Food Safety - Research Paper Example

[Manager] 24 November FOOD SAFETY I. Introduction Food has been a part of our everyday life and is one of the basic necessities of every human being. According to Prokopov and and Tanchev, “all foods are virtually derived from living cells from animals and plant origin, and in some cases, from some micro organisms by biotechnology methods. Thus, foods are for the most part, composed of edible biochemicals” (McElhatton & Marshall, 3). In order to make food safe, it is necessary to use only fresh ingredients. The proper application of food processing, storage and preservation methods is important to avoid the occurrence of foodborne diseases which results from consumption of contaminated food, which eventually lead to food poisoning due to the effect of toxic foods. The report of Potter and Hotchkiss stated that, “food preservation is an action or method designed to maintain foods at a desired level of quality. A number of new preservation techniques are being developed to satisfy current demands of economic preservation and consumer satisfaction in safety, nutritional and sensory aspects” (McElhatton & Marshall,3). Since food is perishable in nature, there is a necessity to preserve the food that we eat through food preservation techniques. The importance of food safety has become the main concern of the consumers worldwide because health issues and several food-related diseases that can go with it. The first thing to consider before dining-out or buying take-away food is to make sure that the food that you are paying for is nutritious and safe. Nowadays, people prefer to dine-out than cook their own meals at home because of their busy lifestyle. Eating out or buying food to take home from food establishments actually saves time and effort of its consumers. In fact, there are several fancy and affordable fast food restaurants which offer great-tasting meals. Consumers patronize them especially if they are busy with work and just buy take-away food for their families. Thus, most of the big or small food corporations alike should practice sanitation and cleanliness in preparing food because this concerns the health of the general public which is of utmost concern. Food corporations must be transparent to their consumers on the ways and methods used in preparation of the meals they serve to the general public. Thesis: The proper preparation of food by maintaining cleanliness and good sanitation by the food-producing corporations shall ensure food safety and protect the health of its consumers. II. Ethical Issue and Debates The study of Sherrow and Marzili reported that “widespread outbreaks of illnesses cause by the food we eat have grabbed headlines, but news reports have been left unanswered. In the US, everything from snack food made with spice imported from China to spinach grown organically in California has been implicated. Critics of the food industry and the government agencies that regulate it such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), argue that the government is subservient to powerful industry interests which result to unsafe food supply” (9). Thus, many Americans suffer from foodborne illnesses due to the passive and unreceptive response of the government agencies to combat this growing problem. Included are the big corporations, engaged in food industry who fail to monitor the safety of the food supply, and sometimes poor hygiene implemented in their food premises. Government agencies such as FDA and USDA must be able to carry-out the objectives of their offices to protect the general public. Food is a basic necessity and human beings are dependent on food for survival. However, the government should regulate the food manufacturers, food operators and restaurant owners, by enforcing stricter laws to safeguard the safety of the consumers. III. Corporate Social Responsibility It is the responsibility of food corporations to be transparent when it comes to serving the food that they serve to their consumers. It is highly unethical for food corporations to conceal to the public, the manner of food preparation, the ingredients used, and the source of the meats and produce that they use in cooking. Food operators or corporations engaged in the food industry owe to the consumers this fundamental information as a matter of right, as it concerns their health and safety that carry life-causing risks that may even lead to death, if the food consumed is contaminated. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FCDA) of 1958, mandated the Food and Drug Administration or the FDA the obligation to ensure food safety and good sanitation practices is observed by these food corporations. “FCDA aims to prevent the distribution of unsafe and deceptive products. The FDA has the right to inspect the food manufacturing and processing facilities” (Sherrow and Marzili, 17). In the case of United States V. Parks (421 US 658, 95, 1975), the Supreme Court ruled that a “the owner and food operator park who manages a retail food chain with 36,000 employees, 874 stores and 16 warehouses which are found to be in soiled and unsanitary conditions, with continued evidence of rodent activity where there are evidence of “rodent-contaminated food items” is guilty for violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act”(Garner & Anderson,78). IV. Food Cleanliness and Sanitation Issues According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration or USDA, Code of Federal Regulations ( 21CFR110, USA) “it defined sanitation within the food industry as the “adequate treatment of food-contact surfaces by a process that is responsible in breaking-down vegetative cells of microorganisms which are of public health significance, and in substantially reducing numbers of other undesirable microorganisms, but without adversely affecting the quality of the product or its safety for the consumer”. The USDA is responsible for the safety of animal products. As a result of the increase in the number of slaughterhouses, food technology and microbiology became increasingly important tools to monitor safety. “The Food Safety and Inspection Service, the inspection arm of the USDA grew to more than 7,000 inspectors. However, because of the increase of the number of animals being slaughtered, it became a difficult task to inspect each of them. Without individual inspection, government and processors rely on risk-assessment techniques and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) to manage