Five Risk Factors Preventing foodborne illness through appropriate control measures

C Five Risk Factors Five Risk Factors 1.Food from unsafe source – using food from home or unlicensed providers. 2.Inadequate cooking – not heating food to temperatures that kill pathogens. 3.Improper holding temperature – holding food at an unsafe temperature for more than four hours. 4.Contaminated equipment – using unclean utensils or equipment when preparing food. 5.Poor personal hygiene – unsanitary habits by workers, such as not washing hands before handling food or after using the bathroom.

C Five Risk Factors Factors associated with reported cases of foodborne illness 63% inadequate cooling and cold-holding temperatures 29% preparing food ahead of planned service 27% inadequate hot-holding temperatures 26% poor personal hygiene/infected persons 25% inadequate reheating 9% inadequate cleaning of equipment

C Five Risk Factors 7% use of leftovers 6% cross-contamination 5% inadequate cooking or heat processing 4% containers adding toxic chemicals 2% contaminated raw ingredients 2% intentional chemical additives 1% incidental chemical additives 1% unsafe source

C Five Risk Factors Control Risk Factors A food safety plan should control for the five risk factors. Control measures must be specific to the operation. Foodborne illness is nearly 100% preventable if appropriate control measures are implemented.

C Microbiology Microorganisms

C Microbiology Microbiology Microorganisms are everywhere. Microbiology is the study of microorganisms— living organisms too small to be seen by the naked eye without magnification.

C Microbiology Three Roles of Microorganisms Pathogens -- cause foodborne illness. Spoilers -- cause food to spoil and decrease its shelf-life. Beneficial -- used for food fermentation and are naturally present in and on the body.

C Microbiology Contaminated Food Microorganisms can contaminate any food: naturally or through improper food handling Contaminated food can cause foodborne illness or food spoilage. Measures must be implemented to control for: Food safety – preventing foodborne illness and Food quality – maximizing shelf-life

C Microbiology Pathogens Foodborne illness An illness caused by eating contaminated foods or beverages. Foodborne illness outbreak the occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from eating a common food. Each year there are: 76 million cases of foodborne illness 323,914 hospitalizations 5,194 deaths

C Microbiology Spoilers Cause the deterioration of food, such as sour milk or lunch meat turning slimy. Eating spoiled food does not usually cause illness. Food spoils because of microbial growth or enzymatic activity.

C Microbiology Beneficial Beneficial microorganisms are not contaminants – they are naturally present or are intentionally added to foods. Primary purposes: Health benefits – naturally present on skin and in the intestinal tract. New food products – use for food fermentation to create new products. Yogurt Sour dough culture

C Microbiology Five Major Groups of Microorganisms 1.Bacteria 2.Viruses 3.Parasites 4.Mold 5.Yeast

C Microbiology Bacteria Basics Invisible to the naked eye. Pathogens, spoilers, and beneficial. Grow in food. Some produce spores. Some produce toxins. Not necessarily destroyed by freezing or cooking. Bacillus cereus

C Microbiology Virus Basics Invisible to the naked eye. Pathogens -- not spoilers or beneficial. Do not grow in food; use food as a vehicle to get from one person to another Can contaminate any food Cause most foodborne illnesses in the U.S. Usually destroyed by cooking but not freezing. Norovirus

C Microbiology Parasite Basics Some are visible to the naked eye Pathogens – not spoilers or beneficial. Do not grow in food Found naturally in many animals pigs cats rodents, and Seafood Destroyed by proper freezing and cooking. Anisakis simplex

C Microbiology Mold Basics Visible to the naked eye. While most spoil food, some are pathogenic and some beneficial. Some form toxins that can cause illness. Grow in a wide range of foods – high acid, low moisture. Requires air to grow Freezing does not destroy.

C Microbiology Yeast Basics Visible to the naked eye. Spoilers and beneficial but not pathogenic. Grow in a wide range of foods – high acid, low moisture. Produce a smell, bubbling, or a taste of alcohol when food spoils Easily destroyed by proper processing.

