10 Least Wanted Foodborne Pathogens*

1. Campylobacter jejuni
Major bacterial cause of diarrhea and associated with Guillain-Barré syndrome
Sources: raw and undercooked poultry and meat, raw milk, and untreated water

2. Clostridium perfringens
Produces sudden onset of colic followed by diarrhea and nausea
Sources: improperly cooked roast beef, ground beef, pork, turkey, and chicken

3. E. coli O157:H7
Causes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting and can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome
Sources: meat such as undercooked or raw hamburger, raw milk, unpasteurized apple juice, and produce

4. Listeria monocytogenes
Causes serious disease in newborns, adults with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women, including complications such as spontaneous abortion and stillbirth
Sources: raw and undercooked meat, poultry, and seafood, produce, and unpasteurized or improperly processed dairy products.

5. Salmonella
Causes headache, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever
Sources: raw and undercooked eggs, under-cooked poultry and meat, dairy products, seafood, fruits, and vegetables

6. Staphylococcus aureus
Produces an infection that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and prostration
Sources: ham, raw meats, poultry, dairy products, salads, and shrimp, along with the hands of food preparers

7. Shigella
Major cause of dysentery
Sources: salads, milk, and dairy products, produce, untreated drinking water, and the hands of food preparers

8. Toxoplasma gondii
Parasite that causes a disease called toxoplasis; symptoms include fever, sore throat, swollen glands, and in severe cases, disorders of the liver and central nervous system
Sources: meat (primarily pork)

9. Vibrio vulnificus
Causes gastroenteritis, chills, fever, and prostration and can be fatal in high-risk individuals
Sources: raw or undercooked seafood, particularly raw oysters from the Gulf Coast States

10. Yersinia enterocolitica
Causes diarrhea and vomiting
Sources: pork, dairy products, and produce

* Based on the severity of illness or the number of reported cases.
Source: Partnership for Food Safety Education

What Consumers Can Do To Prevent Foodborne Illness

Clean

• Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before preparing, serving, and eating food.
• Clean all food preparation surfaces that will come in contact with food.
• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables with plain water before eating or cooking.
• Wash hands, utensils, plates, platters, and countertops after contact with raw meat or poultry and before contact with the same food when cooked.
• Keep dishwashing sponges and cloths clean.
• Serve cooked products on clean plates, with clean utensils.
• Discard all outdated, obviously spoiled, and possibly unsafe food.

Separate

• Do not let raw meat or poultry or their juices come in contact with other foods.
• Enclose individual packages of raw meat and poultry purchased at the grocery store in plastic bags to avoid contaminating other foods.
• Thaw frozen meat or poultry in the refrigerator or in a microwave oven, not on the countertop.
• Use different utensils and platters to prepare food for cooking and to serve food after cooking.

Cook

• Maintain the internal temperature of cooked foods that will be served hot at 140°F or above.
• Use a meat thermometer to measure proper cooking temperatures.
• Cook ground meat and fresh meat to at least 160°F.
• Cook fresh poultry to at least 180°F and ground poultry to at least 170°F.
• Don't taste meat, poultry, eggs, fish, shellfish, or any other food of animal origin when it's raw or during cooking.
• Cover and reheat leftovers to 165°F before serving.
• Cook eggs until the yolks and whites are firm.

Chill

• Refrigerate all products marked "keep refrigerated."
• Freeze all products with a "keep frozen" label.
• Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F or below.
• Keep cold foods cold (40°F or below) until served.
• Arrange items in the refrigerator and freezer to allow cold air to circulate freely.
• Refrigerate or freeze leftovers in covered shallow (less than 2 inches deep) containers as soon as possible and always within 2 hours of cooking.

Select Food Safety Resources

American Dietetic Association
216 West Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
(312) 899-0040
FAX: (312) 899-1979
http://www.eatright.org

FDA Seafood Hotline
(800) FDA-4010
http://www.fda.gov

International Food Information Council
1100 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 430
Washington, DC 20036
E-Mail: foodinfo@ific.org
http://www.ific.org

USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
(800) 535-4555

National Food Processors Association
5505 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
Suite 223
Washington, DC 20015
(202) 298-0624

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.org

Extension Food Safety Education Database (Michigan State University)
http://www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modfs/masterfs.html

Fight BAC! Fighting the Problem of Foodborne Illness (Partnership for Food Safety Education) (see Spotlight)
http://www.fightbac.org/index.html

Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN)
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html

FDA//CFSAN Consumer Research on Foodborne Illness
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/ab-foodb.html

Food Safety Consortium
http://www.uark.edu/depts/fsc/

Food Safety Home Page
http://home.earthlink.net/~zinkd/index.html

Food Safety Resources (North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service)
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/foodsci/agentinfo/resources.html

National Center for Infectious Diseases, foodborne illness page
http://www/cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/foodborn/foodborn.htm

US Department of Agriculture
http://www.usda.gov

USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodborne/statemen.html

USDA Food Safety Inspection Service
http://www.usda.gov/agency/fsis/