Food Safety: Healthy Populations Block 5 Exam

food safety definition

prevent unintentional contamination and foodborne illnesses

food defense definition

protect foo from intentional contamination to cause harm or economic disruption

food security definition

access to safe and nutritious food

food protection definition

all necessary actions to keep food safe, prevent contamination, and ensure quality

farm to fork definition

entire food production process from growing/raising food on farm to ending up on plate

Food supply veterinarians description

focus on health of food animals and ensure safety, wholesomeness, and security of entire food chain, by preventing animal diseases, monitoring production, inspecting products, and controlling hazard for public health

Key roles of Food Supply Veterinarians

• animal health and welfare

• disease prevention

• food safety

• public health

• regulatory oversight

• research and development

Daniel Salmon

• named first chief of Bureau of animal industry

• first graduate of US veterinary school

• described Salmonella choleraesuis

Barnard Bang

• described tuberculin test allowing widespread testing of dairy cattle

• identified brucella abortus as cause of bovine brucellosis

FDA Food Safety Responsibilities

• regulates most of the food supply

• regulates Grade A milk

• regulates whole eggs

• regulates livestock feed additives

• regulates produce

• discusses drug withdrawal times and recordkeeping

FSIS Food Safety Responsibilities

• enforces through physical inspections

• regulates egg products

• regulates cow, sheep, pig, chicken, turkey, and goat meat products

• conducts antemortem inspections

• inspect meat, poultry, and eggs imported into US from other countries

Federal acts and regulations for food safety

• federal meat inspection act

• federal poultry inspection act

• humane methods of livestock slaughter act

Federal requirements for food safety

• ante and post mortem inspection

• sanitation standard operating procedures

• hazard analysis critical control points plan

• microbiological and residue testing

Federal mark of inspection for food safety

US inspected and passed + establishment number

federal shipments for food safety once inspected

• interstate commerce

• international

State authorities for food safety

sate code and regulations

State requirements for food safety

at least equal to federal requirements

State shipment of food safety once inspected

intrastate commerce

Exception to state food safety requirements

custom-exempt slaughter, personal use of owner, physical inspection not required

foodborne illness

• preventable public health challenge

• causes 48 million illnesses and 3000 deaths each year in US

• comes from eating contaminated food

• symptoms occur within minutes to weeks

• YOPI at risk

common microorganisms that cause foodborne illness

• camplyobacteriosis

  • bacteria associated with kittens, puppies, poultry, livestock, and unpasteurized milk

• cryptosporidiosis

  • parasite associated with claves, goat kids, and lambs

• E coli 0157 and hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

  • bacteria associated with cattle, goats, sheep, and unpasteurized milk

• Salmonellosis

  • bacteria associated with reptiles, baby chicks, adult poultry, livestock, dogs, cats, and unpasteurized milk

• Listeria

  • bacteria associated with ruminants, rodents, dogs, cats, and birds. Found in soil, water, silage, milk, cheese, feces, sewage, and foodstuffs

Camplyobacter

• one of most common bacterial causes of diarrheal illness in US

• cases occur as isolated sporadic events, not large outbreaks

• outbreaks associated with poultry, raw dairy, seafood, untreated water, produce, and puppies

• many food animals show no signs of illness when carrying disease

• carried in intestines, liver, and organs of animals and transferred when slaughtered

• Animal feces contaminates milk, fruits, vegetables, and water

Cryptosporidium

• parasite causes diarrheal illness

• common waterborne illness

• most common cause of recreational water illness in US

• passed in stool of an infected person or animal

• parasite protected by outer shell allowing it to survive outside body for long periods of time (highly resistant to chlorine)

E coli 0157:H7

• illness associated with eating undercooked contaminated ground beef

• produce items contaminated through contact with cattle feces in field

• person-to-person contact common cause of spread

• infection occurs after drinking raw milk or swimming in contaminated water

Salmonella

• bacterial infection

• live in intestinal tract of animals (birds)

• transmitted to humans by eating food contaminated with feces

• found in water, food, soil, or contaminated surfaces

• chicks and ducks

Listeria

• hardy pathogens

• spread to and from food

• once gets in facility difficult to remove

• replicates in food kept in refrigerator

• killed by heating food

• common foods contaminated

  • soft cheese, ice cream, raw milk, deli meat, prepated meats, pate and cold-smoked fish, sprouts, melons

• invasive vs intestinal illness

three times to prevent foodborne illness

1. pre-harvest

2. processing

3. post-harvest

sources of pathogens that cause foodborne illness

• personnel

• vectors

• rodents

• insects

• birds

• feed

• water

• compost

farm level interventions to prevent foodborne disease

• biosecurity

• vaccines

• competitive exclusion

• environmental controls

• feed contamination reduction

livestock quality assurance programs characteristics

• producer-driven

• ensure production of safe, high quality, and wholesome meat and dairy products

• prioritize animal welfare

• aide in consumer confidence

• enhances herd health and reduces losses from injuries or illness

• processors require QA certification for purchased animals

Livestock Quality Assurance Programs

• Beef Quality Assurance

• Youth for the Quality Care of Animals

• Pork Quality Assurance Plus

• Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance

• Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization

Quality Assurance Core Components

• animal welfare

• food safety

• traceability and record-keeping

• biosecurity

Good agriculture practices

• food safety program addresses interventions to reduce pathogens

• eliminate pathogens from irrigation water

• restriction of cattle near sources of irrigation water

Critical Control Point

• step in manufacturing process where food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to safe levels

• fundamental part of hazard analysis critical control point plan

• requires monitoring and documentation

• differ based on food type and identified hazards

Common CCP’s in pre-harvest

• water quality monitoring

• agriculture chemicals/pesticides

• manure application management

• poultry/livestock interventions

• supplier/field audits

• pre-slaughter inspection

Residue avoidance goal

preventing illegal drug or antibiotic residues in meat, milk, and eggs

Ways to comply with residue avoidance

• withdrawal times

• record keeping

• veterinary oversight

• extra-label drug use control

• identification

• food animal residue avoidance database

• national residue program

antimicrobial stewardship practices

• judicious use in livestock

• veterinary client patient relationship

• pre-harvest food safety interventions

• on-farm monitoring and surveillance

criteria for fitness to ship

• must bear weight on all four legs

• BCS >2

• fever free

• withdrawal periods respected

• don’t ship within last 10% of gestation or those likely to give birth

• lactating cow should be milked just prior to transport

custom slaughter considerations

• exempt from meat and poultry inspection act

• must own animals at least 30 days before slaughter

• cannot sell meat

• should be clean, cold, and cover

custom slaughter risk prevention practices

• clean and sanitize equipment

• separate carcass from contaminants

• animal prep

• contamination check carcass

• safe handling and PPE