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Major UK Supermarkets Warning About Salmonella In Chocolate - Another Disaster That Our Data Loggers Could Have Prevented?

Major UK supermarkets warning about salmonella in chocolate - another disaster that our data loggers could have prevented?

Asda, Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury's have temporarily removed the well-known chocolate brand, Kinder, from their shelves due to the fear the chocolate may have been contaminated with salmonella. Many people don't realise that chocolate can contain salmonella because the shell of the bean can become infected by animal faeces. Once the beans have been grown, they're taken out of their shells and left outside, covered by banana leaves, and then animals scurry over them. Once contaminated beans are introduced into a food factory setting, it could be a case of the beans not getting roasted at a high enough temperature to kill the salmonella or the cooked beans were cross-contaminated with raw beans.

Salmonella found in chicken sandwiches and wraps

Earlier in May, over 100 products from major supermarkets, that contained cooked chicken, were removed from the shelves after a salmonella scare at Cranswick Country Foods. Cranswick Country Foods is a company that supplies cooked chicken products to many supermarkets. The supplier stated as a precaution it asked its customers to remove all their products containing cooked chicken because during “a routine internal inspection” salmonella was found to be present.

What is salmonella?

Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestines of animals and birds and is transmitted to humans when food that has been contaminated with the bacteria is eaten. Initial contamination can be in very small quantities but the bacteria can grow exponentially to problematic levels very quickly, usually due to improper storage. Most foods that transmit salmonella to humans are animal products such as meat and dairy, but any food can become contaminated, even vegetables. Most animal products are contaminated, but thorough cooking kills the bacteria.
However, by taking the correct precautions you can dramatically reduce the chances of salmonella outbreaks occurring. By introducing Signatrol’s alarming data loggers storage and preparation areas, you can ensure that your food is always at the correct temperature - and keep everyone safer and what’s more, the data are recorded in encrypted form to ensure a true and inviolate record of the storage temperature good enough to satisfy any future audit.

Preventing Salmonella

  • Never cross-contaminate raw and cooked food
  • Ensure anyone handling food washes hands thoroughly or is wearing gloves
  • Cook food completely at the right temperature
  • Wash fruit and vegetables first if eating them raw
  • Use separate surfaces for meat and vegetables
  • Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for very long
  • Clean and disinfect all production areas daily

Symptoms of Salmonella

Salmonella, although very unpleasant, is not usually life-threatening. Still, it can be in the very young, the elderly or those with weak immune systems such as cancer sufferers or those that are HIV positive. Symptoms can start anywhere from six hours to six days after infection.


Possible signs and symptoms of salmonella infection include:

• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal cramps
• Fever
• Vomiting
• Chills or shakes
• Headache

If you are in the food and beverage industry, ensure you avoid outbreaks of salmonella and use a Food Temperature Alarming Data Logger.

Signatrol offer a wide selection of Food Temperature Data Loggers to suit every need so reduce your risk of salmonella contamination by investing in one today.

 

Image Source: Unsplash

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