cooked brisket can be frozen for 2 to 3 months for best quality. After that time, it will still be safe, but can lose flavor and moisture. For more information on the safe preparation and handling of beef, check out Beef...from Farm to Table. For more information about cooking, reheating and storing brisket visit the blog post: Spring Traditions: Serving Brisket Safely
What is the best way to safely handle eggs used for an Easter egg hunt?
The "found" Easter eggs must be washed, re-refrigerated and eaten within 7 days of cooking. We do not recommend using hard-cooked eggs that have been lying on the ground, because they can pick up bacteria, especially if the shells are cracked. If the shells crack, bacteria can contaminate the inside. Eggs should be hidden in places that are protected from dirt, moisture, pets, and other sources of bacteria. The total time for hiding and hunting eggs should not exceed 2 hours or 1 hour if the air temperature outside is above 90°F.
To see videos on how to handle ham, brisket and eggs safely visit:
FSIS website for videos about ham, brisket and egg safety
If you have other food safety questions feel free to contact us at the Hotline (1-888-674-6854 toll-free) or online at AskKaren.gov
Spring Celebrations: What’s on Your Menu?
By Diane Van, USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service
USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline gets extra busy this time of year with brisket, baked ham, and egg questions. Here are some Spring food safety tips based on questions our Hotline Food Safety Specialists have received from callers.
How long can I keep a ham in the refrigerator before cooking it?
To answer your question, we need to know what type of ham you’re buying and how it’s packaged. What does the label advise? The label is the best guide for determining storage time. It gives the product name, whether it’s smoked or cured, and whether you must refrigerate it. While USDA doesn’t require manufacturers to list the freshness date on products, many do. Look for the instructions on the label that tell you how long you can keep the product. For example: “Best if used by April 15.”
Is it safe to hide colored hard boiled eggs around the house or outside before an Easter hunt?
That’s not a good idea. It’s best to keep eggs refrigerated until hiding time. If eggs are left out of the refrigerator for more than two hours, bacteria could multiply to dangerous levels and cause food poisoning.
I’ve heard you shouldn’t let food sit out. How can I host a Passover Seder and serve a safe meal?
You bring up a classic Passover dilemma in safe food handling. Often a Seder host wants to greet everyone when they arrive then participate in the ceremony. For a formal Seder you prepare a lot of food ahead of time, and no one wants to eat cold lamb, brisket or lukewarm gefilte fish. Remember to:
- Serve your cold foods -the eggs and gefilte fish- straight from the refrigerator. Keep them cold by nesting dishes in beds of ice or use a series of small serving trays and replace them often.
- Fully cook and slice the brisket before the Seder begins. Then either reheat it in the microwave while serving your matzo ball soup, or leave the foil-covered brisket, kept moist with gravy, in a warming oven (about 200°F) until serving time.
- Discard food that has been left out at room temperature more than two hours (one hour when the temperature is above 90°F).
For more information, check out these resources:
- Spring Traditions: Serving Ham Safely
- Spring Traditions: Serving Brisket Safely
- Eggs-tra Care for Spring Celebrations
- Safely Preparing Corned Beef Brisket in a Slow Cooker
- Videos about ham, brisket and egg safety
If you have other food safety questions feel free to contact us at the Hotline (1-888-674-6854 toll-free) or online at AskKaren.gov
Have a safe and happy Spring celebration!