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FOOD POISONING

Current food trends reveal that more and more frequently today we buy pre-prepared ready-toeat convenience foods, dine out in restaurants and cafs, prefer fresh over frozen products and have a growing demand for foods of animal origin. While this gives us many new choices in the food we eat, this vast array of foods we have come to expect to be available to us now has possibly created a greater risk of bacterial food poisoning.

What is Food Poisoning?


Food Poisoning is a general term used to describe illness caused by all types of food-borne microorganisms. Food poisoning and food infection are different, although the symptoms are similar. Food Infection This is caused by eating foods containing certain types of live bacteria. Once the contaminated food is consumed, the bacteria themselves continue to grow, usually in the intestine and illness can result. To prevent such illnesses, understanding the bacteria that cause food poisoning is essential. Food Poisoning Is of two types Food Intoxication is caused by eating food that contains a toxin or poison due to bacterial growth in the food. The bacteria that produced and excreted the toxic waste products into the food may be killed, but the toxin they produced remains on the food causing the illness or digestive upset to occur. Toxin-mediated Infection is caused by consuming food contaminated by organisms that produce toxins only after they have been ingested into the body.

What causes Food Poisoning?


Food poisoning bacteria are often present naturally in food but usually only in small numbers. However, given the right conditions their numbers can increase extremely quickly, so that 1 single bacteria could multiply to over 16 million in only 6 hours. This is where the food poisoning problem begins, so it is vitally important that we dont give these bacteria the right living environment where they can grow and multiply quickly.

TIME
0 15min 30min 60min 3hrs 5hrs 6hrs

BACTERIA
1 2 4 16 4096 1,048576 16,777216

What types of food are involved?


Bacteria grow on and in some types of food more easily than others, these foods are commonly called High-Risk foods.

HIGH RISK FOODS


Meat Seafood Prepared Gravy Poultry Small-goods Eggs

Why are these foods more problematic than others?


Some foods have a head start high initial bacterial numbers. Others are contaminated by various factors like processing and handling. The growth and/or survival of the bacteria can be influenced by various factors like the properties of the food (moist or dry), environmental factors (temperature, time) and the properties of the bacteria present (what conditions they like).

Mayonnaise Cooked Rice Dairy Products ~ Prepared Salads, Coleslaws, Pasta Milk, Cream, Soft Salads Cheese, Yoghurt Cooked Pasta Cut Fruit Salads Any foods containing any of these High Risk Foods

What living conditions do bacteria like?


There are 6 main environmental conditions that need to exist for bacterial growth and when they all exist together providing an optimum living condition the bacteria can multiply quickly. These conditions are ~

100C Hot Food Zone 60C Temperature Danger Zone 5C Cold Food Zone 0C Frozen Food Zone -18C

Food
All bacteria need food for growth and energy.

Temperature
All bacteria have an optimum temperature where they will grow most rapidly along with a temperature range for growth. Most bacteria grow best between 5 and 60C and this is commonly called the Temperature Danger Zone. Food should be in this zone for as little time as possible.

Water
Bacteria need moisture for growth. Without water, dehydration occurs and the life and growth of the bacteria will slow down and may stop. This is why drying and salting are effective methods of preserving foods.

Time
Time is needed for bacteria to grow and reach maturity. At their optimum living conditions bacteria will generally double in number every 15 minutes.

Oxygen
Bacteria respire (they get their energy by breaking down chemicals, usually sugars inside the cell). Aerobic bacteria must use oxygen before they can produce energy for life and growth. Anaerobic bacteria can produce this energy only in the absence of oxygen. Facultative bacteria can respire with or without oxygen.

pH
This is a scale indicating the acidity or alkalinity of a fluid. Bacteria grow and multiply only within a certain ph range with most preferring a neutral environment around pH 7, while a small group prefer an acid environment.

How does Food Poisoning happen?


