1. Consumer Concerns about Foods and Water
Chapter 19

2. Foodborne Illnesses Leading food-safety concern according to FDA
Number of food poisoning outbreaks
Most vulnerable populations
Foodborne infections
Food contaminated by infectious microbes
Food intoxications
Foods containing natural toxins or toxins produced by microbes

3. Common Foodborne Illnesses
Common Organism Name
Most Frequent Food Sources
Onset and General Symptoms
Prevention Methods*
Foodborne Infections
Campylobacter
(KAM-pee-loh-BAK-ter) bacterium
Raw and undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water
Onset: 2 to 5 days. Diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever; sometimes bloody stools; lasts 7 to 10 days
Cook foods thoroughly; use pasteurized milk; use sanitary food-handling methods.
E.coli: 0157:H7b bacterium
Undercooked ground beef, unpasteurized milk and juices, raw fruits and vegetables, contaminated water, and person-to-person contact
Onset: 1 to 8 days. Severe bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting; lasts 5 to 10 days.
Cook ground beef thoroughly; use pasteurized milk; use sanitary food-handling methods; use treated, boiled, or bottled water.
Norovirus
Person-to-person contact; raw foods, salads, sandwiches
Onset: 1 to 2 days. Vomiting; lasts 1 to 2 days.
Use sanitary food-handling methods.
Listeria (lis-TER-ee-AH) bacterium
Unpasteurized milk; fresh soft cheeses; luncheon meats, hot dogs
Onset: 1 to 21 days. Fever, muscle aches; nausea, vomiting. blood poisoning , complications in pregnancy, and meningitis (stiff neck, severe headache, and fever).
Use sanitary food-handling methods: cook foods thoroughly; use pasteurized milk.
Clostridium (klo-STRID-ee-um) perfringens (per-FRINGE-enz) Bacterium
Meats and meat products stored at between 120°F and 130°F
Onset: 8 to 16 hours. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea; lasts 1 to 2 days.
Use sanitary food-handling methods; use pasteurized milk; cook foods thoroughly; refrigerate foods promptly and properly.
Salmonella (sal-moh-NEL-ah) bacteria (>2300 types)
Raw or undercooked eggs, meats, poultry, raw milk and other dairy products, shrimp, frog legs, yeast, coconut, pasta, and chocolate
Onset: 1 to 3 days. Fever, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea; lasts 4 to 7 days; can be fatal.
Food Intoxications
Botulism (BOT-chew-lizm) Botulinum toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacterium. which grows without oxygen, in low-acid foods, and at temperatures between 40°F and 120°F; the botulinum (BOT-chew-line-um) toxin responsible for botulism is called botulin (BOT-chew-lin).
Anaerobic environment of low acidity (canned corn, peppers, green beans, soups, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, ripe olives, spinach, tuna, chicken, chicken liver, liver paté, luncheon meats, ham, sausage, stuffed eggplant, lobster, and smoked and salted fish)
Onset: 4 to 36 hours. Nervous system symptoms, including double vision, inability to swallow, speech difficulty, and progressive paralysis of the respiratory system; often fatal; leaves prolonged symptoms in survivors.
Use proper canning methods for low-acid foods; refrigerate homemade garlic and herb oils; avoid commercially prepared foods with leaky seals or with bent, bulging, or broken cans.
Do not give infants honey because it may contain spores of Clostridium botulinum which is a common source of infection for infants.
Staphylococcal (STAF-il-oh-KOK-al) food poisoning Staphylococcal toxin (produced by Staphylococcus aureus bacterium)
Toxin produced in improperly refrigerated meats; egg, tuna, potato, and macaroni salads; cream-filled pastries
Onset: 1 to 6 hours. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, fever; lasts 1 to 2 days.
Use sanitary food-handling methods; cook food thoroughly; refrigerate foods promptly and properly; use proper home-canning methods.
Toxoplasma (TOK-so-PLAZ-ma) parasite
Raw or undercooked meat: unwashed fruits and vegetables; contaminated water
Onset: 7 to 21 days. Swollen glands, fever, headache, muscle pain, stiff neck.
Use sanitary food-handling methods; cook foods thoroughly.
Table 19-1 Foodborne illnesses
NOTE: Travelers’ diarrhea is most commonly caused by E. coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Shigella, and Salmonella. a. The “How To” on pp. 628–629 provides more details on the proper handling, cooking, and refrigeration of foods. b. The most serious strain is E. coli STEC 0157:H7.

