Food Safety Management - Essay Example

Food Safety Management Food Safety Management Introduction Safety management of food is the hygienic production of clean food free from contamination and therefore less likely to cause any infection to humans. Contaminated food contains harmful agents for example bacteria which makes food unsafe for human health. Different causative agents have different incubation periods some have long incubation periods while some have short incubation periods. The faster the pathogen is able to multiply the faster it causes illness. The greatest problem in every food industry is food spoilage. Food spoilage is caused by several agents as discussed below. Information that leads to determining the causative agent of the food industry is stated below. 1. Development features that make it to survive that is survival adaptations 2. Signs of the disease 3. Factors that favours it to cause disease 4. The forms in which the agents occurs 5. Susceptible organisms The major causative agents of food spoilage are the bacteria. Examples of the bacteria are discussed as follows: Spoilage by moulds Moulds develop in food when the conditions are favourable to the bacteria. Acidic environment prevent growth of bacteria but favours the growth of moulds. Moulds are destroyed by high temperatures, therefore cooked food are free from mould infestations. Food spoilage can also be caused by insects, oxidation chemical and physical contamination. Fruits that are prone to contamination are meat, poultry and vegetables, but the food that are not commonly affected are sugar flour and dried fruits. Spoilage by bacteria The common symptoms of bacterial infections are: greenish colour with white spots, souring gas production, of odours Spoilage by yeast Spoilage can be detected by alcohol content smell and the production of bubbles in the liquid. Yeast grows faster in foods with much sugar. Spoilage by enzymatic activities Enzymes break down fats into their consequent fatty acids and glycerol by the help of enzyme lipase. High temperatures will destroy this yeast. Temperature control is a feature that preserves food. The temperature must be kept at specific level depending on the nature of the food product .Personal hygiene also is very important in keeping food safe for human consumption. Whoever is handling food must ensure that he is wearing bright coloured and that can be washed with ease. Outdoor clothing must not be brought into food areas. Also personal hygiene for example illness should be considered. Any kitchen staff worker should be done proper vaccination to avoid the transmission contaminated food diseases. Food premises should be thoroughly cleaned and provide sufficient lavatories as well as hygienic changing rooms .There should also be hygiene training centres to develop the skills of good hygiene. Food hygiene is very important because it prevents food spoilage and avoids food wastages. Food handlers should avoid bad habits such as picking the nose, coughing and sneezing, using food sink s to wash hands these entire can transmit infections. Controls required preventing physical and chemical contamination of food Chemical contamination of food occurs in an event when dosage levels of some chemicals reach lethal levels. This type of contamination may encompass accidental contamination, which occurs as a result of poison being mistakenly taken as food. In addition, uncontrolled use of food additives may cause poisoning especially where persons with allergic conditions use such foods. Further, toxic metals can form a major causative component of chemical poisoning. Chemical poisoning of food can best be controlled before receipt and consumption of food. Control of chemical contamination before receipt is one best method of dealing with chemical contamination. In this regard, extensive checks to verify that raw materials meet the required specification should be conducted. Further, spot checks on vendor certification are paramount in this step. Another way through which chemical contamination can be avoided is though control before use. This can be conducted through appropriate reviews regarding chemical use, utmost purity, formulation as well as labelling. It also involves a careful control of the chemical quantities used. Moreover, there is always a need to control the conditions that lead to development of naturally occurring toxicants. Physical contaminants of food involve any foreign body present in food. Some of such objects could be injurious to the consumers. It may also harbour harmful bacteria in food making consumption unsafe. Presence of physical contaminants in food is an issue of great concern whose failure to control could scare customers. Control of physical contaminants can be done using a number of ways. For instance, all workers should be checked to ensure they dress and act professionally while handling food especially in restaurants. Other ways of curbing such contamination include; pest control and ensuring that employees do not