Salmonella Food Safety Facts
Preventing foodborne illness

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What is foodborne illness?

Food contaminated by bacteria, viruses and parasites can make you sick. Many people have had foodborne illness and not even known it. It's sometimes called food poisoning, and it can feel like the flu. Symptoms may include the following:

• stomach cramps
• nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• fever

Symptoms can start soon after eating contaminated food, but they can hit up to a month or more later. For some people, especially young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, foodborne illness can be very dangerous.

Public health experts estimate that there are as many as 13 million cases of foodborne illness in Canada every year. Most cases of foodborne illness can be prevented by using safe food handling practices and using a food thermometer to check that your food is cooked to a safe internal temperature!

What are Salmonella and salmonellosis?

Salmonella bacteria are found naturally in the intestines of animals, (especially poultry and swine), birds, reptiles, some pets and some humans. The bacteria can also be found in the environment. People who eat food contaminated by Salmonella can become ill with salmonellosis.

What are the symptoms of salmonellosis infection?

Like other foodborne illnesses, the symptoms of salmonellosis can feel like the flu. Symptoms usually appear 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and generally last up to seven days. While most people recover without treatment, others (infants, the elderly and people who are immunocompromised) may require hospitalization. Or, you may experience chronic symptoms, such as reactive arthritis (Reiter's Syndrome) three to four weeks later. Infants, the elderly and people who are immunocompromised are more likely to experience severe illness such as septicemia. Others infected with the bacteria may not get sick or show symptoms, but they can carry the bacteria, and spread the infection to others.

How does the bacteria spread?

Salmonellosis can be spread from person-to-person, animals/birds/reptiles-to-people and by consuming food which is contaminated with Salmonella. Both animals and people can be carriers. Therefore, proper hygiene, safe food handling and preparation practices are key to preventing foodborne illness. If you think you are infected with Salmonella or any other gastrointestinal illness, do not prepare food for other people. It's a good idea to keep pets away from food storage and preparation areas. It is essential to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water after handling pet treats, pet food and pet toys or after playing with, or cleaning up after your pet.

Where has Salmonella been found?

Food can become contaminated with Salmonella during the slaughter and processing of an animal, when food is handled by a person infected with Salmonella, or by cross-contamination from the environment (birds/frogs passing by) or unsanitary food handling practices. The following foods listed below have been responsible for foodborne illnesses:

• raw and undercooked meat (especially poultry)
• raw fruits and vegetables (especially sprouts and cantaloupes) and their juices, e.g. apple or orange juice
• raw or undercooked eggs
• unpasteurized dairy products, like raw milk and raw milk cheeses, cream-filled deserts and toppings
• pet treats
• fish and shrimp
• sauces and salad dressings
• dried gelatine, peanut butter, cocoa and chocolate

Will cooking destroy the bacteria?

Like many other harmful bacteria that could be in our food, Salmonella are destroyed when food is cooked to a safe internal temperature. Use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your food. See table.

Is it safe to eat raw or lightly cooked eggs?

Foods made from raw or lightly cooked eggs can be harmful, particularly for young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. Cook eggs thoroughly when serving eggs to people in these high risk groups See table.

Defeating Salmonella: A 4-Point Plan

1. Get off to a CLEAN start!

• Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of foodborne illness. Do you wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water before and after handling food? Wash again when you switch from one food to another.
• Are your countertops and utensils clean and sanitized? Sanitizing reduces bacteria and can prevent foodborne illness.

2. CHILL your food and stop bacteria cold!

• Bacteria can grow in the danger zone between 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F). Keep cold food cold at or below 4 °C (40 °F).
• Refrigeration at or below 4 °C (40 °F) slows down most bacterial growth. Freezing at or below -18 °C (0 °F) can stop it completely. (But remember: refrigeration and freezing won't kill bacteria. Only proper cooking will do that!)

3. SEPARATE! Don't cross-contaminate!

• Bacteria can be carried in raw meat juices. Place raw meat, poultry and seafood in containers on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Use containers that are large enough to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other food or touching other food.
• Keep raw food away from other food while shopping, storing, preparing and serving foods.

4. COOK safely!

• Have you cooked your food to a safe internal temperature? Use a digital food thermometer to check the temperature of your food See table.
• Bacteria can grow quickly in the danger zone between 4 °C and 60 °C (40 °F to 140 °F), so keep hot foods at or above 60 °C (140 °F).

Internal Cooking Temperatures

You can’t tell by looking. Use a digital food thermometer to be sure!

Safeguarding Canada's Food Supply

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the Government of Canada's science-based regulator for animal health, plant protection and, in partnership with Health Canada, food safety.

For more information on food safety or to order free copies of this brochure, visit the CFIA website at www.inspection.gc.ca or call 1-800-442-2342/TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to Friday). You can also find food safety information on the Health Canada and Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education websites respectively at www.hc-sc.gc.ca and www.canfightbac.org.

Cat. no.: A104-15/2005E
ISBN: 0-662-41101-3
P0024E-05/09