Can You Get Food Poisoning from Pork Sausages?

Sausages are a beloved food enjoyed around the world. From breakfast links to hearty kielbasa these cylindrical meats add flavor and texture to many dishes. While properly cooked pork sausages are generally safe, undercooked sausages can potentially cause foodborne illness. Let’s take a closer look at how sausages are made what risks they may pose, and how to safely handle and cook them.

How Are Sausages Made?

Sausages consist of ground or chopped meat fat salt, spices, and other ingredients mixed together and stuffed into a casing. Casings can be made from animal intestines, collagen, or artificial materials.

Most sausages are made with pork, but they can also be made with beef, chicken, turkey, or other meats. Before being pressed into links, the raw meat and fat are ground up and mixed with spices. After that, the sausages are fully cooked until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F. This kills all germs.

After cooking, sausages may be smoked, cured, or dried. Smoking imparts flavor while drying helps preserve the sausages. Some types, like pepperoni and salami, get their tangy flavor from being fermented by good bacteria.

Can Undercooked Sausages Cause Food Poisoning?

Yes, undercooked pork sausages can potentially cause foodborne illnesses. Raw pork may be contaminated with pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli, and others. Thorough cooking kills these germs, but eating undercooked sausage allows them to survive.

One of the most common ways to get sick from eating animal foods like pork is with salmonella. Symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps usually start 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food and last for 4 to 7 days.

Listeria infection or listeriosis is rarer but particularly dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems. It can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or severe illness in high-risk groups. Healthy people may experience fever, muscle aches, nausea, and diarrhea.

Other types of pathogenic bacteria may also be present if contamination occurs during processing. Always cook sausages thoroughly to an internal temperature of 160°F as measured by a food thermometer.

Proper Handling and Cooking of Sausages

To avoid illness, it’s important to handle and prepare sausages properly:

• Store sausages correctly: Keep sausages refrigerated at 40°F or below. Use within 1-2 days of purchase or freeze for longer storage.

• Avoid cross-contamination: Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw sausages. Wash hands, surfaces, and tools after working with raw meats.

• Cook thoroughly: Heat sausages to an internal temperature of 160°F. Use a food thermometer to check doneness.

• Don’t reuse marinades: Marinades used on raw meats can harbor bacteria and should be discarded.

• Cook before eating: Don’t taste or eat raw sausage mixtures before cooking. Wait until fully cooked.

• Reheat safely: Heat cooked sausages to 165°F or until steaming hot before serving.

Can Smoking and Curing Kill Bacteria?

Smoking and curing can help reduce bacteria levels through the use of salt, nitrites, and the drying action of smoke. However, these processes don’t guarantee the complete elimination of pathogens.

While smoking uses low consistent heat over time, it doesn’t heat the sausages to the high temperatures needed to fully destroy bacteria. And even many cured sausages are not cooked to 160°F internally. So smoked or cured sausages may still pose a small risk if consumed raw.

For maximum safety, it’s advisable to fully cook all sausages to 160°F before eating, regardless of other processing methods used. Reheating cooked smoked or cured sausages to 165°F further reduces any bacteria that may survive.

Can Pre-Cooked Sausages Cause Food Poisoning?

Pre-cooked sausages like hot dogs and breakfast links have already been cooked to 160°F so they are safe to eat. However, they can still pose a risk if handled improperly after cooking.

Once opened, pre-cooked sausages should be refrigerated and used within 1-2 weeks. Discard any with an off smell or sliminess, which are signs of spoilage.

Before serving, pre-cooked sausages should be reheated to 165°F or until steaming to kill any bacteria that may have multiplied during storage. Don’t leave them sitting out for more than 2 hours.

As long as they are stored properly and reheated to safe temperatures before serving, pre-cooked sausages shouldn’t cause foodborne illness.

How to Tell if You Have Food Poisoning

Symptoms of food poisoning may include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Abdominal cramps and diarrhea
• Fever and chills
• Fatigue and muscle aches
• Persistent headache

Symptoms typically begin within 1-3 days of eating contaminated food. The illness runs its course over a period of a few days to a week.

See a doctor if symptoms are severe or prolonged. Food poisoning can lead to dehydration, especially in vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

Let your doctor know if you suspect food poisoning. Stool samples may be collected to identify the source of infection. Most cases resolve on their own with rest and fluids, but some may require medical treatment.

Contact the USDA if you believe contaminated sausages made you ill. They can investigate food poisoning outbreaks linked to regulated products.

How to Prevent Food Poisoning from Sausages

You can avoid foodborne illnesses from sausages by:

• Cooking to safe internal temperatures. Use a food thermometer.

• Refrigerating sausages promptly and discarding after 1-2 days.

• Reheating cooked sausages to 165°F before serving.

• Using separate tools and surfaces for raw and cooked foods.

• Avoiding cross-contamination of ready-to-eat foods.

• Washing hands and surfaces frequently when working with raw meats.

• Refrigerating or freezing sausages within 2 hours of purchase.

• Thawing sausages safely in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave.

• Checking ingredient labels and discarding by use-by dates.

With proper handling, storage, and cooking, pork sausages can be enjoyed safely. But always remember to use a food thermometer and cook sausages to 160°F to eliminate the risk of foodborne pathogens. Taking safe food handling steps can help prevent illness and allow you to appreciate the iconic taste and versatility of sausages.