In one month, two health scandals have blunted consumer confidence in the food industry.
In March, the presence of E. coli bacteria in frozen pizzas Fraîch'Up, of the Buitoni brand, led to several serious cases of contamination, especially in children.
Monday evening, the Ferrero group recalled four Kinder ranges.
In question, another bacterium: salmonella.
21 cases of salmonellosis have so far been identified, and eight consumers have been hospitalized.
Again, children are the most affected, the fault of a less mature immune system.
Also read E.
coli in Buitoni pizzas: this mother almost lost her four-year-old son
Salmonellosis results in a classic gastroenteritis.
Symptoms – diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, sometimes fever – appear a day or two after ingesting the contaminated product.
“It is the first cause of human food poisoning, underlines Dr. Thierry Naas, from the microbiology department at Bicêtre hospital (AP-HP).
It heals on its own in most cases, but there can be complications in children under 2 years old, the elderly or immunocompromised”.
For these fragile profiles, it is better to consult a doctor.
Also watch out for vegetables.
Salmonella is found in the digestive tract of farm animals, cows, chickens... It can thus be found in meat, eggs, milk and raw milk cheeses.
The E. coli bacterium is also naturally present in animals and in our digestive tract.
But some strains produce toxins, which makes it much more dangerous than salmonella.
Diarrhea can be bloody, and toxins have “a tropism for red blood cells, continues Thierry Naas.
In the most severe cases, they will cause microclots which can obstruct the vessels in the kidneys, creating kidney failure.
These symptoms occur after three or four days.
You should then consult immediately.
When it occurs, the disease is treated by dialysis,
transfusion and rehydration.
“In 70% of cases, we recover without sequelae.
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To protect yourself as much as possible, you must cook the minced meat well, because the bacteria lodges there everywhere, wash your hands after touching meat or raw vegetables, and above all do not cut vegetables right away after preparing raw meat, without first cleaning the board and the knife.
Vegetables themselves can contain these microorganisms: in 2011, the Eceh bacteria, which killed 22 people in Germany, came from soybean sprouts.
“Cow excrement is transformed into liquid manure, which is spread on vegetable crops,” explains infectious disease specialist Benjamin Davido.
Everything also depends on the quantity swallowed: "Stomach acidity plays a primary role in killing a certain number of bacteria, this filter should be sufficient if you swallow a small portion".
