Foods most likely to cause salmonellosis

Salmonellosis infection is caused by a Salmonella bacteria which was first found by Soholerin in 1839, and it isolated by Karl Eberth in 1880 from the mesenteric lymph nodes and spleen of a person died from typhoid fever.

Transmission is by the fecal–oral route whereby the intestinal contents of an infected animal are ingested with food or water.

Poultry and beef are considered to be important vectors of Salmonella infection. Ground turkey products have recently been implicated in outbreaks, raising concern that adherence to performance standards is insufficient to protect public health if some fraction of product, especially ground product that may not be adequately cooked, contains high levels of the pathogen.

Epidemiological studies indicated that in the USA 20,000 cases of Salmonellosis were reported during the period of (1970–1987), from which 26.3% were occurred due to consumption of poultry meat and its products.

Salmonella transmission to food processing plants and food production equipment is a serious public health issue. Salmonella can enter the food chain at any point: crop, farm, livestock feed, food manufacturing, processing and retailing.

A number of workers handle animals during slaughter and processing, and contamination is possible when Salmonella or any other pathogen is present on the equipment or the workers’ hands or clothing.

Eating contaminated foods, such as raw meat, poultry and eggs that have not been cooked properly, is the most common cause of the illness. As well, raw (unpasteurized) milk and raw milk products, and contaminated water, can also contain the bacteria.
Foods most likely to cause salmonellosis

Salmonella Association with Foods

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