21 Food Safety

S. Uma Mageshwari

Food is the basic need of all, both young and old and hence its quality should be given top priority. The wholesomeness of a food depends on its quality and is often evaluated based on the quality of its ingredients, physical properties and most importantly its safety a consumer’s access to safe and nutritious food is his right and should not be taken for granted .It is the main responsibility of the food handlers namely the cooks to provide clean and safe food fit for consumption.

Why food safety is essential?

Food safety is essential because the food we consume should not cause any adverse effects like food poisoning or food infection and its sole function should be only to nourish the individual. Micro organisms are responsible for causing diseases and are present in the air, water, and environment and on the food handlers. Poor food safety and food hygiene affects the vulnerable groups of the population especially children, pregnant and lactating mothers and old age people. Unsafe food may cause diarrhea in children and if unattended may also lead to death. Henceforth health of children is put to risk , ingredients are wasted, there is economic loss, both staff and consumers are dissatisfied, new food has to be cooked, work load increases, fuel wastage and unhealthy environment is created.

How to identify spoilage in food?

Change in the texture of food, off odours and off taste, production of gas, discoloration, and growth of molds, blown cans or leaking packs.

Types of food based on ease of spoilage

• Perishables – Foods that easily get spoiled (eg: milk, fleshy foods like meat, chicken, fish, greens)
•  Semi Perishable – Foods that stay for a long time (eg: onion, garlic, roots and tubers like potato, yam
• Non Perishable: Foods that does not spoil (eg. Cereals and pulses like rice, dhal grams)

   Factors affecting food safety

o   Direct causes include biological/physical and chemical hazards

o   Indirect causes are the result of managerial and employee deficiencies

Food safety hazards

A hazard is that which has the possibility to cause harm or injury to the consumer.

Potential hazards can include:

o   Chemical: Micro organisms – bacteria, yeasts, molds, viruses and insects

o   Physical: Glass, plastic, wood, rocks and metals

o   Allergens: Peanuts, seafood’s, dairy products, wheat products, certain fruits and nuts

How to control food spoilage by biological hazards

To control the growth of micro organism, the moisture, temperature, type of food and the time gap between production and service is important. For eg: Milk which is a rich source of protein can be spoiled easily because of high moisture content. So there is need to store milk in refrigerator. Food which is exposed to danger zone ie., 5-63oC, has greater chance of getting spoiled and may act as a carrier for causing diseases. Microorganisms grow rapidly in the food kept at 20-500C.

Contamination of food by microorganism causes spoilage. Contamination occurs by food handler, equipments, service area, storage area, water, air and environment.

Prevention of unsafe food

a.Microbial Hazard

Human skin, untreated waters, pests, raw food, garbage, debris and dust are the sources of food spoilage by microorganisms.

b.   Human Skin

Good hygiene practices, periodic hand washing, proper covering of cuts and wounds and wearing of gloves.

c.Untreated water Use of portable water

d.Pests

Pest control system, proper storage of food, cleaning and disinfection.

e.Raw Food

Use colour coded clothes, chopping boards, store raw foods and ready to eat foods separately, wash fruits and vegetables before preparation.

f.Garbage, Debris and Dust:

    o   Avoid overflow of wastes

o   Empty garbage periodically (daily)

o   Place dustbins in aerated area with lid

o   After cleaning the garbage ensure that hands are washed properly

o   Don’t touch foods before washing the hands

Physical hazard:

a.Food Premises and Equipment:

Satisfactory design and construction of food premises equipments must be clean.

b. Raw Ingredients:

Purchase from trusted supplies, proper inspection of materials.

c. Equipment, Maintenance and Operation: Replace damaged product, proper cleaning.

Chemical Hazard

o   Cleaning chemicals/pesticides/additives and fertilizers:

o   Store cleaning chemical separately

o   Do not conduct cleaning and pest control activities in the presence of exposed food

o   Use of chemicals as per the manufacturer’s instructions

o   Plates, tumblers used by the children must be cleaned thoroughly

These are the simple steps which must be considered in production, service and while cooking to keep the food safe and hygiene.

Biological hazard

The place where the foods are placed must be cleaned properly.

Elimination of the source of contamination is fundamental to the prevention and control of biological hazards.

Gloves must be used as they protect the hands from contacting blood, droplets, body fluids and other body tissue of the infected, or pathogen-contaminated non vegetarian foods and can avoid infection when touching the eyes, mouth or nose afterwards. Gloves can also protect open wounds from contamination by pathogenSterilization is the process using ultra heat or high pressure to eliminate bacteria present in food, they even eliminate microorganisms, including spores in bacteria.

