Food Contamination: Types, Symptoms, and Prevention

2. Contamination- the presence of harmful substances (biological, chemical or physical) in food • Can be contaminated on purpose, but most cases are accidents.

3. Animals used for food • Air, contaminated water, and dirt • People • From person to person • Through sneezing or vomiting onto food or food contact surfaced • From touching dirty food-contact surfaces and equipment, and then touching food

5. Microorganisms- small, living organisms that can be seen only through a microscope. Many are harmless, but some can cause illness. • Harmful microorganisms=pathogens • Some pathogens make you sick when you eat them, while others produce poisons—or toxins—that make you sick

6. Diarrhea • Vomiting • Fever • Nausea • Abdominal cramps • Jaundice- yellowing of the skin and eyes

7. Not every person will have all of the symptoms listed. • Nor are the symptoms of a foodborne illness limited to this list • Onset times (how quickly symptoms appear in a person) depend on the type of foodborne illness. Range 30 min- 6 weeks • Severity can vary from diarrhea to death

8. Location • Can be found almost anywhere • Live in our bodies • Some keep us healthy, while others cause illness

9. Detection • Can’t be seen • Can’t be smelled • Can’t be tasted

10. Growth • Grows rapidly if FAT TOM conditions are right (see image on page 2.3)

11. Food- Needs nutrients to grow; grows best in TCS Foods • Acidity- Grows best in little or no acid • Temperature- Grows best in the temperature danger zone (41-135) • Time- Needs time in the temp. danger zone • Oxygen- some need oxygen, while others don’t • Moisture- Grows best in food with high levels of moisture

12. Prevention • CONTROL TIME AND TEMPERATURE

13. The FDA has identified 3 types of bacteria that are highly contagious and can cause severe illness. • Food handlers diagnosed with illnesses from these bacteria can NEVER work in a food service operation while sick.

14. Only lives in humans • Eating only a small amount can make a person sick. • Severity of symptoms depends on the health of a person • Can live in a person’s feces for weeks after symptoms have ended

15. Food linked with bacteria • Ready-to-eat food • beverages • Prevention Measures • Exclude food handlers who have been diagnosed • Wash hands • Cook food to minimum internal temperatures

16. Found in the feces of humans with the illness • Flies can transfer the bacteria from feces to food • Eating only a small amount can make a person sick • High levels of the bacteria are often in a person’s feces for weeks after symptoms have ended

17. Food linked with bacteria • Foods that is easily contaminated by hands • Food that has made contact with contaminated water, such as produce • Prevention Measures • Exclude food handlers who have been diagnosed • Exclude food handlers who have diarrhea • Wash hands • Control flies inside and outside of the operation

18. Can be found in the intestines of cattle • Also found in infected people • Can contaminate meat during slaughtering • Eating only a small amount can get you sick • Once eaten, produces toxins in the intestines, which causes the illness. • Bacteria often found in a person’s feces for weeks after symptoms have ended

19. Food linked with bacteria • Ground beef (raw and undercooked) • Contaminated produce • Prevention Measures • Exclude food handlers who have been diagnosed • Cook food to minimum internal temperatures • Purchase produce from approved, reputable suppliers • Prevent cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat food

20. Location • Carried by humans and animals • Require a living host to grow • While they do not grow in food, viruses can be transferred through food and remain infectious in food

21. Sources • You can get a virus from food, water or any contaminated surface • Foodborne illnesses caused by viruses typically occur through fecal-oral routes

22. Destruction • Viruses are not destroyed by normal cooking temps • Important to practice good personal hygiene when handling food and food-contact surfaces • Quick removal of vomit is also important

23. Mainly found in the feces of people infected with it • Can contaminate water and many types of food • The virus is often transferred to food when infected food handlers touch food or food equipment with fingers that have feces on them • Cooking does not destroy

24. Food Linked with the Virus • Ready-to-eat food • Shellfish form contaminated water • Prevention Measures • Exclude staff who have been diagnosed • Exclude staff who have jaundice • Wash hands • Avoid bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food • Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable suppliers

25. Often transferred to food when infected food handlers touch food or equipment with fingers that have feces on them • Eating only a small amount can make you sick • People become contagious within a few hours after eating it • The virus is often in a person’s feces for days after symptoms have ended.

