Food Hygiene Complete Course 1st Lecture: Introduction to Food Hygiene and Food Poisoning Microorganisms. Food-Borne Illness. Food Contamination. Food Spoilage

1. By:
Dr. Waleed Foad
MSc.Public Health in Nutrition
Clinical Nutrition Specialist
European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ESGE)
Member of the American Society of Nutrition
Email: wfoad@outlook.com

2. Introduction to
Nutrition and Food Hygiene
 Some Definitions:
 Nutrition
 Hygiene
 Food Hygiene
 Food Spoilage
 Food Contamination
 Foodborne disease (Food Poisoning)
 Types and Characteristics of Microorganisms that affect Food.

3. Nutrition
 Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation
to the body’s dietary needs. 1
 Good nutrition: an adequate, well balanced diet is a
cornerstone of good health.
 Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased
susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental
development, and reduced productivity.
1. WHO. http://www.who.int/topics/nutrition/en/

4. Food Hygiene
 Hygiene refers to conditions and practices that help to maintain
health and prevent the spread of diseases.1
 Food hygiene are the conditions and measures necessary to
ensure the safety of food from production to consumption.2
 Food can become contaminated at any point during slaughtering
or harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, transportation and
preparation.
 Lack of adequate food hygiene can lead to food borne diseases
and death of the consumer.
1. WHO. http://www.who.int/topics/hygiene/en/
2. http://www.who.int/foodsafety/areas_work/food-hygiene/en/

5. Food Spoilage
 Definition: Changes in food, through physical, chemical,
enzyme deterioration or micro-organism growth, that lead to
the food becoming damaged, inedible or unsafe if eaten.
 The food has visible signs of deterioration which makes it
appear unpalatable or unpleasant.
 The rate of deterioration depends on a variety of factors.
 Contaminants may be already present in the food, e.g.
salmonella in chicken or transferred to the food by humans,
flies, rodents and other pests.

6. Example of Food Spoilage

7. Food Spoilage
This obvious deterioration in quality may be due to:
Poor storage Conditions e.g. Incorrect temperature
and/or humidity conditions which accelerates the
ripening process as a result of enzymes
Damage or bruising of food which exposes
surfaces to oxygen again accelerating the ripening
Action of microbes: bacteria, moulds or yeast

8. Food Contamination
 Definition: introduction or presence of any substance
or agent that might render food unsafe or unsuitable
for human consumption.
 Food contaminated with heavy metals or with naturally
occurring toxins can also cause long-term (Chronic)
health problems including cancer and neurological
disorders.1
1. WHO:
www.who.int/features/factfiles/food_safety/facts/en/index1.ht
ml

9. Hazards that can contaminate food
Food can be contaminated by the following three main hazard types:
 Physical contaminants (foreign objects): metal, wood, glass, ... etc.
 Chemical contaminants: bleach, detergents, pesticides, ..... etc.
 Biological contaminants e.g. Parasites (tape-worm), toxic
mushrooms or leaves, ...etc.
 Microbiological contaminants : bacteria, viruses, moulds and
parasites.
The contaminated food does not show signs of
contamination and looks, tastes and smells fine. It can cause
serious illness or death.

10. Food Poisoning
 Also called: Foodborne disease and Foodborne illness.1
 Definition: Illness caused by eating or drinking a
contaminated food or beverage.2
 A foodborne disease outbreak occurs when two or more
people get the same illness from the same
contaminated food or drink.
1. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/#
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/features/dsfoodborneoutbreaks/

11. Who has had food poisoning?

12. Why do we need to Know all that?
Costs associated with food poisoning
Business Level:
 Bad reputation.
 Loss of revenue.
 Business closure.
 Legal action and
penalties.
Customer Level:
 Human suffering.
 Medical expenses.
 Work absenteeism.
 Productivity loss.
 Permanent disability.
 Death.

