Dried meat behind Australian Salmonella outbreak

This is part 1 of a 3-part series.

An unlicensed meat producer and poor hygiene at a restaurant played a role in a Salmonella outbreak in an Australian state, according to researchers.

Salmonella Reading is uncommon in Australia with a range of 102 to 137 notifications per year from 2017 to 2022.

In July 2023, 23 Salmonella Reading cases were identified in New South Wales (NSW) compared with a monthly average of two. Interviews found that most patients shared the same cultural background and reported dining at one restaurant or consuming a dried meat product purchased from South Asian grocery stores.