GARM 103 Safety & Hygiene

Lecture 4 – Contamination, Food

Allergens
You Can Prevent Contamination

Objectives:
⚫ Biological, chemical, and physical contaminants
and how to prevent them
⚫ How to prevent the deliberate contamination of
food
⚫ How to respond to a foodborne-illness outbreak
⚫ Common food allergens and how to prevent
reactions to them
How Contamination Happens

Contaminants come from a

variety of places:
⚫ Animals we use for food
⚫ Air, contaminated water, and dirt
⚫ People
• Deliberately
• Accidentally
How Contamination Happens

People can contaminate food when:

⚫ They don’t wash their hands after using the restroom
⚫ They are in contact with a person who is sick
⚫ They sneeze or vomit onto food or food contact
surfaces
⚫ They touch dirty food-contact surfaces and
equipment and then touch food
Biological Contamination

Microorganism:
⚫ Small, living organism that can be seen only with a
microscope

Pathogen:
⚫ Harmful microorganism
⚫ Make people sick when eaten or produce toxins
that cause illness

Toxin:
⚫ Poison
Biological Contamination

Common symptoms of foodborne illness:

⚫ Diarrhea
⚫ Vomiting
⚫ Fever
⚫ Nausea
⚫ Abdominal cramps
⚫ Jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes)

Onset times:
⚫ Depend on the type of foodborne illness
⚫ Can range from 30 minutes to six weeks
Chemical Contaminants

1. Biological toxins
⚫ Microbial toxins: aflatoxins, ochratoxins, patulin, etc
⚫ Seafood toxins: ciguatoxins, histamine, etc
⚫ Plant toxins: cyanogenic glycoside, amygdalin, etc

2. Nonbiological chemical contaminants

⚫ Processing toxins: acrylamide, furan, etc
⚫ Packaging contaminants: BPA, etc
⚫ Enviromental contaminants: dioxins, heavy metals
Chemical Contaminants

3. Veterinary residues
4. Pesticides
5. Cleaners
6. Sanitizers
7. Polishes
8. Machine lubricants
9. Deodorizers
10. First-aid products
11. Health and beauty products (hand
lotions, hairsprays, etc.)
Chemical Contaminants

Toxic Metals
⚫ Some utensils and equipment
contain toxic metals:
• Lead
• Copper
• Zinc
• Pewter
• Painted pottery
⚫ Toxic-metal poisoning can
occur when:
• Utensils or equipment containing
these metals are used to store or
prep acidic food
Chemical Contaminants

Toxic Metals continued

⚫ To prevent toxic-metal poisoning:
• Use food-grade utensils and
equipment to prep and store food
Chemical Contaminants

Symptoms:
⚫ Vary depending on chemical consumed
⚫ Most illnesses occur within minutes
⚫ Vomiting and diarrhea are typical
Chemical Contaminants

Prevention:
⚫ Only use chemicals approved for use in foodservice
operations
⚫ Purchase chemicals from approved, reputable
suppliers
⚫ Store chemicals away from prep areas, food-storage
areas, and service areas.
• Chemicals must be separated from food and food-
contact surfaces by spacing and partitioning
⚫ Chemicals must NEVER be stored above food or
food-contact surfaces
⚫ Use chemicals for their intended use and follow
manufacturer’s directions
Chemical Contaminants

Prevention:
⚫ Only handle food with equipment
and utensils approved for
foodservice use
⚫ Make sure the manufacturer’s
labels on original chemical
containers are readable
⚫ Keep MSDS current, and make
sure they are accessible to staff at
all times
⚫ Follow the manufacturer’s
directions and local regulatory
requirements when throwing out
chemicals
MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet
Physical Contaminants

Sources:
⚫ Common objects that get into food
• Metal shavings from cans
• Wood
• Fingernails
• Staples
• Bandages
• Glass
• Jewelry
• Dirt
⚫ Naturally occurring objects such as fruit
pits and bones
Physical Contaminants

Symptoms:
⚫ Mild to fatal injuries are possible
⚫ Cuts, dental damage, and choking
⚫ Bleeding and pain

Prevention:
⚫ Purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers
⚫ Closely inspect food received
⚫ Take steps to prevent physical contamination,
including practicing good personal hygiene
Deliberate Contamination of Food

- Tampering food intentionally

- Types of deliberate contamination:

- Biological
- Chemical
- Physical
- Radiological (sabotage)
Deliberate Contamination of Food

Food is very suitable for

deliberate contamination;
• It can create fear very easily
• It has the potential to be a big
public health problem
• Big economic loss in a short
time
• It can create a burden on the
trade
• It can create distrust towards
government
Deliberate Contamination of Food

Why are we worried?

