1. Food Safety and Technology
Chapter 13
Food Safety and Technology

2. Objectives for Chapter 13
Describe what food safety is and why it is important.
Name the pathogens that cause foodborne illness.
Identify the four Cs that can prevent foodborne illness.
Explain the “Danger Zone” and identify the temperature ranges that define this zone.
Explain the role that food additives and technology play in food production.
Name at least two naturally occurring toxins that could be found in foods.

3. 1. What Is Food Safety and Why Is It Important?
United States enjoys one of safest food supplies in world
Millions still suffer annually from some type of foodborne illness
About 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,200 deaths
Food safety practices and guidelines established to ensure the safety of foods
Several government agencies work together to ensure the safety of foods from farm to table

4. 2. What Causes Foodborne Illness?
Foodborne illnesses are often caused by pathogens
Viruses: require living host to survive
Norovirus, Hepatitis A
Bacteria flourish on living and nonliving surfaces.
Some bacteria are beneficial: make vitamin K and biotin in intestines, used to make yogurt and cheese but a minority cause can cause food spoilage and illness
Older adults, young children, and those with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to ill effects 4

5. 2. What Causes Foodborne Illness?
Parasites: microscopic organisms that take nourishment from hosts
Prions are an extremely rare but deadly infectious agent
Chemical agents and toxins also cause illness
Naturally-occurring toxins include poisonous mushrooms and some fish
Pesticides added to foods also cause foodborne illness 5

6. 2.
Table 13.1 (1 of 4) 6

7. 2.
Table 13.1 (2 of 4) 7

8. 2.
Table 13.1 (3 of 4) 8

9. 2.
Table 13.1 (4 of 4) 9

10. 3. 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 10

11. 3. Think you know how to wash your hands?

12. 3. 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)

13. 3. What Can You Do to Prevent Foodborne Illness?
Chill foods at a low enough temperature
Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40ºF to 140ºF
Keep hot foods hot: above 140ºF
Keep cold foods below 40ºF: 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 0ºF

14. 3. A Bulk Recipe for Bacteria
Figure 13.1

15. 3. Fight BAC!
Figure 13.2 15

16. 3. The Do’s and Don’ts of Cross-Contamination
Figure 13.3 16

17. 4. Food Thermometers
Figure 13.4 17

18. 4. The Danger Zone
Figure 13.5

19. 4.
Table 13.2 19

20. 4.
Table 13.3 20

21. 5. 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, but not viruses
Irradiated food must be labeled and have “radura” logo 21

22. 5. What Are Food Additives and How Are They Used?
Commonly used food additives include preservatives, nutrients, and flavor enhancers
Preservatives prevent spoilage and increase shelf life
Most additives are preservatives
Nitrates and sulfites are salts that are added to foods to prevent microbial growth and are used in cured meats to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum 22

23. 5. What Are Food Additives and How Are They Used?
Some additives enhance texture and consistency
Gums and pectins are used to improve consistency and texture
Emulsifiers improve stability, consistency, and homogeneity
Leavening agents are added to breads to cause them to rise
Anti-caking agents prevent products from absorbing moisture and lumping
Humectants increase moisture 23

24. 6. What Are Toxins and Chemical Agents?
Toxins occur naturally
Marine toxins: cooking won’t destroy toxins
Spoiled finfish can cause scombrotoxic (histamine) fish poisoning
Large reef fish can bioaccumulate ciguatoxins produced by dinoflagellates
Shellfish can be contaminated by neurotoxins produced by dinoflagellates, causing paralytic shellfish poisoning 24

25. 6What Are Toxins and Chemical Agents?
Toxins in other foods
Potatoes exposed to light, turned green, contain solanine
Wild lima beans, cassava contain cyanogenic glycosides that can cause cyanide poisoning
Contamination is sometimes due to pollution
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may cause cancer in humans
Now banned, but still in environment
PCBs and methylmercury can bioaccumulate in fish 25

26. 6. Bioaccumulation of Toxins
Figure 13.9 26