1. Introduction Chapter 13
Food Safety - The following list indicates the FDA’s ongoing areas of concern regarding the safety of our food supply.
Microbial foodborne illness – of most concern
Natural toxins in foods
Residues in foods
Nutrients in foods
Intentional approved food additives
Genetic modification of foods

2. Introduction
Microbial foodborne illness (a.k.a. food poisoning) is first on the list because the number of deaths from this far outweigh other kinds of food-related deaths.
On average, every day 200,000 people in the U.S. fall ill from foodborne illness, and 14 die.
Each year, about 76 million people become ill and about 5,000 die in the U.S. from foodborne illness.

3. What Causes Foodborne Illness and How Can It Make You Sick?
Foodborne illnesses are often caused by pathogens. Pathogens include viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
Can be spread by fecal-to-oral transmission
Traveler’s diarrhea is commonly caused by consuming contaminated food or water.
Viruses: require living host (plant or animal) to survive
Norovirus (stomach flu), Hepatitis A
Bacteria flourish on living and nonliving surfaces.
Some bacteria are beneficial: make vitamin K and biotin in intestines; bacteria can be used to make yogurt, buttermilk and cheese 3

4. What Causes Foodborne Illness and How Can It Make You Sick?
Parasites: microscopic organisms that live on or in another organism. They take nourishment from hosts
Chemical agents and toxins also cause illness.
Naturally-occurring toxins include poisonous mushrooms and some fish.
Pesticides added to foods also cause foodborne illness.
Some people at higher risk
Older adults because of deterioration of their immune system and less gastric juice is produced, young children, and those with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to ill effects. 4

5. Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness* * * * * *
Table 14.1, cont. 5

6. Pathogens That Cause Foodborne Illness* *
Table 14.1, cont. 6

7. What Can You Do to Prevent Foodborne Illness?
Practice “4 Cs” of food safety:
Clean your hands and produce.
Hands: hot soapy water with agitation
for at least twenty seconds
Sanitize cutting boards, sponges
Wash fruits and vegetables under
cold running water, scrub firm skins
with vegetable brush 7

8. What Can You Do to Prevent Foodborne Illness?
Combat cross-contamination.
Keep raw meat, poultry, fish separate from other foods during preparation, storage, and transport
Cook foods thoroughly.
Color not reliable indicator: measure internal temperature (see Table 13.2)

9. What Can You Do to Prevent Foodborne Illness?
Chill foods at a low enough temperature.
Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40o – 140o F
Keep hot foods hot: above 140o F
Keep cold foods below 40o F: perishables shouldn’t be left more than two hours
Keep leftovers no more than four days in refrigerator, raw meats two days
Freezer temperature: at or below 0o F

10. The Do’s and Don’ts of Cross-Contamination
Figure 14.3 10

11. Microbes
Cold temperatures will slow down microbes’ ability to multiply to dangerous levels.
The exception to this is Listeria, which can multiply in temps at 40 degrees F and below.
Most microbes become dormant and are unable to multiply when they are frozen, but they aren’t destroyed.

12. Which Foods Are Most Likely to Make People Sick?
Foods that are high in moisture and nutrients and those that are chopped or ground are especially susceptible to contamination.
Contrary to popular belief, foods with mayonnaise are less likely to spoil due to the acidity of mayo.
Ground meat or poultry is handled more than meats left whole
Grinding exposes much more surface area for bacteria to land on
Meats provide a moist, nutritious environment that is just right for microbial growth

13. Meats and Poultry
A safe hamburger is cooked well-done (internal temperature of 160°F) and has juices that run clear.

14. How Can I Avoid Illness When Traveling?
Chance of getting sick is when traveling to a place where cleanliness standards are lacking.
Boil it
Cook it
Peel it
Forget it!
Skip salads

15. Who Protects Your Food and How Do They Do It?
Several government agencies police the food supply:
Agency:
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
Responsible for:
Safe and accurately labeled meat, poultry, eggs
Safety of all other foods
Protecting you and environment from harmful pesticides
Protecting against plant and animal pests and disease
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16. Who Protects Your Food and How Do They Do It?
Food Safety Initiative (FSI):
Coordinates research, surveillance, inspection, outbreak response, and educational activities of governmental agencies that safeguard food
Manufacturers use preservation techniques to destroy contaminants.
Pasteurization: heating liquids, food at high enough temperatures to destroy foodborne pathogens and keep product fresh longer
Examples: milk, dairy foods, most juices 16

