Understanding HACCP Module 1 is intended to teach the participant the following objectives: Define food safety and food quality Define and provide examples of biological, chemical and physical hazards Provide examples of preventative measures for biological hazards Provide examples of preventative measures for chemical hazards Provide examples of preventative measures for physical hazards Use a demonstration to show how fast bacteria can grow

Module 1: Understanding Hazards Associated with Foods Module 1 is intended to teach the participant the following objectives: Define food safety and food quality Define and provide examples of biological, chemical and physical hazards Provide examples of preventative measures for biological hazards Provide examples of preventative measures for chemical hazards Provide examples of preventative measures for physical hazards Use a demonstration to show how fast bacteria can grow

Food Safety and Food Quality Food Safety: making a food safe to eat; free of disease causing agents Food Quality: making a food desirable to eat; good taste, color, and texture Food safety and food quality are two very important terms used in t the food industry. The goal of food safety is to make a food safe to eat and ensure that it does not contain contaminants that could make a person sick. The goal of food quality is to produce a food product that is desirable to eat. Food of High quality has the best taste, color, and texture possible. Food quality can also be determined by the product shelf life. It is the goal of food inspection (USDA, FDA) to ensure that foods are produced that are safe and wholesome to consume. Food safety is regulated by the government. Good food quality is an important goal for any food company. The quality of your food sells your product and makes you different from the competition. Good food quality makes money.

Unacceptable Foods Poor Quality Unsafe bad color too many bacteria wrong texture toxic chemicals smells bad foreign objects Unacceptable foods include foods that are of poor quality or are unsafe to eat. If a person eats a poor quality food, they probably won’t get sick, but the food will not taste or look good. Poor quality foods may have a bad appearance (bad color), wrong texture or bad odors. If a person eats an unsafe food, they may get sick. Unsafe foods may contain too many bacteria, toxic chemicals, or foreign objects such as glass or metal pieces.

What is Hazard? Something that could be dangerous Anything that can cause harm to the consumer Something that could mean that food will not be safe to eat

What are the Hazards in our Food? Biological: bacteria, viruses, parasites Chemical: sanitizers, pesticides, antibiotics Physical: bone, rocks, metal There are many different types of contamination that can make a food unsafe or change the quality. There are biological, chemical, and physical hazards. Biological hazards include bacteria like Salmonella, viruses like Hepatitis, and parasites like those that cause trichinosis. Biological hazards pose the most concern to the food industry. Chemical hazards include natural chemicals that may be in a food or chemical agents that we may add to a food (cleaning agents). Physical hazards include foreign objects that can be introduced into food during growing, harvest/slaughter, and or processing. Physical hazards may include objects like rocks (vegetables), bone (animal products), and metal (from processing equipment). Keeping food safe and of high quality is dependent on the ability to remove and reduce these hazards in food.

How Do Foods Become Contaminated? Foods can be contaminated in many different ways. Contamination is the presence of an unwanted substance that could affect food safety and/or food quality. Anything that comes in contact with foods is a potential source of contamination. Examples include water (on fields or in processing), a food handler, equipment used to transport and process foods, air, and pests.

Controlling the Hazards Time and Temperature Separation These hazards are best prevented by controlling time and temperature, and by physical separation. Temperature is very important because it can be used to kill bacteria (cooking), and for reducing bacterial growth (refrigeration). Keeping foods out of the “temperature danger zone” is the key to success. Foods that are kept cold should be kept below 40oF, and foods that are to be cooked need to be cooked at the correct temperature/time requirements. Certain physical hazards can be separated and removed by using a screen (rocks from vegetables), filter (bone from ground beef), or water bath (dirt from vegetables).

Biological Hazards “Biological” means “living” Biological hazards in foods include: Bacteria: Salmonella in chicken and eggs, E. coli in beef, VP in seafood, Shigella in water Viruses: Hepatitis in water, Norovirus in shellfish Parasites: Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora in water and produce The word “biology” refers to the study of “living things” The living things that concern us in the food industry include bacteria, viruses, and parasites. They are considered to be biological hazards. Bacteria include examples such as Salmonella in poultry products, E. coli in ground beef, and Shigella in untreated water. Bacteria can come from animals, manure, water, human hands, etc. Viruses that can cause foodborne illness include Hepatitis and Norwalk agent. Viruses usually come from human hands or from untreated water (and seafood products). Parasites usually come from animal products or contaminated foods by contact with manure or untreated water. The most common example is Trichinella spiralis in undercooked pork products.

