Food safety is primarily achieved by controlling contamination at the food source.  Government regulations, along with local inspections, require vigilance at all levels of food production, storage and distribution.  However, in spite of all of these regulations and preventative measures, people sometimes still get sick from contaminated food and beverages. 

What is a foodborne illness?

Many people have suffered the unpleasant experience of a foodborne illness.  Symptoms of foodborne illness include inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract lining (gastroenteritis), nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and vomiting.

The most seriously affected by foodborne illness are the very young, the old and those with immune systems compromised by diseases such as AIDS or cancer.  Mild cases of foodborne illness usually subside with time.  Dehydration resulting from diarrhea and vomiting can be treated by the consumption of electrolyte-rich liquids.  Still, severe cases may result in hospitalization or even death.

What causes foodborne illness?

People get sick from food that has been contaminated by one of three types of food hazards:

1)     Biological – living organisms or organic material that includes bacteria, molds, viruses and parasites.  Some of these hazards are so small that they cannot be seen except with the aid of a microscope.

2)     Chemical – chemical substances that can harm living systems.  These range from agricultural and industrial contaminants (including cleaners and sanitizers) to plant and animal toxins.

3)     Physical – include foreign material such as glass, metal, stones and wood that could cause harm if ingested.

Preventing foodborne illness

Because biological hazards (especially bacteria) are everywhere and many other chemical and physical food hazards can potentially enter the food supply, it is important to pursue foodborne illness prevention through food safety systems.  These preventative measures include the following;

-      Personal Hygiene Habits:  Numerous health habits keep contamination under control and a few of these include, avoiding hand-to-mouth gestures, hand washing and a clean apron/uniform when handling food.

-      High-risk foods:  Foods that best support bacterial growth are known as high-risk foods because they contain large amounts of protein and water (e.g. meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk).  Other factors making foods more prone toward bacterial contamination are low acid content and sufficient oxygen.

-      Purchasing:  Food should be bought at reputable and clean supermarkets/shops/butcher etc.

-      Storage:  Stored food slowly deteriorates, making it vulnerable to microbial contamination.  During storage there are two main risk factors, temperature and the amount of time that food stays within a certain temperature.  For this reason, after purchasing, foods should immediately be stored in one of three types of storage- refrigerator, freezer or under dry conditions.

-      Preparation:  The various steps of food preparation- pre-preparation, cooking, holding, cooling, reheating, and serving – are vulnerable to creating conditions for foodborne illness.  Food should be thawed, either in a refrigerator, submerged under running cold water or in a microwave.  Cross-contamination between raw and cooked food should be avoided.  Surfaces should be regularly washed and sanitised, especially after coming into contact with raw food.  Particularly susceptible surfaces include hands, utensils, tabletops, cutting boards and slicers, as well as aprons, cleaning cloths and sponges.  It is important to use separate chopping surfaces for raw meat and salad vegetables.

-      Sanitation:  Surfaces should be regularly washed and sanitised and pest control must be implemented.

 References:

Brown A 2008, Understanding Food Principles and Preparation, 4^th edn, Wadsworth, USA

Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S 2004, Krause’s Food, Nutrition & Diet Therapy, 11^th edn, Elsevier, USA