How to Stop a Salmonella Outbreak

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can result in serious intestinal infections. To get a salmonella infection requires the ingestion of contaminated food products such as meats, eggs and dairy. Infections usually occur when food handlers don't wash there hands after using the restroom and then touch food products that end up being eaten by consumers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 40,000 people a year will develop salmonellosis (bacterial infections caused by salmonella). Many preventive measures are necessary in order to prevent outbreaks.

Instructions

Food Industry

• 1

  If you work in a food corporation, it is your responsibility to notify the public health department if you've had an outbreak within your food plant. The public health department needs to obtain samples of your food products to properly identify the strain of salmonella and issue a recall on your food products.

• 2

  Close down your restaurant if your site has recently been associated with patrons becoming sick from eating your food. Notify your public health department to rectify the issue.

• 3

  If you own a slaughterhouse, ensure that your food is irradiated before the meat is transferred to locations to be shipped out to consumers. Irradiation is a process of reducing the amount of bacteria that is contained within food products. Also ensure that your workers enact proper hygiene methods for your animals in order to not transmit feces to any products that are being sold.

• 4

  If you have a farm that produces dairy products such as cheese and milk, make sure that your products are pasteurized. Pasteurization uses the process of heat to help destroy bacteria that may grow in your products. Your animals should also be thoroughly cleaned to ensure that feces are not transferred into potential food products.

Consumers

• 5

  If a product has been recalled, don't eat the food product. It is important to dispose of the food item.

• 6

  When disposing of a recalled item, throw the food product into a sealable bag, and then into a trash bag. You then need to throw the sealed item away in your trash bin to prevent wild animals, your pets, or even your children from getting into the contaminated food.

• 7

  If you feel that you have been infected with salmonella, it is important to immediately see your health care provider to find the source of your illness and the bacterial strain of salmonella. In the case of a salmonella food outbreak, you can contact the CDC's hotline for consumers, or look online at the Food and Drug Administration site.