3. Section Goals
• List the types of • List the major
pathogens which cause foodborne illnesses,
foodborne illness. their characteristics and
• List the factors that methods of prevention.
affect the growth of • List additional biological
bacteria. hazards to food safety
• List the foods most along with their
likely to become unsafe. characteristics and
prevention methods.
4. Definitions
• TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) Foods – TCS foods
are those items for which time & temperature control are
vital in order to ensure the safety of the food.
• Toxin – A poison produced by a living organism.
• Spore –A form adopted by some bacteria allowing them
to survive for extended periods of time in unfavorable
conditions. They can change back and begin growing
again once conditions are more favorable.
5. Pathogens
Most microorganisms are harmless. Some are even
beneficial. But others (Pathogens) can cause illness.
Some pathogens can make you sick. Other pathogens
can produce poisons (toxins) that make you sick.
Pathogens include:
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Fungi
6. Foods Most Likely to Become Unsafe
Though any food can be contaminated, certain foods are
better for the growth of pathogens. These foods are
known as TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) foods.
• Meat, Fish & Shellfish & Poultry
• Eggs, Milk & Dairy Products
• Soy products and Synthetic Meat Replacements
• Cooked Plant Foods
• Sprouts and sprout seeds
• Untreated Garlic-and-Oil mixtures
• Sliced Melons & Tomatoes
7. Characteristics of TCS Foods
These TCS Foods tend to have some common
characteristics. In general, they are either historically
prone to be involved in foodborne illness outbreaks or
are:
• High in protein.
• Moist
• Neutral to slightly acidic.
8. Controlling Pathogen Growth
To control the growth of pathogens you need to
keep food at the right temperature. An example of
this might be refrigerating potato salad or placing
soup into a hot-holding unit for service.
Like TCS foods, ready-to-eat foods also need careful
handling to avoid contamination. Already cooked
foods, deli-meats and cheeses, baked goods and
washed fruits & vegetables are easily
contaminated.
9. Types of Pathogens
There are four types of pathogens that can
contaminate food and cause foodborne illness.
• Viruses
• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Fungi
10. Viruses
Viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness. When
customers get sick from food contaminated by viruses, it’s
usually because their food was handled by an employee who
has that virus.
Virus Facts:
• Viruses can survive refrigerator and freezer temperatures.
• Viruses can contaminate food and water.
• Viruses do not grow in food but once eaten can grow in a
person’s intestines.
• Viruses can be transferred from person to person, person to
food, or person to food-contact surface.
11. Preventing Foodborne Illnesses caused
by Viruses
There are several ways to help prevent the spread of
viruses within your operation.
• Keep foodhandlers who are vomiting, have diarrhea, or
jaundice out of the operation.
• Ensure that foodhandles wash their hands properly.
• Eliminate bare-hand-contact with ready-to-eat food.
The viruses of most concern to us are
Hepatitis A & Norovirus.
12. Disease: Hepatitis A
Caused by: Hepatitus A Virus
Foods commonly involved: Prevention measures:
Ready-to-eat foods Keep employees diagnosed
Shellfish from with Hepatitis A and
contaminated water employees with jaundice
out of the operation
Proper handwashing
Eliminate bare-hand
contact with ready-to-eat
food.
Purchase shellfish from an
approved reputable
supplier.
13. Disease: Norovirus Gastroenteritis
Caused by: Norovirus
Foods commonly involved: Prevention measures:
Ready-to-eat foods Keep employees diagnosed
Shellfish from with Norovirus and
contaminated water employees with diarrhea or
vomiting out of the
operation
Proper handwashing
Eliminate bare-hand
contact with ready-to-eat
food.
Purchase shellfish from an
approved reputable
supplier.
14. Bacteria
Though viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness, bacteria also cause
many cases of foodborne illness.
Pathogenic bacteria need six things in order to grow. Together these factors
are known by the acronym, FAT TOM.
• Food.
• Acidity.
• Temperature
• Time
• Oxygen.
• Moisture
15. FAT TOM
FOOD ACIDITY
Pathogens require a
source of energy like Pathogens grow best in
protein or low acid or neutral
carbohydrates. environments.
16. FAT TOM (continued)
TEMPERATURE TIME
Pathogens grow well Pathogens need time to
between 41⁰ F and 135⁰ grow. After food is in the
F. This range is known as temperature danger zone
The Temperature Danger for four hours, it can
Zone. make someone ill.
