How do I get salmonellosis?
You get salmonellosis from food and water contaminated with salmonella bacteria. • How does salmonella get in vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce? Vegetables can come into contact with contaminated water. A bacteria-carrying person who forgets to wash their hands before food preparation can contaminate vegetables. Vegetables can also become contaminated if placed in close proximity to or mixed with raw poultry, meat or eggs, and unpasteurized milk. • Which vegetables are most prone to contamination? There are no specific vegetables prone to salmonella contamination. Any vegetable, or fruit, even, may be contaminated if in close proximity to bacteria-carrying sources. For example, contaminated mangos and tomatoes each resulted in salmonella outbreaks in 1990, cantaloupes in 1991, and sprouts in 1996. • In what environments does salmonella grow best and worst? All bacteria grow poorly in cool or cold temperatures, so salmonella won’t fare well in the freezer or refrigerator. The closer
