Answer to Question #316500 in Microbiology for Fatim

Question

Structure of assignment/report: Discuss with the presenter the following aspects: 1. Types of food items processed. 2. Different types of tests conducted (conventional or molecular) in the facility, purposes, and limitations of these methods. 3. How to control infections and prevent them. 4. Infections are usually encountered/tested. 5. Treatments if needed/applicable

Answer 1

1.Introduction

The diseases caused by food, or the foodborne diseases, are described as the illnesses with which people are infected by the foods they eat. These diseases are a widespread public health issue and are expensive to treat. Foodborne diseases result from the consumption of contaminated foods and products. Contamination of the food at any stage, from production to consumption, produces bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemical agents and toxins, which eventually cause the foodborne diseases.

These diseases are seen as a pervasive, permanent problem that can lead to morbidity and, occasionally, to mortality. Foodborne diseases are increasing worldwide, particularly in the developing countries, due to neglect of personal hygiene and food hygiene. Foodborne illnesses pose a threat to international public health safety and economic development. With the increasing amount of trade, travel and immigration, the rate at which dangerous contaminants and pathogens pass through the borders has also risen. As indicated by these figures, foodborne diseases are widespread throughout the world. The process by which a foodborne disease spreads begins with the features of the disease contaminating the food, which in turn threaten both individual and public health by means of the foods.

This study conducts an analysis of the factors responsible for jeopardizing food safety and food safety policies throughout the world.

 

2. The factors that affect food safety

Foods are the basic building blocks of living things, yet they may pose a threat and become harmful to human health in some situations. Many people throughout the world become ill because of the food they eat. These diseases associated with food consumption are referred to as foodborne diseases, and they may result from dangerous microorganisms. Foods can become harmful to human health or even fatal when combined with bacteria, mold, viruses, parasites and chemical toxins.

Therefore, it is absolutely necessary that consumers be provided with a safe food supply. The factors involved in the potential threat caused by foods are inappropriate agricultural practices, poor hygiene at any stage of the food chain, lack of preventive controls during processing and preparation of the food, incorrect use of the chemical materials, contaminated raw materials, food and water and inappropriate storage.

These issues were classified into three categories: food hygiene, personal hygiene of food handlers and kitchen sanitation.

2.1. Food hygiene

Many factors serve to undermine food hygiene. The hygienic quality of the foods is negatively influenced by purchasing low-quality or stale foods, storing food in inappropriate conditions, cooking large amounts of food, more than is necessary, and letting it sit in inappropriate environments, storing raw and cooked foods together and preparing, cooking and storing food using incorrect methods. If foods are contaminated at any stage, from production to consumption, the hygiene of the food is compromised, depending on the temperature, humidity and pH values of the environment it is stored in, and the food then becomes potentially harmful to human health. An infection or intoxication caused by the consumption of a contaminated food or drink is called food poisoning. The causes of food poisoning are classified as microorganisms, parasites, chemicals, naturally created food toxins, naturally created fish toxins, metabolic disorders, allergic reactions and radioactive substances.

Salmonella, Campylobacter and Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) are foodborne pathogens that affect millions of people every year. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by these pathogens include fever, headache, upset stomach, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Although food poisoning is mostly caused by bacteria, some parasites and viruses can also be factors. Parasites such as Trichinella spiralis and Toxoplasma gondii can remain alive by using the nutritional elements in the carrier. Viruses such as Hepatitis A can behave like parasites and infect people as well as the entire food chain.

Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, Streptococcus, Shigella, Clostridium botulinum, E. coli 0157:H7, Campylobacter and Bacillus cereus are the microorganisms that most frequently cause food poisoning.

S. aureus is a gram-positive coccal bacterium about 0.5–1.0 μm in diameter. The optimum growth temperature is 37° C. The normal ecological habitat of S. aureus is human body. S. aureus can be cultured from multiple sites of the skin and mucosal surfaces of carriers; the primary reservoir of staphylococci is thought to be the nostrils of the nose. Spread of S aureus generally is through human-to-human contact. Carriage of S. aureus in the nose appears to play a key role in the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infection. In the general population, a mean carriage rate of 37.2% was found. S. aureus is conveyed to the food by the person handling it. Persons with skin, nose or throat infections or inflammatory wounds pass this microorganism onto the food. The foods posing a particular risk for containing Staphylococcus include cooked meat, potato salad, desserts with milk, such as custard, and chicken, fish and other meat salads.

