G11T3W8 Offline

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G11T3W8 Food contamination can be defined as the process whereby harmful substances, biological or chemical, settle in or on food items. These chemical or biological agents are called food contaminants. There are different types of food contaminants including agrochemicals, environmental contaminants, pesticides, processing contaminants and carcinogens. Contaminants can get into the food chain during growth, processing, preparation or the displaying of food. Interactive content is hosted on the Obami platform (www.obami.com) courtesy of Sun International

Causes and prevention of food contamination Biological food contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and parasites are the most common food hazard. Chemical hazards or toxins will also contaminant food. Food itself can also be a contaminant, causing allergic reactions. The major food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts and nuts. Food contamination can be prevented in a number of ways. Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water prevents the cross contamination of food by touch. Washing kitchen utensils, equipment and dishes with boiling water or in a dish washer every time they are used; reduces the risk of residual cross contamination. And, when preparing or finishing food to be set aside, ensure that it is covered at all times. Types of food contamination 1. Direct Direct contamination is where there is no intermediary in the process. It can be the result of a piece of raw chicken sitting next to and touching salad ingredients or it could be a fly landing and directly contaminating a food item. 2. Cross This is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. It is the spread of germs from one item to another – essentially a host is required to transfer germs. Normally unintentional and a result of inadequate food health and safety. Interactive content is hosted on the Obami platform (www.obami.com) courtesy of Sun International

3. Physical Physical contamination occurs when foreign objects, that should not be present in a food under normal circumstances, find or fall into food during production or processing. These contaminants could be some hair, a piece of glass, dirt, jewellery, wood, bits of metal, plastic, rubber or stones. These physical contaminants can enter food unknowingly in a wide variety of different ways. To prevent physical contamination, it is important that food is always covered, production and manufacturing equipment is well tested and inspected, healthy and safety processes are strict and adhered to and samples of final products be inspected food any sign of contaminant. 4. Chemical Chemical contamination is the result of poor food safety processes. Contaminants range from over-the-counter cleaners to industrial chemicals, food containers and even water pipes. Chemical food contaminates include dioxins or heat related chemicals such as acrylamide and benzene as well as those mentioned above. Chemical contaminants should be considered the most dangerous; they are capable of being harmful on their own or reacting with food substances on contact to form other compounds that could also be harmful to human health. High risk foods High risk foods are those already processed which require zero or minimal cooking before consumption. These are more susceptible to bacteria (and bacterial growth) and other micro organisms because the food is already cooked (further heating can't reduce any associated risk as it Interactive content is hosted on the Obami platform (www.obami.com) courtesy of Sun International

isn't required). They include:  Cooked meat and fish  Shellfish  Dairy products like milk, cream, cheese and soya milk  Cooked rice  Gravy, stock, sauces and soups Glossary Agrochemicals Sometimes referred to as an agrichemical, it is the generic terms used to describe chemicals used in agriculture Pesticides These are toxic substances released intentionally by man (during the agricultural process) into the environment to kill living things Carcinogens A substance that has the ability to cause cancer in living organisms Crustacean A large, very diverse group of arthropod creatures e.g. crab, crayfish, lobster Residual What is left after most of something has been removed Interactive content is hosted on the Obami platform (www.obami.com) courtesy of Sun International