Bacteria is the last thing a restaurant wants to serve their clients. Restaurants are often the first places hit during a food borne illness outbreak largely because of the amounts of bacteria that in the kitchen. Restaurants should familiarize themselves with the bacteria, disease transmissions, and symptoms to prevent illness. Here are five food borne bacteria that every restaurant must eliminate for the health and safety of their customers.
Campylobacter
Humans can contract the disease from eating food contaminated with Campylobacter species. It is mostly associated with raw or undercooked poultry and found in unpasteurized milk.
Symptoms
Bloody diarrhea
Vomiting lasting up to 10 days
Other complications may include arthritis and Guillan-Barré syndrome
Clostridium Botulinum
It is often found in improperly home-canned foods with low acid content, such as asparagus, green beans, beets and corn. It also thrives in foods that are moist, left out at room temperature and/or have little exposure to oxygen. Consequently, Botulinum can be found in honey, chopped garlic in oil, and improperly handled baked potatoes wrapped in foil. Damaged canned goods are particularly vulnerable.
Symptoms
Double vision
Blurred vision
Drooping eyelid
Nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps
Slurred speech
Trouble breathing
Difficulty in swallowing
Dry mouth
Muscle weakness
Constipation
Reduced or absent deep tendon reactions, such as in the knee
Escherichia coli
Exposure to E. coli can come from contaminated water or food — especially raw vegetables and undercooked ground beef. Healthy adults usually recover from infection with E. coli within a week, but young children and older adults have a greater risk of developing a life-threatening form of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome.
Symptoms
Diarrhea-ranging from mild and watery to severe and bloody
Abdominal cramping
Nausea
Vomiting
Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria outbreaks were primarily linked to deli meats and hot dogs. Now, Listeria outbreaks are often linked to dairy products and produce. Investigators have traced recent outbreaks to soft cheeses, celery, sprouts, cantaloupe, and ice cream.
Symptoms
Fever
Muscle aches
Nausea
Diarrhea
During pregnancy, a Listeria infection is likely to cause only mild signs and symptoms in the mother. The consequences for the baby are devastating. Babies may die unexpectedly before birth or experience a life-threatening infection within the first few days after birth.
As in adults, the signs and symptoms of a Listeria infection in a newborn can be subtle, but may include:
Little interest in feeding
Irritability
Fever
Vomiting
Salmonella enteritidis
Salmonella poisoning is often linked to contaminated water or foods, especially meat, poultry, and eggs. Symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting, which tend to appear 12 to 72 hours after infection.
Symptoms
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal cramps
Diarrhea
Fever
Chills
Headache
Blood in the stool
Restaurants must stay on top of all cleaning procedures–from chefs, cooks, to dishwashers. Strong cleaning practices are in the forefront of the health and safety of every restaurant.
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