Salmonella is a form of food poisoning that affects your intestines. Most people are infected with the virus through contaminated food or water and experience such symptoms as nausea, throwing up, stomach pain, diarrhea and fever. Knowing what foods can carry this dangerous virus can help you protect yourself from becoming infected.
Raw Meat
The salmonella virus is carried in animal waste and can come into contact with raw meat when it is processed and packaged, reports MayoClinic.com. Fecal material may contaminate raw meat during the slaughtering process as well. Raw seafood can be contaminated with salmonella if the water it is harvested from contains the salmonella virus. Dayle Hayes and Rachel Laudan, authors of "Food and Nutrition," recommend cooking beef, pork, chicken and seafood thoroughly because high temperatures will kill the salmonella so you do not get sick. Store raw meat in plastic bags away from other foods, because the meat juice can contaminate other foods that you normally eat raw.
Raw Eggs
Raw eggs are another food source of salmonella, because fecal matter can contaminate the shell of the egg and be transferred to the egg white and yolk when the shell is cracked for cooking. MayoClinic.com explains that the egg can be contaminated with salmonella before the shell is formed if the chicken is infected with the virus. Cooking eggs thoroughly will kill any salmonella germs so you do not get sick. Hard boiled eggs and scrambled eggs are safer than sunny-side-up eggs, which leave the yolk raw. Avoiding homemade hollandaise sauce and mayonnaise is another way to prevent infection, advises MayoClinic.com. Uncooked cookie dough and cake batters that contain raw eggs should also be avoided.
Raw Fruits and Vegetables
Raw fruits and vegetables can become contaminated with salmonella if they are washed with water that contains salmonella germs, reports MayoClinic.com. Hayes and Laudan add that any type of raw fruit or vegetable has the potential to become contaminated, so it is essential to wash any produce with soap and water before eating it. Cooking fruits and vegetables is another way to kill the salmonella virus so you do not get sick. Another way that fruits and vegetables are contaminated is if you place them on a surface where raw meat or eggs were sitting. Use separate cutting boards and wash surfaces with hot, soapy water to prevent the virus from spreading.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Salmonella Infection
- "Food and Nutrition"; Dayle Hayes and Rachel Laudan; 2008
