TYPES AND CAUSES OF FOOD CONTAMINATION.

Course: Food safety.

This article we are going to discuss the four main types of food contamination. But before that lets first understand what food contamination is and what its involves for food to be contaminated.

Food contamination happens when something gets into food that shouldn’t be there. Or anything that has come in contact with food that can cause harm to human health. It can cause harm to consumer health and safety and can drastically affect a business’s reputation if somebody is harmed there.

There are four main types of contamination; chemical, microbial, physical, and allergenic or cross contamination. All food is at risk of contamination from these four types. Food contamination is very dangerous. Because eating such food can cause sickness and death. Therefore it’s critical that you understand what these four types of contamination are and how to prevent them from effecting safety food.

BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION

Biological (microbial) contamination; this is when the bacteria or any other harmful microorganisms contaminate food; it is common cause of food poisoning and food spoilage. Thus food poisoning can happen when disease causing bacteria or germs, also called ‘pathogens’, spread to food and are consumed. Bacteria are small microorganisms that split and multiply very quickly. In conditions idea for bacteria growth, one single-cell bacteria can become two million in just seven hours.

Furthermore, certain types of bacteria also produce bacterial toxin in the process of multiplying and producing waste. The toxins can be very dangerous-in fact, botulinum, the bacterial toxin causes botulism, is the most potent natural poison known. And some foods are more vulnerable to biological contamination than others because they provide everything that bacteria need to survive, and multiply, such as food, water, and neutral acidity (PH). These are known as the high-foods. For example of such food; the undercooking chicken can cause campylobacter, a type of bacteria. Fish and shellfish may eat toxic producing organisms that are dangerous to humans if they eat them and many more.

When these high-risk foods are left in the Temperature Danger zone (5-60 degrees Celsius) for too long, food handlers provides other conditions bacteria need to grow- time and the right temperature. Therefore it’s important to remember that all foods can harbor dangerous pathogens. Nor virus, for example doesn’t grow or multiply on food, but it can survive for days or even weeks on any type of food and is a leading cause of food-borne illness in some places.

Microbial contamination is the most common reason behind outbreaks of food poisoning. The best way to prevent this type of contamination is by following strict, high-standard for hygiene practices. E.g having impeccable person hygiene and taking time off work.

CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION

Chemical contamination occurs when chemicals gets into food. As chemicals are used in the kitchen for cleaning and disinfecting or surfaces hence they end up contaminating food if not well handled. In the kitchen contamination may occur from preparing food on a surface that still has chemical residue on it. Additionally, food becomes contaminated from chemicals before it even reaches the kitchen. For example, fertilizers and pesticides may have been sprayed near food when it was growing.

Furthermore, common sources of chemical contamination in commercial kitchen include;

• Kitchen cleaning agents; these are chemicals such as degents, washing powder soap and many more, that are used in the process of cleaning off the kitchen’s surfaces and hence leading to food contamination if come in contact with any food. Therefore, never keep food stored in the same place as your cleaning chemicals, and always use cleaning products designed especially for kitchen use.

• Unwashed fruits and vegetables; pesticides and fungicides on fruits and vegetables can be harmful if ingested, so its important to properly wash all fruits and vegetables before preparing them.

• Pest control products; pest control products are extremely hazardous. And hence always store these products away from food items and never use these products in areas where food is being prepared.

• Food containers made from non-safe plastics; single-use items like plastics containers are not designed to be reused again and again. Hence store food in containers recommended.

PHYSICAL CONTAMINATION

Physical contamination happens when a food has been contaminated by foreign object. It can occur at any stage of food delivery and preparation. Physical contamination can cause serious harm to the consumer, including breaking teeth or choking.

Types of physical contaminants that can be found in food include jewelry, hair, bones, pest bodies, and cloths. Additionally, if there are problems with the food premises or equipment, such as flaking paint or loose screws in a piece of equipment, then these may also enter food.

Physical contaminants may even carry harmful bacteria, posing an even greater risk. Examples of these include;

• Hair; Always wear hair neatly tied back and wear a hairnet if possible to prevent the hair coming into contact with food as it is been prepared.

• Glass or metal; Cracked or broken crockery and utensils should be thrown away, as well as any food that might have come into contact with it, which can cause serious harm to human health if taken in.

• Peats; Pests-such as mice, rats and cockroaches-leaves droppings (urines, saliva, fur faeces) that can contaminants food, and even pests themselves can make way into food.

• Jewelry; its not recommended to wear jewelry when handling food. In some region, it may be restricted by local laws or regulations.

• Fingernails; always keep nails short and clean to prevent contamination of food been prepared. Always avoid wearing fake nails as these can easily fall off and contaminant food.

• Always make sure that all the damaged equipment or premise is identified quickly and it is replaces or mended.

ALLERGENIC OR CROSS CONTAMINATON

Allergenic or cross contamination occurs when a food that causes an allergic reaction comes into contact with another food. In other ways, it is refers to the transfer of contaminants from a surface, object or person to food. And this can happen in many ways. For example, if the same knife used to cut normal bread is then used to cut gluten-free bread, or if pasta is stored in a tub that used to contain peanuts.

Moreover there are 14 named allergens. These are the foods that account for the majority of food allergies in people. The list includes things like gluten, peanuts, eggs, mustard and fish. However for some with food allergy, consuming even a tiny amount of that food which has been cross contaminated or mixed or other foods that causes allergy it is enough to cause a fatal reaction.

And hence its important that you identify and know the sources of contamination in order to prevent allergenic contamination of food in your premises. Thus the following are the sources of cross-contamination or allergen contamination;

• Clothing; Dirty clothes can transport bacteria from one place to another. If possible, clothing should be replaced when moving from one work area to another. You should thoroughly wash your face and hand. This is important more especially when handling high-risk food or when preparing allergen-free meal.

• Utensils; Different utensils should be used to prepare different types of food. e.g you should never use the same chopping board or knife to prepare raw meat and ready-to- eat.

• Food handlers; Coughing, sneezing or even touching your face or hair before handling food can cause cross-contamination. Washing hands regularly when handling food is essential.

• Raw food storage; Cross-contamination frequently occurs when raw food comes into contact with cooked or ready-to-eat food. Raw food should always be covered and stored below ready-to-eat food in the refrigerator to prevent this type of contamination.

In summary; All food is at risk of one of the four types of contamination; chemical, microbial (biological), physical, and allergenic (cross contamination). However, it is essential that you prevent these contaminants from affecting the safety of food. Food poisoning injury, and allergic reaction are all consequences of contamination but, by following safe working practices, you can help to prevent them all.