BIOLOGICAL FOOD SAFETY HAZARDS FOR HUMAN FOOD

Chapter 4

“Hazard” Does Not Necessarily Refer To: (cont’d) (Slide 4-2 a)

• Spoilage may lead to certain potential food safety hazards. For example, certain types of fish or cheese can lead to histamine production (chemical hazard) when spoiled.

• Filth, foreign material or extraneous material can be used interchangeably to mean any type of matter that does not obviously belong in a food product.

• Example of an economic fraud that involves a potential food safety issue: substituting a less expensive ingredient that has a food allergen for a more expensive ingredient that does not contain the allergen.§ Example, diluting cumin powder with ground peanuts

4-2Instructor’s Notes

Reportable Food Registry Identifies Concerns (cont’d) (Slide 4-3 top a)

• RFR Is now part of the FDA-NIH Safety Reporting Portal

• Does not apply to dietary supplements and infant formula

Instructor’s Notes or Textbox 4-3 top

Biological Agents Cause More Outbreaks (cont’d) (Slide 4-3 bottom a)

• Above data include confirmed and suspected foodborne illnesses that are reported by states. They do not include adjustment factors for under reporting.

• The CDC estimates that 1/6 (~48 million) get sick per year from eating food in the U.S. and 3,000 die.

• Chemical illnesses are much less than biological outbreaks. Food allergens usually involve 1 person and outbreaks require >2persons ill from the same food.

• Who has experienced foodborne illness? Share your story.

Textbox 4-3 bottom

January 24, 2019

Thrive Market, Inc. recalls nut

butters due to potential

contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. One of their

suppliers got a positive test in

recent lots.

No illnesses have been reported.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm629819.htm

(accessed February 3, 2019) 4-3 bottom

January 23, 2019 Satur Farms recall baby spinach in prepared food items from Whole Foods Market stores in 8 states due to potential contamination of Salmonella. Affected products include salads, pizza, sandwiches and wraps. No illnesses have been reported.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm629788.htm(accessed February 3, 2019) 4-3 bottom

January 23, 2019 General Mills voluntarily conducts a national recalls of 5 lb bags of Gold Medal Unbleached Flour due to potential presence of Salmonella discovered during sampling. No illnesses have been reported.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm629754.htm(accessed February 3, 2019)

4-3 bottom

December 18, 2018

Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. recalls Fresh

Cauliflower Rice, Veggie/Cauliflower Rice

Blend, and Stir-Fry Mix with Cauliflower that

may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.

No illnesses have been reported.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm628826.htm(accessed February 3, 2019)

4-3 bottom

December 11, 2018 Del Monte Foods, Inc. recalls 64,242 cases of Canned Fiesta Corn Seasoned with Red & Green Peppers due to under processing or deviations in the commercial sterilization process, that may result in contamination by spoilage organisms or pathogens which could lead to life-threatening illness if consumed.No illnesses have been reported.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm628259.htm(accessed February 3, 2019)

4-3 bottom

4-3 bottom

May 1, 2018

Seabear Company of Anacortes,

Washington recalls Cold Smoked Wild

Coho Salmon Lox (of Gerard & Dominique

Seafoods brand) for potential

contamination with Clostridium botulinum.The product’s water phase salt tested

<3.5% that may allow C. bot to remain

viable when thawed in the package even

under refrigeration. Labeling instructions

state to freeze or refrigerate thawed if

unopened up to 30 days. The product must be kept frozen until ready to consume.No illnesses have been reported.

Source: https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm606308.htm

(accessed February 3, 2019)

Potential Biological Hazards (cont’d) (Slide 4-4 a)

• Prions (e.g., causative agent of “mad cow disease”)§ Proteins that cause infectious diseases, are stable, and

deadly.

§ Relevant only to our course if facilities process wild game (under FDA jurisdiction)

• Pathogens are microorganisms of public health significance (21 CFR 117.3); those that cause illness through consumption of food.

