Author: Christine Dantz

Last month, the Minnesota Department of Health announced they were investigating a salmonella outbreak linked to Nektar juice bar in Woodbury. At least nine people were sickened, but due to the nature of salmonella there’s a good chance that more patrons were afflicted. Symptoms of the bacteria can sometimes be either too mild to recognize as food poisoning or require medical attention. It should also be noted, that the nine customers stricken with salmonella symptoms reported ordering a variety of items including bowls, smoothies and juices. With such a variety of menu items attributed to this outbreak, the Department of Health has yet to determine the exact ingredient that spread the illness, What food safety training practices could have helped to prevent the recent salmonella outbreak?

Food Safety Training and Equipment Sanitation

While we’re not familiar with the specifics of the case, we do have a possible scenario that may have led to this outbreak which sickened at least nine and hospitalized two. A gap in food safety training when it comes to sanitizing equipment may have been a factor in this outbreak.

In juice bars, the same blender or preparation surface are often used for many different purposes, so there may have been a lack in sanitation in between serving customers. If an ingredient was unknowingly compromised with salmonella bacteria and this bacteria contaminated any piece of equipment or preparation surface then it could have easily spread to other items containing different ingredients. It’s not necessarily required to sanitize every surface that comes into contact with vegetable matter if that surface is going to be used immediately for another type of fruit or vegetable, but it may be a wise precaution. The same goes for equipment such as wand blenders and mixers. If a contaminated leafy green was prepared on a cutting board which was then immediately used to chop carrots, no food safety training principle was violated, but yet salmonella could have spread to an ingredient that was not previously contaminated.

So how do food safety managers prevent these kinds of contamination? Here’s a few brief tips:

• Sanitize all surfaces after use
• Invest in more equipment if certain preparation tools are used frequently
• Take the time to sanitize equipment after every order

It’s important to note that Nektar Juice Bar did do the right thing after this incident came to light. As soon as the outbreak was traced back to their location, they restocked their ingredient supply and took the time to completely sanitize their establishment. Are you prepared to prevent foodborne illness due to equipment contamination?