17. FAT TOM (continued)
OXYGEN MOISTURE
Some pathogens need Pathogens need
oxygen to grow while moisture in order to
others will only grow in grow.
the absence of oxygen.
18. Bacteria
• Most bacteria are controlled by controlling time and
temperature.
• If FAT TOM conditions are right bacteria can multiply
every twenty minutes.
• Bacteria can survive by temporarily changing into
spore form when conditions are unfavorable.
• Some bacteria make toxins as they grow and die.
Cooking and freezing may not destroy these toxins.
20. Disease: Listeriosis
Caused by: Listeria Monocytogenes
Foods commonly involved: Prevention measures:
Raw meats Cook raw meat to its
Unpasteurized dairy proper temperature.
products Throw out any product
Ready-to-eat foods such past its expiration or use
as deli meats, hot dogs & by date.
soft cheeses Prevent cross
contamination.
Do not use unpasteurized
dairy products
21. Disease: Hemorrhagic Colitis
Caused by: Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) O157:H& et al.
Foods commonly involved: Prevention measures:
Ground Beef Cook ground beef to its
Contaminated produce proper temperature.
Prevent cross
contamination.
Buy produce from an
approved reputable
supplier.
Keep employees
diagnosed with
hemorrhagic colitis out of
the operation.
24. Disease: Salmonellosis
Caused by: Salmonella spp
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Cook poultry and eggs
Poultry to their proper
Eggs temperatures.
Dairy Prevent cross
Produce contamination.
Keep foodhandlers
diagnosed with
Salmonellosis out of the
operation.
25. Disease: Shigellosis
Caused by: Shigella spp
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: (Proper Hygiene)
Foods easily Keep foodhandlers who
contaminated by hands have diarrhea out of the
such as ready-to-eat operation.
foods. Wash hands properly.
Foods that have come Keep foodhandlers
in contact with diagnosed with
contaminated water Shigellosis out of the
operation.
26. Disease: Staphylococcal Gastroenteritis
Caused by: Staphylococcus Aureus
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: (Proper Hygiene)
Foods easily Wash hands properly.
contaminated by hands Cover wounds on the
such as ready-to-eat hands and arms.
foods.
27. Disease: Vibrio Gastroenteritis and Vibrio Vulnificus
Primary Scepticemia
Caused by: Vibrio Vulnificus and Vibrio
Parahaemolyticus
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Cook oysters to their
Oysters from minimum internal
contaminated waters. temperature.
28. Parasites
Though illnesses from parasites are not as
widespread as those from viruses or bacteria it is still
important to guard against the threat they pose.
• Parasites can contaminate both food & water.
• Parasites cannot grow in food. They need to be in the
flesh of an animal to grow and survive.
• The best defense against parasites is to purchase
food from approved, reputable suppliers.
29. Disease: Anisakiasis
Caused by: Anisakis Simplex
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Cook fish to proper
Raw and undercooked temperatures.
fish including: herring, If serving raw or
cod, halibut, mackerel & undercooked fish,
Pacific salmon purchase sushi-grade
fish.
30. Disease: Cryptosporidiosis
Caused by: Cryptosporidium Parvum
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Use properly treated
Contaminated water & water.
produce. Keep foodhandlers with
diarrhea out of the
operation.
Wash hands.
31. Disease: Giardiasis
Caused by: Giardia Duodenalis
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: (Time & Temperature)
Contaminated water & Use properly treated
produce. water.
Keep foodhandlers with
diarrhea out of the
operation.
Wash hands.
32. Fungi
Fungi are known primarily for spoiling food but some
can make people sick. They can be found in air,
water, soil, plants and some food. Mold & yeast are
the two fungi of primary concern.
33. Molds
Molds spoil food and sometimes cause illness. Some
molds produce toxins, such as aflatoxins.
• Molds grow well in acidic foods with little or no moisture,
such as jams & jellies and in salty meats like bacon,
salami and ham.
• Throw out moldy food unless mold is a natural part of
the product.
• The FDA recommends that mold on hard cheese, salami
and firm produce may be cut away at least one inch (2.5
centimeters) around the moldy area.
34. Yeasts
Yeasts can spoil foods quickly. Signs of spoilage
include a smell or taste of alcohol. The yeast itself
may appear as a white or pink discoloration or slime
and may bubble. Like molds, yeasts grow well in
acidic foods with little moisture, such as jams &
jellies, syrup, honey and fruit and fruit juices.
• Discard any food that shows signs of yeast spoilage.
35. Seafood Toxins
Seafood toxins cannot be smelled or tasted nor can
they be destroyed by freezing or cooking.