2.2. Personal Hygiene of Food Handlers

The food processing stage is one of the most important stages in the food chain, and those responsible for performing the duties involved in this stage assume major responsibilities in the prevention of food poisoning cases. The food processing staff should include healthy individuals who do not have any diseases, and they should undergo regular medical check-ups. In addition to being healthy, it is also important that the workers take particular care for their personal hygiene and execute proper food handling behavior.

Persons who have any disease that may cause food infection or persons who are suspected to be hosts should not be allowed into the food processing site. Workers at food processing sites who have any symptoms associated with infections should be reported to the administration, and they must be examined by a physician. Accordingly, the law that entered into force in Turkey in 1996 includes the provision:

In addition, many studies have reported that workers in the food processing industry did not show enough care in washing their hands properly when necessary and in using protective attire. 

2.3. Kitchen sanitation

Another important issue in the provision of food safety is kitchen sanitation. A study conducted in child care centers in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina in the United States found that most kitchens were not in compliance with the FDA’s 2009 Food Code. In order to minimize the risk of foodborne illnesses in the production and processing of foods, it is necessary to minimize the risk of contamination in the placement, arrangement and decking of kitchen utensils, to set up the area so that it is equipped to perform maintenance, repair, cleaning and disinfection and to ensure that surfaces and materials in the kitchen are anti-toxic, that the kitchen has control mechanisms for temperature and humidity, if possible, and that effective measures are taken against pests.

2.3.1. Kitchen hygiene

Issues related to kitchen hygiene should be addressed prior to even completing the construction of the kitchen. The plan and interior design of the kitchen should be arranged in such a way as to facilitate proper hygiene practices (e.g., protection against cross-contamination).

The kitchen should be constructed with durable materials that are easy to care for and clean. These materials should be free of any substances that can potentially render the food unsuitable for consumption, such as parasites, pathogenic microorganisms and toxins, or raw materials, food components and others substances used in the production of processed products that have been infected by foreign substances.

2.4. Equipment hygiene

Equipment that comes into regular contact with foods should be made of material able to be cleaned and disinfected, resistant to corrosion and non-toxic. The equipment should be arranged in a way as to enable it and the area around it to be cleaned sufficiently. When it is necessary that chemicals be used to clean the equipment, the instructions governing the use of those chemicals should be followed. Calibration checks of the equipment and tools should be made regularly, and these checks should be recorded.

 

3. Food safety systems

Effective food control systems are needed to improve the applicability and control of food safety. Currently, the HACCP, ISO 22000 and PAS 220 are the most commonly used internationally approved food safety systems.

3.1. Hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP)

HACCP was first used in the 1960s by the American Pillsbury company for the purpose of producing "zero defect" products for the US Army and NASA. Later, starting in the 1970s, it began to be used as a reference by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in official supervisions. It was adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1992 and published as the HACCP international standard for the first time. Since then, the food industry and official authorities have been using it to protect against and control the risks of potential dangers that could threaten food safety.

4. Conclusion

Food safety ultimately deals with the consumption stage, where the existence and level of the dangers caused by foods are of chief concerns. The observance of rigorous control procedures throughout the course of the food chain is a fundamental necessity, given that risks to food safety can surface in any stage of the chain. Therefore, all parties involved in the food chain share the responsibility for ensuring food safety.

The design of a food safety system involves numerous factors. To begin with, minimum hygiene standards should be determined by laws and regulations, food producers must apply food safety measures and procedures and official bodies must supervise and inspect food industry companies to confirm that they are conducting their operations in a manner consistent with the regulations in force. Food poisoning cases that threaten public health globally occur as a result of the contamination of foods in any stage, from production to consumption. Although the factors jeopardizing food safety seem to be easy to control in theory, studies and current practices indicate that there is still a long way to go in practice.