1. Community Food Supply and Health
Chapter 13

2. Chapter 13 Community Food Supply and Health
The health of a community largely depends on the safety of its available food and water supply. The safety of food and water supply involves government control agencies and regulations + local and state public health officials Potential health problems related to the food supply can arise from several sources such as lack of sanitation, food borne disease, and poverty

3. Chapter 13 Community Food Supply and Health
KEY CONCEPTS
Modern food production, processing, and marketing have both positive and negative influences on food safety
Many organisms in contaminated food transmit disease
Poverty often prevents individuals and families from having adequate access to their surrounding community food supply.

4. Objectives
Be able to:
Identify government agencies that control food safety and health promotion
Identify food technology practices that affect the quality of food and food products
Describe food-borne diseases and their causes

5. Objectives
Describe food needs and food insecurity in America and funding for programs to meet these needs
Discuss food buying and handling practices for American families

6. Food Safety and Health Promotion
Government control agencies: goal – keeping food safe Several federal agencies now help to control food safety and quality US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) The primary governing body of the American food supply Enforcement of federal food-safety regulations Main government agency responsible for food safety

7. Food Safety and Health Promotion
FDA cont. Enforces food sanitation and quality control Controlling food additives Regulating food across state lines Maintaining the nutrition labeling of foods Consumer education Research – continues to evaluate foods and food components

8. Food Safety and Health Promotion
Development of food labels Early development of label regulations Mid 1960’s FDA est. “truth in packaging” regulations As food processing developed and the number of items grew, the labels also needed to have more nutrition information added. Food standards: “Standard of Identity” requires that labels on foods not having an established reference standard must list all the ingredients in the order of the amount found in the product Nutrition Information: describes a food item’s nutritional value

9. Nutritional Information
Background of present FDA label regulations: 2 factors influencing better food labels: Increase in the variety of food products entering the US marketplace Changing patterns of American food habits Current food label format: Figure 13- 2, p. 240 Nutrition Facts label + “percentage daily value” (%DV)

10. Nutritional Information
Health claims related to Nutrition Labels: Health claims that link nutrients or food groups with risk for disease are strictly regulated To make an association between a food product and a specific disease, the FDA must: Approve the claim The food must meet the criteria set forth for that specific claim The wording on the package must be approved

12. Food Technology
Rapid changes r/t social changes and scientific advances have affected the food-marketing system in our country Agriculture and food processing industries have developed various chemicals to increase and preserve the food supply. Concerns are being voiced about how these changes have affected food safety and the overall environment Such concerns are usually focused on pesticide use and food additives

13. Food Technology
Agricultural pesticides Reasons for use: improve crop yield and control destructive insects Problems- 4 main areas: pesticide residue on food Gradual leaching of chemicals in to ground and wells Increased exposure of farm workers to chemicals Increased chemicals as insects develop a tolerance to them

14. Food technology

15. Food Technology
Alternative agriculture Organic farming – Grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, sewage sludge, bioengineering, or ionizing radiation Includes organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products that are from animals raised without antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic farmers can still use natural pesticides and fertilizers

16. Food technology

17. Food Technology
Organic Farming cont. October 2002 – USDA recognized standards to identify certified “organic” food For a food to carry the USDA Organic Seal, the farm and processing plant where food was grown and packaged must have undergone government inspections and have met the strict organic USDA standards

18. Food technology
Using the “organic” label is voluntary; there is a fine of up to $10,000 for those who use the label without the certification
The costs of meeting FDA standards for the “organic” label can be high especially for small producers. Small farms and gardens may label organic produce as “pesticide-free” or use synonymous labeling – talk to your farmer!

19. Small produce stand

20. Food Technology
Terms not synonymous with “organic”: natural, hormone-free, free range “natural” – may be used on products that contain no artificial ingredients, coloring ingredients, or chemical preservatives; and the product and its ingredients are not more than minimally processed

21. Food Technology
“hormone-free” and “antibiotic- free” – these terms are not approved the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA. “raised without hormones” and “raised without antibiotics” are allowed provided that the producer is able to supply an affidavit attesting to the production practices employed that support the claim

22. Food Technology
Genetic modification – developing strains of genetically modified foods that reduce the need for toxic pesticides and herbicides More than 60% of processed foods contain some for of genetically modified ingredients. E.g. seedless oranges and watermelons Genetically engineered crops are tested extensively on composition, safety and environmental effects Many governmental institutions are involved in the strict regulation of genetically modified foods in commercial use

23. Food Technology
GMO corn may be resistant to disease, have a more uniform appearance and bigger size, but they are very new foods in the human diet and environment

