Patti Maisner
Kaplan University
Introduction Salmonella is a bacterial organism that can cause human illness if food products are not cooked properly or not refrigerated at least 40 oF, in most cases. Salmonella causes two different types of sicknesses, Non-typhoidal which causes gastrointestinal problems, and Typhoidal Salmonella that has the symptoms of Typhoid. About 67% of Salmonella is reported as a foodborne illness by way of eggs, either the bacteria is on the shell from chicken feces or another source, or it is in the egg itself (Hammack, 2013). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported for the year 2013 that 3.7 billion dollars was spent in medical expenses attributed to 1,027,561 patients …show more content…
Salmonella can happen during production processes at the site of manufacturing or right in one’s very own kitchen. This is why intervention needs to happen at the point of production to the food preparer’s kitchen, starting with education, laws, and regulation from the federal government and state level. Measures need to be taken and followed as our world requires “large scale production, the wide distribution of food, globalization of food, and patronizing fast food restaurants” (Nyachuba, 2010). Ways to prevent foodborne illness and Salmonella come from surveillance and research methods as well as cases being reported to the CDC. With this data comes education that can be found at every health site for consumers to take advantage of. Things like cleaning food items, keeping food preparation surfaces clean, washing your hands, and other food handling and storage techniques. It is really up to the government to use data for monitoring purposes as well as random checks for quality control before the public is victim to a food recall because of a Salmonella outbreak. Concerns is there aren’t enough employees to oversee this process as seen in beauty salons that use the same tools on multiple customers, restaurants that are allowed to stay open with less than “A” ratings. I think a chunk of the responsibility comes from the consumer and the media in bringing less than savory practices out in the open for other consumers and regulators to