Experimental cross-contamination of chicken salad with Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and London during food preparation in Cambodian households

Non-typhoidal Salmonellae are common foodborne pathogens that can cause gastroenteritis and other illnesses in people. A new study by scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners, published in PLOS ONE (Aug 2022), is the first to assess the transfer of Salmonella enterica from raw chicken carcasses to ready-to-eat chicken salad in Cambodia.

Twelve focus group discussions in four Cambodian provinces collected information on typical household ways of preparing salad. The results informed four laboratory experiments that mimicked household practices, using chicken carcasses inoculated with Salmonella.

These results show how different hygiene practices influence the risk of pathogens contaminating chicken salad. These findings can help decrease the risk of foodborne disease in Cambodia and provide inputs to a quantitative risk assessment model.

Citation

Chea, R., Hung Nguyen-Viet, Tum, S., Unger, F., Lindahl, J., Grace, D., Ty, C., Koam, S., Sina, V., Sokchea, H., Pov, S., Heng, T., Phirum, O. and Sinh Dang-Xuan. 2022. Experimental cross-contamination of chicken salad with Salmonella enterica serovars Typhimurium and London during food preparation in Cambodian households. PLOS ONE 17(8): e0270425.

Photo credit: Makara market in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (ILRI/Hardisman Dasman)