What is Salmonella? Symptoms and Outbreaks in Chickens Explained

So what is Salmonella – and what products are currently affected by the UK outbreak?

Here’s what you need to know.

Usually found living in the intestines of animals and humans, it tends to be passed out in the feces.

However, when farm animals are raised, slaughtered and then processed, Salmonella bacteria can be transferred into products intended for human consumption.

The highest-risk items tend to be raw meat, undercooked poultry, for example, and unpasteurized milk.

Salmonella can also contaminate vegetables and fruits through the spread of fertilizers when farmers try to fertilize their crops, as well as shellfish if it comes into contact with untreated sewage. physical.

Dogs and cats can also kick it out, which means you should always wash your hands when picking up their poop.

Although Salmonella bacteria can live in our intestines without causing us any trouble, they can make us very sick if we eat or drink things contaminated by them.

This food poisoning is called Salmonellosis, and is especially serious for children under 5, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

They can begin to appear hours, days, or even weeks after eating contaminated food.

The FSA has some tips for avoiding food poisoning.

These include what it calls the ‘4C’: cooling, cleaning, cooking and avoiding cross-contamination.

It also says we should wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water when we:

According to new FSA advice issued this week, the Salmonella outbreak in chickens is part of the ongoing outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis (a specific form of bacteria) in 2020.

It is especially popular in frozen raw breaded chicken products, including: nuggets, goujons, poppers and Kiev.

But the FSA said food poisoning cases linked to this outbreak were lower than in previous years thanks to “control measures” and product recalls.

As of January 2020, there have been 480 cases of salmonellosis reported.

No specific reason has been given for the outbreak.

FSA CEO Colin Sullivan said: “Our advice is to always be careful when storing, handling and cooking these types of frozen breaded chicken products to help reduce your risk of food poisoning and your family.

“You should always check the cooking instructions on food packaging, as different brands of the same product may have different instructions.

“Cooking food at the right temperature and for the correct amount of time ensures that any harmful bacteria are killed.”

Chicken is not the only product at risk for Salmonella at this time.

The owner of the Ferrero brand said it would suspend production at the factory until it was “certified by an authorized authority”.

It acknowledged “internal inefficiencies that created delays in timely retrieval and sharing of information” and said these had “affected the speed and effectiveness of investigations”. .

The company said it was “deeply” sorry for what happened and apologized to its consumers and partners.

All honeydew, cantaloupe, and galia melons that come from Costa Rica or Honduras and are purchased on or before May 28, 2021 are affected.

The FSA says they should be thrown away as a precaution.