What is Contamination? How to Prevent Foodborne Contamination?
What is Safe Food?
Safe food; has maintained its nutritional value, microbiological, physically and chemically clean and does not contain harmful substances in health. Factors causing food contamination endanger food safety. For this reason, nutrients; from planting to harvesting, from production to consumption.
Foods Undergo Contamination in 3 Ways:
Physical Pollution: Pollution caused by non-food impurities. Fractures such as broken glass, metal, hair, nails and flies cause physical contamination.
Chemical Pollution: Chemical contaminants. Examples of chemical contamination include contamination of metals from the container in which the food is stored, detergents or residues transmitted from poorly rinsed containers, pesticides, dyestuffs dissolved in packaging, and the use of food additives used above.
Biological Pollution: Toxins naturally occurring in the content of food such as poisonous honey , mycotoxins, sprouted and greened potatoes are the pollution caused by not keeping the nutrients in proper conditions, hygiene is not provided completely and consequently the most important and widespread biological pollution is the microorganism growth.
Among the microorganisms, bacteria are the most endangering food safety, causing poisoning and diseases. The greatest danger in this regard is the rapid growth of the infected bacteria by finding the appropriate condition and duration. Reproductive bacteria then cause large-scale pollution and disease. The fact that they are not seen by the eye and the contamination rapidly makes this a much bigger problem.
What are the sources of contamination?
Foods contaminated with harmful substances from various sources are contaminated before being brought into the kitchen or during the production phase. In other words, food is contaminated .
Contamination is the transmission of undesirable harmful substances or microorganisms in various ways. Major sources of contamination ; insects, litter, pests, dust, soil, humans, meat, milk , eggs and water. Conditions such as hair, nails, skin wounds and lack of hygiene contribute to the human being's source of contamination in many ways. If measures are not taken and hygiene is not provided against these factors, foodborne diseases are likely to occur.
What are Foodborne Diseases?
Foodborne diseases are poisonings and infections caused by consumption of any food or beverage. Microorganisms contaminated from various sources in the period from production to consumption of food multiply rapidly in favorable conditions, deteriorating the sensory quality of foods and cause foodborne diseases. Preventing this situation, which is an important health problem in many countries, can be achieved by evaluating and preserving food hygiene in every aspect.
Especially the areas where the food is prepared, the food itself and the cleaning of the equipment used are of great importance in microbial contamination. Microorganisms cannot move on their own and require a variety of mediators for contamination to occur. These agents are humans or animals. Bacteria can also choose a non-nutrient-containing substance as a source of contamination . Infections that occur in this way are called ' cross contamination '. In particular, tools and equipment used during food preparation are the most common sources of cross-contamination . Examples of cross-contamination sources include cutting boards, mixers, ambient air, kitchen worktops and clothing.
Providing food hygiene; personal hygiene during purchasing, storage methods, preparation and cooking of food, service and preparation are of great importance.
Considerations;
At the time of purchase, reliable sources should be identified, avoiding potentially risky foods such as street milk, sensory properties in meats, and labels of packaged products must be read.
The use of appropriate containers and packages during the storage of food, especially the clear storage of potential carriers such as eggs, poses a great risk for cross-contamination . It is necessary to ensure proper temperatures, to store food separately and to prevent cross-contamination , and to store food temperatures.
During the preparation of foods, washing with plenty of water, raw and cooked foods should be processed in separate vehicles, the thawed food should not be frozen again and the tools that come into contact with fish and meat, especially raw chicken, should be washed with plenty of water and detergent. Hygiene of boards where potential bacterial carriers such as raw chickens are cut is of great importance in preventing cross-contamination. During the preparation of the food, the personal hygiene of the attendant and the light colored and clean clothes are important points to be considered. Washing dishes is of great importance in the prevention of cross-contamination . Garbage should be kept away from the area where the food is prepared and stored in suitable containers. In addition, the removal of bacteria, especially the cross-contamination is essential in the prevention of flour. Raw meat and chicken are important nutrients to be considered in terms of cross-contamination of eggs. In particular, the rules for the use of equipment shall be useful in preventing cross-contamination .
Bacillus cereus: Common bacteria in cereal group. Risky foods are corn flour, pasta and rice .
Brucella spp: Animal meats, milk and cheese are also common bacteria. Care must be taken to apply pasteurization for protection.
Staphylococcus aureus: A pathogenic bacterium that resides in the skin and mucosa of humans and animals. Skin infections and foodborne diseases are frequently encountered in humans. It is known that sepsis is a common cause especially in hospitals and nurseries.
Camphylobacter jejuni: Especially poultry, birds, cattle, drinking water and mussels are also found. Risky foods include unpasteurized milk and chlorinated water.
Listeria monocytogenes: It is widely known in the environment. Raw meat and poultry, mayonnaise salads, cheese and cream are common foods for contamination. Pasteurization process should be considered.
Salmonella: Especially raw chicken and eggs, raw salads and meat products are risky foods. Cracked, cracked eggs should not be used.
These bacteria are common pathogens. Diseases are seen as a result of toxic contamination of bacteria. Compliance with these issues that must be observed during the purchase, preparation and presentation of foods will prevent the consumer from confronting them. Ensuring food safety is of great importance.
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