these risks” (Redman, 3). Although manufacturers, processors, and big restaurants all want to produce food cheaply and easy on the budget of their consumers, they also have strong economic reasons for making safe food products available for all. “If a product gets recalled, as with what happened with 27 million pounds of poultry products in 2002, following an outbreak of listeriosis, loss goes far beyond the lost revenue from the unsold product. Consumer confidence in the product must be reestablished before sales will resume to their normal level” (Redman, 9). With the intention of the food corporations to make whopping profits, most of the owners of big or small-scale food establishments tend to disregard how their employees practice cleanliness and sanitation while managing their food premises. The result of this carelessness is the major cause why some of their patrons experience food borne illnesses or also otherwise known as “food poisoning”. “Bacteria and germs are microscopic in nature, which makes it hard for the human eye to detect if foreign bodies are present in the food that they eat from fancy restaurants, fast food chains and even hawker stalls. When consumers eat contaminated food, bacteria, viruses and parasites are ingested in the body, causing a chemical reaction with the body’s natural toxins and thus, food poisoning takes place” (E-Homemakers).  The fatal effect of food borne illnesses is brought about by the use of preservatives, old stock of food ingredients, and unsanitized work premises. These scenarios can produce harmful chemicals that when ingested by the consumer to the body can lead to food poisoning. It has also been identified that the “unauthorized and extreme usage of preservatives can harm the health of the consumers on a short term basis. Some of the symptoms are diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. The danger of using excessive preservatives also carries with it long term effects which can contribute towards the incidences of disability or certain cancers. As an example of this incident, on 15thOctober, 1989, a total of 13 people, in Kampar, Teluk Intan, Tanjung Tualang and Batu Gajah, Perak died attributed to food poisoning caused by Loh Si Fan or Rat Mee. It was reported that the cause of this tragic incident was due to the negligence of the food producer “(E-Homemakers). V. FoodBorne Illnesses/ Food Poisoning “In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention works to help treat and prevent disease at the national level, and have increased its scope to lend epidemiological assistance worldwide because of the overlap between the developed and less developed worlds. The people who pick and packed fruits and vegetables in foreign countries that are imported to the US are handling the US food supply. If foreign workers have illnesses, it can be transmitted through food, and their illness have a direct bearing on the health of their consumers” (Redman, 11). “Food illnesses are most often linked to bacteria, but there are other agents that can cause foodborne illness, including viruses, parasites, prions and molds. Bacterial illness is the most prevalent are being spread through food more commonly than in the past. Each type of disease agent has different characteristics that must be considered when implementing food safety strategies” (Redman, 11) Consumption of food that has been infected with germs or "pathogens" can make a person unwell. “It is usually accompanied by upset stomach, chills, mild fever, dizziness, headache and vomiting. This is commonly known as food poisoning or foodborne illness. Often, when people have a stomach ache or feel as though they have the "flu" they may have eaten a foodborne pathogen. These types of germs are around us all the time. Infants, children, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems and the elderly may be more at risk because they are less able to fight the effects of the germs” (Duyff R., 1996). VI. Kinds of Common Food Bacteria 1. Campylobacter “Campylobacter jejuni causes more foodborne illness in the world than any other bacteria, virus or parasite, but most people have never heard of it. It was first identified in fetal tissue of aborted sheep in 1913, but was not isolated from stool sample of patients with diarrhea until 1972. It easily spreads among chickens. The most common vehicle for transmission is or undercooked poultry, but it can occur also in untreated drinking water, raw milk and barbequed pork or sausage, where the meat may be cooked at low temperatures for long periods of time, or may become cross-contaminated by basting brushes. Severe cases results in diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping (Redman, 13). 2. Listeria "Listeria monocytogenes is a pernicious bacteria found in soil and water that can survive refrigerator temperatures and even freezing. It can be found in some vegetables as well as on meat and dairy products. Heat kills listeria, so foods that are consumed right after cooking are not at risk. It can grow in low temperature environments such as refrigeration. If processed or ready-to-eat foods become contaminated after they are prepared, but before they reach the consumer, they can develop sufficient level of contamination to cause sickness among its consumers” (Redman, 14). 3. Salmonella “Salmonella is the second most common source of food poisoning in the US after campylobacter. It causes sudden headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and the illness persists for several days. Symptoms may be minor or severe causing dehydration or even death. It is associated with raw eggs and undercooked poultry. The live bacteria live harmlessly in the intestines of chickens” (Redman, 15). 