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June 2011

Making Food 

Safer to Eat

Reducing contamination from

the farm to the table 

Each year, roughly 1 in 6 people in the US gets sick from 

eating contaminated food. The 1,000 or more reported 

outbreaks that happen each year reveal familiar 

culprits—Salmonella and other common germs. We 

know that reducing contamination works. During the 

past 15 years, a dangerous type of E. coli infection, 

responsible for the recall of millions of pounds of 

ground beef, has been cut almost in half. Yet during 

that same time, Salmonella infection, which causes 

more hospitalizations and deaths than any other type of 

germ found in food and $365 million in direct medical 

costs annually, has not declined. Each year, 1 million 

people get sick from eating food contaminated with 

Salmonella. Applying lessons learned from reducing 

E. coli O157 infections could help reduce illness caused 

by Salmonella. 

Learn what you can do to reduce contamination 

from the farm to the table.

 

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1 in 6

About 1 in 6 (or 48 million) 

people gets sick each year 

from contaminated food. 

E. coli O157 infections have 

been cut about in half 

since 1997.

50%

 

Million

365

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases

Salmonella infection 

accounts for $365 million 

in direct medical costs 

each year. 
Targeting Salmonella

Salmonella infection has not 

 declined in 15 years Problem

1. Reducing Salmonella infection is 

difficult because

◊ It is found in many different types of foods: 

meats, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and even 

processed foods such as peanut butter. 

◊ Contamination can occur anywhere: from 

fields where food is grown to cutting boards in 

kitchens. 

◊ What we eat and how we eat have changed: 

foods coming from one central location are 

widely distributed, meaning that sickness can 

spread quickly; we eat more meals outside the 

home; and more foods and ingredients come 

from all over the world.

◊ Some policies and procedures that can make 

a difference in reducing contamination take 

years to put into place. 

Foods associated with Salmonella outbreaks* 

2. Salmonella infection can be reduced by

◊ Taking strong and specific action to identify 

and prevent contamination from the farm 

to the table—a primary lesson learned in 

successfully reducing E. coli O157 infection.

◊ Developing new prevention strategies for the 

riskiest foods before and after harvesting.

◊ Enhancing laboratory testing and disease 

reporting to more quickly identify outbreaks 

and their causes.

◊ Investigating outbreaks quickly and alerting 

consumers and industry of concerns to 

prevent more illness.

◊ Using prevention-focused safety systems 

like the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control 

Point management system and applying 

technologies (for example, use of high 

temperatures in pasteurization and cooking) 

to reduce contamination.

◊ Putting into action new policies that focus on 

preventing food safety problems and address 

new challenges.

Source: CDC National Outbreak Reporting System, 2004–2008.

†Other includes: Sprouts, leafy greens, roots, fish, grains-beans, shellfish, 

oil-sugar, and dairy.

*These contaminated ingredients or single foods (belonging to one food 

category) were associated with 1/3 of the Salmonella outbreaks.

29%

18%

12% 8%

13%

20%

Poultry Eggs Pork Beef

Vine vegetables, fruits, and nuts Other†

Change in E. coli O157 and Salmonella infection, 

1996–2010

E. coli O157 Salmonella

Relative rate (Log scale)2.00

1.00

.50

1996–98

199920002001200220032004200520062007

200820092010

Source: Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network, 2010.

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Prevention from the Farm to the Table 

Lessons learned from Salmonella outbreaks

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Production

Risky eggs, 2010: 

Chicken and feed contamination results in 

500M eggs recalled. Cause: Salmonella 

Enteritidis (SE).

Prevention

Require preventive controls for egg producers 

such as buying chicks from suppliers with SE 

control programs, testing poultry houses for SE, 

and setting temperature requirements for storing 

and transporting eggs.

Manufacturing

Peanut butter crackers to pet treats, 2009: 

Processing plant contamination results in many 

foods causing sickness in 46 states. Cause: 

Salmonella Typhimurium.

Prevention

Keep factories clean, separate raw and processed

foods, ensure that steps to reduce contamination 

work. 