sabotage hygiene measures. Characteristics of food poisoning and foodborne infections Food poisoning is a term used to denote an ailment characterised by amalgamated abdominal symptoms; nausea or diarrhoea. “Staphylococcus aurous, Escherichia coli O157, Clostridium perfigens, and Clostridium botulinum are common microorganisms responsible for food poisoning” (Motarjemi, 2014). Food-borne infections are a term used to refer to a disease caused by wide-ranging multiplicity pathogens, toxins or both. Food-borne infection is normally caused by ingestion of food that has live bacteria with a potential to grow and develop in the human abdominal tract. How food-borne illnesses can be controlled As mentioned earlier in this paper, food-borne illness is caused mainly by consumption of contaminated food. The causative agents of food-borne illnesses are either bacteria or viruses. In order to control food-borne illnesses, it is paramount to control those conditions that cause multiplication of bacteria and viruses in food. These conditions include; nutriment, temperature, time, moisture, PH and atmosphere. To control food poisoning and food-borne illnesses, these conditions must be managed as follows; Ways of preventing food spoilage. 1. Ph. Level Bacteria do not thrive well in too acidic conditions and neither does it thrive well in too alkaline conditions. Therefore, the most optimum conditions that favour the bacteria are neutral conditions. To avoid contamination food is preserved in the acidic or alkaline medium. For this reason, food handlers should thoroughly wash their hands before handling any food or kitchen chores. In addition, food handlers should ensure that all the kitchen utensils are completely sterilized by the use antibacterial soaps to avoid contaminating food with food poisoning agents. Lastly, there is need for one to ensure that all the fruits and vegetables are thoroughly washed before cooking 2. Cool Storage Several foods require cooler temperatures and a place that has enough ventilation and a dry environment to prevent food spoilage Most of these crops includes cabbages winter squash, apples, carrots and other crops that have long storage periods. These include sturdy fruit such as apples, root vegetable is placed in shelves or in s bins used for storage are place in a little low temperature. Food is arranged in an orderly manner to allow free air circulation and thus prevents accumulation of moisture 3. Refrigeration and Freezing Some food even after cooling they can still cause some infections to human health. Products that can easily cause disease are poultry, meat, fruits and vegetables. Most of these products have their storage lives to be two to a few hours. Therefore their lifespan can be increased by being refrigerated to low temperatures to kill bacteria. Food that are refrigerated can get preserved for a longer period of up to one year 4. Drying For the bacteria to grow and survive there must be sufficient moisture level. This moisture is normally called free water in the study of food science. Foods that are free from moisture are well preserved. Foods in arid areas are preserved lightly because it has little moisture only be preserved in dark areas. Foods that are found in humid areas should be preserved in tight containers because they absorb moisture and become perishables. 5. Salting and Pickling Salt is a good preservative because when salt is smeared with the food substance, salt draws water from the body of the agents that cause the diseases for example the bacteria. This method is more efficient and it can preserve food for a long period of time. When the bacteria are less in number, salts can kill most of it but still some few survive the survivors consumes nutrients and they excrete their waste products. Food-spoilage agents that affect food Food-spoilage agents shall be discussed based on whether the agents cause food-borne infections of food poisoning. Agents of food-borne infection Typhoid and paratyphoid fever Typhoid and other paratyphoid fever are caused by unhygienic water. Such contamination is passed onto water through urine and faeces from persons suffering from typhoid and its related infections. The contamination occurs in foods such as fish and vegetables or even other foods as a result of contamination caused by the person handling food. Dysentery Bacillary dysentery is mainly caused by boydii or Shigelia Sonnei. It is a disease that affects the intestines and is characterised by diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and bloody stool. Dysentery is mainly passed from one person to another through faecal oral ingestion, food and water. Amoebic dysentery –This is a common disease in tropical countries that is characterised by severe abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation. Campylobacter enteritis It affects majority of people in the world. Its symptoms are characterised by headache, fever, diarrhoea, abdominal pains and nausea. It is transmitted in most case through contaminated or