The Public Health Agency of Canada has put out a couple of warnings.

The first involves an investigation into an outbreak of Salmonella cases, including four in Alberta, from raw chicken or raw breaded chicken products. Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Individuals became sick between April and May of this year. The majority of cases (71%) are male. The average age of cases is 26 years.

Based on the investigation findings to date, exposure to frozen raw breaded chicken products has been identified as a source of illness.

The agency says the risk to Canadians is low and illnesses can be avoided if safe food handling, preparation and cooking practices are followed.

They suggest:

While frozen raw breaded chicken products may appear to be pre-cooked or browned, they contain raw chicken and should be handled and prepared no differently from other raw poultry products. If you are preparing frozen raw breaded chicken products, such as nuggets, strips or burgers, the following precautions should be taken to protect your health:

· Do not eat raw or undercooked frozen breaded chicken products. Cook all frozen breaded products to an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F) to ensure they are safe to eat.

· Because of uneven heating, microwave cooking of frozen raw breaded poultry products including chicken nuggets, strips or burgers is not recommended. Always follow package cooking instructions, including products labelled Uncooked, Cook and Serve, Ready to Cook, and Oven Ready.

· Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and after handling frozen raw breaded chicken products.
· Use a separate plate, cutting board and utensils when handling frozen raw breaded chicken products to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.
· Use a digital food thermometer to verify that frozen raw breaded chicken products have reached at least 74°C (165°F). Insert the digital food thermometer through the side of the product, all the way to the middle. Oven-safe meat thermometers that are designed for testing whole poultry and roasts during cooking are not suitable for testing nuggets, strips or burgers.

Symptoms:

Symptoms of a Salmonella infection, called salmonellosis, typically start 6 to 72 hours after exposure to Salmonella bacteria from an infected animal or contaminated product.
Symptoms include:
fever
chills
diarrhea
abdominal cramps
headache
nausea
vomiting

The symptoms usually last for four to seven days. In healthy people, salmonellosis often clears up without treatment. In some cases, severe illness and hospitalization may occur

The Public Health Agency has also put out a reminder about the safe handling of flour to avoid E coli contamination.

Flour is derived from grain, which is grown in fields where it can come in contact with bacteria from soil, water or animal waste.

Flour is a raw ingredient intended to be consumed cooked.

What to do to protect your health:
Do not taste raw dough or batter or any other product containing uncooked flour. Eating a small amount could make you sick.
Bake or cook items made with raw dough or batter before eating them.
Do not use raw flour in non-baked goods or a non-baked product, such as children's play-dough.
Always use hot water and soap to wash any bowls, utensils or surfaces that flour was used on.
Wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately after touching flour, raw dough or batter.

Best practices for cooking with flour
Keep raw foods, including flour products, separate from other foods while preparing them to prevent cross-contamination.
Use separate bowls, measuring cups and utensils to keep flour, raw dough and raw batter separate from ready-to-eat food.
Do not add flour to foods that will not be cooked, such as milkshakes and ice-cream mixes.
Bake or cook items containing flour, including flour used for thickening.
Follow package directions on products such as cake mixes for proper cooking temperatures and specified times.

People infected with E. coli can have a wide range of symptoms. Some people do not get sick at all, although they can still spread the infection to others. Others may get an upset stomach or become seriously ill requiring hospitalization.

Symptoms:
Symptoms of E. coli can appear within one to ten days after contact with the bacteria, and include:

Severe stomach cramps
Watery or bloody diarrhea
Vomiting
Nausea
Headache

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