CHEM131 - Unit 2

What best describes intentional adulteration?

With an ideologically driven motivation to “HARM” and an economically driven motivation to “GAIN,” it can be made up of food fraud and food defense

What best describes unintentional/accidental adulteration?

Science-based food borne illnesses that typically involve food quality, sanitation, and safety

What is true of foodborne diseases/outbreaks/

Worldwide, there are over 1 billion cases that occur per year and over 5 million children die each year from foodborne diseases

What costs can be associated with foodborne diseases?

Medical cost and loss of productivity

What costs can be associated with contaminated products economically?

Production losses, loss of business, negative media exposure, product recall, and product liability

What best describes the relevance of foodborne diseases?

About 1 in 6 (48 million) people in the US get sick each year from contaminated food, more than 250 pathogens and toxins cause foodborne illness, there are about 3000 deaths each year, and foodborne illnesses cost about $15.5 billion each year

What is a foodborne disease outbreak?

An incident in which two or more persons experience a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food

What are the documented outbreaks of foodborne diseases between 1971-2018?

21,929 outbreaks, 423,735 illnesses, 18,308 hospitalizations (4.3%), and 436 deaths (1.0%)

What are some potential causes of outbreaks in foodborne diseases?

Contaminated food or drinks, consumption of raw products (i.e., raw milk), and temperature abuse that lead to microbial growth

What is an example of the timeline of an investigation of a foodborne outbreak?

Person is exposed to salmonella (1-3 days to illness), person becomes ill (1-5 days to health care), stool sample is requested (1-3 days to diagnosis), salmonella identified (0-7 day shipping time), public health receives salmonella strain (2-10 days for stereotyping and DNA fingerprinting), and case is reported as part of outbreak

What are some types of foodborne outbreaks?

Local, statewide or regional, and national

What is an example of a local outbreak?

A contaminated casserole is served at a community supper causes an outbreak among local residents

What is an example of a statewide or regional outbreak?

A contaminated batch of beef is sold at several locations of a grocery store chain leads to illnesses in several countries

What is an example of a national outbreak?

Contaminated produce from one farm is shipped to grocery stores nationwide and sickens hundreds of people in many states

What are some ways to stop a foodborne outbreak?

Health officials warning the public, companies recalling contaminated products, and the temporary closure of restaurants or food production facilities

What is true of the evolution of ways to stop a foodborne outbreak?

Health officials do not solve every outbreak; sometimes outbreaks end before enough information is gathered to identify the likely source — officials are constantly developing new ways to investigate and solve outbreaks faster

What is true of the Escherichia coli outbreak between 1992 and 1993?

Involving Jack in the Box, there were 500 cases caused by O157:H7, leading up to 4 days that changed the way Americans look at food safety

What is true of the Escherichia coli outbreak between 1992 and 1993?

Involving Germany, it occurred in 2011 with organic fenugreek sprouts in which there were 3950 cases caused by O104:H4 and 53 deaths as a result of a combination of unfortunate events — enteroaggregative strain capable of producing Shiga toxin, antibiotic resistance

What best describes the 2008 salmonella outbreak?

It involved cantaloupes with 51 cases across 16 states that led to 16 hospitalizations

What best describes the 2008-2009 salmonella outbreak?

It involved Peter Pan creamy peanut butter with 714 cases across 46 states that led to 328 hospitalizations and 9 deaths

What best describes the 2015 salmonella outbreak?

It involved cucumbers with 907 cases across 40 states that led to 204 hospitalizations and 6 deaths

What did the salmonella outbreaks open?

A precedent to criminal punishment for processors

What best describes the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in 2011?

Occurring with cantaloupes, it involves 147 cases across 28 states with 143 hospitalizations and 33 deaths as a result of Jasen Farms, CO

What best describes the Listeria monocytogenes outbreak in 2015-2016?

Occurring with classical romaine, it involves 19 cases in the US across both the U.S. (9 states) and Canada (5 provinces) with 19 US hospitalizations and 4 deaths (1 in U.S. and 3 in Canada) as a result of repeated violations of GMPs

What is a recall?

A voluntary action by a manufacturer or distributor to protect the public from products that may cause health problems

What is a Class I recall?

A situation in which there is a reasonable probability that eating the food will cause health problems or death

What is a Class II recall?

A potential situation in which there is a remote probability of adverse health consequences from eating the food

What is a class III recall?