partially cooked food especially meat though it can as well be transmitted through contaminated water. Like most agents of food poisoning, Campylobacter enteritis can be prevented through heating or salting. Its preventive measures include; its reduction in the food chain, observing personal hygiene while handling food. Listeriosis It is caused by contamination through effluent and sewage waste. Listeriosis causes fever, meningitis, diarrhoea and abortion. It can be destroyed by subjecting food to very high temperatures. Streptococcus zooepidemicus is an agent mostly found in contaminated milk. Tuberculosis –this is a chronic bacterial disease which attacks the lungs, bones, kidneys, intestines and lymph nodes. It can either be transmitted through air or physical contact. Raw animal products such as milk and meat are potential carriers of this bacterium. To prevent infection, it is advisable to eat well cooked animal products. E-coli –this is an infection that occurs out of eating contaminated food. It is mainly transmitted from person to person or direct contact with animals. It can be effectively controlled through thorough cooking of food and staff training. Norovirus –this is a major cause of viral food-borne cases. It is characterised by vomiting, fever, dehydration and occasional vomiting. It can be passed on to healthy people through furniture and clothing. It can be prevented through isolation of victims, proper hygiene, and adherence to HACCP guidelines, decontamination and steam cleaning furniture. Hepatitis types A and B –A is transmitted through food while B is transmitted sexually. Type A usually happens fast characterised by symptoms such as fever, nausea and jaundice. It attacks mainly internal body organs especially the liver. Methods of food preservation Methods of food preservation are those processes that can prevent food spoilage and preserve food quality. There are different methods of preserving food. Preservation is the process of delay spoilage to keep the food safe for human health. Food preservation methods include: adjustment of temperatures to either high or low levels, use of chemicals to kill bacteria or viruses in food and physical methods. Use of Low temperature Bacteria or food spoilage organisms respond to temperature changes. Low temperatures reduce the speed of bacteria multiplication. Further, low temperatures reduce moisture and as a result prevent favourable conditions for bacterial and viral multiplication. Use of High temperatures Heat is used to destroy causative agents of spoilage. There are four ways of heat preservation Pasteurisation-food is subjected to low temperatures for a specific time. This partially destroys some organisms but the food remains save to eat. Sterilisation –This is the destruction of all the organisms, but lowers its nutritional value as well as the texture and flavour. Ultra heat treatment –This method is mainly used in milk preservation where milk is subjected to very high temperatures. This preserves the milk and makes it safe for human consumption. Hemic heating –The process involves heating food through high voltage then packed and cooled this can be kept outside a fridge but will be save to eat. Chemical methods of food preservation This is the use of chemicals to prevent food spoilage for example the use of additives such as salts to reduce spoilage by reducing the moisture content, use of sulphur dioxide to prevent enzymatic break down of bacteria, Benzoic acid –To fight against moulds and yeast in foods containing yeast, and use of fermentation –involving oxidation of food containing sugars by the use of microorganisms. Physical food preservation (a) Modified atmosphere packaging-This is the replacement of air other gases to prevent oxidation of food by bacteria (b) Smoking Suspending the food substance for example meat and fish to dry it and reduce moisture. This helps to preserve the food (c) Use of ultraviolet –it is used for water treatment air disinfection and surface contamination (d) Food radiation-involves subjecting food to radiations such as gamma rays it helps to destroy parasites, insects, bacteria and mould. This may affect the vitamins. They destroy bacteria and give room for development of other bacteria. Effectiveness of food preservation methods There are several methods of preserving food. These methods include; temperature modification during the process of food delivery, inventory, preparation up to and including service. It also involves personal hygiene and storage mechanisms incorporated. Temperature modification is one of the most effective methods of food preservation where preservation is kept at temperatures below 5 c (Vaclavik & Christian, 2003). This happens where temperatures are managed as per the documented procedures based on the type of food. For instance, use of refrigeration is effective because it causes delays in spoilage of food. However, this temperature control mechanism does not completely stop spoilage of food rather delays spoilage meaning that some