For food poisoning to occur certain conditions must exist ~ There must be bacteria or their toxin present in or on the food. The food must be suitable for the organisms growth. There must be the right conditions of warmth and moisture for the bacteria to grow. There must be sufficient time given for the bacteria to grow and multiply. There must be enough bacteria or their toxin present to cause illness. The food must be consumed. This is commonly called the Food Poisoning Chain.

Food Poisoning Bacteria

Warmth Contaminate High Risk Foods Given Time and 5 to 60C Multiply

Then Infect People

THE 10 MAIN REASONS FOR FOOD POISONING


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Food left at room temperature Inadequate hand washing Cross-contamination from raw to high-risk, ready-to-eat foods Infected food handlers Inadequate cleaning of equipment and utensils Inadequate cold holding temperatures Inadequate cooking/reheating Slow cooling Inadequate hot holding temperatures Contaminated raw foods and ingredients

How does food become contaminated?


Food may be contaminated due to ~ Poor food handling and storage. Poor personal hygiene by those preparing and serving food. As food poisoning bacteria are everywhere - in the soil, in water, on animals and people and on the things people touch and use it is possible for many foods to contain or be contaminated these bacteria from the start. Even if food is free of these bacteria, it can still be contaminated through crosscontamination. What causes Cross-contamination? Cross-contamination can happen during food storage where bacteria from raw food can contaminate ready-to-eat or cooked food if they are stored together where juices from the raw food can drip onto the cooked food. Also during food preparation, where hands and equipment like knives and cutting-boards have been contaminated with bacteria from raw food and those same hands or equipment are then used to prepare ready-to-eat or cooked food without first being adequately washed. If this food is not cooked again before being eaten, the bacteria will not be killed and food poisoning may result. Produce (fruit & vegetables) an emerging issue? Produce related food poisonings are becoming more prominent overseas with some in New Zealand also. These have involved sprouts, lettuce, spinach and other vegetables, raw and frozen berries, unpasteurised fruit juices, melons, tomatoes and herbs.

How can the Food Poisoning Chain be broken?


Food poisoning can be avoided by ~ Preventing food from being contaminated with pathogenic bacteria Preventing any bacteria present in the food from multiplying. Destroying those bacteria that are present in the food. Ways to break the Chain include ~ Inspecting all food, and washing fruit and vegetables with water of drinking quality before preparation. Separating raw and high-risk, cooked and ready-to-eat foods at all stages of preparation, storage, display and distribution.

Not using the same equipment, utensils and working surfaces to handle and prepare raw and high-risk, cooked and ready-to-eat foods. Only handling food when unavoidable. Keeping food covered as much as possible. Preventing insects, animals and birds from entering food rooms. Not using unsuitable, defective, or dirty equipment. Using good personal hygiene practices - always, including hand washing, not coughing or sneezing over or around food and wearing suitable protective clothing. Using the correct cleaning procedures, especially the washing and sanitizing of all equipment used to prepare raw food, including benches and chopping boards. Promptly removing unfit or waste food and refuse from food areas. Keeping high-risk foods at temperatures that inhibit the growth of bacteria (i.e. out of the temperature danger zone). Food should be kept below 4C in a refrigerated unit or above 70C in a suitable warming unit. Ensuring that during preparation, food is in the danger zone for as short a time as possible. High-risk foods must not be left sitting out at room temperature. Ensuring the rapid cooling of large quantities of cooked food by dividing into smaller lots and refrigerating in shallow containers less than 10 cm deep. Using suitable preservatives. Using appropriate packing methods (like gas flushing or vacuum packing) for food products. Preventing dried foods from absorbing moisture. Serving food as soon as possible after preparation. Adequately cooking food, ensuring that a minimum internal cooking temperature of 80C is reached. Using suitable processing methods such as pasteurisation, canning or sterilisation.

o o o o o

A combination of a suitable temperature and sufficient time is always required to destroy bacteria. The time and temperature required will depend on the particular organism, (e.g. spores of Clostridium perfringens are much more heat resistant than Salmonella bacteria). When dealing with food we must remember and practice the old adage of ~

Health Licensing Section, Inspections & Enforcement Unit, Christchurch City Council

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