Minnesota has a history of Salmonella outbreaks starting from the year 1998. Last year Banquet pot pies caused 165 people to get infected with Salmonella and recently this year 31 cases were reported. Apparently, the people got infected with the bacteria after eating frozen chicken which they didn’t cook properly. The label on the package specifically stated that it contained undercooked meat and that it should be prepared in an oven. The people microwaved the chicken, believing that the food just used some heating up and that it was a pre-cooked meal.

Reading labels can save you from many discomforts, including from Salmonella infections. The frozen chicken was prepared under the form of Cordon Bleu or Chicken Kiev and it appeared to be already cooked, misleading the people into microwaving the product, though there were no microwave instructions on the label. Salmonella is a bacteria and it’s known for causing one of the most widespread foodbourne illnesses, Salmonellosis. The symptoms resemble the flu and if no complications occur, the illness is out of one’s system in approximately 7 days.

Reading the label and cooking your food properly, on the other hand, can save you 7 days of diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever. In order to efficiently prevent Salmonella infections you must remember to always wash your hands before and after cooking meat, prepare the meat in an oven at a temperature of 165 degrees F, refrigerate any meat products within 2 hours from the time you bought them and lastly, but equally important, always check the labels of the products for the expiration date and instructions.