How to Avoid Salmonella Bacteria Exposure from Foods

Many people experience diarrhea or stomach-ache from consuming the wrong food. This digestive problem may be caused by the presence of salmonella bacteria in foods, especially undercooked foods.

So that you need to avoid foods that contain salmonella bacteria. However, is there a way to find out if the foods contain salmonella?

The dangers of salmonella in foods

The presence of salmonella bacteria in the food you eat can cause you to suffer from gastroenteritis. This can happen to you with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, headache, chills, and blood in feces.

You can experience these symptoms for two to seven days.                         

When you eat foods that contain salmonella bacteria, you won’t feel sick immediately. The pain will appear at least 2-3 days after you eat those foods. So, it may be difficult for you to know what foods are causing you pain. You have to keep track of the foods you ate in the past three days, and this may not be easy to remember.

In addition to causing digestive problems, certain types of salmonella bacteria can also cause typhoid fever or better known as typhus. This disease is caused by Salmonella Typhus bacteria which is contained in contaminated food.

Foods that are at risk of containing salmonella

Salmonella is bacteria that lives in the intestines of many livestock. You can become infected with salmonella bacteria when you eat food contaminated with animal feces that contain salmonella bacteria.

Some foods that generally can be contaminated with salmonella bacteria are as follows.

Raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Feces can get into raw meat and poultry during the cutting process.  Meanwhile, seafood can be contaminated with salmonella from contaminated water.

Raw eggs. Chickens that are infected by salmonella bacteria can produce eggs that contain salmonella bacteria before the shell is formed. So, salmonella bacteria can be contained in eggs. Meanwhile, eggshells can actually be a barrier to eggs contaminated with salmonella bacteria from outside.

Fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated with salmonella bacteria from contaminated water. This contamination can occur during washing, processing with water, or contact with contaminated raw meat or poultry.

Can you tell which foods contain salmonella?

Salmonella is bacteria that can cause food poisoning if it gets into your body. So, you need to avoid foods that contain salmonella.

However, finding out whether the food you eat contains salmonella bacteria or not, it is not easy. Salmonella bacteria in food certainly cannot be detected by just looking at the food or just by smelling the food.

To determine the presence of salmonella bacteria in food, it can only be done by a laboratory test. Unfortunately, this is not a simple matter. However, you can do a number of things as stated below to reduce the risk of getting food poisoning due to salmonella bacteria.

Cook the eggs until they are completely cooked, both egg whites and yolks.

Cook whole meat to 63 °C, ground beef to 71 °C, and poultry to 74 °C. It is because, at that temperature, most of the bacteria in the food can die, so it can minimize the risk of getting an infection.

• Store hot and cold foods separately.
• Don’t leave food in the open for more than two hours.
• Distinguish cutting boards or other cooking utensils for raw and cooked foods.
• Clean cutlery and cooking utensils after using them.
• Always wash your hands before handling food.