Salmonella (PDF)

Human illness attributed to foodborne pathogenic microorganisms has
been prominent in the mass media in recent years. The Practical
Food Microbiology Series has been devised to give practical and
accurate information about specific organisms of concern to public
health. The information is designed for use by those in the food
industry working in manufacturing, retailing and quality assurance,
those in associated professional sectors e.g. public health, and
students in each of these areas.

The series is unique in its practical approach as it draws on
real life situations to highlight practical means for controlling
the organism in foods.

Salmonella species are arguably the most commonly reported food
associated human pathogens in the developed world. They are
zoonotic agents and many different animal reservoirs are known.
They can be found widely in the environment and may also establish
in food processing environments. Over 2000 serotypes of Salmonella
have been identified to-date, some of which cause very serious
illness in humans particularly in vulnerable populations such as
the elderly. Although rare, illness may result in fatality or long
term debility and sequelae. Salmonella spp. are so widespread in
raw foods and food source environments that the food industry has
to maintain constant vigilance regarding contamination in raw
materials, effectiveness of food processing systems and control of
finished product characteristics for assuring food safety with
respect to this important pathogen.

This book details the causes of selected outbreaks and assesses
the lessons that can be learnt from them. It examines the
characteristics of Salmonella spp. and identifies factors that make
foods susceptible to contamination and growth of these organisms.
Specific product sectors are used to indicate practical measures
that can be applied to control Salmonella spp. in foods and
minimise their potential to cause harm to the consumer. It also
provides guidance in selecting effective sampling plans and test
methods to monitor and detect the organism and offers pragmatic
advice on action to be taken when the organism is detected during
monitoring programmes.