Salmonella infection from produce on the rise

[jennyema]

Salmonella from lettuce and other produce is on the rise

The FDA says you now may be more likely to contract salmonella from produce than poultry.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Great another thing to worry about!

 

[Horab]

How to counter it, then? Wash the vegetables in very hot water?

I had this infection once, and it was awful, I was hospitilized for five days. I got it from chicken in a school cafeteria.

I knew you could get it by foods other than poultry and eggs, but I didn't think it was quite this common. Thanks for the info.

 

[Michelemarie]

My question exactly Horab? Do we boil everything before we eat it? I wonder if the fruit and veggie spray cleaner I see in the produce section helps - does anyone know?

I do remember reading to wash the outside of any veggie or fruit - even if you are not eating the outside of it - because the knife could come in contact with bacteria and then be tracked through the inside of the fruit (I think the article was talking about a melon).

 

[auzzi]

This is from an Australian information source:

"Salmonella
The bacterium Salmonella is a common cause of food-poisoning. There are more than 2000 different strains of Salmonella. Salmonella are found in the faeces of infected animals. A new species, Salmonella enteritidis, can infect the ovaries of chickens and contaminate the eggs inside the shells. Symptoms of salmonellosis, the disease caused by Salmonella poisoning, include stomach pain, diarrhoea, chills, fever or headache. Most people feel better within 3-5 days, but data from the United States suggest that two people die out of every 1000 reported cases of salmonellosis. Typhoid, a disease no longer common in Australia, is caused by a strain of Salmonella."

Unfortunately, my SIL was one of these statistics - she died of salmonella contracted through eating infected produce from a restaurant.....

 

[Michelemarie]

Auzzi - I'm so sorry to hear that. My heart goes out to you.

 

[Alix]

What a terrible statistic, I am so sorry about your SIL.

Michelemarie, you can wash your produce with dishsoap and cold water. It will get rid of most of the bacteria on them. DON'T forget that bananas and melons need to be washed as well.

They have some special spray you can buy to wash your produce, but soap is soap. Just make sure you rinse well.