pathogens will continue multiplying unless temperatures are keep too low. Use of temperature cannot work on some food items such as acidic foods stored in open cans. Temperature control system Temperature control in food preparation must be done in compliance with the law according to the food hygiene regulation of 2006. Temperature should be checked to ensure continuity at every step of production that is from food delivery service. This is normally the case especially when dealing with high risk foods. Refrigeration should be kept away from the cooking area to ensure that external temperatures of the surrounding do not affect refrigeration process. Cleaning of refrigerators is vital in ensuring utmost hygiene. This should be done regularly to avoid contamination of food. Therefore, storage refrigerators should be designed in a manner that is easy to clean and maintain. In addition, they should not be over-packed to ensure free circulation of air and increased shelf life of food. Methods for the safe storage of food Correct food storage is an important practice because it ensures that hygienic and efficient food practices are upheld. Foods are stored differently based on the nature and type of food in question. For instance, Raw materials –which may already be contaminated during delivery, must be subjected to extensive checking system on temperature, date and quality. Eggs –should be stored in a clean and dry environment and at relatively constant temperatures. Raw meat is best stored at very low temperatures (Oyarzabal & Backert, 2012). Importance of personal hygiene in the control of food contamination Personal hygiene in handling of food is important practice in control of food contamination. Hygiene laws including those provided by HACCP must be implemented to the latter to avoid company disgrace as a result of contamination. This is the work of the executive who must ensure that potential hazards are prevented before contamination occurs. Proper covering of hair will prevent bacterial contamination of food whereas proper washing of hands, removal of possible physical contaminants such as jewellery and allergenic contamination is vital. Cleaning and disinfection as a process of safe food production Cleaning and disinfection compliments safe food production in food production firms. Use of sterilizers causes destruction of all living microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. Some modes of cleaning help in removal of dry debris in bakeries (Sperber & Mortimore, 2011). It is the function of the management to ensure that effective and thorough cleaning is carried out in food production premises. They should ensure that they enforce appropriate cleaning standards in their cleaning schedule (Motarjemi, 2014). Problems associated with pest control in food premises Pests spread diseases when consumers take foods contaminated by pests. For instance, rat urine causes Weil’s disease (Motarjemi & Lelieveld, 2014). They are therefore major causes of most food-borne diseases. Pest cause food wastage and considerable losses to the company since such foods can’t be sold. In addition, pests can cause physical contamination of food causing huge damages to the company. One of the most common problems associated with pest control in a food firm is the choice of the method employed to get rid of the pest. It is recommended that the method adopted should be friendly to both the environment and the food industry. In this regard, physical method of catching pests is recommended since it doesn’t cause accidental contamination of food Need for hygienic design and construction of food premises Proper design and construction of food premises is vital in ensuring a safe working environment that is free of pests and accelerated unhygienic conditions. This is both important in keeping away pests and cleaning costs. Importance of training as a quality assurance mechanism Training is normally conducted on new staff as they begin working. It is done to ensure that new workers adhere to quality standards (King, 2013). References: KING, H. (2013). Food safety management implementing a food safety program in a food retail business; New York, Springer http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=1082103. MOTARJEMI, Y., & LELIEVELD, H. (2014). Food Safety Management a Practical Guide for the Food Industry. Burlington, Elsevier Science. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=1534947. MOTARJEMI, Y. (2014). Encyclopedia of food safety. Burlington, Elsevier Science. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=1578356. OYARZABAL, O. A., & BACKERT, S. (2012). Microbial food safety: an introduction. New York, Springer. SPERBER, W. H., & MORTIMORE, S. (2011). Food safety for the 21st century managing HACCP and food safety throughout the global supply chain. Aimes, Iowa, Blackwell Pub. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=624669. VACLAVIK, V. A., & CHRISTIAN, E. W. (2003). Essentials of food science. New York, Kluwer Academic. Read More