4. Food Safety in the Marketplace
Transmission of foodborne illness has changed
Errors in the commercial setting
Affects many more people than in the past
Industry controls
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system
Imported foods

5. Consumer Awareness State and local health regulations
Guidelines for cleanliness of facilities and safe preparation of food practices
Consumer actions when eating out
Improper food handling can occur anywhere on the line from manufacturer to consumer

6. Food Safety From Farm to Table
Figure 19-1 Food safety from farm to table

7. FARM PROCESSING TRANSPORTATION RETAIL TABLE Stepped Art
Workers must use safe methods of growing, harvesting, sorting, packing, and storing food to minimize contamination hazards.
FARM
Processors must follow FDA
guidelines concerning contamination, cleanliness, and education and training of workers and must monitor for safety at critical control points.
PROCESSING
Containers and vehicles transporting food must be clean. Cold food must be kept cold at all times.
TRANSPORTATION
Employees must follow the FDA’s
food code on how to prevent foodborne illnesses. Establishments must pass local health inspections and train staff in sanitation.
RETAIL
Consumers must learn and use sound principles of food safety as taught in this chapter. Be mindful that foodborne illness is a real possibility and take steps to prevent it.
TABLE
Figure Food Safety from Farm to Table
Stepped Art

8. Food Safety in the Kitchen
Keep a clean, safe kitchen
Avoid cross-contamination
Keep hot foods hot
Keep cold foods cold
Figure 19-2 Fight Bac!

9. Safe Handling of Meats and Poultry
Environment favors microbial growth
Ground meat is especially susceptible
More handling
More surface area
Cook meat thoroughly
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy

10. Meat and Poultry Safety, Grading, and Inspection Seals
Figure 19-3 Meat and poultry safety, grading, and inspection seals

11. Recommended Safe Temperatures (Fahrenheit)
Figure 19-4 Recommended safe temperatures (Fahrenheit)

12. Safe Handling of Seafood
Illnesses associated with undercooked or raw seafood
Raw oysters
Water pollution and seafood-borne illness
Other precautions
Odors

13. Safe Refrigerator Storage Times
1 to 2 Days
Raw ground meats, breakfast or other raw sausages, raw fish or poultry; gravies
3 to 5 Days
Raw steaks, roasts, or chops; cooked meats, poultry, vegetables, and mixed dishes; lunch-meats (packages opened); mayonnaise salads (chicken, egg, pasta, tuna); fresh vegetables (spinach, green beans, tomatoes)
1 Week
Hard-cooked eggs, bacon or hot dogs (opened packages); smoked sausages or seafood; milk, cottage cheese
1 to 2 Weeks
Yogurt; carrots, celery, lettuce
2 to 4 Weeks
Fresh eggs (in shells); lunchmeats, bacon, or hot dogs (packages unopened); dry sausages (pepperoni, hard salami); most aged and processed cheeses (Swiss, brick)
2 Months
Mayonnaise (opened jar); most dry cheeses (Parmesan, Romano)
Table 19-2 Safe refrigerator storage times

14. Food Safety While Traveling
Traveling to other countries
Risk of contracting foodborne illness is high
Traveler’s diarrhea
Different cleanliness standards for food and water
Every region’s microbes are different
No chance to develop immunity
Precautions while traveling
Summary: “boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it”

15. Advances in Food Safety
Irradiation – “cold pasteurization”
How it protects consumers
Foods approved for irradiation
Consumer concerns about irradiation
Regulation of irradiation
FDA
Radura label
Other pasteurization systems

16. Obtaining Nutrient Information
Nutrition labeling regulations
FDA
Minimizing nutrient losses
Cooking
Storing
Preparing

17. Environmental Contaminants
Harmfulness of environmental contaminants
Depends in part on its persistence
Lingers in body or environment
Bioaccumulation
Examples of contamination
Methylmercury: Minamata, Japan, 1953
PBB and PCB: Michigan 1973
Interactive effects of mercury and PCB
Damaging to brain function

18. Bioaccumulation of Toxins in the Food Chain
Figure 19-6 Bioaccumulation of toxins in the food chain

19. Arsenic Naturally occurring in the water, air, and soil
Arsenic-based pesticides commonly used in the United States until 1970
Apple juice contains trace amounts of arsenic
FDA is confident low levels are safe
FDA will take action if 10 parts per billion or greater is found

20. Consumer Guidelines
FDA regulates the presence of contaminants in foods
Mercury poisoning
Fish and other seafoods
Other toxins found in fish
EPA regulates commercial fishing
Farm-raised fish
Consider potential harm versus potential benefits from nutrients

21. Natural Toxicants in Foods
Goitrogens
Thyroid enlargement
Cyanogens
Laetrile
Lima beans and fruit seeds
Solanine
Potatoes
Removed by peeling the potato

