FOOD SAFETY

Listeria monocytogenes

2012-05-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram positive foodborne bacterial pathogen and the causative agent of human listeriosis.

They are motile at 25° C, showing a characteristic ‘tumbling’ motility, but non-motile are 35°C. Colonies have a characteristic bluish-grey appearance, which changes to blue green when viewed by oblique light.

Listeria monocytogenes is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of causing gastroenteritis and the severe invasive disease, listeriosis.

Taxonomically, the genus Listeria consists of six species (L. monocytogenes, L. ivanovii, L. seeligeri, L innocua, L. welshimeri and L. grayi) of which only Listeria monocytogenes is an opportunistic intracellular pathogen responsible for human listeriosis.

Listeria is isolated from a diverse number of environmental sources, including soil, water, effluents, a large variety of foods and the feces of animals.

It is widely recognized that human listeriosis is largely attributable to food borne transmission of the microorganism.

Listeriae are acquired primarily through the consumption of contaminated foods including soft cheese, raw milk, deli salads and ready to eat foods such as luncheon meats and frankfurters.

Listeria monocytogenes

Clostridium botulinum in food

2012-05-06T21:33:00.002-07:00

Clostridium botulinum is a rod shaped, spore forming anaerobic bacteria. It is causative agent of botulism (foodborne intoxication). Some of the notable characteristics are its heat-resistant spore and their widespread distribution.

Some strains of Clostridium botulinum are psychotropic. The spores produced by Clostridium botulinum are themselves harmless: they can remain dormant in soil or on food for years.

The spores will survive most thermal processes except those specifically designed to eliminate them (e.g., 12D thermal processing of low-acid canned foods). If such a process is not used, one must assume that spore are present in the food.

The trouble comes when the spires start to germinate. This can happen only in the absence of oxygen, in air tight environments – whether in home canned foodstuffs or in commercially produced vacuum sealed cans or plastic packages.

If the food is to be packaged in an anaerobic or reduced oxygen atmosphere, measures to inhibit the growth and toxin production the organism are necessary.

Strict temperature control prevents the growth of Clostridium botulinum. It produces a delay toxin but does not grow and produce toxin below 10°C and under pH 4.6.

Sole reliance on refrigeration to ensure safety is risky. Botulism is caused by neurotoxin produced Clostridium botulinum during growth in foods.

The toxin cause the most lethal of the food poisoning disease. Despite the fact that the organisms are strict anaerobes, they are common in soil, marine sediments and fresh water mud.

Botulism affects the nervous system, presenting as fatigue, double vision, slurred speech, and respiratory failure. Severe cases can cause death.

Clostridium botulinum in food

Seafood biological safety

2012-04-29T00:34:00.003-07:00

Seafood is known to act as a vehicle in the transmission of a variety of human diseases. Proper storage of fresh and frozen seafood is critical to ensure its quality.

Preservation of fish typically takes the forms of curing, chilling, or freezing, canning and the making of mince or surimi.

Irradiation has been used in mackerel and may be used in combination with other preservation methods to, this should be to enhance shelf life and safety.

Due to globalization, seafood is being consumed further away from where it is harvested. In this case seafood market has serious food safety implications.

Current industry guidelines dictate that all those in the supply chain follow a HACCP which is systematic preventive approach to identifying possible food safety problems.

Seafood handlers must continually invest resource in the effective control of pathogens in order to protect consumers.

The biological hazards associated with seafood as a disease vector can be roughly grouped into bacteria, viruses, parasites and marine toxins.

Viruses, parasites and marine toxins pathogenic to humans are mostly present in the seafood prior to harvest.

Biological hazards include Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogenes, salmonella and pathogenic staphylococcus.

Seafood biological safety

Eustrongylides spp.

2012-04-22T19:10:00.001-07:00

A rare zoonotic is caused by a larvae of genus Eustrongylides which normally mature in fish-eating birds.