24. Food Technology
Irradiation Can kill bacteria and parasites on food after harvest- kills E.coli, salmonella, campylobacter and Listeria, etc. Can help prevent food- borne illnesses Irradiation can be used to increase the shelf-life of produce

25. Food Technology
Foods that are irradiated: Have essentially unaltered nutritional value Are not radioactive Have no harmful substances introduced May taste slightly different Foods approved for irradiation in the U.S.: meat, poultry, grains, some seafood, fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices

26. Food Technology Irradiation cont.
Consumer rejection in the US and around the world is attributed mainly the result of altered taste and concern about unknown long-term affects on human health
Irradiation also introduced trans fats into meats – a known health risk

27. Food Technology
Food additives – Chemicals added to prevent spoilage and extend shelf-life Most common additives: sugar and salt The current variety of food market items would be impossible without additives

28. Food technology Why food additives? Expanding population
Greater work force
More complex family life
These have increased the desire for more variety and convenience in foods, as well as better safety and quality

29. Food Technology Food additives cont. What do food additives do?
Enrich foods with added nutrients
Produce uniform qualities
Stabilize functional factors (e.g. thickening, keeping parts separated)
Preserve foods by preventing oxidation
Control acidity or alkalinity to improve flavor, texture, and the cooked product.
Table p.246 chart of food additives

30. Food-borne Disease
Prevalence of food-borne disease Public Health Service estimates 76 mil people become sick because of food-borne illness  325,000 hospitalizations Most common infections in home and community breakouts: Salmonella, campylobacter, Shigella, and cryptosporidium

31. Food-borne disease
Food sanitation – control of food- borne disease focuses on strict sanitation and rigid personal hygiene
Buying and storing food – Food should be good quality and not defective or diseased.
Dry or cold storage should protect it from deterioration or decay. Food should be stored in fridge at 40 degrees F or lower

32. Food-borne Disease
Food Sanitation cont. Be careful at critical points: CLEAN: wash hands and surfaces often SEPARATE: Do not cross-contaminate COOK: Cook to proper temperature CHILL: Refrigerate promptly

33. Food-borne disease Clean clothing/aprons Hand washing
Preparing and serving food – follow strict measures to prevent contamination:
Clean clothing/aprons
Hand washing
Basic rules of hygiene
Persons with infectious disease should have limited access to direct food handling: Typhoid Mary

34. Food-borne Disease
Food Contamination Food-borne illness can present itself as flulike S/S.  lethal illness Harmful bacteria to humans are “pathogens” Bacterial Food Infections Salmonellosis- caused by Salmonella Grow readily in: Milk, custard, egg dishes, salad dressing, sandwich fillings, seafood from polluted waters (such as oysters and clams); unsanitary handling of food can also spread the bacteria

35. Food-borne Disease Salmonellosis cont.
Other safety practices: immunization, pasteurization, and sanitary regulations involving community water and food supplies as well as food handlers help control outbreaks
S/S: Gastroenteritis: May develop slowly ( 72 hrs). Mild to severe diarrhea, cramps vomiting; usually lasts 4 – 7 days

36. Food-borne Disease
Shigellosis – caused by Shigella dysenteriae bacteria Grows easily in: milk; spread by unsanitary handling of food, feces, fingers, flies S/S. Usually confined to the large intestine –Mild diarrhea to fatal dysentery in younger kids; cramping, fever, vomiting, blood or mucous in stools Incubation period 1-7 days; duration 2-7 days More common in the summer and among young children

37. Food-borne illness

38. Food-borne Disease
Listeriosis – caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes Widely occurs in the environment and affects high risk individuals – e.g. Elderly, pregnant women, infants, patients with suppressed immune systems Can produce rare but often fatal illness: diarrhea, flulike fever and headache, sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis, and endocarditis

39. Food-borne disease
Tracked back to foods like: soft cheese, poultry, seafood, raw milk, commercially broken and refrigerated raw whole eggs, and meat products
Mild diarrhea, fever, headaches, pneumonia – last 3 to 21 days

40. Food-borne Disease Ingestion of toxin  rapid development of S/S.
Bacterial Food Poisoning – caused by the ingestion of bacterial toxins that have been produced in the food by the growth of specific kinds of bacteria before the food is eaten
Ingestion of toxin  rapid development of S/S.
2 types of bacterial food poisoning most common:
Staphylococcal
Clostridial

41. Food-borne Disease
Staphylococcal food poisoning –
Most common form of food poisoning
Symptoms appear suddenly
Severe cramping and abdominal pain with n/v/d + Headache, fever, sweating; sometimes prostration and shock
Source: usually a staph infection on the hand of a worker preparing food

