Symptoms of Food-borne Illness

• Common symptoms of foodborne illness are diarrhea and/or

vomiting, typically lasting 1 to 7 days. Other symptoms might
include abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, joint/back aches, and
fatigue.

• What some people call the “stomach flu” may actually be a

foodborne illness caused by a pathogen (i.e, virus, bacteria, or
parasite) in contaminated food or drink

• The incubation period ( the time between exposure to the

pathogen and onset of symptoms) can range from several hours
to 1 week.
Foods associated with Food-born illness

• Raw foods of animal origin, that is, raw meat and poultry, raw eggs,
unpasteurized milk, and raw shellfish are the most likely to be
contaminated.

• Fruits and vegetables can also be contaminated with animal waste

when manure is used to fertilize produce in the field, or unclean water
is used for washing the produce.

• Raw sprouts are particularly concerning because the condition under

which they are sprouted are ideal for growing microbes.

• Unpasteurized fruit juices or cider can also be contaminated if there

are pathogens on the fruit that is used to make it.

• Any food item that is touched by a person who is ill with vomiting or
diarrhea, or who recently had such an illness, can become
contaminated. When this food items are not subsequently cooked
(e.g., salad, cut fruit) they can pass the illness to other people.
Who is at risk?
Some people are at greater risk for bacterial infections because of their age
or an unhealthy immune system. Thus, individuals who are susceptible to
the effects of foodborne illness are:
• Infants and young children;
• Pregnant women;
• Elderly persons over 65 years old;
• Person with debilitating illness or chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes
mellitus, tuberculosis;
• Persons whose immune system are compromised as in cases of
HIV/AIDS, those who had organ transplant, and multiple surgeries,
undergoing radiation and chemotherapy;
• Malnourished individuals who are anemic, emaciated, and their body
proteins are depleted; and those
• Individuals with unhealthy lifestyle that make a person at higher risk to
foodborne illnesses include: poor, faulty eating habits, alcohol and drug
abuse, smoking, and
• Certain medications that reduce the normal beneficial microflora of
gastrointestinal tract, such as prolonged used of antibiotics and
antacids.
Risk Factors for Foodborne illness
According to the united states center for disease control (CDC),
investigations of foodborne illness disease outbreaks often identify the
following five risk factors that result in foodborne illness:
• Improper hot and cold holding of foods
• Inadequate cooking of foods
• Dirty and/or contaminated equipment
• Poor employee health & personal hygiene
• Food from unsafe sources

To prevent a foodborne illness from happening in your food facility, it is

very important that you control and eliminate these risk factors. It is
equally important to keep your facility clean, in good repair, and free of
vermin such as rodents, cockroaches, of flies.
Potentially Hazardous Foods
(PHF)

Some types of foods have the ability to support the rapid and
progressive growth of infections and toxin-producing
microorganisms. These foods are called “potentially hazardous”.
These foods have these characteristics:
• A history of being involved in foodborne illness outbreaks.
Salmonellosis in peanut butter from peanut corporation of
America in Blakely, Georgia has become “one of the worst
known outbreaks of food-borne disease” in recent years. Nine
are believed to have died and an estimated 22,500 were
sickened.
• A natural potential for contamination.
• High moisture that supports bacterial growth.
• High protein and carbohydrate.
• Not acidic enough to inhibit growth of microorganism.
The FDA food code classifies the following as potentially hazardous
foods:
 Foods of animal origin that are raw or heat-treated
 All cooked meat and poultry
 Cooked meat products with sauces and stocks especially wit tomatoes
 Dairy products like milk, cream and cheese, ice cream, and yogurt
 Cooked eggs and products made from eggs, like mayonnaise
 Cooked shellfish and other seafoods
 Cooked rice and beans and baked or broiled potatoes
 Desserts consisting of eggs and milk
 Gravies, stuffing for meat and poultry
 Vulnerable food products made with high-risk foods and exposed to
more handling including meatloaf, hamburgers, salads (pasta, coleslaw,
and chicken, egg, tuna salads)
 Chinese and Mexican dishes some baked goods and cream fillings,
French toast, meringue and eggnog
 Foods of plant origin that are heat-treated or consist of raw seed sprouts
 Cut melons and garlic and oil mixtures that are not modified in a way to
inhibit the growth of microorganism.
The requirements for the storage and display of
potentially hazardous foods are:

 PHF must be stored and displayed below 5ºC or above 60ºC

 PHF must be thrown out if stored or displayed at
temperatures between 5ºC and 60ºC more than four hours
 PHF must be used immediately if stored or displayed between
5ºC and 60ºC for between two and four hours
 PHF may be either refrigerated or used immediately if stored
or displayed at between 5ºC and 60ºC for less than two hours
How are foodborne illness treated?

Most cases of foodborne illnesses are mild and can be treated

by increasing fluid intake, either orally or intravenously, to
replace lost fluids and and electrolytes. People who experience
gastrotestinal or neurologic symptoms should seek medical
attention. In the most severe situations, hospitalization may
be needed to receive supportive nutritional and medical
therapy. Maintaining adequate fluid and electrolyte balance
and controlling blood pressure are important.
Socio-economic Effects of Foodborne Illness

The following outline summarizes the various costly factors

related to foodborne illness:

1. Cost that may be incurred by the sick individual or caregiver/family

• lose of income
• loss of opportunities for advancement
• medical expenses to include physical rehabilitation and long-term care
• cost of child and geatric care
• cost of special dietary needs
• loss of productivity
• leisure and travel opportunities
• funeral expenses
2. Business and Indusrty Costs
• Legal liability cost
• Insurance cost
• Cost of recall or discarded product
• Poor publicity and stock value suffers
• Loss of reputation
• Cost of investigation, cleaning up, and education
• Loss of consumers and business

3. Costs to the Nation and Government

• Expenses for plant or on-site inspection
• Legislation
• Medical cost
• Prosecution cost
• Health care/welfare benefits awarded to
the qualified person
• Losses from tourism and food export
trade