Lesson 9: Food Safety

Mr. TaylorReading from: Modern Livestock and Poultry

Production, 8th Edition, pg 27-33

Current Issues

• Bacterial contamination• Pesticide in food (crops)• Drug residues in food• Irradiation of food• Genetic engineering• Contamination of food by processors

Food Health Risks

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Food Healt Risks

BacteriaChemicalViralParasitic

The Culprits

• Salmonella– Found in eggs, milk, chickens, beef, and turkey

• Campylobacter– Found in poultry, raw milk, and drinking water

• Clostridium botulinum– Lives in the soil, grows in meats and vegetables– Multiples in poorly canned or smoked foods

• Staphylococcus aureus– Found on human skin– Enters food supply by improper handling of food by workers

The Culprits

• Shigella– Normally found in the intestinal tract of humans– Thus why you always washer your hands after using the

restroom!!!• Escherichia coli (E.coli) O157:H7

– Undercooked beef, lettuce, salami, unpasteurized apple cider and milk

• Listeria monocytogenes– Soft cheese, unpasteurized milk, imported seafood, likes low

temperatures• Clostridium perfingens

– Most common in red meats, survive hot cooking and multiply when food is not kept hot

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

• Estimates that 4,000 people in the US die each year from these top 4 bacteria– Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, and

Listeria monocytogenes

Legislation• Food and Drug Administration enforce food additive usage and

research

• 1958 Delaney Clause was added to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 to prohibit use of any food additive that causes cancer in humans or animals….zero tolerance

• Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 revised DCA of 1938 of the zero tolerance to carcinogens to be labeled as “a reasonable certainty of no harm”

• USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is responsible for verifying that meat and poultry processing plants meet regulatory requirements and take enforcement action when a plant fails to meet these requirement.

Plant Protection Protocol

• Sanitation Standard Operation Procedures (SSOPs)– A plant must develop SSOP guidelines for the

production of raw and processed foods• Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points

(HACCP)– Develop a HACCP plan for each product to identify

points in processing that could cause harm to the food product, and provide techniques to correct a potential problem

Irradiation

• Definition: the treatment of food with radioactive isotopes to kill bacteria, insects, and molds that are present in the food– Cobalt-60 is widely used as a short wavelength radiation– Cesium-137 is also used sometimes– Strict processing chambers are constructed to protect

workers from exposure to the radiation• Energy waves are not retained by the food• The food does not become radioactive• No significant difference in nutrition quality has been found in

irradiated foods• Food that irradiation doesn’t work for include: diary products,

some fruits like peaches and nectarines

Irradiation• Process began in the 1950, 37 countries already use this form of

food protection• Current approved foods

– Aug 21, 1963: wheat and wheat flour to control insects– Aug 8, 1964: white potatoes to control sprout development– July 5, 1983: herbs, spices, and vegetable seasonings to decontaminate

and control insects and microorganisms– June 10, 1985: dry enzyme preparations primarily used in fermentation

type food processes to control insects and microorganisms– July 22, 1985: pork to control parasite that causes trichinosis– April 19, 1986: fruits, veggies, and grains to control insects and inhibit

growth and ripening– May 1, 1990: chicken, turkey, and other fresh or frozen uncooked

poultry to control Salmonella and other disease causing bacteria– Dec 2, 1997: fresh and frozen red meats such as beef, lamb and pork to

slow spoilage and control disease-causing microorganisms

Irradiation• There are many speculators out there, but this

form of food preservation is becoming more accepted as health advocates see it as safe to eat

• Traditional cooking of meats to 165oF-212oF to kill microorganisms (MO)

• Refrigeration immediately decreases MO population growth

• Reheating leftovers to at least 165oF reduces the risk of MO food poisoning/death

Education

• The best way to understand your food and your preparation procedures is to be educated about producing, processing and consuming food products.

• Remember, its your life!