Salmonella May Infect Chilled Raw and Processed Meat

A study by BARC claimed that meat products which are stored above freezing point may have a chance of getting infected by Salmonella bacteria. It can cause acute food poisoning. The study was done by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s food technology division. They tested 87 samples from supermarkets and departmental stores in Mumbai.

The study was named as “Salmonella in Indian ready-to-cook poultry: Antibiotic resistance and molecular characterization”. It got published in Microbiology Research which is an international online-only peer reviewed journal. The study showed through their findings that more than 50% of the 48 samples of negligibly processed and raw meat samples which were stored at 8-10 degrees centigrade were contaminated by the bacteria. The study did not mention the brand names of the chicken tested.

The sample size of the research was small but it gave an insight into the way poultry is sold in Indian retail market. The chicken is the most favorite meat in the poultry sold in these markets.

By: Bhavna Sharma

Content: Hindustan Times