A situation in which eating the food will not cause adverse health consequences

What are the prevention steps for an outbreak/recall?

Food safety inspections by government agencies, maximize domestical and international compliance with food safety policies, enhance public education and outreach regarding food safety, and implement food safety systems

What are some of food safety systems (or Good manufacturing practices)?

FSMA preventative controls, HACCP, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), global gap, safe quality food 1000 & 2000,

What does HACCP, a food safety system, stand for?

Hazard, analysis, critical, control, and points

What are the principles of HACCP?

Hazard analysis, determination of the critical control point, determine the critical limit, establish monitoring procedures, establish corrective actions, establish verification procedures, and establish recordkeeping and documentation

What can hazards in foods be?

Physical (Pieces of bones in fish product), biological (Harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites), and chemical (mercury in fish or allergens)

What is risk determined by?

Exposure to a hazard (how much? how long? how often?)

What best describes a naturally occurring chemical hazard?

Toxins produced by plants or animals, such as poisonous neurotoxins in mushrooms or scrombotoxins in fish

What best describes a intentionally added chemical hazard?

Chemicals added to food that are beyond the acceptable limits established by the FDA and its regulations and is used to achieve certain technological functions (preservatives, colors), such as sodium nitrite in meats

What best describes an unintentionally added chemical hazard?

Chemicals that accidentally contaminate food being processed, such as sanitation or maintenace chemicals and pesticides or environmental pollutants

What best describes a food allergen chemical hazard?

Substances in food that can cause a dangerous reaction in people who are allergic, such as peanuts, fish, and dairy products

In chemical hazards, what are acute poisonings?

Poisoning in which high doses are consumed usually involving nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, neurotoxins, and death

In chemical hazards, what are chronic poisonings?

Poisoning in which low doses occur during a long time usually involving disrupted body metabolism, damaged genes, altered organ functions, affected development, and cancer causing

What may play a role on exposure and risk?

The amount of chemical in food and the amount of food ingested

Who determines which chemicals are acceptable additives in food productions and which are forbidden?

Regulatory agencies

What has been established to protect public health?

Acceptable levels of chemicals

What is true of the FDS and EPA establishing maximum legal limits of chemicals that may be present in foods?

The EPA establishes maximum levels for insecticide, herbicide, fungicide, and fertilizer residues, the FDA establishes levels for all other chemicals, and the FDA and USDA enforce the maximum levels established

What best describes tetrodotoxin?

As a neurotoxin found in pufferfish (aka Fugu), it is produced by bacteria and parts of the fish which contain high levels of toxin must be skillfully removed as it is heat stable (not broken down by cooking), 1200x more poisonous than cyanide, has no antidote, and one puffer has enough toxin to kill 30 adult humans

What accurately describes Fugu, a Japanese delicacy?

As a food from pufferfish, improper preparation may result in intoxication, there are about 20 deaths/year in Japan, chefs are government certified, and the symptoms may include: numbness, tingling, and burning as it blocks nervous system messages

What best describes heavy metals?

Levels in food depend on growing conditions, agricultural processes, and environmental contamination, as regulated by the FDA, even metals that promote health as they can be harmful when exposure exceeds recommended

What can arsenic, lead, and mercury lead to?

Illness, impairment, and death

What best describes the Baby Food Safety Act of 2021?

Produced on March 26, 2021, it placed certain levels on chemical such as arsenic (10 ppb in food and 15 ppb in cereal), lead (5 ppb on food and 10 ppb on cereal), cadmium (5 ppb on food and 10 ppb on cereal), and mercury (2 ppb on all baby food)

What is true of the FDA’s “Closer to Zero” action plan?

It reduces the toxic elements in baby foods and, in 2024, placed final actions level for As, drafted levels for Cd and Hg, and started evaluating Pb

What happened in regards to heavy metals in baby foods in October 2021?

Recalls due to heavy metals as baby cereal sold at Walmart was recalled because of excessive arsenic levels

What is true of arsenic in foods?

The best strategy is eating a wide variety of healthy foods as eliminating one or several foods will not solve the problem, the nutritional benefit of many of these groups outweighs the potential risks associated with arsenic, and fiber and some minerals can be particularly beneficial in inhibiting absorption of the chemical

In general, what will control measures for chemical hazards include?

