Trichinosis primary prevention
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Primary prevention
Food preparation:
- The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to safe temperatures. A food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is cooked. USDA recommends the following for meat preparation.
- For Whole Cuts of Meat (excluding poultry and wild game).
- Cook to at least 145° F (63° C) as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, then allow the meat to rest* for three minutes before carving or consuming.
- For Ground Meat (including wild game, excluding poultry).
- Cook to at least 160° F (71° C); ground meats do not require a rest time.
- For All Wild Game (whole cuts and ground).
- Cook to at least 160° F (71° C).
- For All Poultry (whole cuts and ground).
- Cook to at least 165° F (74° C), and for whole poultry allow the meat to rest for three minutes before carving or consuming.
- For Whole Cuts of Meat (excluding poultry and wild game).
- According to USDA, "A 'rest time' is the amount of time the product remains at the final temperature, after it has been removed from a grill, oven, or other heat source. During the three minutes after meat is removed from the heat source, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, which destroys pathogens."
- Wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling raw meat.
- Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat alone does not consistently kill infective worms; homemade jerky and sausage were the cause of many cases of trichinellosis reported to CDC in recent years.
- Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5°F (-15°C) to kill any worms.
- Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, may not effectively kill all worms because some worm species that infect wild game animals are freeze-resistant.
- Clean meat grinders thoroughly after each use.
Pig farming:
- Keeping pigs in clean pens with floors that can be washed (such as concrete).
- Not allowing hogs to eat carcasses of other animals, including rats, which may be infected with Trichinella.
- Cleaning meat grinders thoroughly when preparing ground meats.
- Control and destruction of meat containing trichinae, e.g., removal and proper disposal of porcine diaphragms prior to public sale of meat.
Education and training:
- Public education about the dangers of consuming raw and undercooked meat, especially pork, may reduce infection rates.
- Hunters are also an at-risk population due to their contact and consumption of wild game, including bear.
- As such, many states, such as New York, require the completion of a course in such matters before a hunting license can be obtained.
Legislation:
- Laws and rules required of food producers may improve food safety for consumers, such as the rules established by the European Commission for inspections, rodent control, and improved hygiene.
- Similar protocol exists in the United States in the USDA guidelines for establishment responsibilities in inspecting pork.[1][2]
References
- ↑ Trichinellosis. CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/prevent.html. Accessed on January 26, 2016
- ↑ Trichinosis. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis. Accessed on January 22, 2016