Every year, more than 40,000 reports of salmonella poisoning are made. The signs and symptoms of salmonella poisoning include vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. It can make a person extremely ill or even cause death. Salmonella poisoning is extremely preventable as long as simple precautions are made.
Wash Your Hands
According to the University of Arizona's Agriculture and Life Sciences department, salmonella poisoning is caused by dirty hands more than any of the other forms of cross contamination combined. Every time a person touches eggs, poultry or raw meat, it is essential that she thoroughly wash her hands using hot, soapy water before she touches anything else. Even the briefest touch can be enough to cause cross contamination.
Continuously Clean Surfaces
It is imperative that any surface touched by eggs or raw meat be cleaned right away. If you use a cutting board to cut chicken or another raw meat and then use the same cutting board for another raw item, such as lettuce for salad, the salad can easily become contaminated by salmonella. To avoid salmonella poisoning, be sure to clean every surface as soon as the meat has been removed and never use the same utensils for the meat and other raw ingredients without thoroughly cleaning them first.
Cook Food Thoroughly
Even if every other sanitation rule in the world is followed, it will not make a difference if the food is not cooked to its proper temperature. This rule applies especially to items that carry salmonella in the uncooked state such as eggs and poultry. It is not necessary to cook them until they are overcooked and dry, but it is important to make sure they are cooked thoroughly before they are eaten. A good guideline is an internal temperature of 165 degrees for poultry and 150 degrees for eggs.
Keep Food Out of the Danger Zone
The danger zone refers to the range of temperatures that are most conducive to bacterial growth, usually between 45 and 140 degrees. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that frozen food should always be thawed in the refrigerator and not on a counter. Any leftover foods should be placed into a freezer or refrigerator as soon as possible. This helps to prevent any bacteria from growing inside of the food as it sits on the counter or stove.
