Produced by students of ProStart 1 Biological Hazards Produced by students of ProStart 1

Forms of Contamination Contamination means that harmful things are present in food, making it unsafe to eat. Food can become unsafe through any of the following practices: Poor personal hygiene transfers pathogens, the microorganisms that cause illness,from your body to food Time-temperature abuse allows food to stay too long at temperatures that are good enough for pathogens to grow Cross-contamination transfers pathogens from one surface or food to another Poor cleaning and sanitizing allows contaminated surfaces to touch food Purchasing from unapproved suppliers brings food from companies that aren't following food safety practices into the operation

Biological CONtamination Microorganisms that are living organisms that can only be seen through microscopes Microorganisms that cause illness are called pathogens, which is the biggest threat to food safety in a restaurant or foodservice operation Pathogens include: Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, Parasites Needs six conditions to grow which can be remembered by the phrase FAT TOM

Fat tom/Food most likely to become unsafe/Acidic levels/temp Fat tom/Food most likely to become unsafe/Acidic levels/temp.danger zone

Viruses Leading cause of foodborne illness Cant be grown in food but can be eaten Can be transferred multiple ways To avoid spreading: stay at home and rest, wash hands properly, avoid using bare hands to handle ready-to-eat food

bacteria Can cause foodborne illness Grows based off the FAT TOM conditions Bacteria can grow and die which leaves toxins which can cause people to become sick if consumed Most bacteria can be controlled if kept out of the temperature danger zone

parasites Can not grow in food but they can grow in a host organism Can contaminate water as well cause illness Examples of parasites that can cause illness include Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis Best way to avoid becoming ill from parasites is to buy brands that have been approved

fungi Can cause illness but mainly spoils food Mold and yeast are two types of fungi Mold actually can be seen by the visible eye which is made up of thousands of tiny mold plants Mold and yeast grow best in acidic food with little moisture Mold can be intentionally used to affect the flavor or characteristics of food Yeast can spoil food quickly, signs of spoilage include smell or taste and how it looks

Biological Toxins Pathogens make biological toxins, or poisons which can come from plants or animals There things like seafood, mushroom toxins,etc. which cant be destroyed by freezing or cooking once they've formed on the food With plant toxins you can become ill if cooked incorrectly, ex: undercooked kidney beans Best way to avoid anything that may cause illness is to buy food products that have been approved by reputable suppliers