Level 2 Food Safety in Catering Food Safety Hazards part 1 | Page 16

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Food Safety Hazards

Salmonella
• A rod type bacteria found in human and animal gut, pests and sewage • When the bacteria are consumed they pass through our system into the intestines. During the journey the bacteria break open releasing the toxins • The toxins leaking out of the cell have a corrosive-like effect on the intestines and the body responds by expelling the infection - hence the diarrhoea • Some cells do not break open but are excreted in a viable (living) form. This happens after the illness and can continue when all the symptoms are gone - the person then becomes a symptomless carrier. • Salmonella can be transmitted by the faecal-oral route by affected people not washing their hands properly after going to the toilet and then touching and contaminating food • As food handlers we must tell our supervisor if we have food poisoning or the symptoms of food poisoning even if it was when we were away from work and think we have now recovered.