Salmonella

What salmonella is and how to reduce the risk of getting food poisoning

What is salmonella?

Salmonella is a type of bacteria which is commonly spread by eating food contaminated with it, which can cause a type of food poisoning called salmonellosis. Those more likely to become ill with salmonellosis are:

children aged 4 years and under
older people (typically 65 and over)
people who are pregnant
those with weakened immune systems. People with weakened immune systems include those with underlying health conditions (e.g. cancer or diabetes) and those receiving certain medical treatments or medications (e.g. chemotherapy and immunosuppressants).

Salmonella is the second most common cause of bacterial food poisoning in Scotland. There are approximately 800 cases reported each year.

Most cases of salmonellosis happen by eating contaminated food or water. You can also become ill after being in contact with another person or animal with the infection.

What happens when you get infected by salmonella?

Common symptoms of salmonella poisoning include:

diarrhoea
stomach cramps
nausea
fever
vomiting

Symptoms can start between 12 and 72 hours after becoming infected and usually last 4-7 days. Most illnesses clear up without treatment. People with severe or prolonged symptoms should speak to a doctor.

Those who have a greater risk of becoming severely ill with salmonellosis are:

children aged 4 years and under
people aged 65 and over
people who are pregnant
those with weakened immune systems

How is salmonella spread?

Salmonella bacteria typically live in the intestines of animals (e.g. chicken, cattle, pig, reptiles) and humans and are shed through their faeces.

Infection is mainly caused by:

eating contaminated food such as pork and poultry meat that hasn’t been cooked properly
eating foods that have become cross-contaminated by poor food hygiene
drinking contaminated water
coming into contact with infected animals

Foods commonly associated with salmonellosis include:

raw meat
poultry
raw eggs
unpasteurised dairy products

Salmonella bacteria can be spread during the slaughter and processing of meat. Other foods like fresh produce (i.e. salads, fruit and vegetables) can become contaminated through contact with animal and human faeces and contaminated water.

Salmonella bacteria can be spread from pets such as reptiles, cats and dogs to people, including through the handling of raw pet food.

How to prevent getting infected by salmonella

You can help reduce your risk of salmonellosis by following the 4Cs of food safety.

Cleaning

An infected person can easily pass the infection on to others when their hand hygiene is poor.

Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap:

before preparing and handling food
after going to the toilet
after touching raw meat
after contact with animals

Effective cleaning removes bacteria, preventing it from spreading onto food.

Purple circle with green illustration of a cooked whole chicken with steam coming out

Cooking

Eggs can be a risk for salmonella. However, vulnerable groups including children, pregnant women and older people can safely eat raw or lightly cooked hen eggs if they have the British Lion mark or are produced by the Laid in Britain quality assurance scheme. These schemes ensure the highest standards of food safety including that the laying hens have been vaccinated against salmonella.

Always cook food safely to avoid food poisoning.

Purple circle with an illustration of a green fridge

Chilling

defrost raw meat and poultry in the fridge in a covered container on the bottom shelf away from cooked foods
it’s important to keep raw meat and poultry cold when defrosting - salmonella loves to grow above fridge temperatures
always check raw meat and poultry are fully defrosted before cooking

Chill food properly to stop germs growing.

Icon showing 2 arrows representing cross-contamination between food

Avoid cross-contamination

Salmonella can be easily transferred from raw meat and poultry to other foods, worktops, chopping boards and knives. To reduce your risk:

keep raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat foods separate during storage and preparation
do not use the same chopping board or utensils for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food (such as salads) without washing the board and utensils thoroughly in hot, soapy water between use

Stop the spread by avoiding cross-contamination.

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