These large, bright red roundworms, 25-150 mm long and 2 mm in diameters can be seen without magnificent in the flesh of fish.

Human infections results when freshwater fish harboring encysted larvae are eaten raw. The Japanese suffer from high rates of nematode infection resulting from high rates of consumption of raw fish. It occurs less frequently in the United States, where raw fish consumption is moderate.

Several groups have reported cases of Eustrongylides infection presenting as appendicitis. This nematode is a parasite of fish eating birds, and people have been infected by eating raw fresh water fish.

The majority of cases of Eustrongylides worm have been reported form homemade sushi dishes, rather than from restaurant preparation.

This happen because microwaves do not always cook evenly, fish cooked by this method are often underdone and can harbor live parasites.

Eustrongylides spp.

Food Safety caused by cross contamination

2012-04-13T18:18:00.000-07:00

Food can make use ill in a number of ways. Food poisonings caused mainly by pathogenic (disease producing), but also by chemicals, unwanted objects getting into food and poisons.

When it comes to food safety, there are common themes at each step in the flow of food from purchasing to serving.

This include preventing cross contamination maintaining time and temperature control and assuring that employees are practicing good personal hygiene at all times.

Cross contamination occurs when a bacteria that’s present in one food accidently spreads to another food, usually through improper handling and storage.

For example, Compylobacter jejuni are very common cause of food borne illness. This pathogen is associated with raw poultry an sometimes raw milk. Illness are often caused when cross-contamination between these source and ready to eat foods, such as salads, occurs during food preparation.

Cross contamination can be avoided by:
*Preventing raw and cooked foods touching each other. Never mixed food products when restocking.
*Preventing blood and juices from raw foods dripping onto cooked foods
*Preventing bacteria from being transferred on hands, knives, utensils, chopping boards or work surfaces.
*Properly clean and sanitize utensils, equipment and surfaces.
*Clean and sanitize work areas.
Food Safety caused by cross contamination

Virus in food

2012-04-10T07:28:00.001-07:00

Viruses are ineffective microorganism with dimension that range from 20 to 300 nm, or about 1/100 to 1/10 the size of a bacterium.

Viruses are gaining increasing importance as food borne vectors of disease.

Viruses make us sick by reproducing inside our cells. Viruses that cause food-borne illness enter the body through the gastrointestinal tract.

Other types of viruses may enter the body through open cuts the respiratory tract or the genital tract. Many viruses cause rapid onset, short, sharp illness and so by the time a sufferer gets round to going to their doctor the symptoms have subsided.

Many foods have been incriminated as carriers of pathogenic viruses, but shellfish have been the single most commonly incriminated vehicle. Molluscs, such as mussels and oyster, take up virus when exposed to contaminated waters.

Raw shellfish from polluted water is a major source of hepatitis.

The most likely foods to transmit viral illness are those handled frequently and those that receive no heating after handling, such as sandwiches, salads and desserts.

Viruses do not replicate in foods and therefore numbers will not increase during storage, preparation, and transportation.

Virus in food

Botulinal neurotoxin

2012-04-08T01:04:00.004-07:00

The species Clostridium botulinum comprises a group of Gram positive, spore forming, anaerobic bacteria that form a powerful neurotoxin.

Clostridium botulinum produces a neurotoxin on foods that when consumed, bring about a serious condition called botulism. It is a potent neurotoxic disease. Botulinal toxin is the most toxic natural substance known.

The organism is the most hazardous spore-forming foodborne pathogen. Presence of spores in foods is not a public health hazard unless they can germinate, outgrow and multiply into toxin producing vegetative cells.

Botulism in adult humans is caused by the consumption of food containing toxin produced by growth of C. botulinum.

There many strains of this organism that depending on the strain, produce one of seven different protein neurotoxins, types A to G and occasionally subtypes and variants.

The only way to prevent foodborne botulism is by preventing neurotoxin production in foods.

