AboutCarol Schlitt Expertise I can answer questions on home food safety, sanitation, home food preservation and commercial food safety (HACCP).
Experience I am an Extension educator, nutrition, wellness and food safety. I am a certified HACCP manager and a food safety instructor for the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Organizations International Association for Food Protection, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (Certified CFCS), National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Society for Nutrition Education.
Education/Credentials BS - University of Illinois
MS - Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Question will I get sick from eating a few bites of NOT fully cooked ham
Answer Hi Karen,
There is no difinitive answer to this question. The ham you consumed could be perfectly safe even when eaten completely raw if the bacteria present were of insufficient numbers to make you sick.
Cooking meats like ham lessen the chances for food borne illness as well as improve the keeping quality and flavor of the product. However, you can become ill from eating fully cooked meat if it is handled improperly -- ie left at room temperature an extended length of time, exposed to bacteria by an infected food worker, etc.
There are no guarantees that cooking meat will make it 100% safe -- only that it increases your odds of making it safer to consume.
I hope this answered your question, Karen. If you have additional questions, please let me know.
