Does freezing kill salmonella?

One of the concerns when eating chicken and other meats is the possibility of salmonella.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy way to tell if salmonella is present in the chicken you’re cooking, and this can be concerning (especially if you’ve had food poisoning before!)

One way to prevent the spread of salmonella in your food is to freeze it.

Does freezing kill salmonella?

Freezing can help kill some bacteria and germs and works to kill parasites, but it doesn’t kill salmonella. Salmonella, and most other bacteria, go into a dormant state when frozen, but become active again when food is thawed.

You can’t trust freezing alone to kill salmonella in meat, but the more you know about bacteria and meat preservation, the safer food preparation at home will be.

Does freezing food kill salmonella?

Salmonella is a widespread bacterium that lives in the intestines of animals, and the infection is spread when a person eats food or drinks water that has been contaminated with salmonella-containing feces.

If you are unfortunate enough to get salmonella, it can be a really unpleasant experience and can turn into a serious illness.

However, sometimes people infected with salmonella do not show any symptoms, but instead act as carriers.

If you do come down with salmonella, you may experience certain symptoms, such as stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. This could lead to dehydration.

To rid meat of salmonella, some people try freezing it, but unfortunately salmonella can survive freezing.

You can’t rid meat of salmonella by freezing alone, and even if the freezing process works to remove some of the salmonella, once the meat is thawed, the bacteria will start multiplying again and the meat will become dangerous to the human. consumption.

Don’t think you’ve rid your food of salmonella by freezing it alone, and you should follow other methods of food preparation to ensure food safety.

The positive of freezing meat

Although freezing food does not kill salmonella, freezing meat has other benefits. You can freeze the meat to make it safer for later consumption.

Here are the positive aspects of freezing meat:

prolonged storage

The obvious benefit of freezing meat is that you can keep it fresh for longer. Freezing meat allows you to store it for months, instead of just a few days in the fridge.

It’s safer to store meat in the freezer if you’re not going to cook and eat it right away, as freezing meat stops the growth of bacteria, keeping it in better condition for longer.

The freezing process does not kill the bacteria, but at least prevents it from multiplying further, preserving the meat.

parasites

If meat is frozen properly, below -4°F, any parasites or eggs contained in the meat will be killed. Also, the meat must be frozen for at least 7 days.

It is important to consider the temperature of your freezer, as some freezers do not reach a low enough temperature. However, cooking food thoroughly will kill parasites.

Does cooking meat kill salmonella?

Cooking food does kill salmonella. Food must be cooked to between 145 and 165°F for salmonella to go away.

However, if your food has been out for a long time or there has been a recall due to salmonella contamination, you shouldn’t rely on cooking to kill salmonella.

Sometimes food is too contaminated to save by cooking.

Food also needs to be thoroughly cooked to get rid of salmonella, and undercooked food can still carry the risk of containing salmonella and making you sick.

What foods can contain salmonella?

There are several types of food that can contain salmonella, and it’s not just limited to meat. Chicken is often the main culprit in transmitting salmonella and is the food people think of first when salmonella is mentioned.

Knowing the different foods that contain salmonella can help you prepare food more safely in the kitchen.

These are the foods that are most likely to transmit salmonella:

• Raw meat
• raw poultry
• undercooked meat
• Undercooked poultry
• raw eggs
• undercooked eggs

This list is quite short, but it is also a good idea to remember the meals or foods that may contain some of these ingredients.

This also includes cookie dough, which contains raw eggs. Lots of people like to enjoy a tablespoon or two of cookie dough before they’re baked, but this can be dangerous!

Vegetables and fruits, as well as processed items like nuts or even pet food, can also contain salmonella, and in some situations, you can get sick from these foods, but not as often as meat or raw or undercooked eggs.

Tips to prevent salmonella infection at home

There are some tips and procedures that can be followed at home to help prevent salmonella infections or decrease the chance that the bacteria will spread.

Wash your hands

Salmonella is spread through feces, so it is very important to wash your hands after using the bathroom, after coming into contact with pets and other animals, and after handling raw food. 

Just this simple practice can help prevent the spread of salmonella between different sources.

cook your food

The best way to kill salmonella and other bacteria is to cook your food properly.  Food should be cooked to between 145 and 165°F, which will kill salmonella.

Avoid storing food, or cooking it, in the danger zone, which is between 40-140°F. This temperature range is where bacteria thrive and where it can spread and make food unsafe to eat.

Maintain food hygiene

Maintaining proper food hygiene in the kitchen is another way to prevent salmonella from spreading in your home and on your food.

In addition to washing your hands frequently, be sure to wash cutting boards and knives and utensils that may come in contact with raw meat and raw eggs, and any other food that may be contaminated.

It’s a good idea to keep a separate cutting board for raw meat and fruit and vegetables to reduce the chance of cross-contamination.

Keep raw meat separate

After shopping, store raw meat separately from other foods. They can all be stored together in the fridge, but be sure to keep them stored on separate shelves.

It’s a good idea to keep it on the lower shelves of the fridge.

Don’t leave food out too long

You should not leave meat or other foods at risk of salmonella infection at room temperature for more than 2 hours. After 2 hours, bacteria can multiply rapidly and the risk of foodborne illness increases.

Bacteria grow faster in warmer environments, so the danger zone is between 40-140°F. If you’ve left the chicken out and it’s been 2 hours, cook it instead of freezing it.

If the chicken or meat has been sitting out for more than 2 hours then it is safer to throw it away.

Can cooked chicken contain salmonella?

If you’ve cooked the chicken well and done it to the recommended temperature to kill salmonella, it should no longer contain it.

However, if you leave the cooked chicken on the counter for too long, there is a chance that it could become recontaminated.

There is also the possibility of chicken coming into contact with salmonella bacteria again if cross-contamination with raw meat or eggs occurs.

For this reason, you shouldn’t leave cooked food off the counter for too long, and you should follow proper kitchen hygiene to reduce the chances of cross-contamination.

Related questions

Now that we’ve reviewed how freezing affects salmonella, let’s take a look at some related questions!

What temperature kills salmonella in eggs?

Eggs must be cooked to 160°F to be safe to eat. This temperature should kill salmonella, and when cooked to this point, the eggs should not be runny and should be cooked through.

Can cooking kill listeria?

Cooking food to 165°F can kill listeria. You have to be very careful with this and use a food thermometer (we recommend this one) to take the internal temperature of the food.

Can listeria grow in cooked food?

Listeria can grow at temperatures inside the refrigerator and can multiply rapidly at this temperature.

Listeria is commonly found in ready-to-eat processed meats, but if they are properly cooked and reheated well, the risk is reduced.