Salmonella Questions and Answers

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health agency 

in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Q. What is Salmonella?

A. Salmonella is a gram-negative, rod-shaped bacilli 

that can cause diarrheal illness in humans. They are 

microscopic living creatures that pass from the feces of 

people or animals to other people or other animals. 

The Salmonella family includes over 2,300 serotypes of 

bacteria which are one-celled organisms too small to be 

seen without a microscope. Two serotypes, Salmonella

Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium are the most 

common in the United States and account for half of all 

human infections. Strains that cause no symptoms in 

animals can make people sick, and vice versa. If present in food, it does not usually affect the taste, smell, 

or appearance of the food. The bacteria live in the 

intestinal tracts of infected animals and humans. 

Salmonella bacteria have been known to cause illness 

for over 100 years. They were discovered by an American scientist, Dr. Daniel E. Salmon.

Q. What is salmonellosis?

A. Salmonellosis is an infection caused by the bacteria 

Salmonella. According to the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention (CDC), salmonellosis causes an 

estimated 1.4 million cases of foodborne illness and 

more than 400 deaths annually in the United States. 

The Surveillance Report from the Food Diseases Active 

Surveillance (FoodNet) for 2007, identified Salmonella

as the most common bacterial infection reported. 

FoodNet is a collaborative project among CDC, the 10 

Emerging Infections Program sites (EPIs), USDA, and 

Salmonella bacteria are the most frequently reported cause of foodborne illness. In order to reduce salmonellosis, 

a comprehensive farm-to-table approach to food safety is necessary. Farmers, industry, food inspectors, retailers, food service workers, and consumers are each critical links in the food safety chain. This document answers 

common questions about the bacteria Salmonella, describes how the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is addressing the problems of Salmonella contamination on meat and 

poultry products, and offers guidelines for safe food handling to prevent bacteria, such as Salmonella, from causing 

illness.

the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of 

the objectives of FoodNet is to measure effectiveness 

of a variety of preventive measures in reducing the 

incidence of foodborne illness attributable to the 

consumption of meat, poultry, and other foods. 

Q. What are the symptoms of 

salmonellosis?

A. Although in some people salmonellosis could 

asymptomatic, most people experience diarrhea, 

abdominal cramps, and fever within 8 to 72 hours after 

the contaminated food was eaten. Additional symptoms 

may be chills, headache, nausea, and vomiting. 

Symptoms usually disappear within 4 to 7 days. Many 

people with salmonellosis recover without treatment and 

may never see a doctor. However, Salmonella infections 

can be life-threatening especially for infants and young 

children, pregnant women and their unborn babies, 

and older adults, who are at a higher risk for foodborne 

illness, as are people with weakened immune systems 

(such as those with HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, kidney 

disease, and transplant patients).

Q. Are there long-term consequences?

A. Persons with diarrhea usually recover completely, 

although it may be several months before their bowel 

habits are entirely normal. A small number of persons 

who are infected with Salmonella may develop pains in 

their joints, irritation of the eyes, and painful urination. 

This is called Reiter’s syndrome. It can last for months 

or years and can lead to chronic arthritis that is difficult 

to treat.
Salmonella Questions and Answers

Q. How do people get salmonellosis?

A. Salmonella lives in the intestinal track of humans 

and other animals, including birds. Salmonella is usually 

transmitted to humans by eating foods contaminated 

with animal feces. Salmonella present on raw meat and 

poultry could survive if the product is not cooked to a 

safe minimum internal temperature, as measured with a 

food thermometer.

Salmonella can also cause foodborne illness 

(salmonellosis) through cross-contamination, e.g., when 

juices from raw meat or poultry come in contact with 

ready-to-eat foods, such as salads.

Food may also become contaminated by the unwashed 

hands of an infected food handler who might or might 

not be showing symptoms. Salmonella can also be 

found in the feces of some pets, especially those with 

diarrhea. People can become infected if they do not 

wash their hands after contact with these feces. Reptiles 

are particularly likely to harbor Salmonella. People 

should always wash their hands immediately after 

handling a reptile, even if the reptile is healthy. 

Q. What foods are most likely to make 

people sick?

A. Any raw food of animal origin, such as meat, 

poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, seafood, and 

some fruits and vegetables may carry Salmonella

bacteria. The bacteria can survive to cause illness if 

meat, poultry, and egg products are not cooked to a 

safe minimum internal temperature as measured with 

a food thermometer and fruits and vegetables are not 

thoroughly washed. The bacteria can also contaminate 

other foods that come in contact with raw meat and 

poultry. Safe food handling practices are necessary to 

prevent bacteria on raw food from causing illness.

