Mitigating Salmonella Risk at the Buffet Essay

Total Length: 753 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1

Page 1 of 3

Foodborne illness at hand was a salmonella outbreak at a buffet at the Old Country in Cheyenne, Wyoming (Flynn, 2016). The cause of the salmonella outbreak is not known, but salmonella is a common risk associated with buffets in particular. The risk occurs because warm food is a fertile breeding ground for the salmonella bacteria. Cooking helps to destroy the bacteria, so improper heating is a critical issue, which makes buffets a problem source for salmonella. There are around 40,000 cases of salmonella every year in the United States, though it is usually only dangerous to the elderly or sick. In some cases, however, others have experienced substantial complications from salmonella infection, such as in the Old Country case.

While the precise source of the salmonella could not be determined, in conditions favorable to the bacteria, it can spread. It is also something that can be transmitted by people, so the infection could have come from an employee and been transferred to the food. There are a variety of things that a restaurant can do to minimize the risk of salmonella infection. Salmonella is a bacteria, so it can be killed with disinfectants and with heating.

There are a number of ways that this outbreak could have been prevented.

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First, salmonella can be killed with proper sanitation procedures. This includes washing of hands by employees and washing of surfaces that are used for cooking. There is a particularly high risk of salmonella with uncooked or undercooked meats. All meat should be thoroughly cooked to reduce salmonella risk. Further, uncooked or undercooked meats should not come into contact with other foods. An example of poor practice at a buffet might be having a roast beef on the buffet that is cooked only to medium rare, and then the blood from this beef can get on other things at the buffet, transferred by a fork or knife, for example. In such a situation, anything on the buffet could be infected with salmonella. Proper storage of foods in the kitchen to avoid cross-contamination, particularly where uncooked meats are concerned, is considered best practice in reducing salmonella risk. Further, produce should be washed thoroughly -- salads can be a source of salmonella if the vegetables are not properly washed.

Part 2.

The illness was contracted by many different people who dined at the Cheyenne location. The buffet format means that the illness could be….....

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"Mitigating Salmonella Risk At The Buffet", 09 April 2016, Accessed.27 April. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/mitigating-salmonella-risk-buffet-2159088