FOOD and Health

The microbial world

Viruses
non-living, non-cellular Bacteria
organisms that require a host living, single-celled
to grow organisms

Algae Parasites
Fungi
single or multi-celled organisms such as
moulds, yeasts and mushrooms

7
Protozoa
 Microbes and food
Good
Food fermentation Bad - Pathogens

(bacteria, viruses, fungi)

(bacteria, yeasts, fungi) Ugly - Spoilage

(bacteria, fungi) 8
What you eat can make you sick

“Everybody will get a foodborne illness twice per year”

 Food poisoning or foodborne illness
Foodborne infections Foodborne intoxications
Symptoms, after 8-24h Symptoms, after 0-4h
abdominal pain nausea
diarrhoea vomiting
Duration 1-3 days Duration 1 day

Bacteria, virus Bacterial toxin

Bacterium does not have to

be in the product anymore !

Young Old Immuno-compromised

Pregnant
 Fungal toxins : Mycotoxins
Hardly ever acute toxic
- carcinogenic
- kidney problems
- ...

Potential serious health risks

Most well known:

- Aflatoxin
- Zearalenon
- Ochratoxin

Many not known !

Spread easily in food chain
Fungal toxins : Aflatoxin
Prevention : look at the chain

Production Preparation Consumption

Increasing/Decreasing risks

Product characteristics Bacterial characteristics

Risk Assessment Legislation

of worst case scenario
New challenges and risks : the consumer

Production Preparation Consumption

Increasing/Decreasing risks

Consumer demands

New trends
Different and/or (mostly) higher risks
- Natural / Organic
- Less processed
- Sustainable /packaging
Potentially more cases
- Less salt / sugar
- No additives
...
Research and legislation
New challenges and risks : globalisation

Food safety standards, legislation : not harmonised

Bacterial prevalence differs widely between regions
New challenges : the organism
‘new’ bacteria Changed ‘old’
bacteria
Listeria :
unknown until EHEC, STEC,
1980s EIEC...

Emerging pathogens

‘new’ and more

Adapted bacteria
viruses
bacteria in
astrovirus
unexpected
nipah virus
places
 Food-borne Illness Causing
Microorganisms
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Salmonella species
• Clostridium perfringers
• Clostridium botulinum
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Listera monocytogenes
• Yersinia enterocolitica
• Escherichia coli (0155-H7)
PHYSICAL CONTAMINATION
• One of the major concerns in producing meat animals.
• Handling
• Treating
• Feeding
• Transporting
Chemical Contaminants
Chemical contaminants presence in food is unintentional and undesirable.
• Intentional Food Additives
• Use of materials which enhance the acceptability of the products and/or aid in the
development of the product
• Unintentional Food Additives
• Residues
• This includes both food processing component residues as well as PESTICIDES,
ANTIBIOTIC OR HORMONE IMPLANT residues
• Natural Toxicants
• Product Tampering
• Nutritional Components
 Chemical contaminants :

Examples of chemical contaminants include the

following:
• mycotoxins
• heavy metals –arsenic, lead and mercury ,etc
• organic pollutants- dioxins
• acrylamide which may result from food being
processed
Chemical contaminants can enter the food chain from
multiple sources
. Contamination can occur during primary production from various
environmental sources including :
•pollution
•waste from factories
•landfills
•incinerators
•fires
•contaminated land, including from natural occurrence
•contaminated water, for example, dioxins, halogenated organic
compounds or heavy metals
•plant diseases - mycotoxins
•contamination from weeds, for example, plant toxins
•carry over of certain substances from animal feed
•climatic conditions, for example, wet conditions at key stages during
growing and harvest can increase production of mycotoxins
Chemical contaminants can also enter the food chain at the
secondary production stage

•during cooking and processing, for example,

acrylamide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
•storage, for example, mycotoxins
•transportation and handling
Chemical contaminants may be harmful to health at
certain levels. It is necessary to manage their levels in
food and reduce dietary exposure of consumers.
Several measures are in place to manage the risk from
these contaminants and reduce the levels at which they
are present in food - including good practices and
regulatory controls
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are a group of naturally occurring chemicals produced
by certain moulds. They can grow on a variety of different crops and
foodstuffs including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apple juice and
coffee, often under warm and humid conditions.
The mycotoxins of most concern from a food safety perspective
include:
•aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2 and M1)
•ochratoxin A
•patulin toxins produced by Fusarium moulds, including fumonisins
(B1, B2 and B3)
•trichothecenes (principally nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2
toxin)
•zearalenone
•ergot alkaloids, citrinin, sterigmatocystin and alternaria toxins
Mycotoxins: health effects

Mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects in humans including

cancer (some are genotoxic), kidney and liver damage, gastrointestinal
disturbances, reproductive disorders or suppression of the immune system.

Aflatoxins are the most harmful type of mycotoxin, they can potentially
cause cancer or problems with digestion, reproduction or the immune
system.