4-4Instructor’s Notes and Textbox

Foodborne Illness Causes Significant Suffering (cont’d) (Slide 4-5 a)

• Bacteria and viruses are the most common foodborne pathogens.

• Data in previous slide are much higher than those on earlier slides because of adjustment for under reporting.

• No similar data for chemical or physical hazards.• Mycotoxins are toxins produced by molds usually in

the field or during grain storage before the commodity is turned into a food ingredient. Once formed, mycotoxins persist and are frequently considered as a chemical hazard.

4-5Instructor’s Notes and Textbox

Biological Hazards (Slide 4-5 b)

• Can be introduced into a food from§ Ingredients and other raw materials§ Food processing equipment § Environment§ People handling the product during harvesting and

processing§ Process waters, cooling waters

• Norovirus§ USA’s leading cause (~53%) of foodborne illness in 2011-

2013Source: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/19/8/13-0462_article (Accessed August 21, 2017)

4-5

Infections and Intoxications (cont’d) (Slide 4-6 a)

• Foodborne infection and foodborne intoxication are frequently called in layman’s terms as “food poisoning.” Know how to differentiate.

• In many cases, the offending pathogen needs only to survive and not multiply or grow to cause foodborne illness (e.g., Salmonella).

• For some organisms, growth to high numbers is necessary for toxin formation.

Instructor’s Notes 4-6

Prevent Contamination (Slide 4-7 a)• Personal hygiene• Prevent cross-contamination through GMP (effective

sanitation practices)• Use of safe supply of ingredients and other raw

materials to minimize introduction of pathogens into the facility and food

• Use of safe water• Prevent post-processing recontamination

Instructor’s Notes 4-7

Kill Them (cont’d) (Slide 4-8 a)• Many techniques reduce pathogens to a level not to

cause illness • Other approaches need to be validated specific to the

food and process§ Irradiation§ Ultrasound§ Pulsed light§ High pressure

4-8

Kill Them (cont’d) (Slide 4-8 b)

• Models can predict inactivation FDA Model Food Code: time and Temperature in foods

• FDA Dairy Hazard Guide: safe cooking

• FSPCA Food Hazard Guide

• Appendix 4 has information on inactivating Listeria monocytogenes

4-8Textbox

Bacterial Life Cycle—Vegetative and Spore (Slide 4-8 c)

TOXIN

Vegetative cell

Spore

Spore formed in cell

Daughter cells

Favorable conditions

Harsh conditions

Only vegetative cells reproduce, multiply, grow and produce toxin.

4-8

Question: At which stage in its life cycle must we arrest bacteria?

Answer: When it is a spore

Spores are Harder to Kill than Vegetative Cells (cont’d) (Slide 4-9 a)

• Vegetative cell: the growing form of bacteria.• Sporeformers grow as vegetative cells.• Spore: a dormant, resistant form of certain bacteria.• Spores are very resistant to heat, chemicals, and

other treatments that would kill vegetative cells and other competing bacteria

• Some vegetative cells are also more resistant to heat than other vegetative cells.

Textbox 4-9

Bacterial Growth Rate (Logarithmic) (Slide 4-10 a)

1

1 1

1 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 1 1 11

and so on…Under ideal conditions, bacteria double every 20 minutes until nutrient depletion or accumulation of microbial waste

1

Instructor’s Notes and Textbox 4-10

Factors that Influence Bacterial Growth (cont’d) (Slide 4-11 a)

• Temperature and time § Very rapid growth occurs between 77°-104°F (25-40°C);

see Table A4.2§ T Danger Zone for holding of foods; 40°-135°F

(4.4°-57.2°C)

• Reducing or inhibiting growth does not mean the pathogen is killed. It means risk is reduced.

4-11

Question: Which pathogen listed on Table A4-1 grows at the coldest temperature? At the hottest temperature?