Control Measures

Focus on safety and quality Food safety control measures -- prevent foodborne illness. Food quality control measures -- maximize shelf- life, slow spoilage, or produce a new product. Processors use a combination of controls One-control system can be harsh making food unacceptable to the consumer. Multiple controls is called the hurdle concept and is commonly used. C Control Measures

Hurdle Concept Food processors use a combination of control measures called hurdle concept. The three primary control measures are: 1. Controlling water activity and/or pH values of the food. 2. Adding chemicals, such as additives or substances like salt, directly to the food. 3. Adjusting the atmosphere surrounding the food using special packaging methods. C Control Measures

1a -- Controlling Water Activity Water activity (A w ) Minimum, optimum, and maximum values Yeasts and mold grow at a lower water activity than do bacteria safe cutoff for pathogen growth Based on minimum water activity needed for S. aureus toxin production. C Control Measures

Water activity and foods Above 0.85Moist foodsRefrigeration or another barrier to control pathogen growth 0.60 and 0.85Intermediate moisture foods No refrigeration, short shelf-life because spoilage by yeast and mold Below 0.60Low moisture foods Extended shelf-life without refrigeration C Control Measures

Controlling water activity MethodFoods Hot air dryingSolid foods like vegetables, fruit, and fish Spray dryingLiquids and semi-liquids like milk Vacuum dryingLiquids like juice Freeze dryingVariety of foods Adding salt or sugarSoy sauce, jams, salted fish C Control Measures

1b -- Controlling pH Minimum, optimum, and maximum pH values for microbial growth Yeasts and mold grow at low pH. Pathogenic bacteria do not grow at 4.6 or below. pH controls growth and is not a method to kill pathogens. C Control Measures

Ways to Control pH Acidification direct addition of acid to a low-acid food Use organic acids, acetic, lactic, or citric or add high-acid food to mixture Direct – predetermined amounts of acids added to individual finished product Bath – acid and food combined in large batches and allowed to equilibrate. Fermentation Lactic acid bacteria produces lactic acid. C Control Measures

Measuring pH pH meter  Digital method but expensive  Easy, the MOST accurate, and sanitary Indicator solutions  Organic dyes used with dropper  Solution turns pink or red in acid; green or blue in base  Neutral solution may turn lilac and might be difficult to read  Not totally accurate Indicator paper  Used by dipping  Turns yellow to red in acids; turns green or blue in bases  Easy but not completely accurate Titration Add base with know ph to an acid Uses burette Difficult to calculate math so recommended for those with chemistry knowledge C Control Measures

2 -- Adding Chemicals Preservation method might not prevent growth of all microorganisms. Add chemical preservatives, such as: sorbates benzoates sulfites nitrites antibiotics C Control Measures How Chemicals Function Denature proteins. Inhibit enzymes. Alter or destroy cell walls. Alter or destroy cell membranes.

Common Chemical Preservatives PreservativeMechanism BenzoatesInhibit yeast or mold SorbatesInhibit mold Propionic acidInhibit mold SulfitesAntioxidant and antimicrobial NitritesInhibit C. botulinum SaltInhibit pathogens, especially C. botulinum Antibiotics -- nisinAntimicrobial in cheese C Control Measures

Regulating Preservatives Chemical preservatives are food additives. Approved uses and use levels in FDA’s Food Additive Status List. Addressed through product formulation. Processor must carefully control the quantity of food additive for each batch. Processing conditions must be scientifically established and followed C Control Measures

3 -- Adjusting the Atmosphere Packaging does not control the growth of pathogens, it is limited to the control of spoilage microorganisms. Two functions: Prevents contamination of the food and/or Extends the effectiveness of food preservation methods. C Control Measures

Types of Packaging Reduced Oxygen Packaging (ROP) – prevents growth of microorganisms to extend shelf-life Vacuum Packaging – air mechanically removed from the package before sealing Modified Atmosphere Packaging – flush with nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and/or oxygen before sealing. Controlled Atmosphere Packaging – retain atmosphere throughout shelf-life using an oxygen scavenger in packaging. C Control Measures

Packaging – Key Concerns If ROP used, must have barrier to C. botulinum. Barriers include: Water activity below 0.93 with refrigeration pH below 4.6; salt above 10% High levels of competing microorganisms Thermal processing in final container Freezing with frozen storage and distribution C Control Measures

TCS Foods

Definition Potentially hazardous food is typically neutral or slightly acidic (low acid), moist, and contains protein. requires temperature control to prevent bacteria growth of bacteria. Time-Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) is the correct name in the current ServSafe® Essestials. C Potentially Hazardous Food