26. Food linked with the Virus • Ready-to-eat food • Shellfish from contaminated water • Prevention Measures • Exclude staff who have been diagnosed • Exclude staff with diarrhea and vomiting from the operation • Wash hands • Avoid bare-hand contact with ready to eat food • Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable suppliers

27. Location • Require a host to live and reproduce • Sources • Commonly associated • Seafood • Wild game • Food processed with contaminated water, such as produce

28. Prevention • Most important way to prevent a foodborne illness by a parasite is to purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers. • Cooking food to required minimum internal temperatures is also important. • Make sure that fish that will be served raw or undercooked has been correctly frozen by the manufacturer

29. Fungi includes yeasts, molds, and mushrooms • Some molds and mushrooms produce toxins that cause foodborne illness • Throw out all moldy food, unless the mold is a natural part of the food • Because mushrooms are difficult to recognize, you must purchase all mushrooms from approved, reputable suppliers.

30. Origin • Natural part of some fish • Histamine is made by pathogens on some fish (tuna, bonita, mackerel and mahimahi) when it is time-temperature abused • Some fish become contaminated when they eat smaller fish with a toxin; one example is ciguatera toxin • Shellfish (like oysters) can be contaminated when they eat marine algae that have a toxin

31. Symptoms • Many type of illnesses occur from eating seafood toxins, and each of those toxins have their own set of symptoms • People will experience an illness within minutes of eating the toxin • Examples of symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, tingling in the extremities, reversal of hot and cold sensation, flushing of the face, difficulty breathing, burning in the mouth, heart palpitations, and hives

32. Prevention • Toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing • Purchase plants mushrooms, and seafood from approved, reputable suppliers • Control time and temperature when handling raw fish

33. Sources • Cleaners • Sanitizers • Polishes • Machine lubricants • Pesticides • Deodorizers • First aid products • Health and beauty products

34. Sources • Toxic metals • Pewter • Copper • Zinc • Some types of painted pottery • NOT FOOD GRADE!!!!

35. Symptoms • Vary depending on the chemical consumed • Most illnesses occur within minutes • Vomiting and diarrhea are typical • Call poison control of chemical contamination is suspected

36. Prevention • Purchase chemicals from approved, reputable suppliers • Store chemicals away from prep areas, food storage areas and service areas • Use chemical for their intended use and follow the manufacturer’s directions • Only handle food with equipment and utensils approved for foodservice use

37. Prevention • Keep Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) current and make sure they are accessible to staff at all times • Follow the manufacturer’s directions and local regulatory requirements when throwing out chemicals

38. Sources • Metal shavings from cans • Wood • Fingernails • Staples • Bandages • Glass • Jewelry • Dirt • Naturally occurring objects such as fruit pits and bones

39. Symptoms • Mild to fatal injuries possible • Could include: • Dental damage • Cuts • Choking • Bleeding • pain

40. Prevention • Purchase food from approved reputable suppliers • Closely inspect food received • Take steps to make sure no physical contaminants can get into food • Make sure food handlers practice good personal hygiene

41. Who? • Terrorists or activists • Disgruntled current of former staff • Vendors • Competitors

42. How? • Biological, chemical and physical contaminants • Radioactive materials • Attacks might occur anywhere in the food supply chain • Usually focused on a specific food item, process or business

43. The FDA created a tool that can be used to develop a food defense program against deliberate contamination of food

44. Make sure that products you receive are from safe sources. • Supervise product deliveries • Use approved suppliers who practice food defense • Request that delivery vehicles are locked or sealed

45. Monitor the security of products in the facility. • Limit access to prep and storage areas. Locking storage areas is one way to do this. • Create a system for handling damaged products. • Store chemicals in a secure location. • Train staff to spot food defense threats.

46. Know who is in your facility. • Limit access to prep and storage areas • Identify all visitors, and verify credentials • Conduct background checks on staff

47. Keep information related to food defense accessible • Receiving logs • Office files and documents • Staff files • Random food defense self inspections

48. Identify what you will do and who you will contact if there is suspicious activity or a threat at your operation. • Hold any product you suspect to be contaminated • Contact your regulatory authority immediately • Maintain an emergency contact list

49. Gather information • Ask the person reporting the foodborne illness for their contact information, what food they ate and their symptoms • Notify authorities • Contact the local regulatory authority if you suspect an outbreak

50. Segregate the product • Set the suspected product if any remains and label with “Do not use” and “Do not discard” • Document information • Log information about the suspected product including product description, production date, lot number, sell by date and pack size