Published Date: 2005-09-21 23:50:00
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Salmonellosis, food etiquette class - USA (NC)
Archive Number: 20050921.2790
SALMONELLOSIS, FOOD ETIQUETTE CLASS - USA (NORTH CAROLINA)
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Date: Tue 20 Sep 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Winston-Salem Journal (NC) [edited]
<http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031785162135&path=!localnews!article&s=1037645509099>
Salmonella cases rise; no source is pinpointed
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The number of salmonella cases among children sickened after attending an
etiquette class rose to 25 yesterday, 19 Sep 2005, and health officials
said they probably will never pinpoint the members-only club where the
class was held as the source of the outbreak. "The food at The City Club is
safe to eat," said Colleen Bridger, the director of the health department.
Investigators did target a food-handling practice that "could potentially"
have contributed to the infection of the group of 5th-graders, who attended
a 9 Sep 2005 banquet at the club. The chicken, which the chef cooked with a
combination of grilling and baking, wasn't cooked thoroughly, Bridget said.
Graham Bell, the owner of The City Club of Gastonia, said that the club
will now either grill or bake chicken, but not both.
Salmonella is a bacteria that lives in the intestinal tract and is most
commonly spread by eating improperly cooked food. Bell also had his
employees tested for salmonella, but those tests have yet to be returned.
--
ProMED-mail
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[There is something ironic about children acquiring salmonellosis from
attendance at a food etiquette class. Whether it is a high end or low end
restaurant, chicken must be adequately cooked to prevent the spread of
salmonellosis. The combination of grilling and baking is a very common
procedure, not only in restaurants but in the kitchens of amateur chefs
like myself. Finishing the cooking process in an oven after grilling does
not imply inadequate cooking if done properly.
The possibility remains that adequately cooked chicken could have been
contaminated after the cooking process. This can happen if the meat comes
in contact with a surface which was contaminated with salmonella bacilli
from the uncooked chicken or if a food handler who has not practiced good
personal hygiene contaminates the meat.
The serotype of salmonellosis is this outbreak has not been stated. - Mod.LL]