Usually soups are heated and served hot, but some soups are served cold or chilled. Improper preparation or handling of a cold soup allows for transmission of foodborne pathogens.
A cold or chilled soup:
(1) may have ingredients which degrade on heating so are never heated
(2) may be served cold after a boiling step
(3) may be eaten cold since there is no way of heating
Pathogen
Risk
Bacillus cereus or other Bacillus species
failure to kill spores by boiling plus inadequate chilling
Clostridium perfringens or other Clostridial species
failure to kill spores by boiling plus inadequate chilling
norovirus
failure to kill by boiling
Yersinia, Listeria, Campylobacter
cold tolerant
Salmonella, E. coli and other enteric bacteria
failure to kill by boiling plus inadequate chilling
Risk factors for infection:
(1) failure to follow heating step in preparation
(2) failure to keep cold at any stage
(3) use of potentially contaminated components (vegetables, dairy, seafood)
(4) use of contaminated, untreated water
(5) contamination during preparation
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