Understanding Bacteria Bacteria Everywhere

Food Safety and the Battle with Bacteria  The United States has one of the most safest food supplies in world but there is always room for improvement  New 2011 statistics for foodbourne illness:  48 million cases of foodbourne illness in the U.S  128,000 cases of hospitalization  3,000 U.S. deaths due to foodbourne illness

Where do they come from?  Bacteria are found everywhere and under the right conditions they can multiple fast  Each bacterium contains all the genetic information needed to copy itself binary fission, a process in which the cells DNA doubles, the cell splits, and two independent cells are formed  Bacteria multiple through binary fission, a process in which the cells DNA doubles, the cell splits, and two independent cells are formed  1 million bacteria can fit inside 1 square inch  Single cell can become billions in one day!

Fascinating!!!

Rapid Growth  Is not usually a problem with good bacteria…however, when it comes to bad bacteria (a.k.a. pathogens) it is bad news for the victim  As pathogens multiple, some give off harmful toxins or become infectious  When pathogens enter the food and multiple…we get sick

12 Most Unwanted Bacteria  Campylobacter jejuni  Clostridium perfringens  Clostridium botulinum  Escherichia coli 0157:H7  Listeria monocytogenes  Salmonella enteritidis  Salmonella typhimurium  Shigella  Staphyloccus aureus  Vibrio cholerae  Vibrio vulnificus  Yersinia enterocolittica

Required Conditions for Bacterial Growth  Time/Temp  Nutrients  PH  Moisture

Time/Temperature

Nutrients  Bacteria need many of the same nutrients as humans in order to thrive (glucose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals)  Bacteria grow rapidly in high-protein foods like meat, poultry, eggs, dairy, and seafood

PH  Microorganisms thrive in a ph range above 4.6.  That’s why acidic foods like vinegar and citrus juices are not favorable for pathogenic bacteria to grow; however, they may survive

Moisture

The 4 C’s of Food Safety  Cook  Clean  Combating cross-contamination  Chill

Cooking  Kills bacteria by breaking down the cell walls and destroying enzymes, which they need to survive

Chilling  Slows down the bacteria’s metabolism thus slowing their growth. Not only can bacteria grow to large numbers and make people sick, but they can also spread everywhere. That’s where cleaning and combating cross- contamination come in

Cleaning  Removes bacteria from hands and surfaces  Wash hands, surfaces and utensils before, during and after handling foods

Combating Cross- Contamination  Separate raw meat, poultry, and fish/seafood from ready to eat foods  Prevents bacteria from spreading from one item to another  Wash hands after handling all foods and keep work surfaces (cut boards), utensils clean after each use, otherwise you are at risk of cross-contamination

Emerging Pathogens  Not only can bacteria multiply fast, but they can also mutate (adapt and evolve), a process that results in changes to their genetic code  These changes happen very slowly and can make the bacteria better able to survive  They can change harmless bacteria into harmful bacteria  This fact often possess a new genetic characteristic like antibiotic resistance

How Scientists Can Tell Good Bacteria from Harmful Bacteria  DNA-deoxyribonucleic acid is the genetic blueprint for all living things  DNA contains the information that gives living things their traits or characteristics  In bacteria, the DNA molecule encodes the information that enables bacteria to grow, reproduce, and cause illness

DNA Fingerprints  Scientists use DNA fingerprinting to identify similar groups of bacteria  DNA is treated so it exhibits its own special pattern  When there is an outbreak, scientists try to determine the source of bacteria in foods by examining the pathogens DNA fingerprint- match to other samples in other words