Food Safety Definition Factors affecting it Types of

Food Safety �Definition �Factors affecting it �Types of hazards �Impact on health �Control measures

Definition �Food is one of the three essentials for maintenance of life. �The first objective of any country is for increased food supply in sufficient amount and of the right nutritional content to meet the needs of ever increasing population. �Such food has to be safe which implies that its consumption should not give rise to any food borne diseases whether from infection, intoxication, contamination, adulteration or other sources.

Factors affecting food safety The main factors affecting food safety are�Bacterial contamination �Environmental contamination �Natural contamination; and �Use of additives and pesticides etc.

1. Bacterial Contamination �Importance of foodborne diseases due to bacterial contamination is immense. Hence, prevention of them due to bacterial contamination is needful in this respect. 2. Environmental contamination �It includes those people as careless food handler, human carrier of disease who prepare food either at home or in a factory, kitchen of a restaurant, hotel, canteen, school etc. will put the health at risk of them.

3. Natural contamination �It includes mishandling of food, least protection during food preparation, contamination during food display and service and food transportation. 4. Use of additives and pesticides �Chemicals which can also pose a health hazard is called ‘food additives’ should be used under strict control. Some of the food additives are preservatives, antioxidants, emulsifiers and stabilisers etc. �Use of insecticides and pesticides to protect foods from insects, pests, moulds etc. is another necessary evil.

Few aspects of food safety �Safety of raw food material To control food borne illness and food spoilage which may result from improperly handled or transported food, people should be concerned about sources of food they use. �Protection of food after procurement To protect the food from being contaminated at all times within the establishments and also during transportation.

Following measures must be taken �Food must be stored in a food grade plastic container. �Food must be stored in such a location that does not result in a high risk of contamination. �Bulk food such as cooking oil, salt, sugar and flour in which they are kept should be properly labeled. �Food must be stored at proper storage temperature. �Refrigeration facilities to control growth of microorganisms should be maintained. �Hot storage facilities for hazardous food should be maintained.

�Food preparation Personal hygiene, cooking, reheating and minimal handling of food during food preparation. �Food display and service Contamination of and microbial growth in food during food display and service results from contaminated equipment, improper control of food temperatures or insanitary display. �Food transportation Safe transportation of prepared food assures greater importance.

�Personal hygiene and health requirement Diseases and infections may be transmitted by infected food handlers to the consumers. �Equipment and utensils Food poisoning may result from acidic foods or drinks which has been in contact with such metals as cadmium, lead or zinc. �Sanitary facilities and controls Potable water, proper disposal of sewage, plumbing system so that there is no cross contamination between potable water supply and non-potable water. , toilet facilities and proper disposal of garbage and refuse.

�Control of insect and pest Insect and pest cause a big problem in food service establishments. The flies and cockroaches are the important carriers of food borne diseases. Among pests, rats and mice spread food borne diseases. Hazardous substances in food 1. Microbial contaminants 2. Environmental contamination 3. Natural toxins 4. Agricultural residues 5. Intentional food additives

1. Microbial contaminants caused by: v Pathogenic bacteria � Food poisoning- outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis caused by microbial pathogens in the form of � Food borne intoxication- where microbes in food produce a toxin that produces the symptom and � Food borne infection- where the symptoms are caused by the activity of live bacterial cells multiplying in the gastrointestinal system. � Factors contributing to food poisoning� Improper cooling of food �Lapses of 12 hours or more between preparing and eating �Contamination by food handlers

�Contaminated raw foods or ingredients �New and emerging pathogens �Changes in the food supply including more intensive animal husbandry, longer shelf-life of fresh chilled products. �Ageing populations �Greater proportion of food eaten away from home v Mycotoxins �Aflatoxins from Aspergillus fungus are highly toxic and carcinogenic causing liver damage. Such contamination can occur when environmental conditions are suitable for mould growth. �Patulin by the mould Penicillium caviforme may contain in apple juices and some baked goods with fruit.