⚫ We are not immune
⚫ Deliberate contamination can happen at any time
⚫ Repeating activities

Grave Problem with Deliberate Contamination

⚫ Even if the resource is found, sometimes
establishments can be unwilling to report the
situation to the police
⚫ Being afraid of negative PR
Deliberate Contamination of Food

To protect food from deliberate

contamination:
⚫ Train employees to report
suspicious activities
⚫ Control access to food and prep
areas
⚫ Eliminate places for intruders to
hide inside the facility
⚫ Make sure intruders can’t enter the
facility in unexpected ways Anyone who has
access to an
⚫ Develop procedures that address
operation’s food can
each potential threat and train
be a security risk
employees to follow them
Deliberate Contamination of Food

Groups who may attempt to contaminate food:

⚫ Terrorists or activists
⚫ Disgruntled current or former staff
⚫ Vendors
⚫ Competitors

FDA defense tool:

⚫ A.L.E.R.T.
Deliberate Contamination of Food

Assure
⚫ Make sure products received are from safe sources

Look
⚫ Monitor the security of products in the facility

Employees
⚫ Know who is in your facility

Reports
⚫ Keep information related to food defense accessible

Threat
⚫ Develop a plan for responding to suspicious activity
or a threat to the operation
A.L.E.R.T. – A Food Defence Program by FDA

Assure: Make sure that products are

received from safe sources
- Supervise product deliveries
- Use approved suppliers
- Make sure the delivery vehicles are
locked or selaed
A.L.E.R.T. – A Food Defence Program by FDA

Look: Monitor the security of products

- Limit access to prep & storage areas
- Lock storage areas
- Create a system for handling damaged
products
- Store chemicals in a secure location
- Train staff to spot food defence
threats
A.L.E.R.T. – A Food Defence Program by FDA

Employees: Know who is in your facility

- Limit access to prep and storage areas
- Identify all visitors & verify credentials
- Conduct background check on staff
A.L.E.R.T. – A Food Defence Program by FDA

Reports: Keep information related to

food defence accessible
- Receive logs
- Office file & documents
- Staff files
- Random food defence self inspections
A.L.E.R.T. – A Food Defence Program by FDA

Threat: Identify what you will do in an

emergency situation
- Hold any product you suspect to be
contaminated
- Maintain an emergency contact list
Deliberate Contamination

- In 1996, 12 lab workers at a

Texas medical facility became
ill after eating pastries that were
intentionally contaminated with
a virulent strain of Shigella
bacteria.

- In 2009, more than 40 people in

Kansas became ill after
disgruntled restaurant
employees intentionally
contaminated salsa with a
pesticide.
Food Defense vs. Food Safety

Food Safety
⚫ the protection of food products from unintentional
contamination by agents reasonably likely to occur
in the food supply

Food Defense
⚫ the protection of food products from intentional
contamination by biological, chemical, physical, or
radiological agents that are not reasonably likely to
occur in the food supply

Food Security is the reliable availability of a

sufficient quantity and quality of nutritious food
for a population
Food Safety vs. Food Defence Risks

Food Safety Food Defence

• Biological • Biological
• E. coli, • C. botulinum,
Salmonella, Vibrio cholerea
Listeria • Chemical
• Chemical • Arsenic, rat
• pesticide poison, ricin
residues • Radiological
• Physical • Plutonium,
• Glass, metal, cesium
plastic
Imitation and Adulteration of Food

• Adulteration is the addition of a non food item to

increase the weight/quantity of the food item, which
may result in the loss of actual quality of food item.
Milk Adulteration

non-milk proteins
water
chlorine
neutralizers

urea
low-valued milk
antibiotics

preservatives
milk powder

color whey
Milk Adulteration - Melamine

Milk Adulteration Scandal in China

⚫ water was added to raw milk to increase its volume
→ lower protein concentration.
⚫ The addition of melamine increases the nitrogen
content of the milk and therefore its apparent
protein content
• at least 6 babies died
• ~300 000 children suffered kidney and urinary
problems
• 99.2% of the infants were younger than 3 years of
age, the rest were younger than 4 years
• 60 people were arrested, 21 people were
sentenced, 2 were executed
Meat Adulteration
Meat Adulteration - Horse meat scandal