Washing hands with liquid soap is the simplest and most basic method to avoid infection. However, it is often neglected. Wash hands before and after work. Also wash hands immediately before and after wearing protective clothing, uniforms or gloves to reduce the possibility of infection.

Food sanitation:

Food sanitation is defined as the hygiene promotion and disease prevention by maintenance of sanitary conditions for foods, food handlers, and food processing or food preparation facilities and equipment. Food sanitation is more than just cleanliness in surroundings. It begins with personal hygiene, the safe handling of foods during preparation and cleaning utensils, equipment, appliances, storage facilities, kitchen and dining room present in the organization.

Food sanitation requirements:

In simple Food Sanitation is defined as basically “protection from contamination”. All operational functions must be included in a sanitation program. All receiving food products must be protected from contamination through distribution.

Temperature Control

The primary role of sanitation is food temperatures.

• Frozen foods must be avoided from over time holding in the danger zone (from 40°F to 140°F).
• The organization must be provided with thermometers to all food storage areas.
• Monitoring of the temperature must be done on a regular basis.
• Thawing foods must be done under refrigeration or under cold water.

Personnel Hygiene Practices

The main consideration in food sanitation is people. A good sanitation program, depends on the attitude, willingness, and efforts of people working in the organization. The important aspect of a sanitation program is personnel training.

Personnel training must include appropriate sanitation principles and food handling practices. In addition, it should process good manufacturing controls, and personal hygiene practices which must be thought to working staffs.

Food Handling Practices

The training given to the personnel should include the understanding of the processing steps and technologies for each product manufactured/handled and the critical control problems existing, and to create a desire to satisfy and guard the consumer’s interests.

Manufacturing Controls and Operations

Personnel working in production must be trained in the possibly occurring critical points for which they are responsible. The importance of these operations are

• It helps in monitoring these operations and
• Proper action must be taken when these operations are not controlled.

Industries have developed certification programs for operators of essential heat-processing equipment (e.g. milk pasteurizer). It is important that appropriate training programs should be developed.

Hygiene Practices

Personnel’s suffering from communicable diseases are likely to be transmitted through food. They must be restricted from production and food handling areas. Persons who are with infected wounds, skin infections, sores, etc, must also be restricted from these areas. Any persons with open cuts or wounds should not handle food, unless the injury is completely protected or with proper first aid measures.

Hand-Washing

Hand-washing facilities with warm water must be provided along with a hand washer. All personnel involved in food handling must thoroughly wash hands with hand washer under warm water. After using toilets and handling contaminated materials, their hands must also be washed.

Personal Cleanliness

Personnel’s working in food handling operations must be involving in:

• Protective clothing, hair covering, and footwear must be worn and maintained in a clean manner to prevent contamination in food.
• Gloves must be clean before use
• All food handlers must remove their accessories like watches, jewelry which may fall into or contaminate the food product.
• Tobacco, gums and food are not permitted inside the food-handling areas.

Personal Hygiene

• Food handling personnels should wash their hands thoroughly with hand washer and warm water:
• Before their daily work After using the toilet
• After coughing or sneezing

Food Handling Practices

• Food handling personnel’s should consume food in the place allocated for them.
• They should not use tobacco in any form
• They should never use a tasting spoon twice.
• They should carry and serve food in a sanitary manner.
• They should handle glasses, plates and chinaware in a sanitary manner.
• They should use sanitary plastic disposable gloves if food must be manipulated by hand.
• They sneezing or coughing should move away from food.
• They should use only clean equipment.
• They should use separate cutting boards, tables, grinders, slicers, and other utensils for raw and cooked food.
• They should practice in a way to prevent cross contamination of bacteria during storage, preparation, display, and service of food.

Surroundings

Outside Premises

Outside surroundings must be evaluated for sources like contamination such as vermin, drainage problems, odor problems, debris, pollution-smoke, dust, and other contaminants. To overcome all these potential sources of contamination issues appropriate steps must be taken to control.

Buildings Facilities

The most important criteria of any food processing/food handling is that it should be easily cleanable, and it should be designed and constructed in such a way that it prevents the entrance of pests.

Designing and construction of organization

Building facility

The overall building should have floors, walls, and ceilings constructed of approved materials which are easily cleanable. The walls should be light colored and floors should be adequately sloped for drainage. Instrument panels should be appropriately locked and sealed to prevent the attack of insects. Windows and doors must be tight and close-fitting for safety purposes. To prevent the contamination of the food products, overhead structures should be situated and constructed.