�Fumonisins from the fusarium fungus is associated with maize. v New foodborne diseases �Camphylobacter jejuni found in the flesh of cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry and raw meat is one of the important causes of gastroenteritis. �Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigeration temperatures (<0⁰C) can cause abortions as well as death in the elderly and those with compromised immune systems such as AIDS. �It is also found in contaminated milk, soft cheese, undercooked chicken and preprepared chilled food. �Escherichia coli present in raw and undercooked

hamburger can damage the cells of the colon leading to bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. �Salmonella typhimurium can survive at low p. H �Norwalk virus found in the faeces of humans is caused by poor personal hygiene among infected food handlers. As it is a virus, it does not reproduce in food but remains active until the food is eaten. �Mad cow disease or BSE (bovine spongioform encephalopathy) is a slowly progressive and ultimately fatal neurological disorder of adult cattle that results from infection by an unique transmission agent called prion (modified forms of normal cellsurface protein). Same infective agent is responsible for variant

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (v. CJD) a fatal disease of humans caused by beef meat infected with BSE. Feeding of meat and bonemeal to any farmed livestock is also banned as it may contain BSE. 2. Environmental contamination caused by: v Heavy metals and minerals � Selenium- Excessive selenium intake has been associated with gastrointestinal disturbances and skin discoloration with brittle hair, skin lesions and neurological disturbances. � Mercury- Fish can contain 10 -500 mg/kg of organic mercury or even higher when mercury wastes are released into lake waters. Maximum permitted levels

of mercury in fish 0. 4 -1. 0 mg/kg. Mercury poisoning in fish occurred in Minamata Bay in Japan. In Iraq mercury intoxication occurred in wheat bread when they are treated with mercury based pesticides. �Cadmium- Chronic exposure at excessive levels can lead to irreversible kidney failure. The average foodbased cadmium intake is approx. 10 -50µg/day. v. Criminal adulteration �Milk is diluted with water, cocoa with sawdust, some operators preserved milk with formaldehyde and butter with borax. v. Packaging migration �Lead used in the solder of metal cans was significant

source of contamination of infant formulae. �Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the parent compound for many polymers used in food packaging materials, has been detected in a variety of products stored in PVC containers. v. Industrial pollution �Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) a highly stable derivatives of biphenyl used in plastics, paints and lubricants, their stability and solubility result in accumulation in fatty tissue and widely found in seafood. v. Radioactive contamination �Strontium-90 and caesium-137, two dangerous

radioisotope with half-lives of 28 and 30 years. Strontium is absorbed and metabolized like calcium and stored in bones. It is particularly dangerous for infants and children. Accidental exposure of radioactive contamination may occur and lead to dangerous food contamination over widespread areas. v Changes during cooking or processing �Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are carcinogens produced by burning of fat during roasting and frying when localized areas of food are subjected to temperatures that lead to carbonization. �Heterocyclic amines produced from amino acids are too carcinogens.

�Char-broiling or barbecuing lead to carcinogen formation. �Acrylamide found in starch containing foods cooked at high temperatures is known to be toxic to the nervous system and may cause genetic damage. �Irradiation method can be used to sterilize foods, control microbial spoilage, eradicate insect infestations and inhibit undesired sprouting but still opposition from consumers that the process producing toxic chemicals in food. 3. Natural toxins �Inherent natural toxins like cyanogenic glycosides in plants such as almond kernels, cassava and sorghum;

Alkaloids in herbal teas; lathyrus toxin in chickpeas; puffer fish in Japan contains a fatal neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin produce a tingling sensation. �Abnormal conditions of the animal or plant used for food like ciguatera poisoning caused by eating contaminated fish. Symptoms include gastrointestinal disorders, neurological problems and in severe cases death. �Paralytic shell fish poisoning Symptoms include numbness of lips, ascending paralysis and even death within 24 hours Glykoalkaloids in potatoes Solanin, a heat stable glykoalkaloids found in green

parts of potato are toxic above concentration of 20 mg/dl. Glykoalkaloids possess anticholinesterase activity producing gastrointestinal and neurological disorders and even death. �Enzyme inhibitors Protease inhibitors present in many legume species and trypsin inhibitors are found in oats, maize, brussel sprouts, onion and beetroot. Feeding raw legumes to animals can result in pancreatic enlargement. �Antivitamins 1. Avidin present in raw egg white is the biotin binding protein, makes vitamin biotin unavaiable to

2. Other antivitamins are the pyridoxine antagonist amino-D-proline in flax seeds, antithiamin compound in cafeic acid and tocopherol oxidase in raw soyabean. � Mineral binding agents 1. Goitrogens: glucosinolate and thiocyanate compounds found in foods interfere with normal utilisation of iodine by the thyroid gland resulting in goitre. Present in cruciferous vegetables as cabbage, broccoli, etc. 2. Phytate: found in wholemeal cereals bind with minerals and make them less available to the body for absorption.

