Question

An article about food safety

Answer 1

QUESTION:

1.An article about food safety

ANSWER:

BE SAFE IN FOODS

Introduction

Food safety is used as a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illnesses resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known as a food-borne disease outbreak. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potential health hazards. In this way food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers.

Food Safety

Food Safety refers to handling; preparing and storing food in a way to best reduce the risk of individuals becoming sick from food borne illnesses. Food safety is a global concern that covers a variety of different areas of everyday life.

Food Hygiene vs Food Safety

• Food hygiene is the conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety of food from production to consumption.

• Food can become contaminated at any point during slaughtering or harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, transportation and preparation.

• Lack of adequate food hygiene can lead to food borne diseases and death of the consumer.

• Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food borne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potential health hazards.

Food borne Illness vs Food Poisoning

• Both terms, food borne illness and food poisoning, are often used interchangeably by consumers. However, both have different meanings.

• Food borne illness is an infection or intoxication that results from eating food contaminated with viable (live) microorganisms or their toxins. Food borne illness also includes allergic reactions and other conditions where foods act as a carrier of the allergen.

• Food poisoning (or foodborne intoxication) is a form of food borne illness and is caused by the ingestion of preformed toxins.

• Food poisoning is a toxemia associated with the ingestion of preformed microbial toxins. It is NOT an infection.

• The toxins are ingested preformed and no microbial growth within the human is required.

• Symptomology occurs rapidly, usually within 2-12 hours. These toxins either affect the intestine (enterotoxin of C. perfringens) or the central nervous system (neurotoxin of C. botulinum) or both (S. aureus and B. cereus).

• Examples are: S. aureus toxin, B. cereus toxin, C. perfringens toxin, & C. botulinum toxin.

• S. aureus toxin - they are heat stable (resist boiling for 30 minutes). They each cause an enteric effect (diarrhea) and a neurologic effect (vomiting). All are exotoxins produced by chromosomal genes.

• B. cereus toxin - The spore germination process of B. cereus produces several exotoxins which have either an enteric or a neurologic effect but not both. The type of toxin produced is dependent on the type of food that the spore germinates in. In a high protein food (meat) the enterotoxin is formed. In a high carbohydrate food (rice, pasta) the neurotoxin is formed. The enterotoxins cause fluid accumulation in the intestine. The neurotoxins cause vomiting.

• C. perfringens toxin - A single heat-labile protein which inhibits glucose transport in intestinal epithelial cells, damages the intestinal epithelium and causes protein loss into the intestinal lumen. This activity is maximal in the ileum and minimal in the duodenum.

• C. botulinum toxin - 8 distinct antigenic types . Types A, B and E cause almost all human botulism. All toxins are proteins that prevent release of acetylcholine at the neuro-muscular junction causing a flaccid paralysis.

Foodborne Illness

• Each year, 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) get sick from foodborne illnesses.

• 3,000 Americans die yearly, from food borne illness.

• Reducing foodborne illness by just 10% would keep 5 million Americans from getting sick each year.

Types of Hazards in Food Hygiene

1-Chemical Hazards

2-Physical Hazards

3-Biological Hazards

1-Chemical Hazards

Chemical Hazards Chemicals in the home include those used:

• To clean kitchen surfaces and equipment

• Pesticides

Chemicals can be very harmful if they are:

• Spilt on or near food

• Mistaken for food or drink

Natural toxins

• Toxins are poisonous substances produced by some micro- organisms, plants and animals.

• Most toxins that cause food poisoning are tasteless and remain toxic even after cooking.

2-Physical Hazards

Physical Hazards Foreign matter can:

• Physically injure people

• Introduce harmful bacteria into food.

Examples of foreign matter include:

• Dead insects

• Hair

• Jewelry

• Glass

• Pieces of metal.

3-Biological Hazards

The microorganisms that can make us sick include:

• Viruses (rotavirus, norwalk virus..)

• Bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria…)

• Parasites (Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spiralis..)

• Mold (Aspergillus flavus..)

Microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria are the most common causes of food poisoning.

Principles of food safety

The principles of food safety aim to prevent food from becoming contaminated and causing food poisoning. This is achieved through a variety of different avenues, some of which are:

1. Properly cleaning and sanitising all surfaces, equipment and utensils

2. Maintaining a high level of personal hygiene, especially hand-washing

3. Storing, chilling and heating food correctly with regards to temperature, environment and equipment

4. Implementing effective pest control

5. Comprehending food allergies, food poisoning and food intolerance

Principles of a safe food supply chain

While HACCP lays out the steps necessary to proactively ensure food quality safety in individual food production environments, a healthy supply chain also demands action on a collective level. The European Union identifies seven overarching food safety principles necessary for the entire food supply chain to operate for the public good.