Q. Are chickens labeled “Kosher,” “freerange,” “organic,” or “natural” lower in 

Salmonella bacteria?

A. FSIS does not know of any valid scientific 

information that shows that any specific type of chicken 

has more or less Salmonella bacteria than other poultry.

Q. What is FSIS doing to prevent 

Salmonella contamination?

A. The Food Safety and Inspection Service is the public 

health regulatory Agency in the USDA responsible for 

the safety of the nation’s commercial supply of meat, 

poultry and egg products. As part of this responsibility, 

FSIS issued the “Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis 

and Critical Control Point (PR/HACCP) Systems, Final 

Rule” in 1996. This rule sets Salmonella performance 

standards for establishments slaughtering selected 

classes of food animals or those producing selected 

classes of raw ground products to verify that industry 

systems are effective in controlling the contamination 

of raw meat and poultry products with disease-causing 

bacteria, like Salmonella. 

FSIS inspectors make sure the establishments are 

meeting the standards by collecting randomly selected 

product samples and submitting them to an FSIS 

laboratory for Salmonella analysis. FSIS requires all 

plants to reduce bacteria by means of the PR/HACCP 

system. 

Q. How can consumers prevent 

salmonellosis?

A. Bacteria on raw foods of animal origin do not have 

to cause illness. The key to preventing illness at home, 

in a restaurant, at a church picnic, or anywhere else 

is to prevent the bacteria from growing to high levels 

and to destroy the bacteria through cooking to a safe 

minimum internal temperature. Follow these guidelines 

for safe food preparation:

CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often

•	 Wash hands with warm soapy water for 20 

seconds before and after handling food and 

after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and 

handling pets.

•	 Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes, and 

countertops with hot soapy water after 

preparing each food item and before you go on 

to the next item.

•	 Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen 

surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them 

often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

Food Safety Information 2
Food Safety Questions?

Salmonella Questions and Answers

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

Revised May 2011

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety 

education purposes. However, USDA symbols or logos may not be used separately to 

imply endorsement of a commercial product or service. 

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

SEPARATE: Don’t Cross-contaminate

•	 Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from 

other foods in your grocery shopping cart and 

in your refrigerator.

•	 If possible, use one cutting board for fresh 

produce and a separate one for raw meat, 

poultry, and seafood.

•	 Always wash cutting boards, dishes, 

countertops, and utensils with hot soapy water 

after they come in contact with raw meat, 

poultry, and seafood.

•	 Never place cooked food on a plate that 

previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.

COOK: Cook to Safe Temperatures

Use a clean food thermometer when measuring the 

internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and 

other foods to make sure they have reached a safe 

minimum internal temperature:

• Cook all raw beef, pork, lamb and veal steaks, 

chops, and roasts to a minimum internal 

temperature of 145°F as measured with a 

food thermometer before removing meat from 

the heat source. For safety and quality, allow 

meat to rest for at least three minutes before 

carving or consuming. For reasons of personal 

preference, consumers may choose to cook 

meat to higher temperatures. 

• Cook all raw ground beef, pork, lamb, and 

veal to an internal temperature of 160°F as 

measured with a food thermometer.

• Cook all poultry to a safe minumum internal 

temperature of 165°F as measured with a food 

thermometer.

•	 Stuffed poultry is not recommended. Cook 

stuffing separately to 165 oF.

•	 Egg dishes, casseroles to 160 oF.

•	 Fish should reach 145 oF as measured with a 

food thermometer.

•	 Bring sauces, soups, and gravy to a boil when 

reheating. 

•	 Reheat other leftovers thoroughly to at least 

165 °F.

CHILL: Refrigerate Promptly

•	 Keep food safe at home, refrigerate promptly 

and properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, 

prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours (1 

hour if temperatures are above 90 °F).

•	 Freezers should register 0 oF or below and 

refrigerators 40 oF or below. 

•	 Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or 

in the microwave. Foods should not be thawed 

at room temperature. Foods thawed in the 

microwave or in cold water must be cooked to a 

safe minimum internal temperature immediately 

after thawing. 

•	 Marinate foods in the refrigerator.

•	 Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow 

containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.

Reference:

CDC’s website: 

http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response 

system can provide food safety 

information 24/7 and a

live chat 

during 

Hotline 

hours.

If you have a question 

about meat, poultry, or 

egg products, call 

the USDA Meat and 

Poultry Hotline 

toll free at 

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The hotline is open

year-round

 Monday through Friday from 10 

a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (English 

or Spanish).

Recorded food safety 

messages are available 24 hours a day. 

Check out the 

FSIS Web site at

 

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