Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Thinking About Backyard Chickens? You should know about Salmonella

Sponsored: Thinking About Backyard Chickens? You should know about Salmonella

What is Salmonella...and how can you avoid getting it?

Salmonella is a bacteria that causes food borne illness that affects about 1 million Americans annually.

Typically it is caused by:

• consuming undercooked or raw eggs, raw (unpasteurized) milk, raw or undercooked chicken or raw beef

• handling chickens and baby chicks (backyard flocks)

• coming in contact with pet feces

Related Items

• cross-contact between cooked and raw foods when cooking/preparing foods

What happens if you are contaminated with Salmonella?

Within 12 to 72 hours a person who is infected may start to experience diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.  The illness typically lasts 4-7 days.  For infants, the elderly and those with a vulnerable or compromised immune system, it may become so severe they may require hospitalization.

How can you protect yourself from being infected with Salmonella?

• Do not consume raw, unpasteurized, undercooked products (eggs, milk, chicken, beef)

• If you keep backyard chickens make sure to wash your hands after touching them, this is especially important for children!

• Keep raw and cooked foods separated when preparing and cooking foods. Change cutting boards and clean surfaces.

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.