The prevention of bacterial foodborne diseases relies in proper handling procedures a of foods, adequate quality and preventive programmes, good sanitation and hygiene, and many other factors.

Botulinal neurotoxin

Concept of GMP

2012-04-06T06:30:00.000-07:00

Globally, food safety issues are of the top priorities of the food industry, government food safety regulators, and consumers as a result of a significant increase in the number of foodborne disease cases and outbreaks reported worldwide.

Food safety begins on the farm and continue through processing, transportation and storage until the food is consumed. GMP on of the example of food safety programs that are commonly used to control and monitor microbial contamination of food.

Good Manufacturing Practices or GMP can be defined as part of a food and drink control operation aimed at ensuring that products are consistently manufactured to a quality appropriate to their intended use.

GMP aims to produce safe and wholesome food through well-co0ntrilled operations that avoid waste and any type of contamination.

A preventive approach to the safety of foods is more effective than testing or inspection of processed foods at the final stage. GMO assures food safety through vigilant measures at the source, product design and process control.

The various steps involved in GMP including:
*Safety of raw material
*Use of food additives
*Applications of hygienic practices in handling, processing, packaging, labeling, distribution

GPP has been used for many years to ensure the microbiological safety and quality of food, and it provides a framework for hygienic food production.

The establishment of GMP is the outcome of long practical experience and it includes attention to environmental conditions in the food plant.
Concept of GMP

Pathogenic microorganisms

2012-03-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

In the food industry, bacteria colonizing the processing equipments are a potential source of food contamination by spoilage or pathogenic microorganisms.

Foods may considered to be microbiologically unsafe owing to the presence of microorganisms which may invade the body (such as Salmonella,. Listeria, E. coli) or those which produce a toxin ingested with food (e.g. Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus).

There are six types of microorganism that can contaminate food bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins, yeasts and molds.

The first four are considered pathogenic microorganisms meaning they can cause illness when ingested.

These can be present in food simply because they are part of the natural environment.

The two main features of pathogenic microorganisms that elicit their disease causing mechanism are:
*ability to invade tissues
*ability to produce toxins.

In the former cases, invasiveness encompass mechanism for colonization, for bypassing of host defense and for production of extracellular compounds which facilitates invasion.

The food contains a rich medium for bacterial growth; protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals vitamins and a high percentage of water it an excellent substrate for growing of bacteria including pathogenic bacteria that can be in the environment and prosperous medium for enzymatic activity.

Pathogenic microorganisms

Diarrhea due to food consumption

2012-03-18T07:26:00.003-07:00

Diarrhea is a symptom, not a disease. Usually resulted from an infection in the intestines, through in some cases it may arise from a more serious problem.

Diarrhea may be due to a variety of causes. Spoiled food in one of the culprits. Food poisoning is a common flu-like typically characterized by nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, due to something the victim ate or drank.

In food poisoning, bacteria grow on flyblown, producing toxins, or poisons, that may lead to diarrhea and stomach upsets.

Sometimes illness is caused not y the bacteria themselves but by the toxins they produce, either before or after ingestion.

Excessive consumption of alcohol or fatty and spicy food, or ingestion of food that too hot or too cold in temperature also can cause diarrhea.

Diarrhea due to excesses in respect to general dietary norms is classed as food damage diarrhea. Food damage diarrhea includes some forms of stomach, large intestinal and small intestinal diarrhea.

More than 200 diseases can be transmitted though food. Infectious organisms, present in food though poor hygiene, practices, are responsible for most cases of food poisoning.

Symptoms which usually diarrhea and vomiting, tend to occur suddenly and disappeared rapidly.

The onset of watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and pain occurs 6 to 15 hours after consumption of contaminated food.

Diarrhea due to food consumption

Pesticide in food

2012-03-05T17:15:00.005-08:00

Pesticide are chemicals intended to protect our food supply by controlling harmful insects, disease, rodents, weeds, bacteria, and other pest.