3. Oxalate: Spinach, beetroot, tea contain high levels of oxalates. Bind with calcium to form insoluble complex. 4. Tannins (polyphenols): Present in tea, coffee, cocoa and broad beans. Interfere with iron absorption. 4. Agricultural residues a) Pesticides: DDT are highly toxic to insects, stable compound and persist in soils, stored in the fat tissue of animals, possess carcinogenic activity. b) Fungicides and herbicides: very selective toxicity to their target plants, possess very little hazard to humans.

c) Hormones: Bovine somatotrophin (BST) to improve yields of milk and meat and to reduce the percentage of carcass fat. 5. Intentional food additives � These are consumed to an acceptable daily intake, a safety factor for humans. � Overconsumption may increases the chances of developing cancer. a) Artificial sweeteners � Saccharin 1) Oldest artificial sweeteners 2) At lower doses as 1% no adverse effects are found.

�Cyclamate, a permitted sweetener, used widely in several countries. �Aspartame 1. Risk for people with phenylketonuria. 2. Extremely safe sweetener that is digested like any other protein. b) Preservaties � Sodium nitrite 1. Nitrites react with secondary amines in food, many of which are carcinogenic. 2. Recently, manufacturers worked to reduce the level of nitrite used in cured meats.

�Sulphur dioxide 1. Sulphur dioxide and its salts used as inhibitors of enzymic browning, dough conditioners, antimicrobials and antioxidants. 2. 1 -2% of asthmatics are sensitive to sulphites. c) Colours and flavours � Amaranth (Red no. 2) 1. High dosage results in a statistically significant increase in malignant tumours. � Tartrazine 1. Though permitted but its presence has to be declared in level so that sensitive individuals can avoid it.

Impact on health �Biological contamination 1. Pathogenic bacteria a. Gastroenteritis b. Foodborne intoxication c. Foodborne infection 2. Mycotoxins a. Carcinogenic 3. New foodborne diseases a. Gastroenteritis (camphylobacter jejuni) b. Abortions and death (Listeria monocytogenes) c. Damage cells of the colon, bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps (E. coli)

d. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever (Norwalk virus) e. Mental changes such as memory loss, slurred speech, muscle twitching, confusion, fits and unconsciousness (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) �Chemical contamination 1. Heavy metals and minerals a. Selenium: gastrointestinal disturbances and skin discoloration, brittle hair, skin lesions and neurological disturbances. b. Cadmium: irreversible kidney failure. 2. Changes during cooking or processing

ü Acrylamide: neurological damage, genetic damage. 3. Pesticides: DDT: carcinogenic 4. Intentional food additives: ü Sulphur dioxide: those sensitive may cause allergy. � Physical contamination 1. Inherent natural toxin: Puffer fish: fatal neurotoxin as tetrodotoxin, produce tingling sensation. 2. Abnormal conditions of the animal or plant used for food: ciguatera poisoning: gastrointestinal disorders, neurological problems and in severe cases death.

3. Paralytic shell fish poisoning: numbness of the lips and fingertips, ascending paralysis can lead to death within 24 hours. 4. Glycoalkaloids in potatoes: Solanin: gastrointestinal and neurological disorders and deaths. 5. Enzyme inhibitors: inhibits enzyme, affects digestion. 6. Antivitamins: vitamin deficiency 7. Mineral binding agents: ü Goitrogens: Goitre ü Phytate, Oxalate: mineral deficiency ü Tannins: low iron status

Control measures �Proper cooling of food �Consumption of food within 12 hours of preparation. �Sanitation and hygiene to be maintained by food handlers. �Fresh raw foods and ingredients without contamination �Clean and sanitized work place area. �Formal training of all food handlers �Development of food safety plans �Controls on waste disposal

�In case of cadmium, developing new crops that accumulate less cadmium. �Maintenance of standards in food industry. �Control illegal adulteration. �Introduction of non soldered cans to avoid lead contamination. �Avoidance of cooking of food at high temperature. �Avoiding irradiated foods. �Avoidance, removal and detoxification are three ways to be followed to protect from harmful effects of food. �Inactivation of enzyme inhibitors by cooking.

�Inactivation of antivitamins by cooking. �Inactivation of goitrogens by blanching and avoiding. �Avoiding pesticides by thorough washing. �Usage of food additives by manufacturers only upto the level of acceptable daily intake. �Proper reheating of food