The Most Common Foods That Carry Salmonella

More than 1 million people in the U.S. “get salmonella” every year, with contaminated food or drinks being the most common cause.

Infectious disease specialist Jessica Lum, MD, explains what foods carry Salmonella and how best to avoid it.

Foods most likely to cause salmonella

Salmonella is a bacterium that lives in the gut and waste of animals and people. When you come into contact with this bacterium, it can cause one of the most common types of food poisoning (salmonellosis). You can get salmonella by:

• Eating or drinking contaminated foods and drinks
• Touching infected animals, feces or other contaminated surfaces (like cutting boards) and then touching your mouth
• Person-to-person contact

“Children under 5, especially newborns, people with weakened immune systems and adults over 50 are more susceptible to Salmonella poisoning,” says Dr. Lum. “It also depends on the amount of bacteria consumed.”

Common food sources of Salmonella include:

Red meat and poultry

Animals like cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys are natural carriers of Salmonella bacteria. As a result, meat can become contaminated with Salmonella during the butchering process if it comes into contact with feces from the intestines.

Salmonella can also multiply to unsafe levels if meat is frozen and then thawed improperly. Raw meat juices can cause cross-contamination if they get onto other surfaces or foods and are then consumed.

To prevent Salmonella from contaminating meat, Dr. Lum recommends the following:

• Properly seal and store uncooked meat away from other foods (like in its own drawer or packaging).
• Store and refrigerate meat at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius).
• Use one cutting board for meat and a different one for fruits, vegetables and other foods. Use separate knives and utensils for uncooked meat and other items.
• Avoid pouring raw meat marinade onto meat that’s already been cooked and ready to eat.
• Don’t let meat sit out at room temperature for more than two hours. The limit becomes one hour if the temperature is 90 F (32.22 C) or higher.
• Wash your hands before and after handling meat, and keep surfaces clean.
• Never wash raw chicken, as this can spread Salmonella to your sink and other surfaces.
• Cook meat to the right temperatures, like 160 F (71 C) for ground meats and 165 F (74 C) for chicken, duck and turkey.

Eggs

Salmonella can thrive on unwashed eggshells or contaminate the egg inside.

If you handle fresh eggs (meaning eggs that come straight from a hen and not from a store), wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling, and use warm water, soap and a brush to wash the eggshells before refrigerating them.

If you purchase pre-washed eggs from a store, keep them in their cartons, refrigerate them for up to three weeks and make sure they’re cooked properly.

“To avoid Salmonella, you want to cook the egg until the egg white and yolk are firm,” instructs Dr. Lum. “And don’t leave cooked eggs or egg-containing dishes out for more than two hours, or more than one hour if it’s hotter than 90 F (32 C).”

Seafood and shellfish

Like other kinds of meat, seafood and shellfish (like crabs, lobster, shrimp and raw oysters) can all get contaminated with Salmonella during handling and processing. They can also get it from cross-contamination with other meats and unwashed prep areas or surfaces.

Because of this, Dr. Lum recommends eating cooked seafood and avoiding raw seafood that’s been marinated in citrus juice and vinegar and served raw (ceviche).

“Water that contains live seafood or shellfish can also be contaminated if it comes into contact with human or animal waste, too,” reports Dr. Lum. “For similar reasons, we always advise not drinking raw water, to avoid bacterial infections.”

Unpasteurized dairy products

Milk is safe to consume when it’s refrigerated properly and pasteurized, says Dr. Lum. Pasteurization is the process of heating raw milk to a high temperature and then rapidly cooling it to kill off any bacteria (like Salmonella) inside the milk. Raw milk and other dairy products, like cheeses, yogurts or ice cream made with unpasteurized milk, run the risk of being contaminated with Salmonella.

Fruits, vegetables and sprouts

If it’s grown in soil, it runs the risk of Salmonella contamination if it comes into contact with animal feces or contaminated water. Sprouts (like mung bean or alfalfa) can also be contaminated, as they’re grown from seeds soaked in water and then dried on other areas that could also get contaminated.

Like with other food sources, if fruits and vegetables are improperly washed, handled or processed, they also run the risk of Salmonella. This is true for unpasteurized juices, too.

Dr. Lum recommends reading labels closely, purchasing fruits and veggies from reliable sources and hand-washing them before eating.

Other foods that can carry Salmonella

Flour can pick up Salmonella before or during processing, so it’s best to avoid eating raw dough.

Salmonella can also be found in processed foods, like:

• Chicken nuggets
• Hot dogs
• Cereals
• Soups
• Frozen meals

Remember: Any food can contain bacteria if it’s touched by another contaminated food or an unclean surface, utensil or hand. While the food and restaurant industry certainly has precautions and processes in place to minimize the risk of infection and contamination, you can take these precautionary steps at home to help keep your food safe.

“The best way to avoid Salmonella poisoning is to use proper food hygiene and properly cook and store food,” reiterates Dr. Lum. “If you’re traveling, it’s best to follow food and water safety recommendations and get your typhoid vaccine before leaving home.”