Large amounts of chemical pesticide are used in conventional farming, and these leave a small residue in the foods that are produced.

The widespread use of pesticide resulted the contamination of air, drinking water and food. Any improperly used chemical in the farm cam pose a potential hazard, pesticide usages and residues on crops raise the greatest concerns for protecting the food supply against chemical contamination.

In 1987, the FDA found pesticide residues in 50% of the fruits and 41% of the vegetables it samples – detect less than one-half of the pesticide likely to leave residues on food.

When people eat foods containing pesticide, traces of the compounds remain in their body.

Some research has indicated a link between pesticides and certain cancers, as well as possible links between pesticide and birth defects and nerve damage.

Pesticide in food

Symptom of botulism

2012-02-27T19:03:00.000-08:00

Botulinum toxin is the most poisonous substance known. All forms of botulism can be deadly and are considered medical emergencies. The symptoms of botulism vary from mild fatigue to sever weakness and collapse leading to death within a day.

The food-borne and inhaled forms of botulism share some of the same symptoms, but they vary in the times it takes for symptoms to occurs.

Symptoms include:
*Blurred vision
*Double vision
*Droopy eyelids
*Slowed or slurred speech
*Difficulty swallowing
*Dry mouth
*Muscle weakness

Diplopia, blurred vision, dizziness, unsteadiness on standing and difficulty with speech or swallowing are common early neurological symptoms.

In infants with botulism the symptoms include:
*Poor feeding habits
*Irritability
*Constipation
*Weak crying
*Lethargy
*facial muscle flaccidity
*Floppy arms and leg

If these symptoms are untreated, they may lead to paralysis of the arms, legs, trunk and respiratory muscles. If the toxin is spread through food, symptoms generally occur in 18 to 36 hours after consuming contaminated food, but symptoms can occur as early as six hours or as late as a week.

Patient with short incubation periods are likely to have ingested large amounts of toxin.

In approximately 33% of cases, the first symptoms of botulism are nonspecific gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Symptom of botulism

Enterobacter in infant formula milk

2012-02-10T07:01:00.000-08:00

Although liquid, ready to feed infant formula is commercially sterile, powdered infant formula is not.

Enterobacteriaceae are also common aetiologies for systemic infection in neonates and to a lesser extend older infants.

Intrinsic contamination of powdered infant formula products with Enterobacter sakazakii and Salmonella has been a cause of significant disease, causing severe developmental sequelae and death.

Most cases of Enterobacter sakazakii meningitis are nosocomially transmitted and are associated with the consumption of powdered milk or infant formula.

The reported fatality are for cases of Enterobacter sakazakii meningitis in pediatric patients is 45%.

Enterobacter sakazakii has been shown appears to be able to survive well in dry conditions and is reported as being atypical, when compared to other members of the Enterobacteriaceae, in its ability to survive.

This organism is extremely heat resistant, can survive processing, and may flourish in the growth media of powdered formula.

Enterobacter sakazakii belongs to the genus Enterobacter of the family Enterobacteriaceae and is a gram negative rode.

While a reservoir for Enterobacter sakazakii is unknown, a growing number of reports suggest a role for powdered milk-based infant formulas as a vehicle for infection.

Enterobacter in infant formula milk

Salmonella in milk

2012-02-02T23:03:00.001-08:00

Compared with other pathogens on the family Enterobacteriaceae, the reservoirs of Salmonella encompass a greater variety of warm and cold-blooded animal.

Salmonella species may be found in milk, and have been implicated in milkborne disease.

All Salmonella so far can be killed by properly applied pasteurization. Many other heat treatments that are common in the production of milk products, are believed to be able to kill Salmonella.

Heat treatment of milk should be complemented by good hygiene and correct operating –practices at all stages between producer and consumer.

The second highest risk milk product after raw milk is cheese. Many S. enterica strains are capable for surviving in cheese even ones with a relatively low pH such as Cheddar.

