Forms of Contamination

Contamination

The presence of harmful substances in food.

What can contaminants cause?

Physical injury or foodborne illness

Where do contaminants come from?

Animals used for food, air, contaminated water, dirt, chemicals used for cleaning, natural objects, and people.

How does contamination happen?

Not washing hands, contact with the sick, sneezing or vomiting on food contact surfaces, or touching dirty surfaces before handling food.

What mistakes can cause foodborne illness?

Cross-contamination, storing food and cleaning products incorrectly, and failing to spot signs of pests.

What are the biological contaminants?

Pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and biological toxins

Are all microorganisms pathogens?

No, some are used to make different foods like bread and wine.

Bacteria

Living microorganisms that can live and reproduce in or on food.

What is the primary way to reduce pathogen growth on food?

Controlling time and temperature

What are the big 6 pathogens?

Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Shigella, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Hepatitis A, and Norovirus

What is the acronym for Nontyphoidal Salmonella?

NTS

What is the acronym for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli?

STEC

What are the common symptoms for foodborne illness?

Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, and jaundice.

Jaundice

The yellowing of the skin and eyes

What are the onset times for foodborne illness?

It depends on the illness, but it can take from 30 minutes to 6 weeks.

What is the growth rate of bacteria?

Bacteria can double in population every 20 minutes if the conditions are correct.

What does TDZ stand for?

Temperature Danger Zone

What is the range for the TDZ?

41F - 135F

What are the four stages of bacteria growth?

Lag, Log, Stationary, and Death

What is the lag phase?

The first phase in bacteria growth.

What happens during the lag phase?

Bacteria is adjusting and getting to know it’s surroundings. The number of bacteria does not increase.

What is the log phase?

The second phase in bacteria growth. The population of bacteria grows significantly.

What is the stationary phase?

The third phase in bacteria growth. The population of bacteria levels out. Bacteria is dying and reproducing at the same time.

What is the death phase?

The final stage in bacteria growth. Bacteria starts to reduce and die off.

What pH levels do bacteria prefer?

4.6 to 7.5 pH

What does FAT TOM mean?

Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, Moisture

What are the four major bacteria that cause foodborne illness?

Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli

aerobic

An environment that contains oxygen.

anaerobic

An environment that doesn’t contain oxygen

Spore Former

Some bacteria form spores during the death phase.

Can you destroy a spore former?

No, they can survive cooking and freezing temperatures.

Where is Salmonella Typhi sourced?

People

What foods are linked to Salmonella Typhi?

Ready-to-eat food and beverages

Where does Nontyphoidal Salmonella come from?

Farm animals and people

What foods are linked to Nontyphoidal Salmonella?

Poultry, eggs, meat, produce, and dairy products.

Where is Shigella sourced from?

Human feces

What foods are linked to Shigella?

Ready-to-eat food and contaminated water

Where is E.coli sourced from?

Intestines of cattle and infected people

What foods are linked to E. coli?

Raw or under cooked ground beef and contaminated produce

Virus

A piece of genetic material that needs a living host to reproduce.

Do viruses live on food?

No, viruses are not living organisms so they don’t grow or reproduce on food.

What is the fecal-oral route?

When a person comes into contact with human feces that is loaded with a virus and prepares food that is then served to someone else.

How do viruses spread through food?

The fecal-oral route

What are the two common viruses?

Hepatitis A and Norovirus

Which symptom differentiates Hepatitis A from Norovirus

Hepatitis A gives people jaundice.

What foods are linked to Hepatitis A?

Ready-to-Eat food and shellfish from contaminated water

What foods are linked to Norovirus?

Ready-to-eat food and shellfish from contaminated water.

What is the best way to prevent the spread of viruses?

Practice good personal hygiene

Parasite

A living organism that needs a host to live

Are parasites always microscopic?

No, some parasites can be seen without a microscope such as worms.

Where do parasites come from?

They can be found in raw or under cooked meat, seafood, wild game, and food processed with contaminated water.

What is the best way to reduce the risk of parasites from contaminating food?

Purchasing products from reputable sources

Fungi

yeasts, molds, and mushrooms

Are all fungi harmful?

No, only some are harmful.

What is the best way to avoid harmful fungi?

Purchase mushrooms from reputable suppliers and throw out moldy food unless the mold is a natural part of the food.

What is a toxin?

Poison

Where do toxins come from?

They naturally occur in certain plants, mushrooms, and seafood.

What are general symptoms for someone who has consumed toxins?

Diarrhea or vomiting, neurological symptoms such as tingling in extremities and reversal of hot and cold sensations, flushing of the face, difficulty breathing, burning in the mouth, heart palpitations, and hives.

How do you prevent toxins from affecting food?

Purchase plants, mushrooms, and seafood from reputable suppliers and control time and temperature when handling raw fish.

Is it possible to know if toxins are in food?

No because most toxins cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted.

Can toxins be destroyed?

No, toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing.

What are some chemical contaminants?

Cleaners, sanitizers, polishes, machine lubricants, pesticides, deodorizers, first-aid products, certain types of kitchenware, and health and beauty products.

What specific kitchenware and equipment cause chemical contamination?

Items made from pewter, copper, zinc, and some types of painted pottery.

What symptoms can chemical contamination cause?

They can vary, but vomiting and diarrhea are typical.

How do you prevent chemicals from contaminating food?

Use chemicals approved for use in food service operations, purchase chemicals from reputable suppliers, and store chemicals away from prep areas, food-storage areas, and service areas.

Where should you never store chemicals?

Above food or food-contact surfaces

Physical Contaminants

Objects that can get into food

Where do physical contaminants come from?

metal shavings from cans, wood, finger nails, staples, bandages, glass, jewelry, dirt, and naturally occurring objects such as fruit pits and bones.

What are the signs someone has been affected by physical contaminants?

Cuts, dental damage, choking, bleeding, and pain. Injuries can vary from mild to fatal.

How can you prevent physical contamination?

Purchase from reputable suppliers, closely inspect received food, and practice good personal hygiene.

How does food become contaminated?

Food can be contaminated by accident or deliberately.

Who would deliberately contaminate food?

Terrorists, activists, vendors, competitors, and disgruntled current or former staff,

How can you practice food defense?

The FDA has a defense tool called FIRST

What does FIRST stand for?

Follow, Inspect, Recognize, Secure, Tell

How do you respond to a foodborne illness outbreak?

Gather information, notify authorities, segregate product, document information, identify staff, cooperate with authorizes, and review procedures.

How do you gather information during an outbreak?

Ask the person for general contact information, identify the food eaten, description of symptoms, and when they first got sick.

How do you segregate product?

Set the suspected product aside if any remains and label with “Do not use” and “Do not discard” on it.

How do you document information on the product?

Log information about the suspected product and include the product’s description, product date, lot number, sell-by date, and pack size.

How do you identify staff during an outbreak?

Keep a list of food handlers scheduled at the time of the incident and interview them immediately.

What should you do to review procedures?

Determine if standards are being met and identify if they’re not working.