Detailed Report: Food Safety Management, Contamination, Preservation

This report delves into the critical aspects of food safety management, providing a comprehensive overview of the systems and processes required to ensure safe food production. It begins by examining controls to prevent physical and chemical contamination, outlining methods such as HACCP, foreign body detection, staff training, and proper facility design. The report then explores various sources of food contamination, including microorganisms, and discusses foodborne illnesses and spoilage, providing insights into the agents and conditions that contribute to these issues. Finally, it evaluates the effectiveness of different food preservation methods like pasteurization, sterilization, heat treatment, salt preservation, chemical preservation, sugaring, and fermentation. The report emphasizes the importance of these practices in maintaining food quality, edibility, and nutritional value, making it a valuable resource for understanding and implementing effective food safety measures.

Food Safety Management

INTRODUCTION
Food safety is the discipline of handling, preparing and storing food in a proper way to
reduce the risk and prevent food borne illnesses. Food safety management system (FSMS) is the
set of interrelated elements which establish objectives and policies to ensure safety of food for
human consumption (Fernández-Segovia and et.al., 2014). ISO (International Standard) 22003
under food safety management lays down certain rules and norms that an organization needs to
follow in order to control food safety hazards and ensure that food is safe for consumption. This
report on food safety management discusses the several systems and processes required to
produce safe food, management and controls needed to achieve this.
MAIN BODY
TASK A
a) Controls to prevent food contamination
Food contamination or food poisoning can be prevented if high standards are maintained
while handling food. Physical contamination of food is the presence of foreign objects that can
be seen visibly which falls into food during manufacturing or preparation process that is not the
part of matter. Food can be contaminated during production if an object which is not part of
substance gets mixed with the food making it harmful for consumption. This happens when
tangible foreign objects get mixed with the food or food products. Examples:
1. From the building- Paint flakes, broken glass, etc.
2. From equipment- Nuts, bolts, screws, etc.
3. From packaging- Piece of wood, cardboard, etc.
4. From the food handler- Hair, fingernails, etc.
5. From pests- Insects, rodents, etc.
There are several methods to control physical contaminants that may cause contamination
of food which are as follows:
Physical contamination
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP): It is a risk assessment control
which was reconvened by The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for
Foods in 1995 ( Godfray and et.al., 2010). This is a preventive systematic approach to food
safety from physical, biological and chemical hazards in production processes that may cause
unsafe finished products and measures to reduce risks to the safer level.
1

Foreign body detection and removal in food: These are the undesirable solid objects like
glass and metal fragments in food that can lead to injuries to customers. Manufacturers and
producers use several identification methods of foreign bodies which can range from simple
equipment to highly sophisticated. Detecting metals, Magnets, Microwave Reflectance, Nuclear
Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Electrical Resistance, Surface Penetrating Radar, Ultrasound, X-
rays and Separation systems are the most common methods applied(Havelaar and et.al., 2010).
Training for staff: These are the programs and classes provided to employees of
restaurants or hotels to ensure that food is not contaminated due to their carelessness. They
should wear a hair restraint or hairnet at all times when working around food to avoid falling of
hair in the food. They also insist staff to keep fingernails short, clean and unpolished.
Design, structure and layout of food room: The design and layout of facility must be
good to avoid environmental pollutions and pest risk to meet food safety standards. The
production site and materials used must be durable, dirt free and safe.
Implementation of food safety policies: These are policies, procedures and relevant
documents that are needed to be followed by an organization to ensure compliance of all food
handling practices. It is the responsibility and legal authority of National Food Safety council for
coordinating with food safety efforts to safeguard human and animal health through producing
safe foods.
Personal hygiene practices: Implementing facilities for staff to ensure personal
cleanliness contributes towards the food safety. Hand washing, minimising hand contact with
food, excluding ill staff and wearing protective clothing, etc. can be adapted.
Cleaning and disinfection procedures: Establishing these practices which includes
proper cleaning and disinfecting machineries, utensils reduces risk of food borne illness from
contaminants and pest (Kafetzopoulos, Psomas and Kafetzopoulos, 2013).
Chemical contamination
Chemical contamination is the impureness of food with a natural or artificial chemical
substances like pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, unapproved food additives, environmental
sources, natural toxins, veterinary drugs, etc. Following are some controls to reduce the risk of
chemical contamination of food:
Safe usage and storage of chemicals: The chemicals used for cleaning and preventing
pests must be kept away from food. Choosing cleaning products that are non-toxic, non-tainting
2