Outbreaks of milk borne infection including Salmonella associated with contaminated to inadequately heat-treated milks products have been reported in North America.

In 1985 according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, sixteen thousand confirmed illnesses of salmonella infection which traced to 2 percent milk from a single dairy plant in Chicago Illinois.

An outbreak of salmonellosis reported in Canada and the US in 1993 affected three infants following the consumption of powdered infant formula milk contaminated with S. Tennessee.

Salmonella in milk

Bacterial contamination in milk

2012-01-29T18:40:00.000-08:00

Milk drawn from healthy cows under hygienic milking conditions is relatively clean and free from bacteria.

However many factors increase bacterial count substantially such as atmosphere, dirty and poor health udder, unclean utensils or unhealthy cows.

Nevertheless, contamination from soil, faces or bedding is also a potential source of food poisoning bacteria.

In order to reduce or eliminate contamination by spoilage and pathogenic organisms from farm to the dairy plant, the cow’s teat and surrounding udder area and all utensils and equipment used during milking and processing should be properly cleaned and sanitized.

Milk residue left on equipment contact surfaces support the growth of a variety of bacteria such as Micrococcus, Streptococcus and Bacillus spp.

Having limited bacterial contamination during milking, it is essential that contamination from equipment situated between the cow and the refrigerated storage tank is kept to a minimum.

Cooling the milk also one of the measures to reduce the bacterial contamination. Bacteria grow and multiply rapidly in warm milk. Cool milk to 16 C within 20 minutes and to 4 C within 90 minutes after it is drawn from the cow will preventing bacterial growth in milk.

A variety of sources of contamination also exist in the processing plant. Personnel and air probably contribute little to the contamination of pasteurized milks.

One of the worst bacterial contamination involved Snow Brand Milk Products Company in Japan, which infected more than thirteen thousand people and led to closure of thirty factories across the nation.

Bacterial contamination in milk

Food safety and gastroenteritis

2012-01-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

One of the most frequently occurring effects of food infection or food poisoning is the occurrence of gastroenteritis.

The term gastroenteritis describes inflammation in the lining of the stomach and intestine leading to a syndrome characterized most commonly by nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Usually this means an acute and temporary reduction in health status at the individual level, although also chronic effects and even death may occur.

There many causes of gastroenteritis, including bacteria, viruses and protozoa, all of which can be transmitted though contaminated food as well as from person to persons.

The number of bacterial gastroenteritis associated to food products has been increased considerably during the last decade by the rapid globalization of the food market, the increase of personal and food transportation and profound changes in the food consumption habits.

Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. are food natural contaminants and the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis in human.

Campylobacter infection of the human gastrointestinal tract are recognized as the leading causes of enteric bacterial infection, which may responsible for as many as 400-500 million bacterial gastroenteritis cases worldwide each year.

Campylobacter jejuni is also the most common cause of bacterial gastrointestinal in the United States.

It most often associated with fresh poultry, meat and related products. The species have also been isolated for other fresh meats such as beef, lamb, pork and offal but at lower frequencies than in poultry.

Bacterial gastroenteritis is also can acquired during travel to underdeveloped areas.

While food borne viral illness is reported less often than bacterial foodborne illness. The severity can be greater and last longer.

The major foodborne illness causing viruses are hepatitis A, Norovirus and Rotavirus. The resulting illness is called viral gastroenteritis.
Food safety and gastroenteritis

High intensity pulsed electric field (PEF)

2012-01-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

High intensity pulsed electric field (PEF) involves applying a short burst of high voltage to a food placed between two electrodes, which destroys bacterial cell membranes.

The use of high intensity (PEF) is one of the non-thermal process deserving of attention because it can accomplish food preservation and metabolite release from plant cells with short treatment times and very little heating of the medium.

Application of high intensity (PEF) has been successfully demonstrated for the a pasteurization of foods such as juices, milk, yoghurt soups and liquid eggs.