Air Conditioning and Ventilation

Proper system outlet must be designed and installed to prevent building-up of heat, steam, or dust particles and to remove contaminated air. Air pressure is required in sensitive areas. Heat Ventilation Air Conditioning systems should be designed to be easily cleanable, and air intakers must be located to prevent intake of contaminated air.

Sewage Systems

Appropriate drainage and sewage systems are to be used throughout. Cross connections should not be existing between human waste effluent and other wastes in the plant. Appropriate air breakers or vacuum must be used.

Waste Facilities

To prevent contamination, facilities are designed for the sanitary storage of wastes to provide removal from plant or surroundings. Waste garbage is to be provided.

General Protection

To assess potential food and product contamination can be avoided from the facilities, contact surfaces and equipment and must be evaluated periodically. Overhead contamination protection should be provided as necessary. Examples include proper shielding measures must be placed over food product fillers, sneeze guards on the areas of food service serving lines which enables food servers, etc.

Food Flow-Through Pattern

A well designed food processing unit is constructed in order to minimize or prevent contamination. It is advisable to have a good product flow through the physical and operationally efficient and in order to avoid cross contamination. Boilers must always be separated from other food handling areas.

Sanitary Measures

Doors with Self- closing technique must be provided for all washroom facilities. Rest rooms with access to washrooms, lunchrooms and change rooms must be separate from food processing and food handling areas. All these measures must be taken for the benefit of the workers and the available facilities must be properly maintained and ventilated.

Quality Water Program

In sanitary food processing and food handling areas, sufficient amount of water, steam, and ice supply is important for proper functioning of the organization. The process must be periodically verified with appropriate regulations and standards. Water treatments like chlorination systems, demineralization, filtration, etc, must be well maintained and checked. The temperature, pressure flow and the quantity of water supplied must be provided efficiently in processing areas.

Receiving Raw Material

Receiving and storage of ingredients, packaging material, and other incoming materials must be checked, monitored and evaluated to prevent potential contamination of the food product manufacturing area and to prevent the spoilage of raw materials. The raw materials must be received in a separate area away from processing area and it should not be too far from processing area too.

Conditions for storage of raw materials

Humidity and Temperature Controls

The humidity and temperature of storage rooms for raw materials, ingredients, and food should be effectively maintained and periodically monitored.

Foods Returned

Returning the foods from outlets must be identified and stored in prescribed area for appropriate disposition. Storage conditions must be appropriate, in such a way that the safety of foods returned is not compromised.

Chemicals present in foods

Chemicals like detergents, sanitizers and other chemicals must be stored separately away from food materials with proper labeling to prevent contamination by food contact surfaces. Chemicals must be stored in a dry and ventilated area away from food handling areas.

Housekeeping and Hygiene

Hygiene must be maintained in all food processing and food handling areas in a sanitary manner. Contamination from personnel and equipments is comparatively higher than others. The equipments used in the areas must be cleaned periodically and proper sanitary measures must be followed.

Maintenance of Equipment

Preventive Measures

Preventive maintenance programs must be established which enables to monitor the program framed. Such a program is necessary and essential to specifically service intervals and replacement parts which are used in processing areas.

Calibration of Equipment

For proper functioning of equipments proper calibration methods must be established and monitored. They include:

• Food thermometers, pH meters,
• water activity level meters,
• refrigeration temperature controls, scales,
• recording thermometers,

Equipments that are used must be validated, documented and stored properly for future verification.

Sanitizing and Cleaning of Equipment

The effectiveness of sanitation and cleanliness of equipment must be evaluated in food processing areas. Standard cleaning agents must be used and the recommended procedures must be followed for proper sanitization of both food contact and non product contact surfaces in specific operations.

Measures to control pests in processing areas

Pest control programs must be selected, which is suitable for the organization. It must provide complete protection from pests. Pest control programs are available in varying time intervals. The effectiveness of the program should be periodically checked and must be maintained properly.

Recall Program

An essential part of food sanitization program is having a good recall system which is documented periodically. The recall program implements the necessary steps and establishes the procedures needed for effective functioning of organization. Written recall procedures should be established, tested and documented for validity.

Bibliography:

1. Yasmine MotarjemiHuub Lelieveld, food safety management a practical guide for the food industry, 1st edition, Association of American Publishers (2013)
2. David mcswane, Nancy Rue, Richard Linton, Essentials of Food Safety and Sanitation, 4th edition, Pearson publisher (2004).
3. Ernest R. Vieira, elimentary food science , 4th edition, Springer, Boston, MA (1996).

Web links

• https://opentextbc.ca/foodsafety dec.alaska.gov/eh/fss/
• https://globalfoodsafetyresource.com/food-sanitation/ www.doh.gov.ph/Health-Advisory/Food-Safety