Food Hygiene - Bacteria and Food
There are a number of different bacteria that can cause food poisoning, they all have their own name, some of which we have already mentioned in the previous sections. Bacteria can grow to huge numbers and when we eat our food we also eat the bacteria. This could happen in a number of ways i.e. using a knife for several different jobs including cooked and uncooked meats.
Some bacteria are not simply just killed with heat and some have the capacity to form a spore that protects them up to higher temperatures. Other bacteria release toxins into the food, an example of this might be Staphylococcus Aureus, a very common form of food poisoning that is generally found in our nose, throats and wounds. Campylobacter does not grow on the food but in our gut, this is a relatively new bacteria and is still being researched, however it is estimated that in the last 20 years this is the biggest cause of food poisoning.
So what are the sources of food poisoning?
To ensure that you are working in a safe manner and protecting food from bacteria you need to know where it comes from, there are a variety of different sources although the main one are animals and humans.
Raw Foods
Many bacteria live in the gut or intestine of the animal who generally show no symptoms, this bacteria can then be transferred onto meat, particularly during slaughter.
For this reason it would be good practice to assume all raw meat and poultry carry bacteria and should be treated as such i.e. kept away from cooked meats, stored correctly.
It is not just meat that can contain bacteria, other raw foods such as eggs, seafood and salads can become naturally contaminated from bacteria in the soil or in the case of seafood, from the water.
The Human Body
Our body is host to a number of bacteria, some of which can cause food poisoning including Staphylococcus Aureus which is found in the nose, throat, hands and open cuts, other bacteria can be found in the intestines and in turn our excrement. It is very common for people who are carrying these bacteria to have no symptoms, these are called ‘healthy carriers’ and unless these people have high standards in personal hygiene they are quite likely to cause food poisoning by transferring the bacteria.
Poor personal hygiene from food handlers is a large contributor to food poisoning issues.
Pests & Insects - birds, rats, mice, flies among many more are all carriers of bacteria and may contaminate foods through the passing of faeces, vomit or urine.
Pets – Should never be allowed into food areas, they will generally harbour all sorts of bacteria and without the appropriate cleaning methods in place can prove an excellent vehicle to transfer bacteria.
Waste Food & Rubbish – provide excellent conditions for bacteria to grow and live for sufficient periods of time.
Hygiene Control
It is with that knowledge that we can plan how to minimise the chances of food poisoning in your food establishment.
There are two types of contamination:
Direct Contamination – This can occur when a food has close contact with another and bacteria have the opportunity to spread.
Indirect Contamination – this tends to be the most common form of contamination and takes place when something transfers the bacteria from one food to another i.e. chopping board. A system put in place to prevent this example are colour coded chopping boards.
Finished? Try some sample test questions here. (Answers can be found in the download section)