It is seen as an interesting alternative to conventional thermal processing methods for liquid or semi-liquid foods.

High intensity PEF is not intended to heat food, rather it involves the application of a short burst of high voltage to a food placed between two electrodes.

A liquid food can be pasteurized by passage of a high voltage electric field (up to 80 kV/cm) that is pulsed at microsecond interval. This treatment disrupts the microbial cell membranes, eventually killing the cell by lysis.

High intensity pulsed electric field (PEF)

Yersinia enterocolitica

2012-01-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

Yersinia enterocolitis is most often associated with pork precuts and milk, because food borne outbreaks are often linked to these foods. However, the organism has been isolated from other foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, various meats and poultry, oysters, fish, salads, sandwich, pastries and tofu. Poor sanitation and improper sterilization techniques by food handlers, including improper storage, cannot be overlooked as contributing to contamination.

Yersinia species are gram positive, non-spore forming, and facultatively anaerobic. The genus Yersinia belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae. Three of the seven species are pathogenic to humans: Y. pestis, Y, enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis causes an illness similar to Yersinia enterocolitica, and Yersinia pestis, which causes plague. Only a few strains of Yersinia enterocolitica cause illness in humans.

Yesinia is an important cause of gastroenteritis in humans, especially in temperate countries.

The consequences of yersiniosis are severe, and include prolonged acute infections, pseudoappendicits, and long term sequelae such as reactive arthritis and erythema nodosum.

Common symptoms in children are fever, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, which is often bloody. Symptoms typically develop 4 to 7 days after exposure and may last 1 to 3 weeks or longer.

Acute Yersinia enterocolitica infections produce severe diarrhea in humans, along with Peyer's patch necrosis, chronic lymphadenopathy, and hepatic or splenic abscesses.

The most effective controls of Yersinia contamination include the following: proper cooking and refrigeration, purification of water, pasteurization of dairy products, separation of cooked and uncooked foods, sanitation of food preparation surfaces with at least 1% bleach solution, washing of vegetables and cooking foods to 120 degree C – 170 degree C.

Yersinia enterocolitica proliferates readily at refrigeration temperatures. Hence, refrigeration does not effectively control the growth.
Yersinia enterocolitica

Campylobacter jejuni

2012-01-08T01:06:00.000-08:00

Campylobacter jejuni is carried in the intestinal tract of warm-blooded animals and therefore, contaminate foods or animal origin.

Campylobacter jejuni is most frequently associated with gastrointestinal disease. It is recognized as a leading cause of acute bacterial gastroenteritis and can lead to serious pathological sequelae.

Members of the genus Campylobacter are gram negative curved rods that range in size from 0.2 to 0,8 um in width and 0.5 to 5 um in length.

Campylobacter jejuni affects approximately 1% of the US population per year. The strongest risk factor for acquisition of Campylobacter jejuni infection is ingestion of contaminated chicken and eggs.

The first reported isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from diarrheal stools of humans was in 1972, with researchers using a filtration technique designed for veterinary diagnostics.

By the late 1970s, Campylobacter enteritis was recognized as an emerging food-borne disease.

Subsequent surveys confirmed the high prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni in the feces of patients and on the carcasses of broilers and turkeys.

Campylobacter infections in humans are considered to be mainly food-borne in which foods of animal origin play an important role.

Epidemiological studies have revealed a significant association between Campylobacter infection in humans and the handling and consumption of raw or undercooked poultry.

Symptoms of Campylobacter infections vary from profuse watery diarrhea (cholera like) to bloody diarrhea containing mucus and white blood cells – dysentery like.

Campylobacter jejuni

Food Hygiene in Food Preparation

2012-01-02T02:51:00.000-08:00

Preparing and supplying food that is safe to eat involves careful food hygiene.

Food hygiene refers to the practices which should be followed to make sure that food is safe and wholesome throughout all the stages of production from purchase to consumption.