and non-corrosive which are suitable for food environment must be used under the
manufacturer’s guidance. Storing chemicals in food containers and using for cleaning purposes
must be avoided (Karaman and et.al., 2012).
Transporting food: Vehicles used to carry food from one place to another must ensure
that they only displaces food in the transport and conveyance must be clean and tidy to ensure
safety of food.
b) Different sources of food contamination
There are several sources of food contaminants like physical, chemical and microbial
which include air, water, dust, sewage, insects, rodents and employees. It can also be from soil,
animals, external surfaces and internal organs of meat animals, etc. Food borne infection or
disease is an illness that results from consuming contaminated food with active microorganisms
or their toxins. These are the intoxications that include allergic reactions and other conditions
where food acts to be an allergen. The harmful microorganisms can grow in intestinal tract and
cause illness. The food acts as a medium to access body where small number of organisms can
cause sickness making this different from food poisoning. Food borne illness or infection is
caused by consuming contaminated food or beverage and the common symptoms include
vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea and fever.
Food poisoning is the form of food borne sickness which is caused by the intake of
performed toxins. It occurs when an individual consumes food containing toxins that causes ill
health. The harmful microorganisms like bacteria produces these toxins that can cause severe
health complications. These are the types of food borne illnesses which are caused by
swallowing toxins in the form of poison caused by microorganisms with symptoms like tingling
of face, arms and legs followed by headache, dizziness and nausea. The severe poisoning
includes muscle paralysis and respiratory failure (Kirezieva and et.al., 2013).
Food spoilage is the damage caused to food substance which makes it undesirable to
human consumption. The disagreeable change in a food's normal condition due to contamination
is called as food spoilage. It is the contamination due to unwanted presence of microorganisms
that changes food's normal state which can be detected by smell, taste, touch or sight.
There are several agents that affects food which are as follows:
3

Microorganisms- They are the different microscopic forms of plant or animal life such
as moulds, yeast, bacteria and viruses which produce desirable changes in foods, which are the
main agents of spoilage. Under the suitable conditions for their growth like light, temperature,
moisture and time these organisms causes damage to food items (Lu and et.al., 2015).
Bacteria: There are mainly three types of these life forms; spheres called cocci, rods
known as bacilli and twisted rods named spirilla. Due to the variations that happen in size, shape
and structure of bacteria by changing the environment in which they grows. They also varies in
their requirements for food, moisture, pH and oxygen. They are also capable of resisting extreme
temperatures according to which they can be classified as: Psychrophilic bacteria, Thermophilic
bacteria etc. These organisms are aerobic and anaerobic that can flourish anywhere out of which
some causes food spoilage whereas others may cause food poisoning diseases and illnesses borne
through food.
Yeasts- These are unicellular fungi that permanently maintains growth form which
requires water and an energy source which is usually sugar. Several foods that are not affected
by bacteria due to low pH level are accepted by yeasts as a growing land which they can tolerate
and survive upon. They are responsible for decomposition of food with sugar content which is
useful in production of several food types and beverages like bread, yogurt etc.
Enzymes- They are organic catalysts which are produced by living cells in food spoilage.
Certain enzymes are naturally present in food itself or formed by the microorganisms that
contaminates food (Luning and et.al., 2013). For example; enzymes within a raw fruit helps in its
ripening.
Moulds- They are cellular fungi that spreads through air which contains spores and starts
new mould plants. When these fungus gets a favourable condition or environment they germinate
and grow. They also grows on acid foods as well as sugar sources or neutral foods and other
starchy food.
c). Evaluation and effectiveness of food preservation methods
Food preservation is the number of processes or methods which are used to preserve food
from microorganisms spoilages. It ensures quality, edibility and nutritive value of the food.
There are several methods of food preservation for commercial applications which are discussed
below:
4