Conditions for Bacterial Growth In the retail food industry, conditions of bacterial growth called FAT-TOM: F -- Food A -- Acid T -- Temperature T -- Time O -- Oxygen M -- Moisture C Potentially Hazardous Food

F = Food Food that meets the definition of TCS. Bacteria grow in these foods but other pathogenic microorganisms do not, such as viruses and parasites. C Potentially Hazardous Food

A = Acidity pH is degree of acidity (amount of acid) or alkalinity (amount of base) of a substance. Measured on scale from 0 to 14. pH of 7.0 is exactly neutral--neither acid nor alkaline. pH below 7.0 is acidic pH above 7.0 is alkaline. Bacteria grow best at neutral or slightly acidic pH levels, especially between 6.6 and 7.5. C Potentially Hazardous Food

T = Temperature All bacteria grow by cell division (also known as doubling). When a potentially hazardous food is in the temperature danger zone (between 41 o F and 135 o F), pathogens multiply. Pathogens do not grow at the same rate across the danger zone. 60 o F – double every two hours. 70 o F – double every sixty minutes. 90 o F – double every 30 minutes. C Potentially Hazardous Food

T = Time The longer TCS is in the temperature danger zone, the more pathogenic bacteria will grow. Limit time in the temperature danger zone to no more than four hours. C Potentially Hazardous Food

O = Oxygen Aerobic Require oxygen to grow Anaerobic Grow only in the absence of oxygen Facultative Can grow whether the atmosphere has oxygen or note. Microaerophilic Grow only in reduced oxygen environments C Potentially Hazardous Food

M = Moisture Water activity is a measure of the amount of water available for bacterial growth. Pathogenic bacteria can grow in foods that have a water activity of 0.85 or higher – moist foods is based on the minimum water activity for Staphylococcus aureus toxin production. C Potentially Hazardous Food

Definition and Types

Fermentation In practice, fermentation is an art. Encourage growth of the right microorganisms and discourage growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage. Accomplished by adding salt or a starter culture to the food, or in some cases slightly acidifying it. C Fermentation

What is it? Enzymatically controlled change in food Caused by microbes Changes caused by Break down of components Glucose  Pyruvate  acid or alcohol + CO 2 Release of by-products C Fermentation

By-Products -- Changes and Advantages Changes: Color Texture Flavor Aroma pH Advantages: New products Increases shelf-life Increases variety of food products available C Fermentation

Starter Culture A starter culture can be: Yeast, Bacteria, or Mold Influence quality characteristics; such as texture, moisture content, no pathogens and their toxins, and taste. C Fermentation

Uses in the food industry End product Raw ingredient Starter culture BeerBarley and hops Yeast BreadSugar in doughYeast YogurtMilkBacteria CheeseMilkBacteria PicklesCucumberBacteria VinegarCider, wineBacteria C Fermentation

Yeast Fermentation Saccharomyces cerevisiae Uses sugar as fuel A fungus Food products Yeast breads Alcoholic beverages C Fermentation

Bacterial Fermentation Lactic Acid Pickled vegetables (cabbage, cucumbers, olives) Semi dry and dry sausages Cultured dairy products Acetic Acid Two step process (yeast creates wine) Acetic acid bacteria creates vinegar C Fermentation

Mold Fermentation Antibiotics Flavor compounds Enzymes Two-step fermentation with mold includes chocolate and cheeses Products: Tempeh Soy sauce C Fermentation Tempeh Soy sauce

Industrial Fermentation Important process in industry Food Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology Sewage Breakdown organic substances and re- assembly into other substances. C Industrial Fermentation

Food Applications Bread Wine Cheese Curds Pickles Fermented sausages C Industrial Fermentation

Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Microbial cells or biomass -- Bakers yeast, lactic acid bacillus, Bacillus sp. Microbial enzymes -- Examples include catalase, amylase, protease Microbial metabolites -- Ethanol, citric acids, vitamins, lysine Recombinant products -- Insulin, interferon Biotransformations -- Phenyl acetyl carbinol C Industrial Fermentation

Sewage Disposal Sewage digested by enzymes from bacteria Solids broken down into harmless, soluble substances and CO 2 Liquids disinfected to remove pathogens Digested sludge – dried and used as fertilizer. Gas by-products (methane) – biogas C Industrial Fermentation