Contamination, Food Allergens, and Foodborne Illness

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Contamination, Food Allergens, and Foodborne
Illness
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Foodborne Contaminants

• Biological
• Fish toxins
• Shellfish toxins
• Plant and mushroom toxins
• Chemical
• Toxic metal poisoning
• Chemicals and pesticides
• Physical
• Metal shavings from cans, staples
• Fingernails, hair, bandages

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Biological Toxins

• These Toxins
• May be produced by pathogens found on food
• May occur naturally in plants or animals
• May occur as a result of an animals diet

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Fish Toxins

• Some fish toxins are produced by the fish
  itselfcooking does not destroy
• Puffer fish
• Moray eels
• Fresh water minnows
• Some occur when predatory fish consume smaller
  fish that have eaten the toxin

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Fish Toxins

• Fish Toxin Illnesses
• Scombroid poisoning
• Ciguatera fish poisoning

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Fish Toxins

Illness Scombroid poisoning
Toxin Histamine
Food Involved
Common Symptoms
Prevention

• Reddening of face and neck
• Sweating
• Headache
• Burning or tingling in mouth or throat

• Purchase fish from approved, reputable suppliers
• Prevent time-temperature abuse during storage and
  preparation

• Tuna
• Bonito
• Mackerel
• Mahi-mahi

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Histamine Poisoning

• Caused by eating high levels of histamine in
  certain species of fish
• Histamine produced
• By the bacteria on the fish when the fish are
  time-temperature abused
• Cannot be destroyed by
• Freezing
• Cooking
• Smoking
• Curing

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Fish Toxins

Illness Ciguatera fish poisoning
Toxin Ciguatoxin
Food Involved
Common Symptoms
Prevention

• Purchase fish from approved, reputable suppliers

• Predatory reef fish
• Barracuda
• Grouper
• Jacks
• Snapper

• Reversal of hot and cold sensations
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Tingling in fingers, lips, and toes
• Joint and muscle pain

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Symptoms of ciguatera poisoning include

• Numbness and tingling of the mouth, hands or feet
• Joint pain muscle pain
• Sensitivity to temperature changes
• Vertigo, and muscular weakness
• There also can be cardiovascular problems
  including
• Irregular heartbeat and reduced blood pressure.

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• Symptoms usually appear within hours after eating
  a toxic fish
• Symptoms usually go away within a few weeks
• In some cases, neurological symptoms can last for
  months to years
• There is no antidote for CFP symptoms can be
  treated most effectively if diagnosed by a doctor
  with 72 hours
• CFP is rarely fatal.

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Shellfish Toxins

• Shellfish Toxin Illnesses
• Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)
• Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP)
• Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP)

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Shellfish Toxins
Illness Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning
(PSP) Toxin Saxitoxin
Food Involved
Common Symptoms
Prevention

• Numbness
• Tingling of mouth, face, arms and legs
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

• Clams
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Scallops

• Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable
  suppliers

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Saxitoxin

• Found in toxic algae in the Pacific and New
  England coasts
• Algae filters through the shellfish
• Death due to paralysis can occur if high levels
  are consumed
• Not destroyed by cooking or freezing

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Shellfish Toxins
Illness Neurotoxic Shellfish
Poisoning (NSP) Toxin Brevetoxin
Food Involved
Common Symptoms
Prevention

• Tingling and numbness of the lips, tongue,
  and throat
• Dizziness
• Reversal of hot and cold sensations
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

• Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable
  suppliers

• Clams
• Mussels
• Oysters

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Major Foodborne Illnesses from Shellfish Toxins
Illness Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning
(ASP) Toxin Domoic Acid
Food Involved
Common Symptoms
Prevention

• Initially
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Later (Possibly)
• Confusion
• Memory loss
• Disorientation
• Seizure
• Coma

• Clams
• Mussels
• Oysters
• Scallops

• Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable
  suppliers

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Domoic Acid

• Toxin found in algae from the Pacific Northwest
  and Canada
• Cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing
• Can be very severe based on the amount of toxin
  consumed

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Mushroom Toxins

• These Toxins
• Are present in certain varieties of wild
  mushrooms
• Can cause severe illness
• Are not destroyed by cooking or freezing

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Mushroom Toxins

• Most outbreaks associated with wild mushrooms
  collected by amateur hunters
• If you serve wild mushrooms, you need written
  buyer specifications that
• Identify the mushrooms common name, its Latin
  name, and its author
• Ensure the mushroom was identified in its fresh
  state
• Indicate the name of the person who identified
  the mushroom with qualifications must be a
  mushroom expert
• There are none in the state of Nebraska!

