Chapter 6: Food Safety &
Sanitation
Sources of Food Bourne Illness
Sources of Food Bourne Illness
Key Terms:
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Contaminant
Contaminated food
Physical Contaminant
Chemical contaminant
Biological contaminant
Pathogen
Microorganism
• Incubation period
• Bacteria
• Potentially hazardous
foods
• Virus
• Transmit
• Parasite
• Host
Sources of Food Bourne Illness
• A contaminant is a substance in food that
does not belong to food
• Contaminants in food can cause:
– Illness
– Death
Sources of Food Bourne Illness
• Contaminated food is food that contains
contaminants.
• The three types of contaminants are:
– Physical
– Chemical
– Biological
Physical Contaminants
• A physical contaminant is an item that
accidentally gets into food
• Examples include:
– Hair
– Insects
– Fingernails
– Metal
– Glass
• Physical contaminants can cause serious injury
Chemical Contaminants
• A chemical contaminant is a chemical that is
toxic or not usually found in food.
• There are several types of chemical
contaminants such as:
– Pesticides (bug killers)
– Cleaning Agents (bleach, ammonia, silver polish)
– Metals in solution (ex. copper, lead, and cadmium)
Chemical Contaminants
• Any cleaning chemical accidently used in a
food would cause immediate and severe
illness
• Chemical contaminants can cause cancer and
nervous disorders
Biological Contaminants
• Biological contaminants are responsible for most
cases of foodborne illness.
• A biological contaminant is a microscopic living
substance that accidently gets into food.
• Types of biological contaminants include:
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Bacteria
Parasites
Viruses
Molds
Fungi
Biological Contaminants
• A biological contaminant that causes disease
is called a pathogen.
• Pathogens are sometimes called diseasecausing microorganisms.
• A microorganism is a living substance so small
that you must use a microscope to see it.
Biological Contaminants
• Not all microorganisms cause disease or are
biological contaminants.
• Many microorganisms are used to create tasty
and healthful foods.
– Example: Yeast
• There are three groups of pathogens that are
responsible for foodborne illnesses:
– Bacteria
– Viruses
– Parasites
Biological Contaminants
• The five main symptoms of foodborne
illnesses caused by pathogens are:
– Nausea
– Vomiting
– Diarrhea
– Cramps
– Fever
Biological Contaminants
Type
Organism Name
Incubation Period
Bacteria
Clostridium botulinum
12 to 36 hours
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
2 to 5 days
Salmonella
6 to 48 hours
Staphylococcus aureus
2 to 4 hours
Hepatitis virus A
10 to 50 days
Norwalk virus
1 to 2 days
Cryptosporidium parvum
2 to 10 days
Cyclospora cayetanesis
7 days
Trichinella spiralis
4 to 28 days
Virus
Parasite
*The incubation period is the length of time between ingesting
the pathogen and the appearance of symptoms.
Bacteria
• Bacteria are the most common cause of
foodborne illnesses that managers are
concerned with.
• Bacteria are single-celled, microscopic
organisms that grow rapidly under ideal
conditions.
• Not all bacteria cause disease or harmful to
humans.
Bacteria
• Foods in which bacteria grow well are called
potentially hazardous foods.
• The foods can be raw or cooked, and include:
– Meat
– Poultry
– Fish
– Shellfish
– Eggs
– Dairy Products
Bacteria
• Temperatures between
40°F to 140°F are called
the temperature danger
zone
• Room temperature is a
temperature around 70°F.
– Room temperature is in
the danger zone.
Viruses
• A virus is a microorganism that reproduces in
the cells of other living things.
• Viruses are much, much smaller than bacteria.
• Foods can transmit viruses to people.
• Transmit means to carry from one place to
another
• People can transmit viruses to each other.
Parasites
• A parasite is an organism that must live in
another living thing in order to survive.
• The living thing that a parasite lives in is called a
host.
• A host can be a person, animal, or plant.
• Parasites can live inside some of the animals that
humans eat, such as:
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Poultry
Cattle
Pigs
Fish
THE END