2.1.1.c. Food Safety

Food Safety

Refers to the assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.

Food Code

What U.S. model created by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the sale, manufacturing, and provision of food services and serves as a basis for food safety standards and sanitation inspections?

Food Hazard

Refers to the biological/microbiological, chemical, or physical agent in food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.

Biological, Physical, Chemical, and Allergen

What are the 4 major food hazards?

Pathogenic Bacteria

This refers to those bacteria that cause illness in humans.

Food Intoxication

Illness caused when toxin-producing bacteria grow in food and produce poison that remains in the food. The consumer ingests the preformed toxin.

Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium botulinum

What are the 2 common toxin-producing bacteria?

Food Infection

Bacterial foodborne illness in which living microorganisms are consumed, enter the body, colonize, and multiply.

Binary fission

Refers to the bacterial reproduction in which one bacterial cell divides into two bacterial cells.

20-30 minutes

Under optimum conditions, bacteria may reproduce by binary fission approximately every _____.

Time

Factors identified as affecting bacterial reproduction: temperature, water activity, pH, oxygen tension, and _____.

Staphylococcus aureus

What is the most common cause of foodborne illness in the Philippines, usually found on surfaces and skin?

Bacillus cereus

This foodborne bacterium produces two distinct syndromes: a diarrheal type characterized by watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps and an emetic type characterized mainly by nausea and vomiting. It is commonly associated with cooked rice and other starchy foods.

Campylobacter spp.

This foodborne bacterium is commonly acquired from raw or undercooked poultry, beef, pork, shellfish, and unpasteurized milk. Infection commonly produces watery diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, and muscle pain.

Clostridium botulinum

This anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium may contaminate improperly canned, preserved, or fermented foods. Its neurotoxin causes weakness, vertigo, double vision, difficulty speaking or swallowing, and progressive paralysis.

Clostridium perfringens

This spore-forming foodborne bacterium is commonly associated with meat, poultry, meat products, gravies, and foods prepared in large quantities and held at improper temperatures. Illness is characterized mainly by intense abdominal cramps and watery diarrhea.

Listeria monocytogenes

This foodborne bacterium is particularly associated with unpasteurized milk, soft-ripened cheeses, and refrigerated ready-to-eat foods. Severe infection may cause meningitis, encephalitis, septicemia, miscarriage, or other pregnancy complications.

Shigella spp.

These bacteria cause an intestinal infection characterized by abdominal pain, severe cramps, fever, diarrhea, and tenesmus, with stools that may contain blood, pus, or mucus.

Staphylococcus aureus

This foodborne bacterium produces a preformed enterotoxin in food, resulting in a rapid onset of severe nausea, vomiting, retching, abdominal cramps, and prostration, often with little or no fever.

Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1

This bacterium causes cholera, characterized by profuse acute watery diarrhea with “rice-water” stools and rapid dehydration. Seafood such as raw or recontaminated oysters, clams, and crabs may serve as vehicles of transmission.

Vibrio vulnificus

This marine Vibrio species may cause fever, chills, nausea, skin or wound infections, and life-threatening septicemia, especially in individuals with underlying chronic disease or immunosuppression.

Yersinia enterocolitica

This foodborne bacterium may be transmitted through meat, oysters, fish, and raw or unpasteurized milk and commonly produces fever, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.

Fungi

This kingdom consists of eukaryotic organisms with cell walls containing chitin and includes organisms such as yeasts, molds, and mushrooms.

Yeasts

These unicellular fungi are widely used in the fermentation of foods and beverages such as bread, beer, and wine, although some species can also contribute to food spoilage.

Mycotoxins

These are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain molds, particularly species belonging to genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Fusarium, and may contaminate foods and feeds.

Amanita

Which mushroom genus includes several species responsible for some of the most severe and fatal mushroom poisonings worldwide, including the death cap?

Amanitin

This potent mushroom toxin found in certain Amanita species inhibits essential cellular processes and can cause severe hepatic and renal injury, potentially resulting in death.

Amanita phalloides

Which highly poisonous mushroom species is commonly known as the “death cap” and contains potentially fatal amatoxins?

Little Brown Mushrooms

This informal group of small, brown, difficult-to-identify mushrooms, abbreviated LBM, includes some species that may contain dangerous toxins similar to those found in poisonous Amanita species.

