Salmonella can survive in dry foods such as cookies and crackers for months at a time, according to a recent study.
Researchers from the University of Georgia analyzed five strains of salmonella that were isolated from low-moisture foods involved in previous outbreaks.
The bacteria were placed into four types of fillings used in cracker and cookie sandwiches — cheese and peanut butter for the crackers and chocolate and vanilla frosting for the cookies.
Although the salmonella survived for longer stretches in cookies than in crackers, scientists said that the bacteria persisted in all cases — and in some, for as long as six months.
"That was not expected," said Larry Beuchat of the university's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
The study, published in the Journal of Food Protection, was prompted by a rising number of outbreaks stemming from drier foods where scientists generally "wouldn't expect salmonella to grow."
Beuchat recommended that scientists test all ingredients used in those foods for their capacity to sustain foodborne pathogens, and that "the next step would be to stop the use of those ingredients."
