CONTAMINANTS FROM FOOD AND FOOD HANDLING

Engeline dela Cruz-Ilumin, RND, MBA

 FOOD SAFETY
✔
All measures needed during production, processing, storage,
preparation and distribution of food to keep food safe, wholesome,
and fit to eat.
SAFE FOOD
✔
Free from contaminants in amounts or levels that may be
harmful for human health
✔
No harmful germs, toxins and chemicals

UNSAFE FOOD
✔
Contain harmful germs, toxins and chemicals
✔
Considered contaminated and can make people ill
 FOOD CONTAMINATION
●
It is generally defined as foods that are
spoiled or tainted because they either
contain microorganisms, such as bacteria
or parasites, or toxic substances that make
them unfit for consumption

●
A food contaminant can be biological,
chemical or physical in nature, with the
former being more common. These
contaminants have several routes
throughout the supply chain (farm to fork)
to enter and make a food product unfit for
consumption.
 FOOD CONTAMINATION
●
The World Health Organization
(WHO) has recognized food
contamination as a global
challenge in several documents
and reports .
●
It is clearly acknowledged in a
statement: “food contamination that
occurs in one place may affect the
health of consumers living on the
other side of the planet” .
 FOOD CONTAMINATION
●
In fact, a vast majority of
people experience a foodborne
or waterborne disease at some
point in their lives worldwide.
Therefore, consumption of
contaminated foods causes
illness in millions of people and
many die as a result of it. This
scenario makes “food
contamination” a serious issue.
 Why do we have Unsafe Food?
Contamination may happen during:

Retail

Processing

Farming Transportation
Food Consumption (Table)
 FOOD SAFETY
●
The problem of food sanitation
and ultimately of food safety is
not confined to food processing
plants and public eating places
only, but include our very own
homes and kitchens as well.
●
To minimize or prevent the
occurrence of food poisoning
due to food contamination, we
must be aware of the types of
food contaminants as well as the
preventive measures.
 FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS
A disease of an infectious or toxic nature
caused by or thought to be caused by the
consumption of food and water
 TYPES OF FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS
●
Food poisoning or intoxication
refers to an illness caused by
the ingestion of toxin or poison
present in the food.

●
Food infection on the other hand
refers to illness caused by food-
borne organisms which invade
the gastro-intestinal tract in the
body system.
 FOOD-BORNE OUTBREAK
When two or more people get the same illness
from the same contaminated food or drink
 CROSS CONTAMINATION

Contamination of raw
materials, in-process
and finished products
brought about by other ingredients
that may compromise food safety
and sustainability.
 CLASSIFICATION OF HAZARDS
1. Physical Hazard 2. Chemical Hazards
Common examples of physical Common chemical
contaminants in food include: contaminants include:
•
hair •
cleaning products (e.g.
•
fingernails detergent, sanitizer)
•
jewelry •
pesticides/herbicides
•
metal shavings •
toxic chemicals in metals and
•
wood pieces plastic
•
broken glass, staples ➔
Ingested chemicals may cause:
•
plastic wrap/packaging Vomiting and diarrhea
Illnesses that mostly occur within
•
dirt from unwashed fruit and minutes and vary depending on the
vegetables chemical consumed
 HAZARDS
●
3. Biological Hazards - occurs when food
becomes contaminated by living organisms or
the substances they produce. This includes
biological matter produced by humans,
rodents, insects and microorganisms.
●
Visible Biological Hazard: cockroaches, flies,
worms, ants
●
Invisible Biological Hazard:
microorganisms,pathogens
➢
Biological contamination is the leading cause
of food-borne illness and food poisoning, and
a common cause of food spoilage and food
waste.
 FOOD SPOILAGE
Fruit and vegetables spoil over
time because of the presence of
enzymes. These are chemicals that
occur naturally in food and cause it to
ripen and eventually decay.
Conditions for growth of microorganisms:
Micro-organisms, such as bacteria, need ✗
Moist - Bacteria thrive best in
food, warmth, moisture and time to grow and damp conditions and in moist
multiply. foods.
✗
Time - When the correct
✗ Food - Bacteria thrive on moist high-protein conditions for growth are present,
foods. bacteria can double in number
✗ Warmth - The ideal temperature for most every 10 to 20 minutes, so that in
bacteria is 30-45°C. Boiling kills most about six hours 1 million could be
bacteria and cold temperatures slow down produced from just one bacterium.
their growth.
INVISIBLE BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS
Molds
Advantages of molds
•
Molds are used to make
antibiotics, e.g. penicillin.
•
They are used to make blue
cheeses
Disadvantage of molds Advantages of yeasts
•
They spoil the appearance and
•
Yeasts are used in bread-
taste of food. making, brewing (beer) and
wine-making.
Advantages of bacteria (Bacillus
•
Yeasts produce vitamin
cereus) supplements.
•
Bacteria are used to make Disadvantage of yeasts
cheese, yoghurt and vinegar.
•
Yeasts affect the taste and
Disadvantage of bacteria texture of foods.
•
They cause food spoilage, food
 INVISIBLE BIOLOGICAL HAZARD
➔
Food-borne illness occurs when disease-causing microorganisms, also called
pathogens, get into food and multiply to unsafe levels before being eaten.

Some of the most common food-poisoning bacteria:

Botulism – It is a food intoxication caused by

spore-forming bacteria, Clostridium botulinum and
produce toxin, which is highly poisonous,
in low acid food that are improperly canned; heat resistant.
➔
Symptoms: vertigo, double vision, difficulty in speaking and swallowing, can cause
death

Staphylococcus Aureaus – Can be found in human skin

especially in hair, nose, and throat, can be transferred to
food and surfaces due to improper food handling
➔
Symptoms: severe vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps
 INVISIBLE BIOLOGICAL HAZARD
Salmonella- Common on farm animals,
ingestion of contaminated food which causes salmonellosis.
●
Symptoms: nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever,
headache, and exhaustion

Escherichia Coli – Found in intestines of

infected animal.
Can be transferred to food by infected people
that do not practice proper handwashing after
using the rest room.

Symptoms: bloody diarrhea

 INVISIBLE BIOLOGICAL HAZARD
Vibrio Cholera – May come from raw or contaminated
oysters, clams and crabs, contaminated water

Symptoms: diarrhea, blood or mucus containing stool

Hepatitis A Virus – May come from raw or undercooked shellfish and contaminated
food workers

Symptoms: weakness, fever, nausea, jaundice, tea-colored urine

METHODS OF ENSURING FOOD SAFETY
1. Personal Hygiene Practice
2. Proper Food Handling Practices
3. Proper Dishwashing Techniques
4. Good Housekeeping Practices

✔ Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

– a prevention-oriented strategy which may not
guarantee absolute safety but it reduces the
risk to the barest minimum.

✔ The HACCP system consists of seven (7)

principles which are accepted internationally.
"Each and every member of the food industry, from
farm to fork, must create a culture where food safety
and nutrition is paramount."
- Bill Marler, Foodborne Illness Attorney, Food Safety Advocate
 References:

●
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5302336/
●
https://www.foodsafety.ca/blog/food-safety-and-types-food-
contamination
●
Basic Foods for Filipinos by Sonia Y. de Leon, et.al., 3rd
Edition, 1999. ISBN: 971-30-1054-X
 RULES

3 winners will receive a 100

Get a pen and paper On cam pesos load each
 What are the 3 Hazards of Food
Contamination?

Answer:
Biological, Chemical & Physical Contamination
 JUMBLED WORDS
COMGNSIORMRSIA

Answer:
MICROORGANISMS
 GUESS THE PICTURE

Answer:
CROSS-CONTAMINATION