Summer Health Food Samgyetang: "Beware of Campylobacter Food Poisoning"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] As the consumption of chicken dishes such as Samgyetang, a popular summer health food, increases, health authorities have issued a warning about Campylobacter jejuni (Campylobacter) food poisoning that can occur through chicken.

On the 23rd, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety urged special caution as Campylobacter jejuni (hereafter Campylobacter) food poisoning can occur due to cross-contamination during the handling and cooking process of raw chicken.

Campylobacter bacteria can be transmitted from animals to humans, causing zoonotic infectious diseases, and are widely distributed in the intestines of various wild animals and livestock. The carrier rate is especially high in chickens, turkeys, pigs, cattle, and cats, and intestinal proliferation easily occurs in poultry with body temperatures higher than humans. While most bacteria grow well at 37 degrees Celsius, Campylobacter bacteria proliferate well at 42 degrees Celsius and are heat-sensitive, dying within one minute at 70 degrees Celsius.

According to the monthly Campylobacter food poisoning occurrence status over the past five years, 37% of patients (880 people) were concentrated in July. The most common occurrence site was school cafeterias at 47%, followed by other group cafeterias outside schools (23%), others (21.7%), and restaurants (8.6%).

The main causative foods were meat (43.3%), unknown (42%), and vegetables (11.1%), according to the investigation.

The symptoms of Campylobacter food poisoning differ significantly from other bacterial food poisonings. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 7 days and can last up to 10 days. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain, followed by vomiting and abdominal pain. Diarrhea symptoms appear several hours to two days later.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety advises that to prevent Campylobacter food poisoning, raw chicken should be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator and kept on the bottom shelf.

When preparing raw chicken, wash vegetables, meat, fish, and then raw chicken in that order, and cook thoroughly to ensure it is fully heated inside. Before washing raw chicken, clean the surrounding area to prevent contamination of washed vegetables and cooking utensils.

Hands that have handled raw chicken must be washed with soap or detergent before handling other ingredients, and knives and cutting boards used for chicken should be used separately from other ingredients. If it is difficult to use separate cooking utensils, knives and cutting boards should be thoroughly washed or disinfected each time the type of ingredient is changed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.