Can Listeria be killed through cooking?
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Everyone can play it safe when buying, preparing, and eating specific foods. Find out how at FoodSafety.govexternal icon, the federal gateway for food safety information. Listeria is a harmful germ that can hide in many foods. Outbreaks of Listeria infections in the 1990s 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. Read on to learn which foods are more likely to contain Listeria and how you can take steps to protect your health, which is especially important for pregnant women, people 65 years and older, and people with compromised immunity. Most people with listeriosis are in one of these three groups.
Soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk (also called raw milk) are estimated to be 50 to 160 times more likely to cause Listeria infection than when they are made with pasteurized milk. Although pasteurization of milk kills Listeria, products made from pasteurized milk can still become contaminated if they are produced in facilities with unsanitary conditions. Recommendations for everyone:
Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:
Learn more: Sprouts need warm and humid conditions to sprout and grow. These conditions are also ideal for the growth of bacteria, including Listeria, Salmonella, and E. coli. Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:
NOTE: Rinsing sprouts will not remove bacteria. Home-grown sprouts also can make you sick if you eat them raw or lightly cooked. Recommendations for everyone:
Recommendations for everyone:
Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:
Keep learning: A food is called shelf-stable if it can be safely stored at room temperature or “on the shelf.” Eating canned and shelf-stable tuna, salmon, and other fish products is not considered to increase your chance of getting sick from Listeria. It’s important to know that not all canned foods are shelf-stable. Some canned foods are labeled “Keep Refrigerated.” Examples of such items include cold smoked fish, such as salmon, trout, whitefish, cod, tuna, and mackerel. Cold smoked fish items are often labeled as “nova-style,” “lox,” “kippered,” “smoked,” or “jerky” and typically found at seafood or deli counters of grocery stores and delicatessens. Recommendations for people at higher risk, including pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:
Raw milk made into other products, such as soft cheese, ice cream, and yogurt, can also cause dangerous infections. When consuming these products, make sure they are made from pasteurized milk. Recommendations for everyone, especially people at higher risk, including infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weakened immunity:
Keep learning:
Can Listeria be killed in the microwave?
How common is listeria in deli meat?
Where is Listeria most commonly found in the world?
How do you test for Listeria?
What foods are associated with listeria?
Can you get listeria from cooked cheese?
How quickly does Listeria make you sick?
What temperature does Listeria grow at?
Can bacteria survive cooking?
What temperature can bacteria survive?
Which foods become toxic after 4 hours of in the temperature danger zone?
Can you cook out bacteria from meat? |