Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Practice Salmonella Safety

Take extra care in the summertime when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Salmonella poisoning is a huge reminder to follow food safety tips. Use Salmonella safety steps to reduce the risk of getting Salmonella poisoning.


Instructions


Use Salmonella Safety


1. Study and understand the causes of Salmonella outbreaks. Salmonella can be transmitted to humans when fecal material from animals or humans contaminates the food. Sometimes signs and symptoms can be similar to having the flu. Many times the poisoning can be fatal to very young children, pregnant women, the elderly and other people with weakened immune systems. There virtually is no way for consumers to detect Salmonella, because you can not smell, taste or even see it.Properly cooking meats, poultry and eggs, and being sure to wash produce are generally the best methods to prevent illness.


2. Washing hands and surfaces is one of the most important Salmonella safety steps to take in protecting yourself against Salmonella poisoning. Always wash your hands with soap and water thoroughly before handling food. Wash your hands if you come in contact with your pet, pet feces, use the bathroom or change a baby's diaper.Be very careful to wash cutting boards, counters and utensils to avoid cross contamination. Avoid any kind of contact with the raw meats when preparing fresh vegetables. When serving tomatoes, wash the tomatoes thoroughly and cut away the part that was attached to the plant and a button on the other side. Because that part can carry a food-borne illness. Refrigerate sliced fruits and vegetables. Wash all produce, whether organic or not, cold running water. Scrub them gently with your hands or with a clean vegetable brush. Remove outer layers of cabbage and lettuce. Fruits should be washed, regardless of whether you are you are eating the peelings or not. Even if a person is peeling an orange, that person is touching part of the orange he is going to eat. Bananas are the exception. Don't bother to investing in a special vegetable wash because, studies show that it is not much better than using water.


3. Report any illness. Many people misdiagnose Salmonella poisoning and the flu. Salmonella poisoning generally occurs power is later after ingesting food. Signs and symptoms can be slight or severe involving symptoms such as abdominal cramps, headache, fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.Generally signs are symptoms can appear anywhere from 12 to 72 hours after infection. People should report a suspected food-borne illness to the local health department. The best way to protect yourself from Salmonella poisoning is to use Salmonella safety practices.

Tags: Salmonella poisoning, your hands, contact with, food-borne illness, fruits vegetables