1. Corporate responsibility – Every company involved in the food supply chain is required to do their due diligence to ensure the quality and safety of a food product within the bounds of their responsibility. This includes implementing in-house controls according to HACCP. In addition, corporations assume liability for any damages their products may cause.
   
2. Traceability – All food business operators in the EU are responsible for documenting where their materials are sourced and where they are sent. This documentation helps regulatory bodies quickly identify the source of contamination should a recall become necessary.
   
3. Official food controls – Governmental authorities within the federal states are responsible for enforcing EU food law requirements through risk-oriented reviews, targeted sample collection and regular inspections.
   
4. The precautionary principle – Competent authorities are permitted to take precautionary measures if they believe the effect will minimise food safety risks. These precautionary measures will be reviewed on an ongoing basis as scientific data becomes available.
   
5. Independent scientific risk assessment – A governmental institution that operates independently of political, social and economic influences is responsible for scientifically investigating and assessing the risks that food products may pose to human health. In the EU, this institution is known as the European Food Safety Authority.
   
6. Separation of risk assessment and risk management – Due to possible conflicts of interest, a clear distinction is made between those responsible for scientific risk assessment and those responsible for risk management.
   
7. Transparent risk communication – The public must be promptly informed of imminent and potential food safety hazards. Circulating information about food safety problems is only possible if scientists, policymakers and food business operators communicate transparently.

Food safety as per WHO

• Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances can cause more than 200 different diseases – ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. Around the world, an estimated 600 million - almost 1 in 10 people – fall ill after eating contaminated food each year, resulting in 420 000 deaths and the loss of 33 million healthy life years (DALYs).
• Food safety, nutrition, and food security are closely linked. Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly, and the sick. In addition to contributing to food and nutrition security, a safe food supply also supports national economies, trade, and tourism, stimulating sustainable development. The globalization of food trade, a growing world population, climate change and rapidly changing food systems have an impact on the safety of food. WHO aims to enhance at a global and country-level the capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats associated with unsafe food.

The importance of food safety and the consequences of non-compliance

Food safety is highly important both financially and ethically. The consequences of failing to comply with food safety standards are manifold. In addition to being incredibly costly for companies who must recall their products, overhaul their processes and manage the public relations crisis, inadequate food safety in manufacturing carries a significant human cost.

1. The cost of food recalls for companies

• Failing to implement an effective food safety protocol can lead to contaminated products entering the food chain. Once the defective product has been discovered, food businesses are subject to dramatic disruptions in their operations as they manage and assume the cost for product recalls.
• Food recalls cost companies an average of $10 million USD in direct, immediately measurable costs alone. But the long-term effect that a product recall can have on consumer trust is perhaps even more costly. Some 21 percent of consumers say they would never again purchase anything from manufacturer who had to recall one of their food products.

2. The human cost of unsafe food

• The importance of food safety to modern human life would be difficult to understate. Food safety problems are a leading cause of more than 200 preventable diseases worldwide. Each year, one in ten people will suffer from foodborne illness or injury. An estimated 420,000 people die every year as a result of eating contaminated food and more than a quarter of these victims are small children.
• In addition to the immediate human cost, inadequate food safety comes with a greater ripple effect that impedes socioeconomic progress, especially in the developing world. The World Health Organisation states that food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked. A lack of safe food creates a “vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition” which overburdens public health services, disrupts social and economic progress and detracts from the quality of life.

Enforcing food safety standards

• While the international regulatory bodies listed above provide guidance, certification and auditing services for global food manufacturers, they are not responsible for the active enforcement of food safety laws.
• Every nation defines and establishes its own laws and enforcement practices for food safety regulation and these regulations may vary from country to country, and domestically from region to region. Bringing a food product to a foreign market requires compliance with the food safety and consumer protection laws of that nation and its regional governmental authorities.
• Generally speaking, international food safety standards are designed to facilitate compliance with food safety laws in major markets, simplifying the process of receiving approval from foreign governmental regulators.  

Food safety regulations

• Food products are among the most-traded commodities in the world. As markets become increasingly globalised with each passing year, and as the world’s population continues to grow, the global food supply chain will only continue to increase in scale and complexity. Precisely because of these megatrends influencing the mass production and distribution of food, food safety compliance has never been more important.
• Every country has different regulatory bodies that preside over the definition and enforcement of domestic food safety standards. In order to sell or manufacture food products in any given country, domestic and international businesses alike are subject to the food safety legislation and enforcement measures of that nation. In the European Union, for example, food safety legislation is detailed in Regulation (EC) 852. In the United States, the Food Safety Modernization Act outlines the legal requirements for food safety.

Around the world, the majority of laws about food safety are based on two concepts: HACCP and GMP.