False morels

These mushrooms resemble edible true morels but may contain toxic compounds that can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, neurologic effects, and potentially death.

Viruses

These infectious agents are much smaller than bacteria, cannot multiply in food, and can reproduce only after entering a living host cell.

Hepatitis A virus

This foodborne virus is commonly transmitted through fecally contaminated food or water, infected food handlers, and raw or undercooked shellfish. Infection may cause fever, weakness, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, and jaundice.

Norwalk-like virus

This highly contagious virus causes acute gastroenteritis characterized by nausea, vomiting, watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, and mild fever. Outbreaks are commonly associated with shellfish and food contaminated by infected food handlers.

Rotavirus

This virus is an important cause of acute gastroenteritis and severe diarrhea in infants and young children and may be transmitted through fecal contamination of food, water, hands, or surfaces.

Entamoeba histolytica

This intestinal protozoan causes amoebiasis or amoebic dysentery, which may present with bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. Invasive infection can spread to the liver and produce an amoebic liver abscess.

Cryptosporidium parvum

This protozoan parasite is transmitted through the fecal-oral route, including contaminated food and water, and may cause profuse watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever.

Giardia lamblia

This intestinal protozoan commonly causes foul-smelling or greasy stools, abdominal cramps, excessive gas, and bloating, particularly following ingestion of contaminated food or water.

Toxoplasma gondii

This protozoan parasite may be acquired from raw or undercooked meat or exposure to food, soil, or water contaminated with cat feces. Infection during pregnancy may cause congenital abnormalities, while severe disease may involve the brain and central nervous system.

Anisakis simplex and Pseudoterranova decipiens

These 2 parasitic roundworms are acquired by eating raw or undercooked marine fish or squid. Their larvae may penetrate the gastrointestinal tract and cause severe abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Ascaris lumbricoides

This large intestinal roundworm is acquired by ingesting eggs from fecally contaminated food, soil, or hands. Larval migration may cause pneumonitis, while a heavy intestinal worm burden can result in bowel obstruction. This is the causative agent of Ascariasis.

Trichinella spiralis

This parasitic roundworm is acquired from eating raw or inadequately cooked meat, particularly pork, containing encysted larvae. Infection may cause muscle pain, fever, and swelling around the eyes, with severe cases involving the heart or nervous system.

Taenia saginata

This intestinal tapeworm is acquired from eating raw or inadequately cooked beef containing larval cysts and is therefore commonly called the beef tapeworm.

Taenia solium

This tapeworm may be acquired from raw or inadequately cooked pork containing larval cysts and is commonly called the pork tapeworm.

Diphyllobothrium latum

This fish tapeworm is acquired through consumption of raw or undercooked freshwater fish and may compete with the host for vitamin B12, potentially leading to megaloblastic anemia.

Handwashing

A simple and effective practice that reduces the risk of spreading bacteria responsible for food poisoning and infectious diseases such as salmonellosis and hepatitis A.

20 seconds

What is the recommended length of time for applying and rubbing soap during the handwashing procedure?

Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus

Which molds particularly produce aflatoxins in foods?

Peanuts, tree nuts, corn, and copra

Which foods are specifically associated with aflatoxin contamination in the text?

They are highly toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins.

Why are aflatoxins an important food-safety concern?

Peanuts

Among the foods listed, which is particularly susceptible to aflatoxin contamination?

No. Many mycotoxins are resistant to heat and are not eliminated by normal food-preparation heating.

Can ordinary cooking reliably eliminate mycotoxins from contaminated food?

No. The remaining portion cannot be assumed to be free from mycotoxin.

Is trimming away the visibly moldy portion enough to ensure that the remaining food is free from mycotoxin?

Histamine

A protein degradation product formed particularly by decarboxylation of the amino acid histidine by decarboxylase.

Tuna, mahi-mahi, tambacol, and tulingan, mackerel and sardine family.

Which fish are particularly susceptible to histamine formation?

Scombroid poisoning

Consumption of fish containing excessive histamine results in what food poisoning?

Itchiness, urticaria, and symptoms resembling allergic reactions

What characteristic symptoms of scombroid poisoning?

Immediately ice the fish to lower its temperature to below 1°C

How should freshly harvested fish that will not immediately be cooked be handled to prevent histamine formation?

