A bulletin for the Australian Food Industry May 1996
Contents: Salmonella from unexpected sources | BSE: an update | HACCP and national food hygiene legislation | Victorian food hygiene project | Campylobacter food infection | Australian meat standards | Food irradiation | Tainting: always a potential problem
Salmonella from unexpected sources
Despite justified concern in public health circles about emerging pathogens such as enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), a major bacterial cause of food poisoning in western countries is still Salmonella.
While Salmonella spp. are frequently associated with animal products, many other foods can act as vehicles of infection. Recently two outbreaks of salmonellosis caused by the consumption of alfalfa sprouts were reported in the USA and in Canada. These related outbreaks were traced to a single source of contaminated seeds supplied by a broker in Europe.
In 1994 Australian alfalfa sprouts caused outbreaks of salmonellosis in Sweden and Finland.
Microbiological risks increase with the consumption of raw food. Unrealistic estimations of retail shelf-life and insufficiently cool storage conditions compound the problems.
In another unusual incident in the USA, 63 cases of salmonellosis were traced to a plant producing unpasteurised orange juice. This confirms that while Salmonella spp.are generally unable to grow at pH levels below 4.5, under certain conditions they may survive and even grow at lower pH values, thus making some acid foods a potential threat to public health.
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