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A hospital outbreak of salmonella food poisoning due to inadequate deep-fat frying

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

M. R. Evans ,
P. G. Hutchings ,
C. D. Ribeiro  and
D. Westmoreland
M. R. Evans
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health Medicine, South Glamorgan Health Authority, Abton House, Wedal Road, Cardiff CF4 3QX
P. G. Hutchings
Affiliation:
Cardiff Environmental Services, Wood Street, Cardiff CFI INQ
C. D. Ribeiro
Affiliation:
Cardiff Public Health Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XW
D. Westmoreland
Affiliation:
Cardiff Public Health Laboratory, University Hospital of Wales, Heath Park, Cardiff CF4 4XW
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Summary

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In an outbreak of plasmid-free Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 (PT4) food poisoning at a hospital for mentally handicapped people in July 1990, 101 residents and 8 staff were affected and a cohort study implicated beef rissoles cooked by deep-fat frying as the vehicle of infection (relative risk 2·92, 95% confidence interval 1·73–4·93, P ≪ 0·001). Replication of the cooking process demonstrated that the rissoles achieved core temperatures of only 48–60 °C despite external temperatures of 91–95 °C and an oil temperature of 142–154 °C. No residual food was available for microbiological testing but plasmid-containing S. enteritidis PT 4 was isolated in shell eggs from the hospital kitchen.

Type
Research Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 116 , Issue 2 , April 1996 , pp. 155 - 160
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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