E. coli (Escherichia coli)

Description

Everyone is welcome at a barbecue.. or are they? A hilarious gag gift for cooks, foodies and doctors. Serves as a great reminder to practice safe food and handling.

Named after the Austrian physician who discovered it in 1885, Escherichia coli is a bacterium that naturally lives in the intestines of healthy animals and humans. However, there are strains of E. coli, specifically, O157:H7, that cause food poisoning. Faeces can contaminate food with E. coli through runoff and improper sterilization. Water, raw vegetables, undercooked ground beef, and unpasteurized milk are the most common E. coli offenders. Its peritrichous flagella (the hairs which can sprout anywhere on its body) can twirl around, propelling it forward at the bacterial-equivalent speed of a torpedo.