42. Food-borne Disease Staphylococcal food poisoning cont.
Foods that are particularly effective carriers for this bacteria and its toxin:
Custard or cream-filled bakery goods
Processed meats, ham, tongue
Cheese, ice cream
Potato salad, sauces, chicken salad, and other combination dishes
Heating kills the bacteria but NOT the toxin

43. Food-borne Disease
Staphylococcal food poisoning cont.
Food that are particularly effective carriers for this bacteria:
Custard or cream-filled bakery goods; processed meats, ham, tongue, cheese, ice cream, potato salad, sauces, chicken salad, and other combination dishes

44. Food-borne disease
Staphylococcal food poisoning- Heating kills the bacteria but not the toxin 

45. Food-borne Disease
Clostridial food poisoning: caused by: Clostridium Perfringens and C. Botulinum Spores are wide-spread in the environment C. Perfringens multiplies in cooked meat and meat dishes; develops its toxin in food held at warm or room temperature for extended periods of time

46. Food-borne disease
Clostridial food poisoning
Outbreaks reported in: restaurants, college dining rooms, and school cafeteria. In most cases, meat was improperly prepared or refrigerated

47. Food-borne Disease
Clostridial food poisoning cont. C. Botulinum – causes far more serious, often fatal food poisoning (“botulism”). Mortality rates are high. Symptoms can start as mild discomfort  death in 24 hrs. Initial c/o: n/v, weakness, and dizziness The toxin progressively irritates motor nerve cells and blocks transmission of neural impulses  paralysis Found mostly in improperly canned foods Anaerobic (can live w/o oxygen); the relatively air- free can and the canning temperatures provide good conditions for toxin production Boiling for 10 minutes destroys the toxin (not the spore)

48. Food-borne Disease
Viruses: illnesses produced by viral contamination of food are fewer than those produced by bacterial sources Include: URIs and viral infectious Hepatitis (due to fecal contamination of milk, water or food in schools, towns, and communities)

49. Food-borne disease
Parasites – 2 worms are of serious concern in relation to food:
Roundworms: Trichina or Trichinella found in pork
Flatworms such as the common tapeworms in beef and pork

50. Food-borne disease
Trichinella: Control measures: 1. Laws controlling hog and cattle food sources and pastures to prevent transmission of the parasites to the meat produced for market, and
2. avoidance of rare beef or undercooked pork as an added personal precaution

51. Food-borne disease
Trichinella

52. Food-borne Disease
Environmental Food Contaminants Heavy metals (lead, mercury) Chief source of lead contamination: lead in paint; children eat paint chips; water coming through lead pipes Permanent neurologic damage can occur from elevated lead exposure and levels in their body

53. Food and water-borne disease
Natural Toxins –
produced by plants or microorganisms
E.g. mercury, found naturally in the environment is converted to methyl mercury (a toxin) by bacteria; can pass through the food chain to humans. Toxins contaminate large bodies of water & the fish in them
Other food contaminants leach out into the ground and contaminate food- production areas and water supply (from sewage, factories, fertilizers)

54. Food Needs and Costs
Hunger and malnutrition Worldwide malnutrition – chronic food or nutrient shortages within a population perpetuates the ‘cycle of malnutrition’ Contributing factors: Lack of sanitation Cultural inequality Overpopulation Economic and political structures that do not appropriately use resources

55. Food needs and costs Total kcal deficit or single nutrient deficiency.
May also result from:
Total kcal deficit or single nutrient deficiency.
Most common deficiencies in the world today are protein-energy malnutrition, Vit A deficiency, iodine and iron - deficiency

56. Food Needs and Costs
Malnutrition in America – “Food insecurity”: limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways”

57. Food Needs and Costs
Individuals at highest risk: African-Americans, Hispanics, single mothers, and households in central city and non-metropolitan areas
Implicated factors:
Land management practices
Water distribution
Food production and distribution policies
Food assistance programs for individuals and families in need

58. Food needs and cost
Food assistance programs - Commodity Supplemental Food Program - SNAP: food cards to last one month -Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Provides nutritional supplementation, education, counseling, and referrals for health care and social services to women who are pregnant or postpartum and to their infants and children under 5 Food vouchers

59. Food needs and costs National School Lunch,
Breakfast, and Special Milk Programs – services low-income children
Nutrition Services Incentive Program – provides cash or commodities for the delivery of nutritious meals to elderly persons

60. Food Buying and Handling Practices
For many American families, the problem is spending their limited food dollars wisely. Suggested wise shopping and handling practices may help: Planning ahead – shopping list! [Controls impulse buying ] Buying wisely – read labels, look for sale items; try farmers’ markets, consumer coops, and gardens for fresh foods Storing food safely – to control food waste and prevent illness Cooking food well – use cooking processes that retain maximum food value and maintain food safety.

61. Food and Health Practices