No. Histamine is heat-stable.

Does cooking destroy histamine once it has already formed in fish?

Puffer Fish (butete)

Which fish cited in the text naturally contains a potent nerve poison capable of causing death?

Fugu

What Japanese delicacy is prepared from puffer fish and requires special training to remove the poisonous parts?

Groupers, snapper, pompano, surgeon fish, and barracuda

Consumption of which reef fishes may lead to ciguatera poisoning?

Groupers, snapper, pompano, surgeon fish, and barracuda

Consumption of which reef fishes may lead to ciguatera poisoning?

Algae

What is the source of the poison responsible for ciguatera poisoning that are eaten by reef fishes?

Liver, intestines, and roe

In which parts of ciguatera-associated reef fish does the toxin tend to accumulate more than in muscle tissue?

Red Tide Toxins

These are shellfish toxins elaborated by certain algae, particularly during certain times of the year in affected waters.

Scallops, clams, and mussels

Which shellfish are specifically associated with red tide poisoning in the text?

Act as natural defense mechanisms

What general biological role do many naturally occurring toxins in plants serve?

It is ground under running water, drained and squeezed, then dried before further use.

How is cassava described as being processed to reduce its toxic constituents?

Steam heating at 100°C for 10 minutes

What treatment is given for soybeans to completely inactivate lectins according to the text?

Solanine

Which toxic substance is associated with green potatoes?

Chaconine

Which related glycoalkaloid is listed together with solanine in potatoes?

Lectins (hemagglutinins)

Which toxic substances in legumes may cause clumping of red blood cells and can be inactivated by cooking?

Jack beans, soybeans, winged beans, kidney beans, and other legumes

Which foods are listed as sources of lectins or hemagglutinins?

Clumping/agglutination of RBCs

What does hemagglutinin do to red blood cells?

Glucosinolates

Which plant compounds found in the cruciferae family are identified as goitrogens?

Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, and mustard

Which vegetables are listed as sources of glucosinolates?

Cyanogenic glycosides

Which toxic plant substances may serve as precursors of hydrogen cyanide?

Safrole

Which toxic alkyl benzene from sassafras oil is associated with liver damage?

Which toxic substance in nutmeg and mace is associated with a hallucinogenic effect?

Myristicin

Polyphenols (tannins)

Which compounds in most vegetables help plants resist pests and pathogens?

Quinines and coumarin

Which phenolic compounds from tonka beans are associated with liver damage and growth retardation?

Food Allergens

They are usually protein substances capable of causing specific reactions in susceptible individuals.

1. Milk

2. Fish

3. Shellfish

4. Nuts

5. Tree nuts

6. Soybean

7. Wheat

8. Eggs

9. Sesame

What are the Big 9 Allergens?

Hives and swelling, asthma, vomiting, abdominal pain, atopic eczema, and anaphylaxis

What symptoms may occur during a food-allergic reaction?

Aspartame

Which sweetener mentioned in the text must be identified because it is metabolized to phenylalanine?

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

In which metabolic disorder can phenylalanine accumulate to toxic levels?

Diethylstilbestrol

What hormone was banned because residues in milk were correlated with cervical cancer cases?

Food Additives

This refers to perform specific functions such as improving color or texture and preventing microbial growth.

Potassium nitrate

Which curing compound identified as saltpeter is stated to be no longer allowed for use in meat curing?

Generally Regarded as Safe

What does GRAS mean?

Boric acid

Which banned substance has been used illegally in pancit and sago?

Formalin

Which banned chemical has been illegally used to preserve fish and vegetables?

Sudan II

Which banned red food color is mentioned as still being found in some food items?

Grano

What coloring used for salted egg is stated in the text to have been banned but still be in current use?

Melamine

Which adulterant was added to milk products to artificially elevate their apparent protein content through increased nitrogen?

Sodium cyclamate

What substance is referred to as “magic sugar” in the text?

Minamata disease

What disease resulted from mercury contamination of Minamata Lake in Japan?

Stainless steel

Which material is recommended for food-contact surfaces because it is non-corrosive and non-reactive?

Corroded by acidic foods

Why is galvanized iron not recommended as a food-contact surface for acidic fruits and vegetables?

Physical Hazard

This refers to objects present in food that may cause injury, such as choking, cutting, or breaking of teeth.