Spike in food poisoning cases linked to television cooking shows
A SPIKE in food poisoning cases has been linked to South Australians undercooking eggs at home.
The new cases have sparked warnings from health authorities to be wary of attempting techniques used on television cooking shows.
SA Health figures show 353 cases of potentially life-threatening salmonellosis have been reported throughout the state so far this year. That is about a third more than the number of cases – 267 – reported at the same time last year.
About 15 per cent of cases this year were hospitalised.
SA Health director of food safety and nutrition Dr Fay Jenkins said that while raw chicken and other meat can lead to salmonella poisoning, undercooked eggs were believed to be responsible for the recent increase.
“Millions of eggs are eaten each week,” she said. “It’s the exposure we have to eggs. There is nothing that has linked these cases to a restaurant or anything like that.
“We believe it is linked to the handling of eggs at home.”
Dr Jenkins warned against using such techniques as the 60/60 method of cooking eggs at a lower temperature of 60C for the longer timeframe of 60 minutes, a method featured on television cooking show My Kitchen Rules.
“These techniques are really exact and use very specific equipment that the people on TV usually have the skills and knowledge to use,” she said.
“Usually, the higher the temperature, the shorter the cooking time.
“When you have to get that temperature at a certain point and have to cook it for longer, there could be problems if you don’t get it exactly right.
“Eggs need to be handled with the same level of care as raw meat and chicken, which means washing your hands after touching eggs and wiping down any surface they come into contact with.”
Dr Jenkins said that eggs should be stored in the refrigerator and kept in their original cartons so the used-by-date is visible.
They should not be used if they are cracked or dirty.
She warned against washing eggs at home because doing so can make it easier for bacteria to penetrate the shell.
She also suggested foods containing raw eggs, such as drinks, aioli, tiramisu and mayonnaise be eaten soon after they have been prepared.
Symptoms of salmonellosis can include headache, fever, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, and can last from days to weeks.
Last year, a total of 977 salmonella poisoning cases were reported to SA Health.
Dr Jenkins urged anyone experiencing these symptoms to seek medical assistance.
For more information about egg safety, visit www.sahealth.sa.gov.au
Source: The Australian - 14 April 2014
