FOOD

MICROBIOLOGY

Microorganisms inevitably inhabit our food as they do every other corner of the Earth.
Many exist there harmlessly, and some can even be beneficial, like the bacteria that help
to create yogurt and cheese, or yeast that are used in the production of beer and wine.
However, there are also a subsection that can make us ill or even kill. Consequently, food
microbiology has become a worldwide public health concern. This infographic focuses on
the harmful microorganisms that contaminate and spoil our food.

What microbes might be

contaminating your food?
Common causes of foodborne illness include1:

• Campylobacter 
• Salmonella 

Bacteria
• Listeria 
• Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli)
• Yersinia
• Vibrio

Toxins from:
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Clostridium perfringens
Bacterial Toxins • E. coli
• Clostridium botulinum
• Bacillus cereus

• Calicivirus (including norovirus)

Viruses • Rotavirus
• Hepatitis A virus
• Hepatitis E virus

• Trichinella
• Toxoplasma
Parasites
• Cryptosporidium
• Giardia

Infants, pregnant women, sick and elderly

are at particular risk from foodborne illness.

Repeated bouts of mild food poisoning have been

linked to development of chronic inflammatory disease.

More than 200 diseases are spread through food2.

1 in 10 people become ill every year

from eating contaminated food2.

420,000 people
a year die
from eating
contaminated food2.

How does food become contaminated?

Food may become contaminated at many stages in the food chain.

• Animal feed may be contaminated, causing infection in

the animals that could be passed to humans in food items.
Animals bred for food may carry transmissible parasites.
• Animals bred for food may carry transmissible parasites.
At the • Milk can be contaminated by environmental contact (e.g.
Farm dirty milking equipment).
• Egg shells may harbor bacteria such as Salmonella.
• Vegetables can be contaminated by irrigation with dirty
water, via soil or personnel3,4.

During • Contact with intestinal contents/fecal matter or

skin during slaughter can contaminate meat.
Slaughter • Dirty equipment or contaminated personnel may
contaminate meat.

There are many opportunities for contamination during

processing including dirty surfaces and equipment, improper
During storage, contact of processed food with raw ingredients,
insufficient decontamination, infected personnel and contact
Processing with disease-carrying pests (e.g. vermin or insects).

It’s not just growers/breeders, processing plants and

suppliers that can be responsible for contamination,
both home and catering kitchens can be a breeding
ground for microbes.
In the • Improperly cleaned utensils, surfaces and hands
Kitchen are a key source of contamination.
• Contact between raw and cooked ingredients (for
example in your fridge or on a chopping board)
can pass on microbes.

The problem can often start after purchase...

Whilst parents may be careful
to protect their children from
foodborne illness at home,
evidence suggests many are less
cautious about eating out with
68% of parents whose children
have been ill citing restaurants
as the source.

A recent study identified a

low level of food hygiene
awareness among young
people, highlighting a need
for education.

Safe handling of raw food,

thorough cooking and good
kitchen hygiene can prevent
or reduce the risk posed by
these microorganisms.

Listeria monocytogenes can

be hazardous even if products
are chilled as it can replicate
even in cold temperatures
(down to 1 °C)7. Healthy
people are normally unaffected
but, unpasteurized cheeses,
ice cream, deli meats and
raw sprouts are of particular
concern for at-risk groups.

Many people love a raw

oyster, but these filter feeders
can harbor Vibrio bacteria,
with 15-30% of Vibrio
vulnificus infections proving
fatal. Even after thorough
cooking, fish and shellfish
can cause scombroid food
poisoning as toxic histamines,
produced by bacteria-induced
decarboxylation of histidine in
the muscle, are not degraded
by cooking.

Foods that have been
improperly canned
or jarred may contain
potentially fatal
Clostridium botulinum,
a particular risk for
home-preservers of
low-acid foods.
Even after food has been
prepared, inappropriate
storage can lead to
microbial contamination.
Rice for example may
contain spores of
Bacillus cereus, that can
survive cooking and
then multiply if left at
room temperature or not
reheated sufficiently6.
Between 1973 and
2012, 85% of the food
poisoning outbreaks in
the US that were caused
by leafy greens were
traced back to food
prepared in a restaurant
or catering facility5.
Improvements in egg
processing has greatly
reduced egg-related cases
of Salmonella. Despite
this, the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration
estimate there are still
79,000 cases of foodborne
illness and 30 deaths
linked to eggs each year.

Combating foodborne infections

Overuse/inappropriate use of antimicrobials in agriculture and animal husbandry is leading to increased
antimicrobial resistance. These resistant bacteria may then be transmitted to humans via food. Researchers are
therefore turning to alternative measures to combat microbial contamination of food.

Bacteriophage, themselves viruses that infect and can

kill bacteria, are being explored as a decontaminant for
food and utensils to combat Yersinia enterocolitica, most
commonly found in undercooked pork.

In the hunt for compounds to combat Listeria, scientists

turned to computing power to speed up the screening
process narrowing 88,000 compounds to 37 that
looked promising.

Improved understanding of eggshell nanostructure will

help breeders to select genetic traits in laying hens to
produce consistently stronger eggs, reducing cracking
and therefore Salmonella contamination.

Improved risk models are helping manufacturers to

reform safety protocols to reduce Listeria contamination.

Speedier and even on-site detection methods are

being developed that will help identify contaminated
products before they hit the shelves.

An innovative oil-based coating could help protect

industrial food surfaces by filling in tiny cervices that
can harbor harmful bacteria.

References


1. http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/food-borne-zoonotic-diseases

2. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/food_safety/en/

3. Zhu Q, Gooneratne R, Hussain MA. Listeria monocytogenes in Fresh Produce: Outbreaks, Prevalence and Contamination
Levels. Foods. 2017 Mar 9;6(3). pii: E21. doi: 10.3390/foods6030021. PubMed PMID: 28282938; PubMed Central PMCID:
PMC5368540.

4. Heaton JC, Jones K. Microbial contamination of fruit and vegetables and the behaviour of enteropathogens in the
phyllosphere: a review. J Appl Microbiol. 2008 Mar;104(3):613-26. Epub 2007 Oct 9. Review. PubMed PMID: 17927745.

5. Herman KM, Hall AJ, Gould LH. Outbreaks attributed to fresh leafy vegetables, United States, 1973-2012. Epidemiol
Infect. 2015 Oct;143(14):3011-21. doi: 10.1017/S0950268815000047. Epub 2015 Feb 20. PubMed PMID: 25697407;
PubMedCentral PMCID: PMC4591532.

6. Ankolekar C, Rahmati T, Labbé RG. Detection of toxigenic Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis spores in U.S. rice.
Int J Food Microbiol. 2009 Jan 15;128(3):460-6. doi: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2008.10.006. Epub 2008 Oct 17. PubMed PMID:
19027973.

7. Azizoglu RO, Osborne J, Wilson S, Kathariou S. Role of growth temperature in freeze-thaw tolerance of Listeria spp.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2009 Aug;75(16):5315-20. doi: 10.1128/AEM.00458-09. Epub 2009 Jun 19. PubMed PMID: 19542335;
PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2725465.