Pasteurization: It is the application of heat to a food product in order to destroy the
pathogens or disease producing microorganisms to prevent spoilage causing enzymes and reduce
the growth of these organisms. It is the process in which packaged and non packaged foods like
milk, fruit juice, wine etc. are heated mildly to a certain point for eliminating infectious agents or
pathogens and vegetative bacteria (Macheka and et.al., 2013). This is an effective technique s it
avoids the spreading of Crohn's disease which can be transmitted from infected animals.
Sterilisation: This is the process that which eliminates, removes, kills and deactivates
microorganisms or pathogens from an object or surface by treating with chemicals or subjecting
to high heat or radiation. These processes completely destroys all living organisms also including
thermoresistant spores in milk or other food and protects from contamination or spoilage. These
technique provides the effectiveness of eradicating the disease causing pathogens completely and
avoids food damages.
Heat treatment: It is the thermal processing of food used to kill or inactivate bacteria or
disease causing organisms and increases life of the food item or creates products with attractive
appearance. Heating is an effective way of food preservation by which a great majority of
harmful infectious agents are killed at temperatures close to the boiling point of water. Seafood,
grains, dairy, vegetables, fruits, meats etc. can be preserved using this method. As the matter is
heated it kills all the microbial growths making it an effective technique of eliminating
contamination
Salt preservation: This is the traditional method of preserving food that confers unique
flavours to food whose refinement derives from high degree of salinity. This technique of food
preserving is used to preserve meat, fish, vegetables as salt can protect foodstuffs for months
and even years. These process reduces the water activity of foods and causes microbial cells
undergo lose water causing death or retarded growth (Mensah and Julien, 2011). This effective
technique inhibits the bacterial growth and is been practised since centuries by ancestors with the
aim of avoiding contamination.
Chemical preservation of foods is the adding of chemical compounds or preservatives to
the food product which delays the growth of microorganisms without necessarily destroying
them during manufacture or distribution. Organic compounds like sodium benzoate, vanillic
acid, esters, sorbic acid, propionates etc. are used with proper declaration of it use on the label of
5

container. Inorganic compounds such as sulphur dioxide, nitrates and nitrites are also used in this
type of preservation technique.
Sugaring: It is a process of food preservation where the food item is dehydrated first and
then packed with pure sugar. Sugaring creates a hostile environment to microorganisms and
prevents spoilage (Milios and et.al., 2013). This technique renders the effectiveness of drawing
water from the microbes leaving the microbial cells dehydrated thus killing them which will
make the food item remain safe from spoilage.
Fermentation: This is the process of converting carbohydrates or starch into organic
acids or alcohol by the use of microorganisms under anaerobic conditions. These process also
preserves the food items at the same time makes it more nutritious and edible. Food items like
cheese, wines, beers etc. are preserved through this technique. The effectiveness of this food
preservation technique is that it creates specific controlled conditions which will support
desirable organisms that produces food suitable for human consumption.
Vacuum packing: This method stores food items in an air tight bag or bottle which
removes air or oxygen from the package before sealing that will eliminate chances of bacterial
growth. The effectiveness of this method is that it renders long term storage to preserve wide
range of items.
Drying: Food drying is a method of preserving food which is a traditional process where
the matter is dried to remove moisture to inhibit the growth of microorganisms (Powell, Jacob
and Chapman, 2011). It can be done by sun drying, dehydrators, solar drying etc. This technique
or method improves the final quality of the food item and efficiently reduces the pathogens
attack where they get killed due to high heat.
TASK B
a). Methods for safe storage of food and importance of temperature control system
Food storage is an important industrial and commercial activity which allows food to be
eaten for some time after harvest rather than consuming immediately. There are several methods
of storing food safely like freezers, refrigeration etc. Temperature control system is the
automated method that controls temperatures of an object or area. It is important factor that
influences the perishability, identify food hazards and ensures controls to eliminate or reduce risk
to consumers. Temperature control is the process in which change of temperature of a space or
object is measured or detected and passage of heat energy into the space is adjusted to attain
6

