Salmonella is a category of bacteria in which several species cause food poisoning. The most relevant in terms of the public health is typhoid fever caused by Salmonella typhi.

While typhoid fever is treatable and has a low fatality rate (10 t0 30%) it is still a very real health risk especially for young children and the elderly who can die of dehydration if not treated right away.

The bacteria travels from an infected individual via urine and feces and infects another human when a person eats or drinks urine/feces contaminated food. This happens when a food handler has poor personal hygiene or if pipes carrying clean water come in contact with sewage.

What are you doing to protect your business and your customers from this disease causing bacteria?

Salmonella bacteria live in the intestines of people, animals and birds. Most people are infected with salmonella by eating foods that have been contaminated by faeces.

Commonly infected foods include:

•Raw meat, poultry and seafood. Faeces may get onto raw meat and poultry during the butchering process. Seafood may be contaminated if it is harvested from contaminated water.
•Raw eggs. While an egg's shell may seem to be a perfect barrier to contamination, some infected chickens produce eggs that contain salmonella before the shell is even formed. Raw eggs are used in homemade versions of mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce.
•Fruits and vegetables. Some fresh produce, particularly imported varieties, may be watered in the field or washed during processing with water contaminated with salmonella. Contamination can also occur in the kitchen, when juices from raw meat and poultry come into contact with uncooked foods, such as salads.

Many foods become contaminated when prepared by people who don't wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet or changing a diaper. Infection also can occur if you touch something that is contaminated and then put your fingers in your mouth. This includes pets — especially birds and reptiles.