Question

Food contamination – how does it happen?

There are three main ways in which food can get contaminated when it is making its way to your plate.

1. When the food source is being grown there are contamination risks. Name one possible mechanism in soil grown foods, and another in shellfish.

1. When the food source is being prepared there are also contamination risks. What are they?
   
2. The final stage of potential contamination comes from the food preparer. Name three way this might happen.

Answer 1

Food contamination mainly happen due to microbes like bacteria or fungi or can be due to the presence of toxin which makes them unfit to eat. Food contaminants are divided in to three types

Biological

Physical

Chemical

The biological contamination is the highest.

Soil contamination is a type of chemical contamination and it can effect the food we eat and water we drink. Soil may get contaminated with harmful elements like lead, arsenic , with pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides. These contaminants can effect the function of CNS, as well as various other systems in our body. One of the main food contaminant is cadmium which can even cross the placental barrier during pregnancy and can damage DNA membrane and can effect CNS, kidney, lungs and bone marrow. As more people are now dependent on vegetables and fruits there is a high need to control soil contamination.

Shell fish poisoning happen when shell fish eats toxin producing Dino flagellates . Shell fish are not effected by this Dino flagellates but it will be deposited in the flesh of shell fish. Three main types of shell fish poisoning are caused by different Dino flagellates.

Paralytic shell fish poisoning caused by protogonyaulax catenella and P.tamarensis. Rapid symptoms nausea, vomitting, peri oral numbness and after few hours muscular palsy , respiratory arrest and death. Treatment is symptomatic.

Neurotoxic shell fish poisoning is caused by dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus brevis. The neuro toxin affect skin and mucous system. And few hours later leads to gastrological, neurological and myalgic symptoms.

Domoic acid poisoning is caused by red algae chondria armata .Minamata disease is caused by eating shell fish contaminated with mercury. Saxitoxin derived from contaminated shell fish are neurotoxic.

Food poisoning through handlers can happen when someone having infection touches the food or one infected food touching the other. Eg is Same cutting board for cutting vegetables.

Example for various contaminants include

Noro virus or cruise ship virus is caused by restaurant workers.Streptococcus poisoning is spread by food handlers. Shigella poisoning also spread by food handlers. Yersininia enterocholicita, Cryptosporidium poisoning can be from food handlers