desired average temperature (Rouviere, 2010). Some of the main steps in a temperature control
system are:
Temperature for refrigeration- In order to keep the food out of spoilage the fridge must
be set between 32- 40ºF (0 to 4 degrees Celsius) and the freezer must be below 32ºF(0º Celsius).
Freezing- It is the phase in which a liquid turns into solid when the temperature is
lowered below its freezing point especially to convert into ice.
Cooking- A control system for the temperature of food in a cooking pot is heated on a
consumer cooking hob. The temperature of the pot is used as input for the controller which is
measured by an infrared detector. It is used for automated cooking which is reliable, simple and
user friendly.
Reheating- If reheating the cooked food and cooled potentially hazardous food it must be
done at 60ºC or hotter for two hours to minimise the amount of time that food is at temperatures
which favours bacteria growth or form toxins.
Storing foods can have several problems as different types of foods have various storage
requirements to prevent from bacteria affecting it. Food storage is a main issue when keeping
food safe. If it is not stored correctly can spoil or become contaminated which can make people
ill. Methods of safe storage of foods includes freezing food, drying food, canning, salting etc.
Some of the methods are as follows:
Correct temperature: Ensuring that food is properly stored with proper temperature
maintaining a high level of safety and keeping others safe (Sampers and et.al., 2012). The exact
temperature helps the food item stay fresh and safe rather being decayed or spoiled.
Avoiding cross contamination: The product or food item which is already decayed or
spoiled must be removed and should not be kept with other food items to avoid spreading of
contamination. The food items must be placed in separate containers or sealed plastic bags to
prevent the substance's matter dripping onto another foods.
Stock rotation: It is the arranging of the oldest units in inventory so that they gets sold
before the new ones to avoid wastages. Effective stock rotation helps in preventing food borne
illness and controlling commercial costs.
Labelling: It is the practice followed by packaging to assure that consumer informed
about the food product to avoid misbranding and adulteration (Sawe, Onyango and Njage,
2014). It also provides nutritional and ingredients information which are used in the products .
7

Use by dates: It is the food safety and is used that goes off quickly which must be noted
before purchase. Certain food items have certain time limit to be consumable after that it gets out
of date from the date of manufacturing. This makes the food item not suitable for consumption.
CONCLUSION
From this report on the Food safety management it can be concluded that managing and
maintaining good quality of food is necessary to avoid the spread of contamination and food
borne illnesses. The report discussed several agents that causes food borne diseases and
contamination of food. It also studies various controls to prevent food contamination with
different sources of food contamination. The assignment also examined different food spoilages
and methods to preserve food quality along with their effectiveness. The different sources of
food contamination is also being studied and methods of safe storage of food is also been
brought into light. It also discussed the several temperature control systems steps.
8

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Fernández-Segovia and et.al., 2014. Implementation of a food safety management system
according to ISO 22000 in the food supplement industry: A case study. Food control, 43,
pp.28-34.
Godfray and et.al., 2010. Food security: the challenge of feeding 9 billion people. science,
p.1185383.
Havelaar and et.al., 2010. Future challenges to microbial food safety. International Journal of
Food Microbiology, 139, pp.S79-S94.
Kafetzopoulos, D.P., Psomas, E.L. and Kafetzopoulos, P.D., 2013. Measuring the effectiveness
of the HACCP food safety management system. Food Control, 33(2), pp.505-513.
Karaman and et.al., 2012. Barriers and benefits of the implementation of food safety
management systems among the Turkish dairy industry: A case study. Food
Control, 25(2), pp.732-739.
Kirezieva and et.al., 2013. Context factors affecting design and operation of food safety
management systems in the fresh produce chain. Trends in food science &
technology, 32(2), pp.108-127.
Lu and et.al., 2015. Impacts of soil and water pollution on food safety and health risks in
China. Environment international, 77, pp.5-15.
Luning and et.al., 2013. Performance of safety management systems in Spanish food service
establishments in view of their context characteristics. Food Control, 30(1), pp.331-340.
Macheka and et.al., 2013. Barriers, benefits and motivation factors for the implementation of
food safety management system in the food sector in Harare Province, Zimbabwe. Food
control, 34(1), pp.126-131.
Mensah, L.D. and Julien, D., 2011. Implementation of food safety management systems in the
UK. Food Control, 22(8), pp.1216-1225.
Milios and et.al., 2013. Techno-managerial factors related to food safety management system in
food businesses. British Food Journal, 115(9), pp.1381-1399.
Powell, D.A., Jacob, C.J. and Chapman, B.J., 2011. Enhancing food safety culture to reduce rates
of foodborne illness. Food Control, 22(6), pp.817-822.
9

Rouviere, E., 2010. The implementation mechanisms of voluntary food safety systems. Food
Policy, 35(5), pp.412-418.
Sampers and et.al., 2012. Semi-quantitative study to evaluate the performance of a HACCP-
based food safety management system in Japanese milk processing plants. Food
Control, 23(1), pp.227-233.
Sawe, C.T., Onyango, C.M. and Njage, P.M.K., 2014. Current food safety management systems
in fresh produce exporting industry are associated with lower performance due to context
riskiness: Case study. Food Control, 40, pp.335-343.
10