Salmonella in Your Spice Rack?

In the past there have been rampant salmonella outbreaks in lettuce, sprouts, and even peanut butter, but now it’s time to be wary of a surprising source — your spice rack. In a recently published study by the FDA, high levels of imported spices were shown to be contaminated with salmonella. Around 20,000 shipments were tested between 2007 to 2009, uncovering that a whopping 7 percent of all imported spices tested positive for salmonella.

Fo salmonella contamination to occur, the bacterium (which is passed through the waste products of animals and birds) must be  present in trace amounts on the ground or in the water supply where the spices are grown/harvested/processed. As many spices are laid out on the ground to dry in the sun, the slightest contamination can be more difficult to prevent. Symptoms of salmonella include fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea that begin between 12 to 36 hours after infected. It can last from three to five days, but infants and the elderly are at much higher risk. 

Check the origin.You only need to consume small amounts of a contaminated spice to become ill, so it is best to take precautions. According to the study, Mexico and India had the highest rate of contaminated spices (around 14 percent). Interestingly, almost 25 percent of the spices imported into the US come from India, so trying to steer clear of eating raw spices with those origins may be a good idea.

Which spices are the most affected? The highest contaminated spices in the study were basil, oregano, coriander, sesame seeds, curry powder, and cumin. Black pepper shipments also contained salmonella at a rate of 4 percent. The study also showed that, in general, spices derived from bark or flowers were less contaminated than spices derived from seeds or fruit. If you use these types of spices, be sure to heat them to at least 160 degrees F before consuming.

Grab your mortar and pestle. Ground or cracked spices were found to be more likely contaminated than whole spices, so you are better off grinding your spices fresh at home.

Unfortunately, the FDA hasn’t yet required labeling for unpasteurized spices. There are several spice producers out there that use methods such as irradiation, heat, or gas to kill off any harmful bacteria — although the study discovered that spices processed by these methods were still contaminated, albeit in lesser quantities. If you are very concerned and/or have a weakened immune system, it may be best to avoid eating raw spices altogether. Approximately 1.2 million people become ill with salmonella each year in the US and around 23,000 are hospitalized. By taking the proper precautions, you can avoid becoming one of them.

Summer is prime Salmonella season. Warmer weather gives that sneaky Salmonella more opportunity to contaminate your food. You’ve heard about large-scale salmonella outbreaks in eggs and peanut products, but there are lots of ways for this type of food poisoning to take hold, especially in summer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

None of this means you should give up on that family picnic in the great outdoors. With a few timely reminders of precautions you can take for a Salmonella-free summer, you can get out there and savor the season.

1. You can get Salmonella from eating a wide variety of foods, not just from eggs and undercooked poultry. Although poultry and eggs are primary culprits, Salmonella can be found in a variety of foods including ground meat, fruits, vegetables — even processed foods such as frozen pot pies.

2. Salmonella illness can sometimes be serious. In most cases, illness lasts four to seven days, and most people recover without antibiotic treatment. But, in rare cases, people may become seriously ill. Compared with other foodborne germs, salmonella is the deadliest. It also causes more hospitalizations as well.

3. For every one case of Salmonella illness that is confirmed in the laboratory, there are about 30 times more cases of salmonella illnesses that were not confirmed. Most people who get food poisoning usually do not go the doctor, and therefore don’t get laboratory confirmation of exactly what made them sick. So Salmonella can cause more illness than you might suspect.

4. Salmonella illness is more common in the summer. Warmer weather gives bacteria more opportunity to contaminate food. When eating outdoors in the summer, either in the backyard or on a picnic, follow these guidelines:

5. You can get Salmonella from perfectly normal-looking eggs. Chicken feces on the outside of egg shells used to be a common cause of Salmonella contamination. To counter that, stringent procedures for cleaning and inspecting eggs were implemented in the 1970s. However, now there’s a new cause for concern. An epidemic that started in the 1980s and continues today is due to a type of salmonella that is inside intact grade A eggs with clean shells. This type of Salmonella can silently infect the ovaries of healthy appearing hens and contaminate the inside of eggs before the shells are formed.

6. To avoid Salmonella, you should never eat raw or lightly cooked (runny whites or yolks) eggs. Cooking reduces the number of Salmonella bacteria present in an egg. However, a lightly cooked egg with a runny egg white or yolk still poses a greater risk than a thoroughly cooked egg. Lightly cooked egg whites and yolks have both caused outbreaks of Salmonella infections.

7. Salmonella is more dangerous for certain people. Although anyone can get a Salmonella infection, older adults, infants, and people with impaired immune systems are at increased risk for serious illness. In these people, a relatively small number of Salmonella bacteria can cause severe illness.

1. Clean. Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils, and countertops.

2. Separate. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from ready-to-eat foods.

3. Cook. Use a food thermometer to ensure that foods are cooked to a safe internal temperature: 145°F for whole meats (allowing the meat to rest for three minutes before carving or consuming), 160°F for ground meats, and 165°F for all poultry.

4. Chill. Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and refrigerate food that will spoil.

5. Don’t prepare food for others if you have diarrhea or vomiting.

6. Be especially careful preparing food for children, pregnant woman, those in poor health, and older adults.