Chicken and vegetables are primary Salmonella sources in US

Researchers have identified that chicken and vegetables are the main sources of Salmonella infections in the United States. Their study found that these two food items account for 73% of human cases with known sources. This information is important for improving food safety measures. The research team used advanced techniques like genome sequencing and machine learning. They analyzed data from over 18,000 Salmonella samples, which included food and animal sources. This study is significant because traditional methods only tracked about 5% of Salmonella cases. The new genomic approach provides clearer insights into how Salmonella spreads. In the analysis, chicken contributed 34% of infections, while vegetables were responsible for 30%. When uncertain cases were excluded, chicken alone accounted for 46% of infections. Other sources like turkey and pork also played roles, but less significantly. The study emphasized the importance of targeting chicken and fresh produce in efforts to reduce Salmonella. The model used in the research achieved high accuracy, especially with chicken, suggesting that it can be an effective tool for tracking foodborne illnesses. Moving forward, researchers hope to widen their data pool to include more diverse sources, further enhancing the effectiveness of food safety strategies.