Good Agriculture Practice (GAP) measures, transport and storage control (including separation), heat treatment, use of only prescribed amounts for regulated chemicals, employee training on safe handling and applications procedures for chemicals (i.e., sanitation, maintenance, or pesticides), hygiene control, and inspection and release programs

True/False: A manufacturer will only recall a product if it has caused a foodborne outbreak

False

True/False: When two or more individuals experience an illness from the ingestion of the same food the event is considered a foodborne outbreak

True

What is true of the prevalence of food allergies?

They affect at least 3-4% of the U.S. population (i.e., 4-8% of children and 1-2% of adults)

What is true of the severity of food allergies?

Reactions can be potentially life-threatening but they are preventable

What is true of avoidance diets in regards to food allergies?

They are usually scarce and often involve strict avoidance diets

What is true of sensitivity in regards to food allergies?

Small amounts may can cause a reaction, even low mg or ppm total food protein

What are the burdens in relation to food allergies?

$24.8 billion annual impact of childhood food allergy in the U.S. involving fear, anxiety, and social isolation

Why are food allergies an important concern for the food industry?

Health risks, regulatory risks, and business risks

What are food sensitivities?

Individualistic adverse reactions to foods

What can food allergies involve?

An immunological reaction involved IgE mediated (immediate) and cell-mediated (delayed)

What can food intolerances (NOT a food allergy) involve?

Metabolic food disorders (lactose intolerance) and idiosyncratic reactions (sulfite-induced asthma)

What best describes celiac disease?

Estimated to involve 1% of the population, it is a genetic predisposition that is associated with the consumption of gluten fractions of wheat, rye, barley, and associated hybrids that often has delayed hypersensitivity reaction with symptoms developing 24-72 hours after ingestion

What is the biology behind celiac disease?

Involving T cell mechanism, it consists of inflammation in the small intestine with loss of absorptive capacity seen in diarrhea, anemia (lack of iron), bone pain (lack of calcium), and failure to thrive (lack of calories) that may only be treated with avoidance diets

What best describes IgE-mediated food allergies?

As a “true” food allergy, it involves immediate symptoms and antibodies against food allergens (proteins) that present in two mechanisms—sensitization and elicitation

What best describes the sensitization stage of IgE-mediated food allergy?

As the basic mechanism, before an allergic reaction can occur, an individual must be sensitized to specific proteins in the allergenic food

What best describes the elicitation (mediator release and reaction) stage of IgE-mediated food allergy?

As the basic mechanism, upon subsequent exposure to the allergenic food, the antigen cross-links IgE on the surface of a sensitized cell, resulting in the release of allergic reaction mediators

What best describes the typical symptoms of IgE-mediated reactions to food?

Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea (gastrointestinal), hives, swelling, eczema (cutaneous), runny nose, throat swelling, asthma (respiratory), and anaphylactic shock (systemic)

What is true of anaphylactic shock?

As a generalized shock reaction, it can result in multiple organ failure and can have any of the other symptoms in addition to severe loss of blood pressure and cardiac arrhythmia that can be fatal if not treated immediately

What is the emergency treatment for anaphylactic shock?

Epinephrine auto-injectors/devices, and (possibly) some treatments for certain symptoms until medical treatment can be administered

How may food allergies be diagnosed?

Clinical history, blood tests (detect specific-IgE and indicate sensitization), skin prick tests (indicate sensitizations), and oral food challenge (gold standard is double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC)

What makes up 90% of allergies?

Milk, egg, crustacea, fish, peanut, soybean, tree nuts, wheat, and sesame

What best describes causative agents?

Naturally-occurring proteins that are heat-resistant, resistant to proteolysis, resistant to extreme in pH, usually major proteins of the food, and can have 1 or many allergens

What is the treatment for true food allergies?

Specific avoidance diets as even milligram amounts can cause a reaction

How can consumers manage a food allergy?

Avoid offending food, label education and diligent reading, and brand loyalty (=safety)

For food-allergic consumers, what can quality of life involve?

Time and energy for vigilant avoidance diets, fear of severe or fatal reactions, anxiety, stress, or social isolation, and (reported) poorer general health than the general public

What are the food allergen labeling regulations?

Ingredients are mandatory, free-form has some regulation, and precautionary warnings are voluntary

As allergic consumers rely on labeling to avoid allergens, what is true?

The regulations are intended to provide allergic consumers with clear, accurate, and complete information

What is true of the Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA)?

