Sneaky Salmonella: It’s Common, Costly, and Preventable
Each year, roughly 1 in 6 people in the United States gets sick from eating contaminated food. Each of those illnesses represents something that went wrong somewhere along the pathway from a farm to our table. Behind these illnesses are familiar culprits (like Salmonella) and causes (like poor food safety practices in farms, factories, restaurants, or homes).
Salmonella are bacteria that cause over one million illnesses each year. This “bug” causes more hospitalizations and deaths than any other type of germ found in food and $365 million in direct medical costs each year. At CDC, we’re concerned that Salmonella infections have not declined in 15 years. So, how does Salmonella sneak into foods, what foods do they get into, and what can be done?
How does Salmonella get into foods?
Simply put—it gets into food through the poop of animals, such as cows, birds, and mice. Because the natural home for Salmonella bacteria is in the gut of these animals, their poop becomes a carrier of the germ if it gets into food or water. For example, if water used to irrigate a field has animal poop in it, the water can contaminate the food growing in the field.
Contamination can also occur where food is being made. For instance, a tainted ingredient can get on equipment, floors, storage bins, or someone’s hands and then spread to other food. In fact, a cutting board or knife that has germs on it can contaminate other foods and lead to food poisoning.
What foods does Salmonella get into?
One reason why it’s tough to reduce Salmonella infections is because the germ makes its way into so many different types of foods. Salmonella can contaminate meats, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and even processed foods such as peanut butter.
What can be done?
You can’t smell or see Salmonella in or on food. That’s why it’s important to do everything that you can to be food safe at home:
- Follow the tried-and-true behaviors of CLEAN, SEPARATE, COOK, and CHILL. When it comes to Salmonella, this means:
- Wash your hands, utensils, cutting boards, and other surfaces before and after handling meat and poultry.
- Thoroughly wash fresh fruits and vegetables.
- Assume that raw chicken and other meat have Salmonella and don’t allow them to contaminate surfaces and other foods, such as produce.
- Don’t wash meat, poultry, and eggs! This can actually spread Salmonella to other foods.
- Cook meat, poultry, and eggs thoroughly to safe temperatures.
- Avoid unpasteurized dairy products (including soft cheeses) and juices.
- Make sure shellfish are cooked or treated for safe eating.
- Report suspected food poisoning to your local health department.
- Never prepare food for others if you have diarrhea or vomiting.
- Pay attention to food recall notices. Never serve or eat food that has been recalled.
You can also support policies that encourage good food safety practices among farmers, grocery stores, and places that make, sell, or serve food.
For more information, check out these resources:
- Food Poisoning: Salmonella
- CDC Vital Signs report: Making Food Safer to Eat
Food Safety in a Power Outage
Some say that April showers bring May flowers. Recently, we've seen that spring and summer storms often have much more serious consequences, such as power outages from wind and water damage.
If your power goes out, knowing what to do with the food in your refrigerator and freezer can help you stay healthy. The last thing you need after a weather emergency is a case of food poisoning!
Be Prepared
- Make sure that you have appliance thermometers in both the refrigerator and the freezer. That’s the best way to be sure that your food is safe after a power outage.
- Know where you can get dry ice or block ice.
- Keep on hand a few days worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling
When the Power Goes Out
The most important thing to remember is: keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed!
- A refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if the door is kept closed.
- A full freezer will keep temperature for about 48 hours (24 hours if half-full). If your freezer is not full, group packages so they form an “igloo” to protect each other. Place them to one side or on a tray so that if they begin thawing, their juices won’t get on other foods.
- If the power is going to be out for an extended period of time, buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep a fully-stocked 18-cubic-feet freezer cold for two days.
When the Power Returns
Check the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more.
You will have to evaluate each item separately. Discard any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture, or feels warm to the touch. When in doubt, throw it out! These charts help you evaluate specific foods:
With frozen food, check for ice crystals! The food in your freezer that partially or completely thawed may be safely refrozen if it still contains ice crystals or is 40 °F or below.
Never taste a food to determine its safety!
For more information about food safety in an emergency, check out these resources:
- Power Outages: Key Tips for Consumers (FDA)
- In an Emergency (FoodSafety.gov)
Cooking Meat? Check the New Recommended Temperatures
On May 24, USDA made some important changes in their recommended cooking temperatures for meats. Here’s what you need to know:
- Cooking Whole Cuts of Pork: USDA has lowered the recommended safe cooking temperature for whole cuts of pork from 160 ºF to 145 ºF with the addition of a three-minute rest time. Cook pork, roasts, and chops to 145 ºF as measured with a food thermometer before removing meat from the heat source, with a three-minute rest time before carving or consuming. This will result in a product that is both safe and at its best quality—juicy and tender.
- Cooking Whole Cuts of Other Meats: For beef, veal, and lamb cuts, the safe temperature remains unchanged at 145 ºF, but the department has added a three-minute rest time as part of its cooking recommendations.
What Cooking Temperatures Didn’t Change?
- Ground Meats: This change does not apply to ground meats, including beef, veal, lamb, and pork, which should be cooked to 160 ºF and do not require a rest time.
- Poultry: The safe cooking temperature for all poultry products, including ground chicken and turkey, stays the same at 165 ºF.
What Is Rest Time?
“Rest time” is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys harmful bacteria.
Why Did the Recommendations Change?
- It’s just as safe to cook cuts of pork to 145 º F with a three-minute rest time as it is to cook them to 160 ºF, the previously recommended temperature, with no rest time. The new cooking recommendations reflect the same standards that the agency uses for cooked meat products produced in federally inspected meat establishments, which rely on the rest time of three minutes to achieve a safe product.
- Having a single time and temperature combination for all meat will help consumers remember the temperature at which they can be sure the meat is safe to eat.
How Do You Use a Food Thermometer?
Place the food thermometer in the thickest part of the food. It should not touch bone, fat, or gristle. Start checking the temperature toward the end of cooking, but before you expect it to be done. Be sure to clean your food thermometer with hot soapy water before and after each use.
To see where to place a food thermometer in different cuts of meat, see Thermometer Placement and Temperatures. For more information on cooking temperatures for all types of food, see the Safe Minimum Cooking Temperatures chart.
If you have questions about cooking meat, feel free to contact us at the Hotline (1-888-674-6854 toll-free) or online at AskKaren.gov (English and Spanish) or m.AskKaren.gov (Mobile Ask Karen) on your smartphone.