Types of Food

Contamination

1.Introduction
 Food borne diseases-(intoxications and
infections) covers illnesses acquired through
consumption of contaminated food- i.e. food
poisoning

 Food borne disease outbreaks-occurrence

of 2 or more cases of similar illness resulting
from ingestion of common food OR when
observed number of particular disease
exceeds expected number
 Most cases-sporadic but need investigations
for control
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FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Types of Contamination

◦ Physical
 Metal shavings, broken glass, wood splinters, etc.
◦ Chemical
 Cleansers, metal leaching (copper, lead, cadmium),
pesticides
◦ Biological
 Bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites

MICROBIAL FOOD BORNE DISEASES

INFECTIONS TOXINS

TOXICO- INTOXICATION
INFECTION INVASIVE

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 Foodborne Infections and Food
Intoxications
Foodborne Infections
 Eating foods contaminated with infectious microbes
 Two of the most common pathogens are
Campylobacter jejuni and Salmonella.
 Can also be caused by Salmonella, Clostridium
perfringens, Bacillus cereus, E. coli 0157:H7, Vibrio,
Yersinia

Food Intoxications
 Eating foods containing natural toxins or microbes
that produce toxins
 Most common is Staphylococcus aureus (causes
emesis); most famous is Clostridium botulinum (causes
botulism)

Endotoxins vs Exotoxins
 On the Moodle Class Discussion Forum,
distinguish between endotoxins and
exotoxins

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 FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Limiting factors of microbial growth

◦ Time
◦ Temperature
◦ Moisture
◦ pH
◦ Nutrients
◦ Competition

FOODBORNE ILLNESS

PATHWAYS OF CONTAMINATION

FOOD HANDLERS FOOD CONTACT

SURFACES

WATER
VERMIN

PACKAGING SOIL

INGREDIENTS AIR

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 FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Center for Disease Control

 Top 4 emerging pathogens
◦ E.coli 0157:H7
◦ Salmonella enteritidis
◦ Listeria monocytogenes
◦ Campylobacter jejuni

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Some common bacterial food poisons
Incubation cause symptoms Common
period foods

1-6 hours Staph aureus Nausea, Milk n milk

(enterotoxin) vomiting, products,ham,
diarrhea poultry,salads,
custards

4-24hrs Bacillus cereus Nausea, Fried rice,

(enterotoxin) vomiting,(emeti cream sauces,
c form) vanilla
pudding,
cooked
chicken

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Some common bacterial food poisons

Incubation Cause symptoms Common
period foods

8-16 hours Clostridium Abd.cramps, Meat,

perfringes diarrhea poultry,
(spores) Nausea and legumes.
vomitting-rare gravies

8-16 hours Bacillus Diarrhea,abd.pai Fried rice,

cereus(diarrheal n,nausea, cream
form-preformed n No sauces,
stable toxins) vomitting/fever vanilla
pudding,
cooked
chicken
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 Some common bacterial food poisons
Incubation cause symptoms Common
period foods

>16 hours Vibrio cholera Rice watery Water and ice

stools, nausea, creams,sea
headache, food
fever

2-72hours Salmonella spp Inflammatory Meat, milk n

diarrhea, milk products,
nausea, poultry, eggs,
vomiting, abd fish
cramps, fever

1-7days Shigella spp Bloody Faecal-oral

diarrhoea/dyse cycle, water,
ntry, persistent vegetables,
fever dairy
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BACTERIA

Escherichia coli

◦ Infection
◦ Incubation: 12-72 hours
◦ Symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, mild fever
◦ Foods: undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized
cider, faecal-oral cycle
◦ Source: Human and bovine
intestinal tract
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BACTERIA

Campylobacter jejuni

◦ Infection
◦ Incubation: 2-5 days
◦ Symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, headache,
fever, muscle pain
◦ Foods: poultry, dairy products, water
◦ Sources: intestinal tracts of wild/ domestic
animals
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BACTERIA

Listeria monocytogenes

◦ Infection
◦ Incubation: 3 to 70 days
◦ Symptoms: flu-like, meningitis, encephalitis,
spontaneous abortion
 Fetuses, infants, and pregnant women
◦ Foods: unpasteurized milk, ice cream, ready-to-
eat, lunchmeats
◦ Sources: soil, water, damp environments,
domestic/ wild animals (esp. fowl)

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BACTERIA

Clostridium botulinum

◦ Intoxication
◦ Incubation: 4 hours to 8 days
◦ Symptoms: vomiting; constipation; difficulty with vision,
swallowing, speaking; paralysis, death
◦ Foods: baked potatoes, garlic/ oil mixtures, low-acid canned
foods
◦ Sources: present on almost all foods, soil, water

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VIRUSES

Basic characteristics

◦ Need living cell to propagate

◦ Do not reproduce in food
◦ Smallest microbial contaminant
◦ Spread usually as a result of poor hygiene

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VIRUSES

Hepatitis A
◦ Infection
◦ Incubation: 10-50 days
◦ Symptoms: sudden fever, vomiting,
jaundice
◦ Foods: water (ice), shellfish, ready-to-eat
foods, fruit juices, vegetables
◦ Source: human intestinal/ urinary tracts

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VIRUSES

Norwalk virus

◦ Infection
◦ Incubation: 10-50 hours
◦ Symptoms: nausea, diarrhea, headache,
mild fever
◦ Foods: water, shellfish, raw vegetables and
fruits
◦ Source: human intestinal tract, water

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 VIRUSES

Rotavirus

◦ Infection
◦ Incubation: 1-3 days
◦ Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, mild fever
◦ Foods: ready-to-eat, water and ice
◦ Sources: human intestinal tract, water

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FUNGI

Molds

◦ Usually spoil foods, sometimes

illness
◦ Sweet, acidic, low Aw foods
◦ Some produce aflatoxins
(peanuts)
◦ cheeses, mushrooms

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FUNGI

Yeasts

◦ Spoil food Yeast colony growing on pizza

◦ Produce CO2 and alcohol

◦ Prefer sweet, acidic, low Aw foods

 Jams, jellies, syrup, honey, fruit juice

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PARASITES

Basic characteristics

◦ Living organisms
◦ Require a host
◦ Usually killed by freezing (and cooking)
◦ Normal fauna in many animals
 Hogs, cats, rodents, fish, etc.

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PARASITES

Trichinella spiralis

◦ Roundworm
◦ Incubation: 2-28 days
◦ Symptoms: flu-like, swelling around eyes,
extreme sweating, haemorrhaging
◦ Foods: undercooked pork, game
◦ Source: domestic pigs, bear,

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FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Challenges to control
◦ Poor consumer handling of food
◦ Emerging pathogens have increased
resistance
◦ Food supply is global
◦ More food is eaten outside of home
◦ New modes of transmission

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