Food Safety and Contamination Notes

Serving Safe Food: Understanding Contamination

Management Considerations for Controlling Pathogens

• Pathogens are a significant challenge to control because they are invisible and tasteless.
• Effective management involves strict control of time, temperature, and sourcing to limit pathogen growth.

Objectives

• Describe the symptoms of foodborne illness.
• Categorize foodborne microorganisms and allergens by type, source, and effect.
• Identify methods to prevent illness from biological contamination.

Foodborne Microorganisms and Allergens

• TCS Foods (Time-Temperature Control for Safety):
  • Milk and dairy products
  • Meat (beef, pork, lamb)
  • Fish
  • Baked Potatoes
  • Tofu and soy protein
  • Sliced melons, tomatoes, greens
  • Shell eggs
  • Poultry
  • Shellfish and crustaceans
  • Heat-treated plant foods (cooked rice, beans, vegetables)
  • Sprouts and sprout seeds
  • Untreated garlic and oil mixtures
• TCS foods support pathogen growth, necessitating strict time and temperature controls.

Biological Contamination

• Types of Biological Contamination:
  • Bacteria
  • Viruses
  • Fungi
  • Parasites

Common Symptoms of Foodborne Illness

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Nausea
• Abdominal Cramps
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)
• Onset times vary from 30 minutes to 6 weeks depending on the pathogen.
• A pathogen can directly cause illness or produce toxins.

Main Sources of Biological Contamination

• Contaminated animals, plants, water, air, and dirt
• Food handlers (fecal-oral route)
• Sneezing or vomiting on food/food contact surfaces
• Cross-contamination from contaminated surfaces to food

FDA’s Big Six Pathogens

• Shigella spp.
  • Source: Human, Flies
  • Route: Fecal
  • Foods: Foods handled by workers, especially TCS foods, foods that contact contaminated water.
• Salmonella Typhi
  • Source: Humans
  • Illness: Typhoid fever
  • Foods: Ready-to-eat foods and beverages
• Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS)
  • Source: Farm animals
  • Location: Natural in animal GI
  • Foods: Poultry, eggs, meat, milk, produce (tomatoes, peppers, cantaloupe)
• Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)
  • Source: Cow Intestines, Humans
  • Foods: Ground beef, contaminated produce
• Hepatitis A
  • Source: Human Feces, contaminated water
  • Route: Fecal/Oral, causes Jaundice
  • Foods: Ready-to-eat food, seafood from contaminated water
• Norovirus
  • Source: Human Feces, contaminated water
  • Route: Fecal/Oral
  • Foods: Ready-to-eat food, seafood from contaminated water
• There are around 40 kinds of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and molds that cause foodborne illness.

Controlling Bacteria and Viruses

• Bacteria:
  • Follow cooking temperatures closely.
  • Do not use contaminated food.
  • Exclude employees confirmed ill or with active vomiting and diarrhea.
  • Practice handwashing and avoid cross-contamination.
• Virus:
  • Exclude ill employees (confirmed Hep A or with vomiting and diarrhea for Norovirus).
  • Use approved vendors for seafood.
  • Avoid bare-hand contact with RTE (ready-to-eat) foods.

Parasites

• Require a host to live and reproduce.
• Source: Seafood, wild game, and food processed with contaminated water (e.g., produce).
• Prevention:
  • Purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers.
  • Cook food to required minimum internal temperatures.
  • Fish served raw or undercooked must be correctly frozen by the manufacturer.

Fungi

• Includes Yeasts, Mold & Mushrooms
• Some molds and mushrooms produce toxins.
• Throw out moldy food unless mold is a natural part of the food (e.g., certain cheeses).
• Purchase mushrooms from approved, reputable suppliers.

Biological Toxins

• Naturally occur in certain plants, mushrooms, and seafood.
• Seafood toxins:
  • Produced by pathogens found on certain fish (Tuna, bonito, mackerel, mahi mahi).
  • Histamine produced when fish is time-temperature abused.
  • Ciguatera: Occurs in certain fish that eat smaller fish that have consumed the toxin (snapper, grouper, amberjack).
  • Shellfish and oysters may contain marine algae that have a toxin.
• Symptoms:
  • Diarrhea or vomiting
  • Neurological symptoms (tingling in extremities)
  • Reversal of hot and cold sensations
  • Flushing of the face and/or hives
  • Breathing difficulty
  • Heart palpitations
• Toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing.
• Source food from reputable suppliers.

Allergens

• A naturally occurring protein in a food or ingredient that some people are sensitive to.
• An allergic reaction occurs when enough of an allergen is eaten.
• Symptoms:
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath/wheezing
  • Hives/itchy rash
  • Swelling of body/face
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Abdominal pain
• Reactions can be mild or severe.
• Severe symptoms are called anaphylaxis which can lead to death.
• There are 8 common food allergens.
• Prevent illness by avoiding cross-contact.

Manager's Tasks for Controlling Contamination

• Knowledge and monitoring:
  • Knowing what causes pathogens to grow and what can destroy them.
  • Observing staff closely for illness and knowing the appropriate corrective action.
  • Monitoring production for controlling FATTOM (Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture).
  • Documenting and responding to foodborne illness outbreaks and recalls.
  • Watching for unusual behaviors that may indicate deliberate contamination (ALERT).

Considerations for Learning Biological Contaminants

• Compare the similarities and differences between biological contaminants.
• What conditions are needed for their growth?
• How do they spread?
• What foods are they commonly found contaminating?
• What actions destroy them, and are they able to be destroyed?
• What are the preventative measures or corrective actions?

Further Review

• Review each of the biological contaminants (each of the bacteria, viruses, parasites, etc.) and be clear on the source, symptoms, primary foods affected, and ways to control the spread of each
• Describe methods of being a safe food handler