• HACCP – Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points is a systemic, risk-based approach to preventing the biological, chemical and physical contamination of food in production, packaging and distribution environments. The HACCP concept is designed to counter health hazards by identifying potential food safety problems before they happen, rather than inspect food products for hazards after the fact. The HACCP concept entails controlling for contaminants at a number of key junctures in the food production process and strict adherence to hygiene practices throughout.
• GMP – Good Manufacturing Practices are internationally recognised quality assurance guidelines for the production of food, beverages, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and medical devices. These guidelines lay out the protocols which manufacturers must implement to assure that their products are consistently high-quality from batch to batch and safe for human use, including mandatory product inspection at critical control points.

There are also several privately-owned international organisations that provide comprehensive guidelines for auditing food manufacturers on the basis of food safety and hygiene. These international standards facilitate the global food trade by helping food industry players from different countries to ensure that food quality and safety standards are met in a way that transcends borders.

In addition to complying with the food safety laws of the countries in which they are active, global market leaders in the food industry often pursue certification with a number of private food regulators. They may furthermore demand that the upstream and downstream suppliers they work with provide proof of the same certifications.

Internationally recognised food safety organisations and certification programs include:

• IFS Food 6.1 – The IFS Food Standard is part of the Global Food Safety Initiative and is an international standard for performing audits of food manufacturing processes. Their compliance audits concern both the factory floor and administrative duties, with regulations on topics ranging from the installation of food defence and inspection equipment to thorough bookkeeping.   
• BRCGS – The British Retail Consortium Global Standards (formerly BRC) are a set of international consumer protection certifications that provide safety criteria for global food retailers, food manufacturers, packaging manufacturers and food service organisations. Their certification for food manufacturers includes an assessment of the equipment used to detect and remove physical contaminants.
• SQF – The Safe Quality Food Institute provides detailed safety programs tailored to the specific concerns of different food industry players. The various SQF codes are segmented to address the unique conditions of each stage of the food production life cycle, from agriculture to packaging, from manufacturing to retail. Each SQF program is internationally recognised.

Each of these private food safety organisations have built their certification programs around ISO 22000, an international norm for food safety management systems:

• ISO 22000 – The International Organisation for Standardisation details a proactive management plan for food safety relevant for any organisation along the food supply chain. ISO 22000 includes an interactive communication strategy between upstream and downstream industry players and a comprehensive system for management. Furthermore, the norm encompasses a model for how to implement a customised HACCP concept depending on the industry, product and facilities. For instance, should a risk of metal contamination be identified, ISO 22000 may recommend the installation of a metal detector with a rejection mechanism to manage the hazard.

Steps for food safety

Each year millions of people get sick from food illnesses which can cause you to feel like you have the flu. Food illnesses can also cause serious health problems, even death. Follow these four steps to help keep you and your family safe.

1. Clean:Always wash your food, hands, counters, and cooking tools.

• Wash hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds. Do this before and after touching food.
• Wash your cutting boards, dishes, forks, spoons, knives, and counter tops with hot soapy water. Do this after working with each food item.
• Rinse fruits and veggies.
• Clean the lids on canned goods before opening.

2. Separate (Keep Apart):Keep raw foods to themselves. Germs can spread from one food to another.

• Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs away from other foods. Do this in your shopping cart, bags, and fridge.
• Do not reuse marinades used on raw foods unless you bring them to a boil first.
• Use a special cutting board or plate for raw foods only.

3. Cook:Foods need to get hot and stay hot. Heat kills germs.

• Cook to safe temperatures:
  • Beef, Pork, Lamb 145 °F
  • Fish 145 °F
  • Ground Beef, Pork, Lamb 160 °F
  • Turkey, Chicken, Duck 165 °F
• Use a food thermometer to make sure that food is done. You can’t always tell by looking.

4. Chill:Put food in the fridge right away.

• 2-Hour Rule: Put foods in the fridge or freezer within 2 hours after cooking or buying from the store. Do this within 1 hour if it is 90 degrees or hotter outside.
• Never thaw food by simply taking it out of the fridge. Thaw food:
  • In the fridge
  • Under cold water
  • In the microwave
• Marinate foods in the fridge.

People at risk

Anyone can get sick from eating spoiled food. Some people are more likely to get sick from food illnesses.

• Pregnant women
• Older Adults
• People with certain health conditions like cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and kidney disease

Some foods are more risky for these people. Talk to your doctor or other health provider about which foods are safe for you to eat.

Conclusion

Food can transmit pathogens which can result in the illness or death of the person or other animals. The main mediums are bacteria, viruses, mold, and fungus .It can also serve as a growth and reproductive medium for pathogens. In developed countries there are intricate standards for food preparation, whereas in lesser developed countries there are fewer standards and less enforcement of those standards. Another main issue is simply the availability of adequate safe water, which is usually a critical item in the spreading of diseases