Prevention & Control

The best way to prevent trichinellosis is to cook meat to safe temperaturesexternal icon. A food thermometer should be used to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Do not sample meat until it is cooked.

In addition:

• Wash your hands with warm water and soap after handling raw meat.
• Curing (salting), drying, smoking, or microwaving meat alone does not consistently kill infective worms; homemade jerky and sausage were the cause of many cases of trichinellosis reported to CDC in recent years.
• Freeze pork less than 6 inches thick for 20 days at 5°F (-15°C) to kill any worms.
• Freezing wild game meats, unlike freezing pork products, may not effectively kill all worms because some worm species that infect wild game animals are freeze-resistant.
• Clean meat grinders thoroughly after each use.

More on: Fight BAC: Safe Food Handlingexternal icon

To help prevent Trichinella infection in animal populations, do not allow pigs or wild animals to eat uncooked meat, scraps, or carcasses of any animals, including rats, which may be infected with Trichinella.