Manufacturing

Tainted turkey burgers, 2011: 50,000 lbs 

of ground turkey recalled following illness in 10 

states. Cause: Salmonella Hadar.

Prevention

Employ pre-harvest food safety strategies 

to reduce Salmonella in animals, prevent 

contamination at slaughter, reduce contamination 

of ground product from all sources, ensure that 

steps to reduce contamination work.

Distribution and Delivery

Contaminated ice cream, 1994: Trucks 

hauling raw eggs, then ice cream, sicken 200,000 

nationwide. Cause: Salmonella Enteritidis (SE).

Prevention

Clean and disinfect trucks between loads, keep 

cold shipments at correct temperatures, track 

shipments and storage.

Preparation and Consumption

(Restaurants/Grocery stores) 

Germs spread in restaurants, 2008: Poor 

kitchen practices cause food to be undercooked 

and cross-contaminated. Cause: Salmonella

Montevideo.

Prevention

Cook chicken and meats thoroughly, separate raw 

chicken and meats from other foods, train and 

certify managers in food safety in all restaurants. 

Preparation and Consumption

(Restaurants/Homes) 

Frozen pot pies, microwaves, and cooking 

instructions, 2007: Undercooked pies sicken 

people in 35 states, Puerto Rico, and the 

Caribbean. Cause: Salmonella I,4,[5],12:i:-.

Prevention

Make sure cooking instructions are clear and 

correct, use a food thermometer, ensure that 

manufacturers indicate power levels on microwave 

ovens. 

Source: CDC, 2010.
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What Can Be Done

Work together to reduce Salmonella and other foodborne illnesses

Government can

Implement policies and regulations

◊ Ensure that food production and service 

facilities adopt proven preventive measures 

and enforce food safety laws and regulations, 

including requirements for eggs, meat, poultry, 

and processed and imported foods. 

◊ Increase and improve inspections in the US 

and abroad. 

◊ Develop and implement safety standards for 

fruits and vegetables.

◊ Use what is learned from outbreaks, 

inspections, and monitoring systems 

to develop new and improve existing 

prevention strategies. 

Track and investigate illness

◊ Track trends, report progress, and make sure 

policies aimed at reducing infections work.

◊ Fund state and community efforts to identify 

and report sicknesses and catch outbreaks 

faster. 

◊ Investigate outbreaks thoroughly to identify 

sources and improve control strategies. 

◊ Develop new tools to find sources of 

contamination and characterize germs faster.

Farmers, grocery stores, and places 

that make, sell, or serve food can

◊ Use good management practices to reduce 

contamination when raising livestock or food 

animals.

◊ Adopt proven preventive measures for food 

safety plans in all food production and service 

facilities.

◊ Follow the US Food and Drug Administration 

Model Food Code in restaurants and other 

places that serve food.

◊ Keep good records of where foods and food 

ingredients come from.

◊ Train and certify managers in food safety in all 

restaurants.

Health care providers can

◊ Diagnose and treat infections by using best 

practices and report them rapidly. 

◊ Talk to high-risk patients about food safety. 

◊ Report suspected outbreaks to your local 

health department.

Everyone can

◊ Clean. Wash hands, cutting boards, utensils, 

and countertops. 

◊ Separate. Keep raw meat, poultry, and seafood 

separate from ready-to-eat foods.

◊ Cook. Use a food thermometer to ensure 

that foods are cooked to a safe internal 

temperature: 145°F for whole meats (allowing 

the meat to rest for 3 minutes before carving 

or consuming), 160°F for ground meats, and 

165°F for all poultry.

◊ Chill. Keep your refrigerator below 40°F and 

refrigerate food that will spoil.

◊ Report suspected illness from food to your 

local health department.

◊ Don’t prepare food for others if you have 

diarrhea or vomiting.

◊ Be especially careful preparing food for 

children, pregnant women, those in poor 

health, and older adults.

◊ Visit FoodSafety.gov for the latest information 

on preventing food poisoning. 

C221812-B

For more information, please contact 

Telephone: 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Web: www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333

Publication date: 06/07/2011

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