Examples of Biological Hazards In Meat and Poultry: Salmonella bacteria (poultry and eggs) E. coli bacteria (beef and ground beef) Trichinella spiralis parasite (pork) V. parahaemolyticus (raw fish) Norovirus (shellfish) The most common hazards that we associate with meat and poultry products are Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli bacteria, and the parasite that causes Trichinosis. Salmonella and Campylobacter are thought to be the two most common bacteria that cause illness in foods. These bacteria are common in poultry products and eggs. E. coli can be found in red meat and red meat products. Trichinella spiralis is most commonly associated with pork products. Biological hazards are usually associated with the animal’s intestinal tract and contaminate the food during processing.

Examples of Biological Hazards On Fruits and Vegetables: Salmonella bacteria (bean sprouts) E. coli bacteria (apple juice) Cyclospora parasite (raspberries) Hepatitis A virus (strawberries) The most common hazards that we associate with fruits and vegetables are Salmonella, E. coli, parasites and viruses. Salmonella and E. coli can be transferred to fruit and vegetables from untreated manure or with contact with the soil. Manure can be an important source of harmful microorganisms. Parasites and viruses can be carried to foods by contact with manure or water. To prevent contamination of fruits and vegetables, control of manure and water are very important. Fruit and vegetables can also be washed and placed in a chlorinated bath to reduce the contamination.

Examples of Biological Hazards

$5,000 Cash or ... $1 doubled every 15 minutes for 4 hours Time $5,000 $1.00 Beginning $5,000 $1 After 15 minutes $5,000 $2 After 30 minutes $5,000 $4 After 1 hours $5,000 $16 After 2 hours $5,000 $256 After 3 hours $5,000 $4096 After 4 hours $5,000 $65536 Bacteria can multiply very quickly. Bacteria “grow” by doubling in number. Under ideal conditions, bacteria can double every 15-20 minutes. This example shows (by analogy) just how fast bacteria can grow. Ask the participants of the workshop - Which would you rather have: $5000 cash, or $1 doubled every 15 minutes for 4 hours? Surprisingly, after 4 hours, $1 doubled every 15 minutes adds up to over $65,000. This shows how fast bacteria can grow in a very short time.

Control of Biological Hazards Hazards are controlled by: Controlling and monitoring storage and processing temperature Preventing cross-contamination Following the cleaning and sanitation program Biological hazards can be controlled by: Controlling and monitoring storage and processing temperatures (coolers, freezers, ovens, etc.) Preventing cross-contamination (contact with dirty utensils and surfaces) Following the cleaning and sanitation programs

Control Using Temperature Cooking helps to kill microbes >165oF (74oC) for poultry and eggs >155oF (68oC) for ground beef >160oF (71oC) for pork Holding at low temperatures (<40oF, <4oC) prevents microbes from growing Cooling from 140o-40oF(60o-4oC) quickly helps prevent microbes from growing Temperature is one of the most important ways that you can help control biological hazards. Temperature is important for cooking, cooling, and cold-holding of product. The key is to avoid the temperature danger zone of 40o -140o. Food products should be in the temperature danger zone for as little time as possible. Cooking is done to destroy microorganisms and to make foods taste good. Foods are cooked at temperatures well above 140oF to kill microbes. Poultry and eggs are cooked to >165oF, beef is cooked to >155oF, and pork to >160oF to ensure safety. Food is held safe during cold holding. Foods should be kept at <40oF to prevent microbes from growing. Cooling is also important since foods must pass through the temperature danger zone during cooling. Care should be taken to decrease cooling time to less than 4 hours.

Chemical Hazards Chemical hazard: a toxic substance that is produced naturally, is added intentionally or non-intentionally Naturally-occurring: toxic substances produced by other living organisms Added intentionally: nitrates in meat, pesticide residues in feed Added non-intentionally: any unwanted substance (cleaning agents) Unidentified / wrong ingredient (colors) A chemical hazard is any substance that is toxic to humans. Chemical hazards can be produced naturally by living organisms, or can be added intentionally or non-intentionally to a food. Naturally-occurring chemicals are produced by living organisms such as bacteria and molds. Several different types of bacteria produce toxins that can cause illness or even death. Some molds can produce toxins called mycotoxins, which simply means mold toxins. A certain type of mycotoxin (called aflatoxin) is a concern on vegetable products and on feed for animals. Other toxic chemicals can be intentionally added to a food. Food ingredients have a level of safety. If this level is exceeded, the substance may be toxic. Nitrate agents, which are added to meats to improve color and prevent bacteria from growing, are a good example. They are safe at certain levels, but if they are added in excess of safety limits, they can be toxic to humans. The third type of chemicals that can be toxic are those that should not be in a food at any level. Cleaning and sanitizing agents are a good example. These chemicals are intended to be applied to equipment and then rinsed off. If cleaning and sanitizing agents are not rinsed off, they can contaminate food during processing.