• Fish Toxins may be a natural part of the fish or made
by pathogens on the fish. Others occur when a
predatory fish eats a smaller, contaminated fish that
has consumed a toxin.
• Shellfish Toxins can contaminate shellfish when they
consume contaminated marine algae.
36. Disease: Scromboid Poisoning
Caused by: Histamine
When Scromboid fish are time and temperature abused,
bacteria on the fish make the toxin, histamine. This toxin
cannot be destroyed by cooking, freezing, smoking, or
curing.
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Prevent time &
Scromboid fish: tuna, temperature abuse.
bonito, mackerel, and
mahi-mahi.
37. Disease: Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
Caused by: Ciguatoxin
Ciguatoxin can be found in certain marine algae. It can
build up in larger fish when they eat smaller fish that
have eaten these algae. Symptoms of Ciguatera poisoning
can last for months or years.
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Purchase fish from an
Predatory tropical reef approved reputable
fish: baracuda. snapper, supplier.
grouper, and jacks.
38. Disease: Shellfish Poisoning (Paralytic, Neurotoxic,
or Amnesic)
Caused by: Saxitoxin (paralytic), Brevetoxin
(neurotoxic), or Domoic Acid (amnesic)
Foods commonly Prevention measures:
involved: Purchase shellfish from
Clams, Mussels, approved, reputable
Oysters, and Scallops. suppliers.
39. Mushroom Toxins
Almost all cases of mushroom-borne illnesses
happen when amateur mushroom hunters collect
and serve wild mushrooms. Often toxic and edible
mushrooms appear nearly identical to one another.
• Mushroom toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or
freezing.
• Only use mushrooms that are grown by and
purchased from approved, reputable suppliers.
40. Plant Toxins
Illnesses caused by plant toxins occur when products are
purchased from unapproved sources or if a particular
product is not cooked or handled correctly. Here are
some of the items that can make people sick.
• Toxic plants may be confused for their edible versions,
like fool’s parsley or wild turnips.
• Honey gathered from bees that have harvested toxic
nectar is toxic.
• Undercooked kidney beans can make people ill.
Hello and welcome to AtTheInstitute.com’s online preparatory course for the National Restaurant AssociationServSafe Manager Certification Exam.
This is section two of the online course: The Microworld.
In this section you will learn to: List the types of pathogens which cause foodborne illness.List the factors that affect the growth of bacteria.List the foods most likely to become unsafe.List the major foodborne illnesses, their characteristics and methods of prevention.List additional biological hazards to food safety along with their characteristics and prevention methods.
Just a few definitions you’ll need to know before beginning.TCS (Temperature Control for Safety) Foods – TCS foods are those items for which time & temperature control are vital in order to ensure the safety of the food.Toxin – Toxins are poisons produced by a living organism.Spore –A spore is a form adopted by some bacteria allowing them to survive for extended periods of time in unfavorable conditions. They can change back and begin growing again once conditions are more favorable.
Most microorganisms are harmless. Some are even beneficial. But others (Pathogens) can cause illness. Some pathogens can make you sick. Other pathogens can produce poisons (toxins) that make you sick.Pathogens include:VirusesBacteriaParasitesFungiMany viruses, bacteria & parasites can not bee seen, smelled or tasted. On the other hand, some fungi (like mold) can change the appearance, taste and smell of food – though they may or may not cause illness.
[Read slide text]
TCS Foods tend to have some common characteristics. In general, they are either historically prone to be involved in foodborne illness outbreaks or are:High in protein.MoistNeutral to slightly acidic.
To control the growth of pathogens you need to keep food at the right temperature. An example of this might be refrigerating potato salad or placing soup into a hot-holding unit for service. Like TCS foods, ready-to-eat foods also need careful handling to avoid contamination. Already cooked foods, deli-meats and cheeses, baked goods and washed fruits & vegetables are easily contaminated.
As we’ve already noted, there are four types of pathogens. They are: viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi.
Viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness. When customers get sick from food contaminated by viruses, it’s usually because their food was handled by an employee who has that virus.Here’s some Virus Facts:Viruses can survive refrigerator and freezer temperatures.Viruses can contaminate food and water.Viruses do not grow in food but once eaten can grow in a person’s intestines.Viruses can be transferred from person to person, person to food, or person to food-contact surface.readslide text]
There are several ways to help prevent the spread of viruses within your operation.Keep foodhandlers who are vomiting, have diarrhea, or jaundice out of the operation.Ensure that foodhandles wash their hands properly.Eliminate bare-hand-contact with ready-to-eat food.The viruses of most concern to us are Hepatitis A & Norovirus.
