Anyone who enjoys potluck dinners, church suppers, and other gatherings where people bring food to be shared with a crowd is familiar with the ubiquitous casserole.  This dish, in any of its many versions, has become so common that it’s often taken for granted.  No matter who makes or serves it, though, attention to safe food handling procedures is a must.  A recent outbreak of bacterial infection, which made 200 Wisconsin jail inmates sick, emphasizes that point.

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigators discovered the bacterium, Clostridium perfringens, in a casserole made from ground meat and macaroni left over from a previous meal.  C. perfringens causes abdominal cramps and diarrhea that starts between 6 to 24 hours after ingestion.

Although most organisms associated with food are killed during cooking, it’s not unusual for a few of them to remain alive once cooking is complete.  When food isn’t cooled and stored properly, these remaining organisms can multiply to the point of causing food poisoning.

Investigators say the casserole in question may not have been cooled properly, reheated adequately, or the leftover meat and macaroni from which it was made was not handled or stored safely, according to the February 20 edition of ‘Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report’ published by the CDC.  The report comes with the warning that all meats and foods made from meat must be handled according to “stringent food-preparation procedures” to avoid the risk of illness.  Safe food handling procedures are especially important any time food is made hours in advance of serving time.

CDC data indicates about 250,000 cases of diarrheal illness in the US each year are caused by the C. perfringens bacterium.