Salmonella and the Egg Recall

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

With all these egg recalls, you might be wondering:

• What is salmonella?
• How do I avoid it?
• How do I know if I have salmonella?
• How do I treat it it I do have it?

Well, hopefully I can answer your questions.

What is salmonella?
Salmonella is a bacteria. It is commonly consumed by humans when eating contaminated fruits and vegetables, raw or undercooked eggs, poultry or beef. Most common causes are food handlers who do not wash their hands after going to the restroom.

How do I avoid it?

• Wash hands after: going to the bathroom, handling small rodents such as ducklings or hamsters, handling raw eggs, chicken or beef and in between food items.
• Cook poultry and meats thoroughly - don't rely on the color of the food to decide when the food is done.
• Avoid raw eggs and products containing raw eggs such as cookie dough, homemade ice cream and eggnog.
• Avoid unpasteurized dairy products.
• Keep cooking areas and utensils for ready-to-eat foods and uncooked eggs and meats separate. Never reuse a utensil used for raw foods for the same food once it's cooked.
• Check your egg cartons for the dates, serial numbers listed in the recall. Discard any eggs that have been recalled.

How do I know if I have salmonella?

• Symptoms usually appear within 12-72 hours after exposure to the contaminated food.
• Symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, fever, chills, headache, muscle pains, bloody stool.
• The illness can last 4-7 days.
• If it lasts longer than this or you develop symptoms of dehydration (sunken eyes, dry mouth or tongue, decreased production of tears or decreased urine output), a high fever (higher than 100 degrees), seek medical attention.

How do I treat it if I do have it?

• Hydrate! Drink lots of water. Avoid juices and sodas, as the high sugar content could make the diarrhea worse and they don't have electrolytes. Drink rehydration beverages like Pedialyte or sports drinks like Gatorade.
• Try to stick to a normal diet. Avoid spicy, sugary and fatty foods. If you're up to it, try the BRAT diet - Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast. (The dietitians' "cure" for diarrhea: boring, but it works!)
• Avoid alcohol and coffee until your bowel habits return to normal.
• Medications like Imodium may help relieve the cramping, but may also prolong the diarrhea.

I hope that answers some of your questions, if you have further questions, please reply to this post or email me at nutritiousbytes@gmail.com.

This advice is not intended to replace the advise of a doctor.