Rinse it well and drain before stuffing. The Trichinosis Problem Several cases of trichinosis are reported in the United States every year. The number of cases each year is declining, but the possibility of trichinosis contamination is still a real possibility. Trichinosis is a disease caused by a parasitic roundworm, Trichinella spiralis, or, in English, trichina. The worm, found in some pork and bear meat, can be transmitted to humans if the meat is eaten raw or untreated.
Trichinae mature in a person's intestines and are usually killed by the body's defenses.
Some, however, can survive in the form of cysts in various muscles for years. Trichinosis, however, need not be a problem for the home sausage maker. An accurate freezer thermometer is a must if you intend to prepare pork for dried sausage. These guidelines have been set by the USDA for commercial packers and are perfectly safe if followed by the home sausage maker. Never taste raw pork and never sample sausage if it contains raw pork that hasn't been treated as we have described.