22. Pesticides Ensure crop survival Hazards of pesticides
But leave residues in the environment
Hazards of pesticides
Vulnerable populations
Regulation of pesticides
EPA and FDA
Tolerance regulations
Pesticides from other countries
Levels generally unknown

23. Monitoring Pesticides
FDA
Collects and analyzes domestic and imported foods
May invoke certification requirement
Individual state regulation
Foods in the fields
Foods on the plate
“Market Basket Survey”

24. Consumer Concerns FDA: a monitoring agency Minimizing risks
Sets standards
Inspects about one percent of food entering the United States
Acts promptly when problems arise
Minimizing risks
Ingestion of pesticides depends on numerous factors

25. Tips to Minimize Pesticide Residues
When Shopping for Foods
Select fruits and vegetables that do not have holes.
Select a variety of foods to minimize exposure to any one pesticide.
Consider buying certified organic foods when shopping for produce most likely to be contaminated.
When Preparing Foods
Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing foods.
Trim the fat from meat, and remove the skin from poultry and fish; discard fats and oils in broths and pan drippings (pesticide residues concentrate in the animal's fat).
Wash fresh produce in warm running water, use a scrub brush, and rinse thoroughly.
Use a knife to peel an orange and grapefruit; do not bite into the peel.
Discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce.
Cut away damaged or bruised areas.
Wash fruits and vegetables before peeling to avoid transferring dirt and bacteria from the knife onto the produce. Peel waxed fruits and vegetables; waxes don’t wash off and can seal in pesticide residues.
Peel vegetables such as carrots and fruits such as apples when possible (peeling removes dirt, bacteria, and pesticides that remain in or on the peel, but also removes fibers, vitamins, and minerals).
Table 19-3 Tips to minimize pesticide residues and bacteria contamination

26. Pesticide Alternatives
Rotating crops
Releasing organisms into fields to destroy pest
Planting nonfood crops nearby to kill pests or attract them away from crops
Benefits and disadvantages of using alternative techniques

27. Organically Grown Crops
USDA regulations for organic designation
Product codes
Preceded by “9”
Reasons for buying organic
Popular fruit and vegetable pesticide residues
Nutritional differences of organics and other crops

28. Most and Least Pesticide-Contaminated Produce
Most Contaminated
Least Contaminated
Apples
Strawberries
Grapes
Celery
Peaches
Spinach
Bell peppers
Nectarines (imported)
Cucumbers
Potatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Hot peppers
Blueberries
Lettuce
Snap peas (imported)
Corn
Onions
Pineapples
Avocados
Cabbage
Peas
Papayas
Mangoes
Asparagus
Eggplant
Kiwi
Grapefruit
Cantaloupe
Sweet potatoes
Mushrooms
Table 19-4 Most and least pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables.
NOTE: These fruits and vegetables are ranked in order of their pesticide load.

29. Food Labels for Organic Products
Figure 19-7 Food labels for organic products

30. Food Additives Benefits Additives may be intentional or indirect
Food safety
Enhance nutrient quality
Prevent spoilage
Additives may be intentional or indirect
FDA regulation
Effective
Detectable and measurable in final food product
Safe

31. GRAS List Some items are exempt from FDA approval Delaney clause
Generally recognized as safe
Examples: salt, sugar, caffeine, some spices
List under ongoing review
Delaney clause
Addresses carcinogens in foods and drugs
Controversy regarding strictness
“Negligible risk” standard used instead of “zero-risk” policy

32. Margin of Safety Risks must be determined by research
Allowance in food 100 times below unsafe level
Risks versus benefits
FDA regulations against additive use that:
Disguises faulty products
Deceives the customer
Significantly destroys nutrients
Has an economical, sound process alternative

33. Intentional Food Additives
Ways in which food goes bad
Loses flavor and attractiveness
Becomes contaminated with microbes
Antimicrobial agents
Salt and sugar
Nitrites
Bacteriophages

34. Antioxidants and Color Additives
Vitamins C and E
Sulfites
BHA and BHT
Colors
Plant-derived
Artificial
Only a few remain on the approved list for use in foods

35. Artificial Flavors Natural flavors Artificial flavors Flavor enhancers
MSG
Sugar alternatives
Saccharin
Aspartame
Acceptable daily intake (ADI)

36. Texture and Stability Emulsifiers Gums Nutrient additives
Fortify or maintain nutritional quality
Examples
Appropriate uses

