Microbial Hazards

Microorganisms are everywhere -- they can be: – Pathogens – cause disease – Spoilers – cause the quality of food to deteriorate – Beneficial – used for food production and present in and on the body

 Infection › eating food contaminated with pathogens  Intoxication › eating food contaminated with the toxins (poisons) formed by bacteria › eating food contaminated with other biological or chemical toxins (poisons)  Toxin-mediated infection › eating food contaminated with pathogens that grow in the body and form toxins (poisons)

Three microorganisms cause most food borne illness:  Bacteria  Viruses  Parasites Microorganisms are:  naturally present or  get into the food through poor handling practices.

Common symptoms of food borne illness are : › diarrhea › vomiting › fever › sore throat with fever › jaundice

 Invisible to the naked eye.  Pathogenic bacteria only grow in potentially hazardous food, which are also called TCS food.  Some produce spores.  Some produce toxins.  Not necessarily destroyed by freezing or cooking.  Can cause infection, intoxication, or toxin- mediated infection.

Potentially hazardous food › Low acid (pH >4.6) › Moist › Protein Time › 4 hours or longer in the temperature danger zone Temperature › Between 41 o F and 135 o F

Activity

 Some pathogenic bacteria require oxygen; others do not.  Clostridium botulinum grows in the absence of oxygen.  Absence of oxygen may occur in:  Vacuum packaged food  Center of thick cooked foods, such as stew  Garlic in oil that is not commercially processed  Foil wrapped potatoes  Cooked rice

Good personal hygiene › Only allow healthy workers to handle food. › Have all workers wash their hands properly and frequently. Prevent cross-contamination › Store foods properly. › Only use cleaned and sanitized utensils and surfaces for food preparation. Time-temperature control › Cook foods to proper temperatures. › Hold foods at proper temperatures.

 Bacillus cereus  Campylobacter  Clostridium botulinum  Clostridium perfringens  E. coli  Listeria monocytogenes  Salmonella  Shigella  Staphylococcus aureus  Vibrio  Yersinia

 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.  Invisible to the naked eye  Cause foodborne infection not foodborne intoxication.

 Prevent getting viruses into food because they might not be destroyed by cooking.  Prevent introduction by:  Only allowing healthy workers to handle food.  Having all workers frequently and properly wash their hands.  Buying all food from an approved and safe source.

Hepatitis A Norovirus