Examples of Chemical Hazards In Meat, Poultry and seafood Nitrate agents (red meat) Aflatoxins, pesticides (feed) Marine biotoxin (shellfish and fish) Growth hormones (livestock) Growth promoting drugs (poultry) Cleaners, sanitizing agents (meat and poultry) A wide variety of chemical agents can be present in foods. Cleaning and sanitizing agents are always a concern in any food processing operation. There are also chemical hazards that need to be controlled on the farm since they can end up in the final food product. Growth hormones and pesticides can be given to livestock and plants. For animal feed, aflatoxin (a toxin produced by molds) can be a concern since it has been shown to be toxic and cause cancer.

Examples of Chemical Hazards

Control of Chemical Hazards Approved and legal chemicals (cleaners, sanitizers, hormones, pesticides) Use a safe level Letters of guarantee and vendor certification Proper procedures and rinsing (cleaners and sanitizers) Storage of feed (aflatoxin) Storage and labeling for ingredients and raw materials Chemicals that are added to a food intentionally (ingredient) or non-intentionally (cleaner and sanitizer residues) must be: Approved, legal and safe for use in foods Used at safe levels A food company will often require letters of guarantee or vender certification to help control the quality of incoming raw materials. Cleaner and sanitizer residuals are controlled though proper sanitation procedures and good rinsing. Non-food products should be stored separately from food products. Food ingredients should be stored in a cool, dry place in a sealed container. This helps to prevent growth of molds that can produce aflatoxins.

Physical Hazards Physical hazard: a hard foreign object that can cause illness or injury Inherent to the food or ingredient Contaminant during processing A physical hazard is a hard foreign object (bone, metal, glass) that can be harmful to a person’s health. Physical objects can cause illness, induce choking, break teeth, damage the digestive tract, etc. Physical hazards can be part of the food or added as a food ingredient. Just like chemical hazards, there is an acceptable limit (size) for a physical object. Physical hazards can also be introduced during harvesting, distribution, and processing.

Examples of Physical Hazards In the food or ingredients Bone fragments (ground beef) Feathers from animal carcass (turkey) Contamination during processing Stones, rocks, dirt in vegetables Metal from processing equipment (ground beef) Jewelry, fingernails (food handler) Many types of physical hazards can be present in foods. Physical hazards that are associated with the food include bone fragments or feathers from animal products. Stones, rocks and dirt are commonly found in foods that are grown close to the soil like fruits and vegetables. Metal is a common physical hazard that can be introduced during processing in cutting, slicing, or grinding operations. Physical hazards can be introduced from anything that comes in contact with the food. Physical hazards can come from the person that handles the food. Jewelry and fingernails are common physical hazards that may be present due to poor food handling.

Control of Physical Hazards Separate and remove physical objects Filter or sieve (meat grinder) Water bath (vegetables) Metal detector (all foods) Good employee practices (jewelry) Good sanitation and quality control programs The key to controlling physical hazards is to be able to find them if they are present and remove them. Physical objects are best removed by some kind of separation technique. Separation can be done in many ways: A filter or sieve can be used to remove physical objects such as in a meat grinder. The sieve plate allows small particles to pass and removes larger objects. A water bath can be used to remove debris such as rocks, stones, and dirt from fruits and vegetables. Heavy objects like stones and rocks fall to the bottom of the bath where they can be removed. When metal is a concern, a metal detector can be used. A metal detector can identify a food that contains a metal object so that food can be examined more closely. Good food handler training is needed since the food handler is an important source of physical hazards. Food handlers should be aware of the physical hazards that could be on their clothing or hands (such as jewelry and fake fingernails) and other items that could end up in food. A good sanitation program includes good procedure for cleaning and sanitizing equipment. Good sanitation also helps to reduce the possibility of physical hazards in the food.

Reference: www.Slideshare.com