It’s aimed at keeping food clean by:
*Protecting food from contamination by bacteria
*Preventing bacteria from multiplying in food
*Destroying bacteria by cooking

Premises, staff and equipment must be kept clean. Food must be handled and stored safely.

It must be prepared in safe surroundings to reduce the risk of serious illness.

Everybody involved in the production of food should receive training about safe practice and how to use them in the workplace.

In food preparation, personal hygiene refers to the way the person keep themselves clean and handle food to keep it safe to eat.

Poor food hygiene can lead to outbreaks of food poisoning which can cause serous illness. Some groups of the population are particularly vulnerable, for example the elderly, the very young and people who are already ill.

Also with more frequent people away from home, outbreaks of food borne disease are becoming more frequent.

The food handler should know that some microorganisms are useful to human and some are harmful causing food spoilage and disease.

Poor hygiene can also result in wastage of contaminated food, infestation by pests, time of from work because of illness, loss of customers and profits, as well as possible legal action.

Food that is kept too long can go bad and contain toxic chemicals or pathogens and food stuff that are eaten raw, such as fruits or vegetables, can become contaminated by dirty hands, unclean water or flies.

Improperly prepared food can also cause chemical poisoning: cassava leaf that ahs not been properly pounded and cooked, for example, may contain dangerous levels of cyanide.

Food hygiene is essential because the food that have been eaten plays an important part in keeping people healthy. Food hygiene involves more that cleanliness.
Food Hygiene in Food Preparation

Cyclospora cayetanensis

2012-01-01T17:38:00.000-08:00

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a one celled parasite that was first discovered in 1977. It is a parasite that causes gastroenteritis.

Cyclospora has been identified in 11 percent of individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms. Until 1996 most cases were experienced by overseas travelers.

In 1996 major outbreak it affecting over 1400 people. The outbreak was traced to raspberries imported from Guatemala and fresh basil.

The berries were most likely contaminated when they were sprayed with insecticide or fungicide that was mixed with water containing the parasites eggs, called oocysts.

This bacteria is commonly found in the feces of an infected person. It has been found in unclean water.

Transmission is via the fecal/oral route; human contract cyclosporiasis after eating food or drinking water contaminated with fecal matter containing Cyclospora oocysts. The parasites causes watery diarrhea and intestinal cramps that can last for weeks.

Clinical symptoms of cyclosporidiosis resemble those of cryprosporidiossis i.e., nausea, vomiting, anorexia, weight loss and explosive watery diarrhea lasting 1 to 7 weeks.

Typically symptoms to away and then return. The parasites tends to appear most frequently on produce.

The disease is treatable and is only considered potentially life threatening to those with compromised immune systems; been without treatment, most individuals eventually recover.

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Defining Food Quality and Food Safety

2011-12-21T08:12:00.000-08:00

Food safety and food quality terminology may sometimes be confusing. Quality includes all product attributes that influence a products’ value to consumers.

This can include positive attributes such as flavor or pleasing appearance. It is also includes such negative attributes as spoilage contamination with nontoxic and noninfectious filth, discoloration, and odors.

If all quality attributes were detectable to consumers, then markets would determine the quality supplied.

The term quality has become a focus point in all discussion regarding the production and provision of food products to markets and consumers – quality in the broad sense of serving the consumers’ needs by producing them with the right product at the right time and with the right service.

The distinction between safety and quality has implication for public policy, Safety refers to hazards to human health in food. Quality refers to all attributes and thus might include safety.

Food safety is an inherent element of quality. It receives special attention by policy and legislation because of its key importance for consumers’ health and the responsibility for food safety by private and policy alike.

Food safety is the extent to which those requirements relating specifically to characteristics or properties that have potential to be harmful to health or to cause illness or injury are met,

It is convenient to separate food safety from more general quality issues. Public efforts should focus in health hazards and quality issues can be left to private industry management.

