Well, not exactly, but the FDA recently announced a recall on bagged salads over concerns of a Salmonella contamination. 3,265 cases of salad (with “best by” dates between Oct. 18 & 21) are being recalled by Taylor Farms Retail of California. States affected include AZ, CA, CO, FL, KY, MO, NM, NY, NC, OR, SC, TX, VA, and WA. If you have a recalled product, don’t eat it, return it.
Salmonella is a bacteria that lives inside the intestines of humans and other animals, such as birds. People usually get Salmonella by eating food, such as beef, poultry, eggs, milk, and vegetables, contaminated with animal feces. I’m 100% sure none of us intentionally eat food garnished with animal poo, so how can we get infected?
Salmonella can survive on raw meat or poultry if it is not cooked properly. If you’re into rare steaks, make sure it’s cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature. USDA recommends 145 °F for beef and pork and 165 °F for poultry. Also, be careful when making a side salad for that steak. Salmonella can spread if raw juices from the meat come into contact with the veggies. It’s important to thoroughly wash your hands, knives, cutting boards, utensils, and counters after handling uncooked foods. For more tips on food safety, click here.
Our four-legged pals can also spread Salmonella. So wash your hands animal lovers. Reptiles are more likely to harbor Salmonella. Sorry Ms. Frizzle.
According to the CDC, there are at least 40,000 Salmonellosis cases each year. Symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps, which develop 12 to 72 hours after infection. Usually, the illness lasts 4 to 7 days and most people recover without treatment. In more serious cases, antibiotics or hospitalization may be required.
I’ll leave you all with a fun fact. Salmonella was named after the American scientist, Salmon, who discovered it. Salmonella, a fishy matter indeed.