37. List of Intentional Food Additives
Purpose
Common Examples
Antimicrobials
Prevent food spoilage from microorganisms
Salt, sugar, nitrites and nitrates (such as sodium nitrate), bacteriophages
Antioxidants
Prevent oxidative changes in color, flavor, or texture and delay rancidity and other damage to foods caused by oxygen
Vitamin C (erythorbic acid, sodium ascorbate), vitamin E (tocopherol), sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium sulfite, sodium bisulfite, potassium bisulfite, sodium metabisulfite, potassium metabisulfite), BHA and BHT
Colors
Enhance appearance
Artificial: indigotine, erythrosine. tartrazine Natural: annatto (yellow), caramel (yellowish brown), carotenoids (yellowish orange), dehydrated beets (reddish brown), grape skins (red, green)
Flavors
Enhance taste
Salt, sugar, spices, artificial sweeteners, MSG
Emulsifiers and gums
Thicken, stabilize, or otherwise improve consistency and texture
Emulsifiers: lecithin, alginates, mono- and diglycerides
Gums: agar, alginates, carrageenan, guar, locust bean, psyllium, pectin, xanthan gum, gum arabic, cellulose derivatives
Nutrients (vitamins and minerals)
Improve the nutritive value by replacing vitamins and minerals lost in processing (enrichment) or adding vitamins or minerals that may be lacking in the diet (fortification)
Thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, folate, iron (in grain products); iodine (in salt); vitamins A and D (in milk); vitamin C and calcium (in fruit drinks); vitamin B12 (in vegetarian foods)
Table 19-5 Intentional food additives.

38. Indirect Food Additives
Acrylamide
Results from cooking carbohydrate-rich foods and asparagine at high temperatures
Carcinogen and genotoxicant
Quantities in foods below amounts that cause damage
Present in roasted coffee, French fries, potato chips, cereals, and cookies

39. Food Packaging Paper, plastic, coatings, and sealants Active packaging
Helps cook the food
Packaging components migrate into the food
Passive packaging
Simply holds the food as it cooks
Materials still migrate at high temperatures
Use only plastic wraps labeled as microwave-safe
BPA

40. Dioxins and Decaf Coffee
Chlorine treatment of wood pulp
Extremely toxic and likely to cause cancer
Human exposure to dioxins comes primarily from foods
Levels in bleached packaging are very low
Decaffeinated coffee
Methylene chloride

41. Hormones Bovine growth hormone (BGH) Antibiotics
FDA determination related to BGH
Antibiotics
FDA regulation
Antibiotic resistance

42. Consumer Concerns About Water
Sources of drinking water
Surface water
Readily contaminated
Contamination is reversible
Cleansing methods
Ground water
Slower rate of contamination
Contaminants remain for a long time

43. Water Systems and Regulations
Public water systems
Disinfectant (usually chlorine) is added to kill bacteria
EPA regulates
Water characteristics
Hard versus soft
Home water treatments
Activated carbon filters, ozonation, reverse osmosis, and distillation systems

44. Bottled Water FDA regulation Water quality varies Sources
Neither safer nor healthier than tap water
Water quality varies
Sources
Label requirements
Must identify source
Handling of bottled water

45. Food Biotechnology
Highlight 19

46. Biotechnology Benefits already realized from biotechnology
Leaner meats, longer shelf-lives, better nutrient composition, and greater crop yields
Opportunities
Overcome food shortages and eliminate disease
Possible risks
Environment
Human health

47. The Promises of Genetic Engineering
Selective breeding has been used for centuries
Slow and imprecise
Genetic engineering
Rapid and dramatic changes to agriculture
Faster and more refined

48. Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering Compared

49. Stepped Art for Traditional Selective Breeding
Traditional selective breeding combines many genes from two varieties of the same species to produce one with the desired characteristics.
In the new variety, many genes have been transferred. =
Donor
Commercial variety +
Desired gene
Desired gene
Figure H19-1 Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering Compared
Stepped Art for Traditional Selective Breeding

50. Stepped Art for Genetic Engineering
Through genetic engineering, a single gene (or several are) transferred from the same or different species to produce one with the desired characteristics.
In the new variety, only the desired gene is transferred. =
Donor
Commercial variety +
Desired gene
Desired
gene isolated
Figure H19-1 Selective Breeding and Genetic Engineering Compared
Stepped Art for Genetic Engineering

51. Benefits of Genetic Engineering
Extended shelf life
Improved nutrient composition
Biofortification
Efficient food processing
Save money and time
Efficient drug delivery
Genetically assisted agriculture
Environmental impact of pesticides

52. The Potential Problems and Concerns
Consumer concerns with “frankenfoods”
Disruption of natural ecosystems
Introduction of diseases
Introduction of allergens and toxins
Creation of biological weapons
Ethical dilemmas
Need for evidence
Need for international oversight

53. FDA Regulations FDA’s position
Foods produced through biotechnology or cloning not substantially different
GRAS
No special testing, regulation, or labeling
Current labeling by manufacturers is voluntary