Food Safety Management: Analyzing Outbreaks & Prevention Strategies

This assignment provides a case study analysis of food safety management, focusing on the prevention of physical and chemical contamination of food. It examines a mass food-borne infection outbreak at a Texas university and a staphylococcal food poisoning outbreak in Luxembourg, detailing the characteristics of food poisoning and food-borne infections. The study highlights various methods to control food-borne illnesses, including proper cleaning of utensils, separating vegetarian and non-vegetarian food, cooking food to the appropriate temperature, and refrigerating perishable foods. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of following intricate standards for food preparation to reduce the risk of food-borne diseases. Desklib offers a platform to explore similar solved assignments and past papers for students.

Food Safety Management
TASK 1 (1.1, 1.2 & 1.3)

INTRODUCTION
Food safety is a scientific discipline which involves handling of eatables in such
a way that they do not get contaminated. Management of food safety states about
the preparation of eating items in a hygienic way. Also, it includes storage of
food in a manner that risk of food borne illness can be reduced. Under this
aspect, many ways are included with the help of which potential severe health
hazards can be avoided.

1.1 Controls required to prevent physical and
chemical contamination of food
There are several ways through which the individual can prevent physical and chemical
contamination of food.
Personnel hygiene
Clean utensils
Maintaining temperature of the food item
Ensure that at the time of disinfected spray the food items are covered.

1.2 - Case study of a mass food-borne infection
outbreak
◦ On the 11th March in the morning, a telephone call was received by the Texas Department
of Health (TDH) in Austin that was from a student at a university in south-central Texas.
◦ As per the call, student reported that he along with his roommate and a fraternity brother
were having nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
◦ They both got ill during the night.
◦ However, the roommate had taken an over-the-counter medication by which he got some
relief.

Cont.…
◦ Neither the student nor his roommate even consulted to a physician.
◦ They did not event go to the emergency room.
◦ According to students, reason behind their such condition is food they had
eaten at a local pizzeria the previous night.
◦ Therefore, they asked if they should attend classes as there biology midterm
exam was scheduled afternoon.

1.2 - Case study of a mass food poisoning
outbreak
 In June 2014, a staphylococcal food poisoning outbreak occurred at the time
when international equine sports event was going on in Luxembourg.
 Due to this, 31 people were hospitalised.
 The study strongly suggested that pasta salad with pesto is the major vehicle of
infection.
 However, because of no left-overs, it could not be tested.

Cont.…
 In addition to this, enterotoxigenic strains genetically unrelated to the outbreak strain
were also found in four members of staff.
 Non-enterotoxigenic strains with livestock which is an associated sequence type
ST398 was also diagnosed in two members of staff and thus, isolated from three food
items.
 Major cause mass food poisoning outbreak is likely to have been not maintaining the
cold chain after final preparation of food.

Characteristics of food poisoning and food-borne
infections
 Both diseases have different meaning and they are not similar in nature.
 Foodborne illness is an infection or intoxication which mainly occurs due to eating
food that is contaminated.
 Food becomes contaminated due to presence of microorganisms or their toxins.
 It also involves allergic reactions and some other conditions due to intake of
contaminated food.
 However, food poisoning is a form of foodborne illness.
 Major cause of this disease is ingestion of performed toxins.
 It involves combination of intestinal symptoms.

1.3 Variety of methods that show the way in which
food-borne illnesses can be controlled
Food borne illness is common where the food is made for the class scale people. So for them,
there are several methods which can help to prevent them.
Properly cleaning the utensils
Non-vegetarian and vegetarian food should be kept separately.
Cooking food to the appropriate temperature
Perishable foods should be kept in refrigerator.

CONCLUSION
It can be articulated from the facts that if food will be contaminated, it can lead
to transmit of food borne disease like food poisoning from person to person.
Thus, intricate standards for food preparation should be followed so that risk of
getting ill due to intake of unhygienic food can be reduced.

REFERENCES
Gastroenteritis at a University in Texas. 2002. [pdf]. Available through:
<https://www.cdc.gov/epicasestudies/downloads/gasi.pdf>. [Accessed on 8th November 2016].
Investigation of a staphylococcal food poisoning outbreak combining case–control, traditional
typing and whole genome sequencing methods, Luxembourg, June 2014. 2014. [pdf]. Available
through: <http://www.eurosurveillance.org/images/dynamic/EE/V20N45/art21301.pdf>. [Accessed
on 8th November 2016].
Scallan, E. and et. al., 2011. Foodborne illness acquired in the United States—unspecified agents.
Emerging Infectious Diseases. 17(1). pp.16–22
Escanciano, C. and Santos-Vijande, M. L., 2014. Reasons and constraints to implementing an ISO
22000 food safety management system: Evidence from Spain. Food Control. 40. pp. 50-57.
Motarjemi, Y. and Lelieveld, H., 2013. Food Safety Management: A Practical Guide for the Food
Industry. Academic Press.