Foodborne illness

    Foodborne illness, also called food poisoning, is an illness acquired from eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

• When food is contaminated by bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals it can make you sick

• For each reported case of foodborne illness, it’s estimated that hundreds of additional cases go unreported in the community each year

Symptoms of foodborne illness

• Nausea

• Fever/chills

• Diarrhea

• Bloody diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Muscle soreness

• Cramps

• Headaches

    The symptoms may occur anywhere from 30 minutes to 70 days after consuming the contaminated food or drink. This depends on:

• The type of microorganism

• The immune system of the person

• The amount of contaminated food or drink consumed

    Some populations that are at greater risk for foodborne illness include:

• Young children

• People with chronic illness and weakened immune systems

• Elderly

• Pregnant women

Types of foodborne illness

• Microorganisms

- Bacteria

- Viruses

- Parasites

- Mould

• Chemical

- Accidental addition of poisons to food

- Poisonous plants and animals

• Food allergies

Microorganisms

• Microorganisms are living single cells that are invisible to the naked eye

- Examples of microorganisms include bacteria, parasites, viruses, moulds, and yeasts

• Pathogens are harmful microorganisms that can cause disease in humans

- Pathogens are usually odourless and tasteless

- Spoilage organisms cause odours and odd tastes

• Some microorganisms are beneficial to humans, such as the ones that are used to make sauerkraut, yogurt and cheese

Potential sources of microorganisms include:

• Environment (i.e. soil)

• Humans (i.e. sick food handlers)

• Insects and rodents

• Raw foods (i.e. raw chicken)

Cross-contamination is the transfer of pathogens, chemicals or unwanted items onto food that may make it unsafe to eat.

Bacteria

• Cause of most cases of food poisoning

• Are invisible and found everywhere

• Can double in number every 20 minutes

• Only pathogenic bacteria can cause food poisoning

How pathogenic bacteria grow

• Bacteria reproduce by dividing themselves in two (one cell becomes two, two become four)

• They will divide when the conditions of their surroundings are ideal

• The number of bacteria can reach dangerous levels in a short period of time

• When exposed to unfavourable conditions, such as very hot or cold temperatures, some bacteria can protect themselves by changing into a spore state

• The spore protects the bacteria from unfavourable conditions and, When ideal conditions present themselves, shed the protective coating and begin reproducing again

Bacteria need a combination of factors to grow:

1. Food source high in protein

• Pathogenic bacteria and spoilage bacteria grow best in high protein foods such as meat, seafood and dairy

2. Acidity (pH)

• Acid and base concentrations are measured on a pH scale that ranges from 0 (most acidic) to 14 (most basic)

• Pathogenic bacteria survive best in a neutral environment.

• Tap water has a pH of 7 (neutral), bleach has a pH of 13 (alkaline) and lemon has a pH of 3 (acidic)

3. Time

• Leaving food in the “danger zone” (4°C to 60°C) for more than two hours may be long enough for pathogenic bacteria to multiply and cause food poisoning

• By reducing the time food is kept in the danger zone, the amount of bacterial growth is limited

4. Temperature

• Most bacteria grow best in the temperature danger zone

• Temperatures below 4°C will not kill pathogenic bacteria but will slow down their growth

• At temperatures above 60°C, pathogenic bacteria will not grow.

• Cooking food to appropriate final internal cooking temperatures is the only way to ensure pathogenic bacteria are destroyed (refer to page 46 for cooking temperatures)

5. Oxygen

• Most pathogenic bacteria can only grow where there is oxygen present while some can only grow where there is no oxygen

• For example, the pathogenic bacteria, Clostridium botulinum can grow in canned foods and in flavoured oils where there is no oxygen

6. Moisture (available water)

• Pathogenic bacteria need a water supply to survive

• The amount of water in food can be reduced by processes such as smoking, drying or adding salt or sugar

These six factors influence the growth of pathogenic bacteria. By sufficiently changing or eliminating one of the factors, bacterial growth and the risk of foodborne illness can be prevented. Time and temperature are the easiest factors for food handlers to control. 

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