17. Who Protects Your Food and How Do They Do It?
Canning: heating food at high temperature to kill bacteria, packing food in airtight container
Clostridium botulinum spores can survive in environments without air.
Very rare cases of botulism usually occur from home canning.
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP): reducing oxygen inside packages of fruits/vegetables
High-pressure processing (HPP): high pressure pulses destroy microorganisms 17

18. Who Protects Your Food and How Do They Do It?
Irradiation: foods subjected to radiant energy source inside a shielded chamber without causing harmful chemical changes
Kills bacteria by damaging DNA, insects and parasites but not viruses
Irradiated food must be labeled and have “radura” logo
The International Radura Symbol 18

19. Irradiation 19

20. Consumer Concerns about Radiation
Concerns include:
Fear that food will be radioactive and cause harm (which is false).
Requires transporting radioactive materials, training workers to handle them safely and dispose of spent wastes.
Unscrupulous food manufacturers might use the technology to make old or tainted food seem wholesome.

21. Canned Foods
Fat-soluble vitamins and most minerals are relatively stable
Not affected much by canning

22. Freezing
The nutrient contents of frozen foods are similar to those of fresh foods

23. Are Food Additives Safe?
The 3,000 or so food additives approved for use in the U.S. are strictly controlled and well-studied for safety.
Without additives, bread would quickly mold and salad dressing would go rancid.

24. Regulations Governing Additives
The FDA has the responsibility for deciding which additives shall be in foods.
Manufacturers must comply with many regulations that ensure safety.
BHA, BHT, sulfites, vitamin C & E have been used as antioxidants in foods.

25. What Are Food Additives and How Are They Used?
Salt, earliest food additive: preserved meat, fish
Many reasons for using food additives: preserve freshness, maintain consistency, enhance nutritional content, prevent food spoilage 25

26. Salt and Sugar are antimicrobial agents
Salt and sugar are widely used as preservatives. They remove water from the food and microbes need water to grow.
Two long-used preservatives

27. What Are Food Additives and How Are They Used?
MSG or monosodium glutamate is a common flavor enhancer used especially in Asian restaurants: GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status
Foods containing MSG must show ingredient on label because some people are sensitive
MSG symptom complex (numbness, burning sensation, facial pressure, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness)
Sulfites used as preservatives to prevent browning of foods and growth of microbes (dried fruits, vegetables, wine, beer, etc.)
Some people sensitive, from mild to serious
Must be shown on food label 27

28. What Are Toxins and Chemical Agents?
Toxins occur naturally to help plant or animal fend off predators or capture food
Thorough cooking will kill many harmful bacteria and viruses found in seafood, but it won’t destroy any of the marine toxins. 28

29. What Are Toxins and Chemical Agents?
Toxins in other foods:
Potatoes exposed to light, turned green contain solanine. Can cause fever, diarrhea, paralysis and shock.
To avoid poisoning, eat all foods in moderation and choose a variety. 29

30. What Are Toxins and Chemical Agents?
The risks of pesticides:
Synthetic pesticides can cause harm to animals, humans, environment depending on level of toxicity and how much consumed
Pesticide use is heavily regulated in the U.S.
Regulating pesticides: who’s watching the crops?
EPA evaluates all food pesticides using human health risk assessment: hazard identification, dose-response assessment, exposure assessment, risk characterization 30

31. What Are Toxins and Chemical Agents?
Minimize pesticides in your diet.
Washing fruits and vegetables with clean, running water and vegetable brush removes up to 81% of pesticide residue 31

32. Sex Pheromones
Naturally occurring chemicals secreted by one organism to attract another, used as a biopesticide to control pests by interfering with their mating.

33. Reducing Pesticides In Your Foods*
Figure 14.9 33

34. What Is Bioterrorism and How Can You Protect Yourself?
Food and water are potential targets:
As primary agents of bioterrorism: foodborne pathogens such as botulism, Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Shigella as potential agents
As secondary agents: disrupting availability of adequate safe amounts or by limiting fuel needed to cook and refrigerate perishable foods
Under Department of Homeland Security, various local, state, and federal agencies work together at each stage of farm-to-table continuum to protect your foods 34