4. Coli “Echerichia coli is a type of bacteria that thrives in our intestines and helps digest food. Most strains are beneficial, but a few release harmful toxins that can cause great discomfort and even death. There are four classes of E.coli that can cause illnesses in humans, enteroinvasive, enteropathegonic, enterotoxigenic and the most toxic of all is, O157:H7” (Redman,17). Food Hazards “Experts describe food safety problems in terms of hazards, categorized as chemical, microbiological and physical. The most dangerous hazards are those which are microbiological in origin, followed by occurring toxins. Pesticides and additives are prominent subjects for the media to conclude that they can be a cause of a food hazard. People die from microbial hazards, but deaths due to consuming pesticides or food additives are rare” (Roberts, 5). Food hazards include the ways and methods on how to prevent the spread of bacteria. VII. Methods to Prevent Spread of Bacteria There are ways to prevent contacting food borne illnesses that the food operators and food establishments must follow: 1. Food Preservation by Heating. “Heat resistance of microorganisms is a basic topic of thermobateriology, which is a very important part of microbiology, including food microbiology. The most heat resistant pathogen is usually found in canned foods, held under anaerobic conditions” (McElhatton & Marshall, 4). “It is advised that we keep hot foods hot. A high temperature, between 165 to 212 degrees F is required to be reached when boiling, baking, frying, and roasting foods and ensures killing most of the bacteria. It is best to use a meat thermometer when cooking meats, especially beef and pork. Meat and fish must have an internal temperature of at least160 degrees F for meat products, and 180 degrees F for poultry. Cooked foods must maintain at least 140 degrees F. It is advised that cooked foods stay at room temperature for not more than two hours at the most” (Medicine Online). 2. “Maintain cold foods at cold temperature. Microorganisms that cause foodborne illness thrive between 40 and 140 degrees F. The refrigerator temperature must be kept below 40 degrees F and the freezer below 0 degrees F. Remember that it is best to thaw foods in the refrigerator rather than on the counter top. The counter top is too warm and bacteria can grow there. Refrigerate groceries right away” (Medicine Online). 3. “The work surfaces and utensils must be spotless clean. A vital cause of food contamination is brought about by touching an item that is spoiled, such as raw meat, unwashed hands or a dirty knife, and then touching the food. To prevent cross-contamination from happening, it is best to wash your hands after handling raw meat. It is advised that separate cutting boards and utensils must be used for raw and cooked foods Cutting boards, utensils and counters should be washed, sanitized and dried thoroughly after each use. Do not use a wood cutting board for raw meat. They can trap bacteria in the grooves made by a knife. Chopping boards made of plastic or glass is safer to use for meats” (Medicine Online). 4. “If the food looks stale or has a foul odour, common sense dictates that the food needs to be thrown-out. Oftentimes, foods will show no sign of contamination by organisms that cause illness. It is advised that raw meats should only be stored for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator, while pork sausage and ground beef must be kept for only 2 days. Meats can be safely used up to 12 months if properly stored in the freezer for up” (Medicine Online). 5. The food environment in all food establishments and food stations, such as restaurants and fast-food chains must be sanitized and kept clean. “The assigned cook must wash his hands thoroughly, especially after handling raw meat. The dish towels must always be washed and dry as they can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria. The counter surfaces must be cleaned by using warm soapy water or a bleach solution to sanitize the work area” (Medicine Online). VIII. Sanitation Standards and Sanitation Processes “Sanitation means creating and maintaining hygienic and healthful conditions throughout the work premises. Food can be contaminated with microorganisms that can cause spoilage or illness if sanitary methods are not used” (Marriot and Robertson, 8). Food poisoning can lead to a number of illnesses because of the presence of bacteria and microscopic germs found in the food that has been consumed. “Factors that cause food poisoning are: 1.) Prepared food that has been kept in room temperature for too long; 2.) Cooling of hot food for too long prior to storing in the refrigerator; 3) Not heating food to a temperature high enough to kill bacteria; 4.) Eating cooked food that has already been contaminated by bacteria; 5.) Food not cooked with sufficiently high temperature; 6.) Defrosting food incompletely; 7.) Food operators who suffer from diseases; and 8.) Touching of raw food with food which has already been cooked” (E-Homemakers).  IX. Responsibilities of Food Operators/ Food Corporation It is imperative that all food operators and food establishments must be bearers of a satisfactory health status. “Food operators of all food establishments must be fit, hale and hearty and must hold a clean bill of health as issued and certified by a government medical officer or registered doctor. First, they need to possess a certificate or certified health card. Secondly, they are not allowed to handle and prepare food if they are suffering from diarrhea, fever and scabies. And lastly, open wounds on parts of the hand must be bandaged with waterproof plaster before handling of food to avoid food contamination” (E-Homemakers). X. Conclusion Food corporations have the ethical responsibility to protect the health and safety of its consumers. They must be able to give high regard to societal values and public expectations, and disregard income-generating goals when the health and safety of the general public is at risk. The government agencies like the FDA and USDA must be able to regulate these food corporations so that they cannot cause harm and danger to their consumers. “The significance of ethics in business is based on the assumption that enterprises should be concerned about and with the solution of problems associated with their operations. Business, thus, have responsibilities that go beyond being profitable, which shall form part of the corporate social responsibility” (Holzer, 77). Therefore, giant and small-scale food corporations must be able to reconcile their corporate activities with societal expectations by making their corporate values as an integral part of the business practice. They have the responsibility to satisfy the public by serving only safe and non-toxic food to their consumers. Corporate social responsibility must be inculcated in every corporation so that business aim shall not be based solely on profit, but also making the community a better place for the common good. Works Cited: Duyff, R., MS, RD, CFCS. The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide. Minnesota: Chronimed Publishing, 1996. Print. E-Homemakers,Consumer Guide. Food Hygiene and Sanitation At Food Outlets. Retrieved on April 13, 2011, from Read More