Salmonella Association with Foods
The bulk of human salmonellosis is clearly related directly to man’s association with animals, both wild and domestics. Salmonella are host adapted; however most Salmonella are not host adapted. Although any Salmonella is a potential pathogen for humans, most food borne salmonellosis is caused by non-host adapted serotypes.
Improper cooling, inadequate cooking of thermal processing, ingestion of contaminated raw products and cross contamination were frequently identified as contributing factors in the implicated foods. Raw foods of animal origin are the major sources of salmonellae in kitchens of restaurants, institutions and homes. Salmonella may survive in these foods as a result of improper cooking, more commonly, cross contamination of foods after cooking is the source of Salmonella. Foodservice workers or in home preparers may transfer salmonellae from raw products to cooked or other uncontaminated foods as a result of not washing between handling of these foods. Salmonella can also be transferred from contaminated raw foods to equipment surfaces e.g., knives cutting boards, counter tops, etc, and then from equipment to previous uncontaminated foods. Once contamination occurs, the situation may further complicated by insufficient storage of the product before serving. Contaminated foods are sometimes kept at room temperature, improperly refrigerated, or held in warmers within the growth range for salmonellae.
Although responsible for fewer outbreaks, contamination of foods by infected workers cannot be ignored as a cause of foodborne salmonellosis. Improper hygiene practices by these individuals may lead to either contamination of foods or direct person-to-person contamination. Historically egg-products were a significant source of human salmonellosis in the United States but mandatory pasteurization of egg products has been responsible for greatly reducing eggs as an important cause of salmonellosis.
Salmonella Association with Foods