⚫ Irish food inspectors found horsemeat in frozen

beefburgers sold several supermarkets.
⚫ Mislabelled processed meat products were found
in several other European states.
⚫ Officials raided several processing plants.
Honey Adulteration

Fake
Tea Adulteration

• Artifical color
• Iron
Fish Adulteration

• Sodium nitrite

• Color
Olive Adulteration

color
Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak

⚫ Gather information
⚫ Notify authorities
⚫ Segregate product
⚫ Document information
⚫ Identify staff
⚫ Cooperate with authorities
⚫ Review procedures
Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak

Gather information
⚫ Ask the person for general contact information
⚫ Ask the person to identify the food eaten
⚫ Ask for a description of symptoms
⚫ Ask when the person first got sick

Notify authorities
⚫ Contact the local regulatory authority if an
outbreak is suspected
Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak

Segregate product
⚫ Set the suspected product
aside if any remains
⚫ Include a label with “Do Not
Use” and “Do Not Discard”
on it

Document the information

⚫ Log information about
suspected product
• Include a product
description, product date,
lot number, sell-by date,
and pack size
Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak

Identify staff
⚫ Keep a list of food handlers scheduled at time of
incident
⚫ Interview staff immediately

Cooperate with authorities

⚫ Provide appropriate documentation

Review procedures
⚫ Determine if standards are being met
⚫ Identify if standards are not working
FOOD ALLERGENS
Food Allergens

Food allergen:
⚫ A protein in a food or ingredient some
people are sensitive to
⚫ These proteins occur naturally
⚫ When an enough of an allergen is eaten, an
allergic reaction can occur
Food Allergens

Allergy symptoms:
⚫ Nausea
⚫ Wheezing or shortness of breath
⚫ Hives or itchy rashes
⚫ Swelling in various parts of the body, including the
face, eyes, hands, or feet
⚫ Vomiting and/or diarrhea
⚫ Abdominal pain

Allergic reactions:
⚫ Symptoms can become serious quickly
⚫ A severe reaction, called anaphylaxis, can lead to
death
Food Allergens
1. Milk 9. Gluten containing
cereals
2. Eggs
10.Lupine
3. Soy
11.Sesame
4. Fish
12.Celery
5. Tree nuts,
13.Sulphur dioxide
6. Peanuts
14.Mustard
7. Crustaceans
8. Mollusks
Diagnosing Food Allergies

- Skin Prick Test or blood test – IgE Antibodies

- Test results compared to in-depth individual

history
Food Allergens
Know How To Read Food Labels
⚫ Check food labels for allergens
Food Allergens
Milk : lactose intolerance vs allergy

Lactose intolerance
carbohydrate
⚫ cannot digest lactose (carbohydrate)

Milk allergy
protein
⚫ reaction to the milk protein
Cheliac disease

reaction to gluten

Gluten: a protein found in wheat,

barley and rye
Prevent Allergic Reactions

Service staff:
⚫ Describe menu items to guests,
identify any allergens in the item
⚫ Suggest menu items without the
allergen
⚫ Clearly identify the guest’s order for
kitchen and service staff
⚫ Deliver food separately to prevent
cross-contact
Prevent Allergic Reactions

Kitchen staff:
⚫ Avoid cross-contact
• Do NOT cook different types of
food in the same fryer oil
• Do NOT put food on surfaces
that have touched allergens
Prevent Allergic Reactions

Kitchen staff:
⚫ Avoid cross-contact
• Check recipes and ingredient labels
• Wash, rinse, and sanitize cookware, utensils, and
equipment before preparing an allergen special
order
• Make sure the allergen doesn’t touch anything for
customers with food allergies (food, beverages,
utensils, etc.)
• Wash your hands and change gloves before
prepping food
• Label food packaged on-site for retail use
The Improvised Menu Challenge

⚫ Some days chefs tend to improvise with the seasonal

ingredients
⚫ The concept of the restaurant can be a daily-changing
menu
⚫ If that is the case, all the service personal need to
know the ingredients in order to give information to
the customers
⚫ Even if you change your menu daily, it is imperative to
have standardized recipes!!
Thank you!