Mycotoxins are naturally occurring, so their presence in foods cannot be

completely avoided. It is however appropriate to ensure that controls are in
place to ensure that exposure from food is as low as reasonably achievable.

These controls range from ensuring that good practice is undertaken during
growing, harvesting and storage of foods in addition to establishing
maximum levels where necessary.
 Persistent organic pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are a type of contaminant that can enter the
food chain from the environment.

POPs can have widely differing chemical structures and properties. POPs
share several common properties:
•persistence – POPs are very stable and can remain in the environment for many
years - this includes air, water, soil and sediment
•toxicity – at certain levels, POPs can have harmful effects on organisms, including
mammals, fish and/or invertebrates
•bioaccumulation – POPs have the capacity to build up in organisms, including
mammals, birds and fish
When sufficient scientific evidence is available, POPs are listed in the Stockholm
Convention, an international agreement to control or eliminate the occurrence,
production and use of these chemicals. The first twelve chemicals listed were
older pesticides, for example DDT, Dieldrin and Aldrin, although the list also
included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxins, which are formed through
 Acrylamide in food
Acrylamide is a chemical that naturally forms in starchy foods when they are cooked at high
temperatures, for example, roasting, frying and baking.
The browner the food is after cooking, the higher the level of acrylamide present.

Which foods contain acrylamide?

Fried potato products (including French fries, croquettes and roasted potatoes) and coffee/coffee
substitutes are the most important dietary source of acrylamide for adults, followed by soft bread, biscuits,
crackers and crisp breads.
For most children, fried potato products account for up to half of all dietary exposure to acrylamide with
soft bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, crackers and crisp breads amongst the other contributors.
Baby food (mainly rusks and biscuits) is the most important source for infants.
Some other food categories such as potato crisps and snacks contain relatively high levels of acrylamide
but their overall contribution to dietary exposure is more limited (based on a normal/varied diet).

Are consumers at risk of developing cancer from acrylamide in food?

Currently, studies on human subjects have provided limited and inconsistent evidence of increased risk of
developing cancer. However, studies on laboratory animals have shown that exposure to acrylamide through the
diet increased the likelihood of developing gene mutations and tumours in various organs.
Effects of acrylamide on health
Currently, studies on human subjects have provided limited and inconsistent evidence of
increased risk of developing cancer. However, studies on laboratory animals have shown that
exposure to acrylamide through the diet increased the likelihood of developing gene mutations
and tumours in various organs.

EFSA’s experts have considered possible harmful effects of acrylamide on the nervous system, pre-
and post-natal development and on male reproduction. These effects were not considered to be a
concern, based on current levels of dietary exposure.
Choice of ingredients:
• Coffee substitutes made from chicory generally contained on average six times more acrylamide
(3mg/kg) than cereal-based coffee substitutes (0.5mg/kg).
•Fried products made from potato dough (including crisps and snacks) generally contained 20% less
acrylamide (338µg/kg) than those made from fresh potato (392µg/kg)

Storage method
•Storage of potatoes at below 8°C generally increases sugar levels in potatoes, potentially leading to
higher acrylamide levels following cooking.
•Soaking potato slices in water or citric acid solution can reduce acrylamide levels in crisps by up to
40% or 75%, respectively.
Heavy metals in Food
 The most common foods with heavy metals

•Fish: Unfortunately, all fish have some level of mercury. Farmed seafood is particularly bad because
it’s high in heavy metals, pesticides, toxins, pathogens, and environmental contaminants. Limit your
consumption of fish that are especially high in mercury, like tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange
roughy, and swordfish. Instead, eat anchovies, haddock, Petrale sole, sardines, sockeye salmon, summer
flounder, tilapia, and trout, which have lower mercury levels. Always opt for wild-caught fish — it has a
better nutrient profile, and it’s better for the planet.
• Brown rice: Brown rice contains up to 80% more arsenic than white rice. Rice takes up arsenic from
soil and water more readily than other grains. Arsenic is concentrated in the thin outer layer that gives
brown rice its color. Eat white rice instead — it’s an easily digestible carbohydrate with less arsenic and
more flavor. love cadmium, a heavy metal also found in grains.
•Reduce your exposure by only eating organic. Balance your diet with other vegetables in the green
zone of , like broccoli, olives, and zucchini.
•Unfiltered water: About 30% of plumbing infrastructure in the U.S. contains lead piping, lead service
lines, or lead plumbing components, which leaches into your water. Switching to filtered water is one
of the simplest ways to reduce heavy metal exposure.
 Regulatory measures

Among risk management measures, regulatory controls play a

key role.
Overarching food legislation lays down the general principles
and requirements of food law as well as procedures in matters
of food safety.
These food safety requirements stipulate that food shall not be
placed on the market if it is unsafe and food shall be deemed
unsafe if it is considered to be the following:
•injurious to health
•unfit for human consumption
The basic principles of regulatory control of chemical
contaminants in food covering procedures for contaminants in
food and procedures for hygiene of foodstuffs are laid down in
separate legislation.