This table lists the foods commonly involved in a Hepatitis A outbreak and some ways to prevent such incidents. Familiarize yourself with these foods and with the prevention measures.[read slide text]
This table lists the foods commonly involved in a Norovirus outbreak and some ways to prevent such incidents. Again, you’ll need to know these foods and the appropriate prevention measures.[read slide text]
Though viruses are the leading cause of foodborne illness, bacteria also cause many cases of foodborne illness. Pathogenic bacteria need six things in order to grow. Together these factors are known by the acronym, FAT TOM.Food.Acidity.TemperatureTimeOxygen.Moisture
[read slide text]
[read slide text]
[read slide text]
Bacteria that cause foodborne illness have some basic characteristics:Most bacteria are controlled by controlling time and temperature.If FAT TOM conditions are right bacteria can multiply every twenty minutes.Bacteria can survive by temporarily changing into spore form when conditions are unfavorable.Some bacteria make toxins as they grow and die. Cooking and freezing may not destroy these toxins.
As with the viral diseases, you’ll need to know the foods involved with each bacterial disease and some basic prevention methods.[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
Note: The next two diseases are closely associated with poor personal hygiene practices.[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
[read bacteria and disease name and slide text]
Lastly there are the “Virbio-related” diseases from oysters. These diseases are best prevented by cooking oysters to their safe, minimum internal temperature. We’ll learn this temperature (and many others) in coming sections.
Though illnesses from parasites are not as widespread as those from viruses or bacteria it is still important to guard against the threat they pose.Parasites can contaminate both food & water.Parasites cannot grow in food. They need to be in the flesh of an animal to grow and survive.The best defense against parasites is to purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers.
As with Viruses and Bacteria, here are some charts showing some diseases caused by parasites and their prevention measures:[read disease and parasite name and slide text]
[read disease and parasite name and slide text]
[read disease and parasite name and slide text]
So far, we’ve looked at viruses, bacteria and parasites that cause foodborne illness. Now we’ll take a look at Fungi. Remember fungi only sometimes make people sick.Fungi are known primarily for spoiling food but some can make people sick. They can be found in air, water, soil, plants and some food. Mold & yeast are the two fungi of primary concern.
Molds spoil food and sometimes cause illness. Some molds produce toxins, such as aflatoxins.Molds grow well in acidic foods with little or no moisture, such as jams & jellies and in salty meats like bacon, salami and ham.Throw out moldy food unless mold is a natural part of the product.The FDA recommends that mold on hard cheese, salami and firm produce may be cut away at least one inch (2.5 centimeters) around the moldy area.
Yeasts can spoil foods quickly. Signs of spoilage include a smell or taste of alcohol. The yeast itself may appear as a white or pink discoloration or slime and may bubble. Like molds, yeasts grow well in acidic foods with little moisture, such as jams & jellies, syrup, honey and fruit and fruit juices.Discard any food that shows signs of yeast spoilage.
Though pathogens are the most likely cause of foodborne illness, Biological Toxins can also make people sick and so, must be prevented. We’ll start with seafood toxins. Seafood toxins cannot be smelled or tasted nor can they be destroyed by freezing or cooking.Fish Toxins may be a natural part of the fish or made by pathogens on the fish. Others occur when a predatory fish eats a smaller, contaminated fish that has consumed a toxin.Shellfish Toxins can contaminate shellfish when they consume contaminated marine algae.
[read disease name, cause and slide text]
[read disease name, cause and slide text]
Additionally, we have shellfish poisons associated with mollusks. These diseases are best prevented by purchasing shellfish from approved, reputable suppliers.
And last but not least we have mushroom and plant toxins: Almost all cases of mushroom-borne illnesses happen when amateur mushroom hunters collect and serve wild mushrooms. Often toxic and edible mushrooms appear nearly identical to one another.Mushroom toxins cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing.Only use mushrooms that are grown by and purchased from approved, reputable suppliers.
[read slide text]Remember to purchase only from approved, reputable suppliers, then handle, cook and hold ingredients correctly.
All of the information provided can be found in The National Restaurant Association’s, ServSafe Essentials, 5th Edition with 2009 FDA Food Code Updates.For more information check them out online at www.servsafe.com.
Please take this opportunity to complete the review questions for this section before continuing on to section Three of the course.For AtTheInstitute.com, this is [your name]. Feel free to send us comments and feedback by email at feedback@AtTheInstitute.com.
