Common

microorganisms
 Microbial Hazards

Microorganisms are everywhere -- they can be:

– Pathogens – cause disease
– Spoilers – cause the quality of food to
deteriorate
– Beneficial – used for food production and
present in and on the body

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 Types of Foodborne Illness
Infection
– eating food contaminated with pathogens
Intoxication
– eating food contaminated with the toxins (poisons)
formed by bacteria
– eating food contaminated with other biological or
chemical toxins (poisons)
Toxin-mediated infection
– eating food contaminated with pathogens that grow in the
body and form toxins (poisons)

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 Three Microbial Hazards
Three microorganisms cause
most foodborne illness:
– Bacteria
– Viruses
– Parasites
Microorganisms are:
– naturally present or
– get into the food through poor
handling practices.

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 Common Symptoms

Common symptoms of
foodborne illness are:
– diarrhea
– vomiting
– fever
– sore throat with fever
– jaundice

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 Bacteria Basics
• Invisible to the naked eye.
• Pathogenic bacteria only grow in potentially
hazardous food, which are also called TCS food.
• Some produce spores.
• Some produce toxins.
• Not necessarily destroyed by freezing or cooking.
• Can cause infection, intoxication, or toxin-
mediated infection.

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 Conditions for Bacterial Growth
Potentially hazardous food
– low acid
– moist
– protein
Time
– 4 hours or longer in the temperature danger zone
Temperature
– between 41oF and 135oF

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 Oxygen
• Some pathogenic bacteria require oxygen; others do not.
• Clostridium botulinum grows in the absence of oxygen.
• Absence of oxygen may occur in:
– Vacuum packaged food
– Center of thick cooked foods, such as stew
– Garlic in oil that is not commercially processed
– Foil wrapped potatoes
– Cooked rice

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 Controlling Bacteria
Good personal hygiene
–Only allow healthy workers to handle food.
–Have all workers wash their hands properly and frequently.
Prevent cross-contamination
–Store foods properly.
–Only use cleaned and sanitized utensils and surfaces for food
preparation.
Time-temperature control
–Cook foods to proper temperatures.
–Hold foods at proper temperatures.

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 Common Foodborne Bacteria
• Bacillus cereus • Salmonella
• Campylobacter • Shigella
• Clostridium botulinum • Staphylococcus
• Clostridium perfringens aureus
• E. coli • Vibrio
• Listeria monocytogenes • Yersinia

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 Virus Basics
• Do not grow in food; use food as a vehicle to get
from one person to another.
• Can contaminate any food.
• Cause most foodborne illnesses in the U.S.
• Invisible to the naked eye
• Cause foodborne infection not foodborne
intoxication.

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 Controlling Viruses
• Prevent getting viruses into food because they
might not be destroyed by cooking.
• Prevent introduction by:
– Only allowing healthy workers to handle food.
– Having all workers frequently and properly wash their
hands.
– Buying all food from an approved and safe source.

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Common Foodborne Viruses

Hepatitis A

Norovirus

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 Parasite Basics
• Most are not visible to the naked eye.
• Do not grow in food.
• Found naturally in many animals, such as:
– pigs,
– cats,
– rodents, and
– fish.
• Cause foodborne infection and not foodborne
intoxication.

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Controlling Parasites in Food
• Get food from an approved and safe
source.
• Cook foods to proper temperatures.
• Properly freeze seafood to be served raw.
• Wash hands frequently and properly.
• Use safe water sources for food
preparation and cleaning.

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 Common Foodborne Parasites
• Anisakis simplex
• Cryptosporidium
parvum
• Cyclospora
cayetanensis
• Giardia duodenalis
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Trichinella spiralis

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 Mold Basics
• Common cause of
food spoilage.
• Some form toxins that
can cause illness.
• Grow in a wide range
of foods – high acid,
low moisture.
• Freezing does not
destroy.
• Requires air to grow.

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 Yeast Basics

• Cause food spoilage and not foodborne

illness.
• Grow in a wide range of foods – high
acid, low moisture.
• Produce a smell, bubbling, or a taste of
alcohol when food spoils.
• Easily destroyed by proper processing.

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Presented by:
sameer khan
class:8th
sub:science