One reason why distinction is difficult in practice is that many quality attributes are not detectable. Market failure occur for quality attributes other than food safety.

Quality grades and standards can be voluntary or mandatory, When they are mandatory they can be a disguised means of limiting supply and increasing producer profits.

The distinction between food quality and food safety needs to be made primarily because of the much greater importance that must be attached to protecting consumers from food borne illness or injuries.
Defining Food Quality and Food Safety

Symptoms of botulinum toxin

2011-12-19T08:37:00.000-08:00

Botulinum toxin is a protein produced by the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum.

The toxin causes the deadly food poisoning botulism. It was found to be the cause of botulism, a systemic food poisoning at the end of the 19th century.

Patients with foodborne botulism, may develop antecedent effects including abdominal cramps or distention, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Development of clinical symptoms with foodborne botulism ranges from 2 hours to 8 days.

The first symptoms usually start 12-36 hr after ingestion of the toxin. Typical symptoms are diplopia, double or blurred vision, bulbar weakness, dysphonia, dysarthria, dysphagia, dryness of the mouth and pain.

The pain can become very intense and can be exacerbated by routine physical activities such as bending down or climbing stairs. The characteristics concomitant symptoms are nausea and vomiting, phonophobia.

When lateral rectus palsy, ptosis, and sluggish pupillary reactivity occur, respiratory insufficiency usually follows. A weakness progress, deep tendon reflexes may diminish.

The severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of toxin to which the individuals was exposed.

Symptoms of botulinum toxin

Food aversion

2011-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

A conditioned food aversion is a learned dislike for and rejection of particular flavors that have been associated with illness.

It intense dislike of a food that may be a biological response to a food that once caused trouble.

It is also known as conditioned taste or flavor aversion, poison based avoidance conditioning, bait shyness or aversion.

The person will experience illness after eating a particular food or dining at particular place and its associated the food or the place with the illness through classical conditioning.

Such dislike may turn out to be allergy or other valid reason to avoid a certain food.

Food aversion develop quickly through the pairing of food with very negative events; such as foods are too hot or foods that taste ‘bad’.

It is defined as aversions to specific foods or tastes that result from the association of those foods with unpleasant internal symptoms such as malaise, illness, nausea and vomiting.

People report having acquired at least one food aversion during their lives. The typical aversion learning experience involves eating a distinctively flavored food and then getting sick.

Food aversion

Food intolerances

2011-12-02T20:09:00.001-08:00

Food intolerance is more common than food allergy. The medical definition of food intolerance is wrapped around lactose and gluten. Lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance are usually inherited but can be acquired and they involve a deficiency in the enzymes needed to breakdown these foods.

Food intolerance reactions is an adverse food-induced reaction that does not involve the immune system which, depending on their causality, are divided into the following types of intolerances:
*Enzymatic
*Pharmacological, i.e. reactions caused by either naturally derived or added chemicals that reduce a pharmacological effect in the individual
*Idiosyncratic reactions with undefined food tolerance

Though symptoms of food allergy or intolerance may be very similar, the latter do not involve the immune system and are typically triggered by molecules that are considerably smaller than proteins. The triggers are substances that are naturally present in foods, arose for processing methods, or are added during processing.

Food intolerances probably make up the majority of adverse reactions. Examples of food intolerances include:
*Reactions from toxic contaminants – histamine in scombroid fish poisoning, toxins secreted by Salmonella or Shigella
*Pharmacologic reactions e.g. to caffeine in coffee, tyramine in aged cheeses
*Idiosyncratic and psychological reactions – e.g. sulfite induced asthma

The best example of food intolerances are lactose intolerance and sulfite induced asthma. It is a disorder in which a deficiency of B-galactosidase in the small intestine results in reduced ability to digest and absorb lactose.

These illnesses are of lesser importance than allergy because of finite tolerance levels for the offending foods among affected individuals. Although symptoms can be severe and very distressing, they are not potentially fatal.
Food intolerances