Food Safety HFA 4MI. What is a Safe Food? Absence or acceptable and safe levels of contaminants,...
-
Upload
audrey-martin -
Category
Documents
-
view
216 -
download
0
Transcript of Food Safety HFA 4MI. What is a Safe Food? Absence or acceptable and safe levels of contaminants,...
Food SafetyHFA 4MI
What is a Safe Food?•Absence or acceptable and safe levels
of contaminants, adulterants, naturally occurring toxins or any other substance that may make food injurious to health• Basically, “safe food” means food that
is free from anything that can cause harm to people
Food Safety vs. Food QualityFood Safety
• Food that will not cause harm to the individual consuming it
Food Quality• All of the features
that make a product valuable to the consumer• Positive things: colour,
flavour, texture• Absence of negative
things: spoilage, discoloration, off odours
Food Safety Culture
• When everyone takes their share of responsibility for food safety, a strong food safety culture results• In a strong food
safety culture, everyone believes in food safety
Food Hazard
•Anything that may cause illness or injury if not controlled or prevented
Potentially Hazardous Foods• Food capable of supporting growth of pathogenic
microorganisms or production of toxins
Factors:• High protein, low acid, moisture• Large surface area (e.g. ground meat)• Skin or rind • Cooking and cooling• Improper storage of cooked food
Types of Food Hazards
•Three types:•Physical•Biological •Chemical
Physical Hazards• Can cause physical
injury to consumer• Examples:• Foreign objects such as
glass, metal fragments, dirt, stones, staples, fingernails, hair• Undesirable parts of
food such as bone fragments in ground meat
• Introduced by:• Food handlers• Harvesting
process• Physical
environment where food is prepared
Controlling Physical Hazards
• Food handling rules (hair covering, no jewellery) •Checking and maintaining equipment
Chemical Hazards
• Any type of unwanted chemical substance in food• Includes:• Accidentally added cleaning chemicals,
pesticides or similar substances• Intentionally added chemicals like
additives and nutrients, added incorrectly• Allergens
Allergens• Substances in food that cause allergic reactions
in some people• Body releases natural chemicals that cause
allergic symptoms which may be minor to life threatening• Minor: Itchiness, swelling of tongue and
throat, skin rash or hives, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing• Life threatening: Anaphylactic shock – whole
body reaction
Controlling Allergens
• Cross-contamination can occur with allergens• Tiniest amount is a serious concern• Be aware of and follow workplace rules
concerning allergens• Separation, sanitization and other rules• Accurate labelling
Biological Hazards• Living organisms or
the substances they produce that are harmful to people:• Bacteria, viruses,
parasites and fungi (microorganisms)• Natural toxins from
some plants, seafood and mushrooms
• Pathogens are microorganisms that cause illness in humans
FOOD BORNE ILLNESS
Foodborne illness: Infections vs intoxications
Infections
• Ingested pathogenic microorganisms (i.e. bacteria, virus or parasite) multiply and imbed the gastrointestinal tract, producing inflammation• Samonella, E. coli,
Campylobacteria and Listeria
Intoxications
• Toxins are produced in food by growth of bacteria before food is ingested• Toxins, not bacteria,
cause illness• Staphylococcus,
Clostridium botulinum
Not expected to memorize specific infections and intoxications
Cases and Outbreaks• A case of foodborne
illness is when an individual becomes ill from consuming a food
• An outbreak of foodborne illness occurs when two or more persons become ill from consuming the same food• An unexpected,
unexplained increase of disease occurring at a given time and place
Under-reporting of Foodborne Illness• Exact number of foodborne illnesses unknown
because of under-reporting• Under-reporting may be due to one of many
factors:• Ill person does not seek medical care• Physician does not obtain specimen for
diagnosis• Laboratory does not perform necessary test• Illness and laboratory findings are not
communicated to public health department
Populations at Particular Risk
• Elderly persons• People with AIDS, cancer, kidney disease,
and some other chronic diseases• People treated with immune-suppressing
drugs• Children under 2 years of age• Pregnant women and their unborn babies• People with history of alcohol abuse or
drugs
References:
Institute of Food Processing. (2012). Food Safety – Level One, Conestoga College.