It defined major allergen sources as 8 foods/food groups (the Big 8) with sesame being recently added in January of 2023, and regulated that the intentional addition of the major food allergens, or ingredients from these foods must be declared on the label of FDA-regulated products

How must food allergens be labeled, as designated by FALCPA?

The common name of the food must be used in the ingredients list or in the form of a contains statement, the contain statement, if used, must contain ALL allergens, and must indicate specific type of tree nut, fish, or crustacean shellfish

What is true of the USDA/FSIS in regards to food allergens?

Requires labeling of major allergens (supports labeling formats consistent with FALCPA and can be found under FSIS Notice 29-13), and food allergens must be identified as hazards for HACCP

What is FSIS Directive 7230.1?

A directive that acts as a verification task related to food allergen, use, labeling, and control that maintains requirements to carry-forward precautionary allergen labeling

What best describes international food allergen labeling in Canada?

Big 8, cereals containing gluten, molluscan shellfish, mustard, sesame, and (sulfites)

What best describes international food allergen labeling in Australia/New Zealand?

Big 8, lupin, molluscan shellfish, sesame, bee pollen/propolis, royal jelly, and (sulfites)

What best describes international food allergen labeling in the European union?

Big 8, cereals containing gluten, molluscan shellfish, mustard, sesame, celery, lupin, and (sulfites)

What best describes international food allergen labeling in Japan?

Crab, shrimp, prawn, egg, milk, peanut, wheat, buckwheat, and (walnut)

What is true of thresholds for major food allergens?

There are no established regulatory action levels or thresholds and there is effectively a zero tolerance for undeclared allergens

What are the gluten-containing grains?

Wheat, rye, and barley (or crossbred hybrids)

What is the difference between “gluten-free” and “free of gluten?”

One is “no gluten” and the other is “without gluten”

What is true of “gluten-free food?'“

It does NOT contain an ingredient that is a gluten-containing grain (e.g., wheat), an ingredient from a gluten-containing grain not processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat flour), and an ingredient processed to remove gluten (e.g., wheat starch) if results in > 20 ppm gluten, AND inherently does not contain gluten and any unavoidable gluten is < 20 ppm

What is true of other free-form labeling, such as dairy-free, nut-free, and peanut-free?

They are not specifically regulated, have no standard definition, there is a scarcity of validated analytical methods to support the claim, there is no standardization on allowable target levels so default is probably “not detected by the most sensitive analytic method in existence,” AND they must be truthful and not misleading

What best describes precautionary allergen labeling (PAL)?

Voluntary statements that can be used to communicate potential risk to allergic consumers, but have varying criteria to decide when and whether to use PAL, regulatory agencies in the U.S. (FDA, FSIS) provide limited guidance, but it may NOT be used in place of good manufacturing practices and preventative controls

What makes up effective food allergen management?

Training and education, validation and verification, allergen detection, food allergen sanitation, hygienic design, product label and packaging controls, preventing cross-contact during processing, ingredient receiving, storage, and handling, ingredient and supply chain management, product development, and hazard identification

What is true of forming an allergen control team in allergen management?

It includes representatives with a variety of backgrounds and responsibilities (quality, engineering, sanitation, etc.) that understand the hazards in individual facilities and helps to answer where to look for allergen risks and how to manage allergen effectively

What best describes the food safety modernization act?

Established undeclared allergens as an important food safety hazard (allergens as chemical hazards and must have food safety plan if undeclared allergens are possible), and established prevention measures for undeclared allergens (labeling of allergies when used as ingredients, prevent allergen cross-contact, and implement a supply chain program

What best describes an allergen control plain?

A written document that says how allergens will be controlled in the facility, establishes good manufacturing practices (baseline controls, policies, etc.), and identifies preventative controls/critical control points (monitoring, documentation, etc.)

What best describes a supply chain program?

A risk-base supply-chain program with onsite audit verification in which, if the supplier is controlling a hazard, customers must have programs to ensure control are adequate (supplier handles multiple allergen not in your ingredient, is responsible for preventing cross-contact, and receiving manufacturer must have a program to ensure supplier has adequate allergen controls)

What is the reportable food registery?

A web-based portal for submitting a report whenever there is reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, an article of food will cause serious adverse health consequences of death to humans — report within 24 hours of determining that a food product is a reportable food