13.  Bacteria are single-celled living micro-organisms. The most
common form of food poisoning is bacterial food poisoning.
 Micro-organisms occur naturally in the environment, on cereals,
vegetables, fruit, animals, people, water, soil and in the air.
 Most bacteria are harmless but a small number can cause illness.
 IMPORTANT: Food which is contaminated with food
poisoning micro-organisms can look, taste and smell normal.
Bacterial food poisoning

14. Bacterial food poisoning
 Some harmful bacteria are becoming resistant to drug
treatments.1
 Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global health concern.
Overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in agriculture and animal
husbandry, in addition to human clinical uses, is one of the
factors leading to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial
resistance.
 Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in animals may be transmitted to
humans via food.
1- WHO:
www.who.int/features/factfiles/food_safety/facts/en/index7.ht
ml

15. Symptoms of Bacterial Food Poisoning
Bacterial Food poisoning can be mild, moderate or severe.
The symptoms will be different depending on what type of bacteria
is responsible.
Common symptoms include:
 Nausea and Vomiting;
 Diarrhoea;
 Abdominal Pain;
 Tiredness and fatigue;
 Headache;
 Fever;
 Death in extreme cases

16. Bacterial food poisoning
 Occurs when a pathogen (Microorganism) or its toxin is
consumed.
 Mainly two types of Bacterial food poisoning:
1. Food intoxication
2. Foodborne Infection

17. Food intoxication
 Illness resulting from consumption of an exotoxin produced by
organisms growing in food product
 When food is ingested it is the toxin responsible for illness not organism
 Common causes of foodborne intoxication are
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Clostridium botulinum
• Clostridium perfringens
• Bacillus cereus

18. Staphylococcus aureus
 High risk foods
Meat, dairy products and poultry.
 Cooking and heating doesn’t destroy the toxin.
 Human carrier and lack of hygiene are the main causes.
 Signs and symptoms
Onset 1 – 6 hours. Severe vomiting, abdominal pain,
weakness and lower than normal temperature. This
usually lasts 1-2 days.

19. Clostridium Botulinum
 High risk foods
Inadequately processed canned meat, vegetables and fish (faulty
canning)
 Signs and symptoms
Onset 18-36 hours.
Muscle paralysis: Voice change, double vision, drooping eyelids,
severe constipation.
Death within a week or
a slow recovery over weeks or months.

20.  Paralytic disease caused by ingestion of a neurotoxin
 Produced by Clostridium botulinum
 Growth of organism or production of toxin may not result in
changes in taste or appearance of food
 Canning process designed to destroy endospores
 Processing errors can allow germination of endospores
 Errors extremely rare in commercial canning
 Home canned foods should be boiled for 10 to 15 minutes immediately
before consumption
 Heat destroys toxin
Botulism

21. Clostridium perfringens
 High risk foods
Raw or canned meat, unwashed vegetables.
 Signs and symptoms
Onset 6-24 hours. Abdominal pain, diarrhoea and nausea.
This usually lasts one day.

22. Bacillus cereus
 High risk foods
Diarrheal type: Meats, Milk, Vegetables and Fish.
Vomiting type: Rice, salads, potatoes, and noodles.
 Signs and symptoms
Watery Diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
Onset: 6 to 15 hours .
This usually lasts less than 24 hours.

23.  Foodborne infection requires consumption of living
organisms
 Symptoms do not appear for at least 12 hours after
ingestion
 Major symptom usually diarrhea
 Thorough cooking of food immediately before consumption
will kill organisms
 Prevent infection
 Foodborne illness commonly caused by
• Salmonella
• Campylobacter
• Escherichia coli
• Listeria Monocytogenes(LM)
Foodborne Infection

24. Salmonella
 High risk foods
Raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs,
and unwashed fruits and vegetables.
 Signs and symptoms
Onset 12 – 72 hours. Headache, general aching of limbs,
abdominal pain and diarrhoea, vomiting and fever. This
usually lasts 4 – 7 days, and rarely is fatal.

25. Campylobacter
 High risk foods
Drinking raw milk or
Eating raw or undercooked Meat,
shellfish and poultry.
 Signs and symptoms
Onset 2 – 5 days.
Diarrhoea (often Bloody), Fever, abdominal pain.
This usually lasts 2 – 10 days.

26. Escherichia coli (EHEC)
 Causes bloody diarrhea
 Onset is slow (3-8 days),
Duration 5-10 days
– E. coli O157:H7 responsible
for several large food
poisoning outbreaks
 Main sources:
Undercooked Ground
meats, unwashed fruits and
vegetables

27. Listeria Monocytogenes(LM)
 High risk foods
Unpasteurised milk and dairy products
Processed, ready-to-eat products e.g. Hot-dog, coleslaw,..etc
 Signs and symptoms
Ranges from mild, flu-like illness to meningitis, septicaemia,
pneumonia. During pregnancy may lead to miscarriage or birth of
an infected baby.
 Onset: 2-30 days

28. For Further Support:
Dr. Waleed Foad
Email: wfoad@outlook.com