Sources of food poisoning bacteria
Before you can protect food from bacteria, first you need to know some facts. Where did the bacteria come from and how did they come to be present in the food? The answer is that most bacteria come from human and animal sources.
We’ll go through the sources one by one.
Raw Foods
Many bacteria, including salmonella, clostridium perfringens and E. coli, live in the intestines of animals. The animals themselves are usually just carriers and don’t show any symptoms. Thus the bacteria can be transferred to meat intended for human consumption, especially during slaughter.
For this reason, it is wise to think of all raw meat and poultry, as well as the juices that come from them, as already carrying many bacteria before they arrive in the food preparation area.
Raw meat and poultry are frequently the source of food poisoning.
Other foods which may carry food poisoning bacteria are:
- Eggs, both inside and outside the shell
- Seafood, such as oysters and mussels
- Unpasteurised dairy products
- Uncooked rice may contain dormant bacteria
- Even salads may contain bacteria from the soil
Be careful out there.
This is Chapter Three, Part Two in a series of articles broadly similar to the course offered by the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health for its Food Hygiene Certificate.
Part Three: Humans and bacteria
Return to the start of Chapter Three
