Food Security and Food Poisoning

What is food poisoning? It is an acute, usually sudden, caused by eating contaminated or poisonous food. The symptoms of food poisoning are:

1. Nausea - an uncomfortable sensation, as if about to fall sick

2. Sickness - vomiting

3. Bowl pain - gripping pain in the stomach area

4. Diarrhea

5. Fever

The main causes of food poisoning are:

1. Bacteria - the most common

2. Virus - which are smaller than bacteria, are generally found in water

3. Chemicals - insecticides and herbicides

4. Metals - lead pipes, copper pots

5. Toxic plants - mushrooms, cooked red beans (insufficiently)

Bacteria are the most common form of food poisoning and it is important that we know more about them. Bacteria are small insects that live in the air, water, soil and people, in and on foods. Some bacteria cause diseases. They are called pathogenic bacteria. Some bacteria cause food to rot and decay, they are called spoilage bacteria. Each bacterium grows by splitting in two. Food. They like high-protein foods, such as poultry, cooked meat, dairy products, seafood, cooked rice, stews and sauces.

Moisture. They require water and most foods is enough water or moisture to leave the bacteria thrive.

Some bacteria can form a rigid protective pouch around each other, this is called Spore. Since certain conditions (5 - 63c) return the spores of the protective bag and became growth of food poisoning bacteria again.

Bacteria and food poisoning

We have established that the presence of bacteria is one of the most common causes of food poisoning - the presence of toxic chemicals can also cause food poisoning. There are a number of potentially toxic chemicals in food. Rhubarb contains oxalic acid - present in the amounts which are normally cooked stems are relatively harmless to humans, but the highest concentration in leaves makes them very dangerous to health.

The toxin is a toxic substance which can be produced by the metabolism of a plant or an animal, in particular certain bacteria. Toxic food poisoning is mainly caused by staphylococci in the United Kingdom and, more rarely, in this country, Clostridium botulinum.

The most frequently affected by food staph are:

• Meat Pies

• Sliced ​​meats

• Pies sauce

• Synthetic cream

• Ice cream

50-60% of people carry on their nose staphylococci and troughs and are present in nasal secretions after a cold. Staphylococci are also present in wounds and skin infections and find their way into food through the hands of an infected food handler. Although staphylococci are easily destroyed by complete cooking or heating, the toxin they produce is often much more resistant to heat and may require a higher temperature or longer the cooking time for their complete destruction.

Food poisoning from Clostridium botulinum - known as botulism - is extremely serious. The most frequently affected by Clostridium botulinum foods are:

• poorly processed canned meat, vegetables and fish.

In the commercial canning process, great care is taken to ensure that each piece of food is heated to a temperature high enough to ensure the complete destruction of one of Clostridium botulinum spores that may be present.

Yeast & MOULDS - microscopic organisms, some of which are desirable in food and contribute to their characteristics. To grow, they need warmth, moisture and air. They are killed by heat and sunlight. Mold can grow where there is very little moisture for yeast and bacteria to grow. Yeasts are single cell plants or larger organisms as bacteria that grow in food moisture-containing and sugar. Yeasts are destroyed by heat.

VIRUS - microscopic particles transmitted by food that can cause illness. Unlike bacteria, viruses can not grow or multiply in foods.

Escherichia coli - E. coli is a normal part of the intestinal mucosa of humans and animals. It is in human feces, raw meat. E Coli causes abdominal pain, fever, diarrhea and vomiting. High hygiene standards and through the cooking should be applied. Raw meat and cooked should be stored in proper temperature should be avoided and cross-contamination.

SALMONELLA - is present in the intestines of animals and humans. Affected foods include poultry, meat, eggs and seafood.
 
• Wash hands and equipment and surfaces after handling raw poultry

• do not allow carriers of the disease for handling food.

Control bacteria

There are three methods to control bacteria:

1. Protect food against bacteria in the air, keep foods covered. To avoid cross contamination, use separate plates and knives for raw and cooked foods Use different colored plates to certain foods. For example, red meat, blue for fish, birds, etc. yellow Store cooked and raw foods separately. Wash your hands frequently.

2. To kill bacteria, the bacteria subjected to a temperature of 77C for 30 seconds and a higher temperature for a shorter time. Some bacteria develop into spores and can withstand higher temperatures for long periods of time. The main food hygiene rules importance to the supplier are: Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and 1995. Food Safety Regulations (Temperature Control) These implemented the Directive EC Food Hygiene (93/43 EEC) . They replaced a number of regulations, including the Food Safety Regulations (general) 1970 1995 regulations are similar in many respects to the previous regulations. The regulations put two general requirements on owners of food businesses:

• To ensure that all food handling operations are carried out under hygienic conditions and in compliance with the "hygiene".

• to identify and control all potential risks to food safety, using an HACCP approach that is guaranteed safe food.

• In addition, there is an obligation on a food handler who may be suffering from a disease or carrier which can be transmitted through food to report to the employer may be necessary to prevent the person concerned from food handling. Eating establishments have a general obligation to monitor and educate and deliver safety training and health compatible with the responsibilities of their food employees. Preventing food poisoning

Almost all food poisoning can be prevented by:

• comply with hygiene rules

be careful and brains

• ensure that the high standards of cleanliness are applied to facilities and equipment

• accident prevention

• high standards of personal hygiene

• Fitness

• maintaining good working conditions

• maintaining equipment in good cleanliness and repair

• Use separate equipment and knives for cooked and raw foods

• wide range of systems and cleaning equipment

• storing food at the right temperature

• Reheating Foods Safe

• Rapid cooling of food before storage

• pests and protect food against insects;

• dishes hygiene procedures;

• Know how food poisoning is caused

• the stage of procedures to avoid food poisoning.

It was just a brief overview of food security. Essentially, you need to know the Food Regulations relating to their own countries. Its useless to follow food safety regulations in the UK if you live or work in Australia, Spain and New Zealand.