Answer: Yersinia enterocolitica (coldest), Bacillus cereus (hottest)

pH (Slide 4-12 a)What is pH?A measure of the acidity of a substance

What is the pH range? 1 7 14

What do pH=1, pH=7, pH=14 mean? Acid Neutral Alkaline

What pH divides foods into acid and low acid? 1 ê 7 14

4.6What pH do low acid foods have?

> 4.6 low acid foodsWhat pH do acid foods have?

< 4.6 acid foods

4-12

Water Activity aw (Slide 4-13 a)

What is water activity aw?§ Amount of water available for bacterial growth§ All forms of life require water to grow.

What is the range for aw values?0 1.0

0.85 What is the aw of pure water?

aw = 1.0Most foods have aw > 0.95

At what aw would foods not require a heat treatment to inactivate pathogen growth?

aw < 0.85

4-13

Other Factors Influencing Bacterial Growth (cont’d) (Slide 4-14 a)

• Example of an anaerobe?§ Clostridium botulinum will grow in a vacuum

• Example of an aerobe?§ Molds

• Example of facultative microorganism?§ Salmonella

• Example of pathogens growing poorly in the presence of other bacteria? § Staphylococcus aureus toxin is suppressed in the presence of

competitive bacteria• Hurdle technology (use of a combination of factors)

§ Acidification§ Removal of water§ Refrigeration or freezing

4-14Instructor’s Notes and Textbox

Salmonella spp. (cont’d) (Slide 4-15 a)

• One of the most common causes of foodborne illness

• Can be an environmental pathogen

• May cause bloodstream infections and death

• Symptoms appear about 12-72 hrs. after eating

• Can grow at pH 3.7• Grows poorly at refrigerated temperature and >115 F

• Survives well in frozen and dry foods and environment § Keep dry environments dry to prevent spreading and

growing in environmental niches

4-15

Foodborne Viruses (cont’d) (Slide 4-16 a)

• Also do not need food, water, or air to survive• Do not reproduce• Can persist in foods without growing• Survive in human intestines • Survive in contaminated water, frozen foods, and

environmental surfaces for weeks and months• People are the primary source of the foodborne virus• Infect living cells and replicate inside the host

4-16

Primary Viral Foodborne Hazards (cont’d) (Slide 4-17 top a)

• Norovirus § Resistant to sanitizer concentrations used for food contact

surfaces§ Use EPA-registered disinfectant against norovirus, rinse,

then sanitize at appropriate concentrations normally usedhttps://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/list_g_norovirus.pdf

4-17 topTextbox

Methods to Prevent Viral Transmission (cont’d) (Slide 4-17 bottom a)

• Proper practices§ Use of raw or inadequately treated sewage to fertilize crops

is not allowed in the U.S.• Cooking

§ Most foods implicated are RTE§ HPP may reduce the risk of viruses

• Personal hygiene§ Infected people shed viruses in very high numbers in vomit

and feces§ Even when they recover, people can still shed in saliva and

feces

4-17 bottom

Methods to Prevent Parasite Transmission (cont’d) (Slide 4-19 a)

• Usually transmitted in food and water contaminated with fecal materials from infected hosts § Infected animal tissue (raw or undercooked)

• FDA has jurisdiction over processing of game animals• Temperature that kills pathogenic vegetative bacteria

also kills parasites

4-19Instructor’s Notes

Biological Hazards of Concern in Selected Ingredients (cont’d) (Slide 4-20 a)

• To design your food safety system, you need to know§ Pathogen most resistant to your process§ Individual pathogens of concern in your process, just in

case it may appear as a “new” pathogen in the future

4-20

Source of Hazard Potential ControlsNEED TO ADD:Process and cooling waters

• Measurable sanitizer concentration at the discharge end of the cooler

4-21

Biological Hazard Sources & Potential Controls (cont’d) (Slide 4-21 a)

Instructor’s Notes