Harmful bacteria can survive in your favorite cookies for as long as six months, according to a research which was published in the Journal of Food Protection.
Scientists carried out the research to help solve the increasing number of outbreaks of foodborne diseases that has been associated with the consumption of dry food.
Led researcher, Larry Beuchat, from the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences said, "There have been an increased number of outbreaks of diseases associated with consumption of contaminated dry foods. We wouldn't expect salmonella to grow in foods that have a very dry environment."
Beuchat and study co-author David Mann used five different serotypes of salmonella that had been isolated from food associated in previous disease outbreaks. Focusing on the people's favorite- cookie and cracker sandwiches- experts placed the salmonella into four types of fillings that are commonly found in cookies and crackers and stored it.
They used chocolate and vanilla fillings for the cookies while cheese and peanut butter for the crackers.
After storing the subjects, researchers found out that there was a survival in all types of fillings, but salmonella survived longer in some type of fillings, Beuchat said.
"The salmonella didn't survive as well in the cracker sandwiches as it did in the cookie sandwiches," explained by Beuchat. Further adding that they also discovered that in some cases, the pathogen survived for at least six months in the sandwiches.
After the conducted research, scientists concluded that that some foodborne pathogens can "survive for unusual lengths of time in dry foods," Beuchat said.
Now, researchers are looking forward to test all ingredients that are commonly used in making these food. Beuchat added, if ever there is a possibility that foodborne pathogens are present in some particular ingredients, they will start a campaign to stop using those specific ingredients to protect people from the foodborne disease.
