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Campylobacter Infections Prevention
What is the best way to prevent Campylobacter infections?
Meat and poultry can contain Campylobacter. However, the bacteria can be found in almost all raw poultry because it lives in the intestinal track of healthy birds. Improving safe food handling practices in kitchens will reduce the number of Campylobacter illnesses. Campylobacter bacteria are extremely fragile and are easily destroyed by cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature. They are also destroyed through typical water treatment systems. Freezing cannot be relied on to destroy the bacteria. Home freezers are generally not cold enough to destroy bacteria.
To destroy Campylobacter and minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses:
CLEAN: Wash Hands and Surfaces Often - Wash your hands with warm soapy water for 20 seconds before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, and handling pets.
- Wash utensils, cutting boards, dishes, and countertops with hot soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item.
- Consider using paper towels to clean kitchen surfaces. If you use cloth towels, wash them often in the hot cycle of your washing machine.
SEPARATE: Don't Cross-contaminate - Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.
- If possible, use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Always wash cutting boards, dishes, countertops, and utensils with hot soapy water after they come in contact with raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
- Never place cooked food on a plate which previously held raw meat, poultry, or seafood.
COOK: Cook to Safe Temperatures Use a clean food thermometer when measuring the internal temperature of meat, poultry, casseroles, and other foods to make sure they have reached a safe minimum internal temperature: - Beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts, and chops to 145 °F.
- All cuts of pork to 160 °F.
- Ground beef, veal and lamb to 160 °F.
- Egg dishes, casseroles to 160 °F.
- All poultry should reach a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.
- Stuffing whole poultry is not recommended. Cook stuffing separately to 165 °F.
- Leftovers to 165 °F.
- Do not eat or drink foods containing raw, unpasteurized milk.
- Fish should reach 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
- Bring sauces, soups, and gravy to a boil when reheating.
- Reheat other leftovers thoroughly to at least 165 °F.
CHILL: Refrigerate Promptly - Keep food safe at home, refrigerate promptly and properly. Refrigerate or freeze perishables, prepared foods, and leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F).
- Freezers should register 0 °F or below and refrigerators 40 °F or below.
- Thaw food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Foods should not be thawed at room temperature. Foods thawed in the microwave or in cold water must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature before refrigerating.
- Marinate foods in the refrigerator.
- Divide large amounts of leftovers into shallow containers for quick cooling in the refrigerator.
- Don't pack the refrigerator. Cool air must circulate to keep food safe.
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