Food Sanitation (Tugas Kesehatan Lingkungan I)

1.      How do infections, intoxications, and toxin - mediated infections cause foodborne illness?

In light of these three causes, acute foodborne illness may be classifi ed as infection, intoxication, or toxin - mediated infection. Foodborne infections are caused when biological hazards are consumed along with food. After ingestion the pathogenic organisms multiply in the victim’s stomach or intestines and produce such common symptoms of infection as nausea, abdominal pain, fever, and diarrhea. Intoxications are poisonings caused by eating food that contains a toxic chemical. Some bacteria produce wastes that are toxic to humans. These

toxins can produce illness when ingested with food even when the microbes that produced them are no longer present. Foodborne intoxication may also follow the consumption of poisonous plants or fi sh or the consumption of food that contains chemicals such as cleaning agents or pesticides. A toxin - mediated infection is caused by eating food that contains harmful microorganisms that produce a toxin once inside the human body. A toxin - mediated infection differs from an intoxication because the toxin is produced inside the human body.

2.      What four groups of people tend to be most susceptible to foodborne illness?

People more likely to get foodborne illness:

.Infants preschool age children (4 years and younger)

.Pregnant women

.Elderly – 65 years and older

.Immunocompromised

.Individuals taking specific medications

3.      What are the three classes of foodborne hazards? Give an example of each class.

Foodborne illness may be caused by biological, chemical, or physical hazards in food.

            -biological : bacteria, viruses, parasites that pose an invisible challenge to food safety, infected food handlers or by cross - contamination, where pathogens from raw animal foods (beef, poultry, fish, and so forth) are transferred to ready - to - eat foods by contaminated hands, equipment, and utensils.

            -chemical : formal, borax, metals and organic chemicals, may be introduced accidentally during processing, causing outbreaks of toxic foodborne illness, food allergens and the toxins associated with molds, plants (for example, mushrooms), and certain species of fish (for example, puffer fish) and shellfish, or of human origin, such as pesticides, cleaning agents, metals, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). agricultural chemicals (for example, pesticides, fertilizers, and antibiotics), food additives (for example, preservatives and coloring agents), metals, and industrial by - products.

            -physical : content of staples, gravel on rice, soil, stones, bone fragments from animals, pieces of glass, staples, and jewelry, which can get into food as a result of poor food - handling practices on the farm or ranch, in food - processing plants, and in retail food establishments.

4. What are potentially hazardous foods (time - temperature control for safety foods)? What characteristics cause these foods to be frequently associated with foodborne disease outbreaks? And what is the temperature danger zone, and why is it important to food safety?

            Bacterial contamination may occur in raw food, in cooked food that has not been properly handled, and on the surfaces of equipment and utensils that have been contaminated by raw animal foods, humans, or pests such as insects and rodents. In addition, certain food products require time and temperature control to limit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and toxin formation. These items are called potentially hazardous foods (time/temperature control for safety foods), or PHF/TCS foods.

Because PHF/TCS foods have been frequently associated with foodborne disease outbreaks, they are a focal point of most food safety programs. These foods must be handled and stored properly to prevent and control bacterial growth and toxin production that can result in foodborne illness. Bacterial causes of foodborne illness can be divided into two categories,

the spore formers and the non - spore formers. This distinction is important because it has implications for prevention.

Temperature Danger Zone is microbes that cause food poisoning multiply most quickly on potentially hazardous foods that are stored in the Temperature Danger Zone between 5­­­_­­­⁰ C and 60⁰ C. Potentially hazardous must be kept at safe temperatures of at or below 5­⁰ C or at or above 60⁰ C to stop food poisoning microbes from multiplying. 

5.      What is meant by poor personal hygiene, and how can it lead to foodborne illness? 663

Even healthy people can be a source of the harmful microbes that cause foodborne illness. Therefore good personal hygiene is extremely important when handling foods. Soiled hands and clothing, infected food workers, and workers who do not practice good personal hygiene are major threats to food safety. All of these diseases can potentially be transmitted by food and are considered severe health hazards. Food handlers who have been exposed to any of these pathogens must be excluded from work or assigned to restricted activities where they will have no contact with food. A food handler ’ s hands and fi ngers can become contaminated when he or she eats, smokes, uses the toilet, handles raw foods, touches soiled items, or wipes up spills. Saliva, perspiration, feces, juices from raw animal food products, and various types of soil can be signifi cant sources of contamination if they are allowed to get into food. Therefore food workers must wash their hands whenever they have been exposed to these contaminants.

6.      What is cross - contamination, and what are some ways to prevent it? 

Cross - contamination is the transfer of pathogens from one food to another via contaminated hands, equipment, or utensils. Cross contamination occurs when microbes and dirt from people, raw meat and raw fruit and vegetables, transfer to ready-to-eat foods, on utensils and equipment or through poor storage practices. Cross - contamination commonly occurs when ready - to - eat foods come into contact with raw animal foods or with surfaces that have had contact with these types of foods. Cross - contamination can also occur when raw foods are stored above ready - to - eat foods, and juices from the raw product spill or splash onto the ready - to - eat food.

Some ways to prevent cross contamination :

.Use separate equipment, such as cutting boards, when preparing raw foods and ready - to - eat foods (color coding may be helpful for this task).

.Clean and sanitize food - contact surfaces of equipment and utensils in between working with raw animal foods and ready - to - eat foods.

.Avoid touching ready - to - eat foods with bare hands.

.Prepare ready - to - eat foods first, then the raw foods.

.Keep raw and ready - to - eat foods separate during storage or store ready - to – eat foods above raw products.

            Reduce cross contamination by :

. Minimising hand contact with food

. Separating raw and cooked foods

. Using separate utensils to handle raw and cooked foods.