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Morel Mushrooms

• Iowa has mushroom specialist classes
• Can be purchased dry

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Plant Toxins

• Fava beans
• Rhubarb leaves, jimsonweed, water hemlock
• Apricot kernels
• Honey from bees that have gathered nectar from
  mountain laurel or rhododendrons
• Milk from cows that have eaten snakeroot

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Toxic When Raw

• Fava beans
• Red Kidney Beans
• Only use commercially processed honey and
  properly cooked beans should be used

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Chemical Toxins

• Toxic Metals
• Toxic metal poisoning can occur when
• Utensils or equipment containing toxic metals
  are used to prepare food (especially acidic
  food)
• Lead in pewter pitchers, copper, zinc in a
  galvanized bucket, lead crystal
• Carbonated beverage dispensers are installed
  improperly
• To prevent this
• Use food-grade utensils and equipment to prepare
  and store food
• Have a professional install beverage dispensers

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Chemical Toxins

• Chemicals
• Store away from food, utensils, and equipment
• Follow manufacturers directions for using them
• Label them properly if they are transferred to
  new containers
• Use only food-grade lubricants or oils on kitchen
  equipment or utensils

Never store chemicals with food
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Physical Contaminants

• Occurs when foreign objects are accidentally
  introduced
• Metal shavings from cans
• Staples from cartons
• Glass from broken light bulbs
• Blades from plastic or rubber scrapers
• Fingernails, hair, and bandages
• Dirt
• Bones

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Food Defense

• Food Defensethe protection of food products from
  intentional adulteration by biological, chemical,
  physical or radiological agents
• Food Safety the protection of food products from
  unintentional contamination by agents

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Why the Food Supply?

• Economic, health, societal, psychological and
  political significance
• Deliberate contamination could cause
• Significant public health consequences
• Widespread public fear
• Devastating economic impact
• Loss of public confidence in the safety of food
  and the effectiveness of the government

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Intentional Incidents

• 1984---Oregon cult members added Salmonella
  bacteria to 10 restaurant salad bars to throw an
  election
• 751 illnesses, 45 hospitalizations
• January 2003---Michigan supermarket employee
  intentionally contaminated 200 pounds of ground
  beef with a nicotine-based pesticide
• 92 individuals reported ill

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Deliberate Contamination of Food

• Who
• Disgruntled employees
• Organized terrorist
• Activist group
• Individual posing as a customer
• Current or former employees
• Vendors
• Competitors
• Attacks are focused on a specific
• Food item
• Process
• Company
• Business

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• Your jobmake it as difficult as possible to
  tamper with food
• Three Potential Threat Areas
• Human elements
• Interior elements
• Exterior elements

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The Human Element

• Train employees to report suspicious activities
• Allow only on-duty employees in work areas
• Control access to food production and food
  storage areas to non-employees
• Verify identity of applicants
• Verify references
• Check ID

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Interior Elements

• Control entrances and exits to
• Food Displays
• Storage areas
• Kitchens
• Limit access to
• Doors
• Windows
• Roofs
• Food storage areas

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Interior Elements

• Eliminate hiding places in all areas of the
  operation
• Inspect all food, never accept suspect food
• Restrict traffic in food-prep areas
• Monitor self-service areas
• Salad bars
• Condiments
• Exposed tableware

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Exterior Elements

• Exterior of building is well lit
• Identify all delivery persons and their suppliers
• Ask suppliers how they are insuring food safety
• No access to the facility by non-employees

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Allergy Facts

• 2 of the U.S. population has a true food allergy
  (12 million)
• 100 deaths per year from anaphylaxis
• 1,080 food induced anaphylactic reactions per
  year

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Increase in Allergy Prevalence

• Food allergies have doubled in the past 5-10
  years in the U.S.
• Possibly Due To
• Hygiene hypothesisearly exposure to germs
• Early introduction of foods
• Cooking practicesroasting peanuts
• Vaccines
• Environment

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Food Allergens

• Common Food Allergens
• Milk and dairy products
• Eggs and egg products
• Fish
• Shellfish
• Wheat
• Soy and soy products
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts

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Food Allergens

• Symptoms of an allergic reaction include
• Itching in and around the mouth, face, or scalp
• Tightening in the throat
• Wheezing or shortness of breath
• Hives
• Swelling of the face, eyes, hands, or feet
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Loss of consciousness and death

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Allergic Reactions

• Do not happen the first time someone comes in
  contact with the allergen
• Reaction gets worse with each exposure

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Food Allergens

• To protect guests with food allergies
• Be able to fully describe menu items
• If you are unsure if an item is allergen free,
  urge the guest to order something else
• Ensure that tableware and utensils used to
  prepare the guests food are allergen free
• You have their lives in your hands!

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Food Allergies

• More than 11 million Americans suffer from food
  allergies and predictions are that the incidence
  of food allergies is on the increase!

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Food Allergy Buddy