Skip to main content

Salmonella! Why does it create panic in food supply chain?

With the current Covid-19 situation, more and more people are compelled to cook at home. I am sure everyone has been checking the Instagram, Facebook and YouTube videos from our family members, friends and social circle about baking cookies and cakes, trying out new smoothies and starting "new diet". Now, here is the thing; There are some ingredients or food are considered to be in high risk group and should be handled with care. This it is about Salmonella.

I read about eggs recall in an article published by Food Safety News titled "Salmonella prompts recall of more than half a million eggs", published on May 13, 2020. It discusses how a number of supermarkets have recalled eggs sold under different brand names. Supermarket chain like Auchan, Netto, Carrefour and others issued recalls of eggs. They also have released batch number for the eggs that were marketed before withdrawal process for public knowledge.

A simple test like salt water to check eggs is definitely not sufficient to check if it is contaminated. Kindly note that it won’t look spoiled or stink even when it is contaminated. We cannot see any difference with naked human eyes. When the authorities have released the recall on the grounds of Salmonella infection, don’t even try to consume the product (whether by cooking, baking, roasting, washing with chemicals or any other method). There is a high possibility that it is not destroyed/eliminated. The best decision is to send it back to authorities.

In normal situation what can you do is have safe handling of eggs, In US, eggs are washed so you have to keep it refrigerated but in UK & most of EU it is not washed, so it can be stored in room temperature[1].[2] Keep eggs away from fresh produce, or dishes like salad or cooked food that you will warm only for few minutes before consuming. Cross-contamination through utensils, hands are quite common hence washing hands and utensils with soap and water that may have come in contact with eggs is highly encouraged. Eggs and dishes with eggs have to be cooked at least at the temperature of 160℉ or 71 ℃ or higher. In simple words, over-easy eggs, runny whites, sunny side up, half boiled eggs and raw eating of eggs are not safe at all.[3]

Additional information on Salmonella

Common food sources are:[4]

·      Raw and under-cooked meat, including chicken, turkey, duck, beef, veal and pork
·      Raw fruits and vegetables (includes sprouts)
·      Unpasteurized milk and other dairy products including soft cheese, ice cream and yogurt
·       Raw or under-cooked eggs
·       Processed foods like chicken nuggets,  frozen pot pies, stuffed chicken entrees and nut butters

Anyone can get salmonella infection but the cases become serious when the immune system is weak. Most people should recover with few days to a week. Symptoms of salmonella infection is diarrhea, fever, nausea vomiting and abdominal pain. Symptoms typically start 8-72 hrs. after infection. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some points I would like to share on ISO 14001:2015

It’s published by International Organization for Standardization which specifies requirements for an environmental management system that an organization can use for enhancing its environmental performance.  The standard does not give exact requirement regarding the environmental parameters. Normally, an organization has legal requirements as per the state or the country which they are obliged to abide by.  The basic approach EMS is based on PDCA concept. Plan-Do-Check- Act. This can be applied to each elements in EMS individually.  Risk based thinking is highly encouraged at certain points throughout the standard.  There are various guidelines like ISO 14004: Environment General Guidelines, ISO 14010: Guidelines for Environmental Auditing, ISO 14044: Environmental management: Life Cycle Assessment and others. These are standards for reference purpose only and it helps the organization to obtain ISO 14001 certification. However, these guidelines are not for certification .
5 comments
Read more

FEW TIPS FOR THE HYGIENE CHECKLIST FOR RESTAURANTS

A restaurant whether big or small needs to keep hygiene checklist. A proper hygiene checklist not only helps with authorities but also helps one to find favor in the eyes of customers. A proper implementation of hygiene aspects of checklist helps to maintain quality of service, good brand image and credibility. A proper implemented hygiene checklist keeps staff, managers, auditors and customers happy. Paying attention to hygiene will help restaurants to stay on top of their game for a very long time.  Here are few simple tips I would like to share on hygiene maintenance whether it is small or big restaurants. Staff Hygiene : · Clean clothing (uniforms are highly encouraged), masks, proper gloves, hair nets for the staffs should be provided. It’s best to limit employees wearing jewelries like necklace, bracelets, earrings etc. However, plain wedding bands are allowed. · Good personal hygiene aspects like proper and frequent hand washing, trimmed nails, regular change of soil
2 comments
Read more

Food security in 2020

  Food security, as defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life. 1 Individuals who are food secure do not live in hunger or fear of being hungry at all times. They have access to food for a healthy life. Food insecurity is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a situation of "limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways". 2 Food insecurity contributes to risk of malnutrition, improper and imbalanced diet and affects the quality of diet. It was five years ago the world committed to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition. Where are we in 2020? As per the report “The state of food security and nutrition in
Post a Comment
Read more