Food Contamination &

Spoilage

Definition of Terms

 Food contamination – presence of harmful

substances in food; tasteless & odorless

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Definition of Terms
 Food spoilage – damage to the edible
quality of food; unacceptable taste &
appearance
Spoilage affects the aroma, texture
and/or appearance of food.
Examples: sour milk,
moldy cheese,
slimy, rancid meat,
or mushy, 2
discolored vegetables
When food spoils, the following may change:

• appearance
• taste
• texture
• odour Food may become
unsafe to eat.

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Color can often indicate the type of
microbe involved in the spoilage:
 Black spots on meat are the result of Cladosporium
species.
 White spots are from Sporotrichum carnis.
 Yellow or green spots form as a result of the Penicillium
species.
 A rainbow effect, often seen on bacon and fish, is
caused by a spoilage bacteria known as Photobacteria
that can break down ATP to produce visible light. After a
couple of days, this bacterium can grow sufficiently to
enable raw fish to glow in the dark!
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Definition of Terms
 Food infection – caused by harmful
live microorganisms that are present
in food when consumed

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Definition of Terms
 Food intoxication – caused by food
containing toxins produced by harmful
microorganisms
 Food toxicoinfections – foodborne illness
caused by a combination of food
intoxication and food infection

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Definition of Terms
 Foodborne illness – disease
occurring as a result of consumption of
contaminated food
 Foodborne outbreak – development of
foodborne illness in two or more people
who have eaten a common food that is
shown by laboratory analysis to be the
source of the illness
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Potentially Hazardous Foods
 Any natural or synthetic food or food
ingredient that supports the rapid growth
of infectious or toxigenic microorganisms
or the slower growth of C.botulinum

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Potentially Hazardous Foods

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Potentially Hazardous Foods

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Not Potentially Hazardous
Foods
 Hard-boiled eggs with shells intact, which
have been air dried
 Foods with Aw ≤0.85
 Foods with pH ≤4.6
 Foods that have been adequately
commercially processed & remain in
hermetically sealed containers
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Not Potentially Hazardous
Foods
 Foods for which laboratory evidence
(acceptable to the regulatory authority)
demonstrates that rapid & progressive
growth of infectious & toxigenic
microorganisms or the slower growth of C.
botulinum cannot occur.

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Sources of Food Contamination

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Types of Sources of Food
Contamination
 Primary contamination
 Infectedanimals
 Fecal pollution
 Secondary contamination
 Infectedhumans
 Other animals
 Fomites (water, soil, plants, air)
 Food additives
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Types of Contamination
 Biological
 Chemical
 Physical

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Biological Contamination
 Cause of most foodborne illness
 Caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites, &
fungi
 Can be spread by the air, through direct
contact, & through food itself
 Most are destroyed by adequate cooking, &
proper cooling during distribution & storage
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Foodborne infection
 Salmonella sp.(chicken)
 Shigella sp. (fecal contamination)
 Campylobacter jejuni (chicken)
 Listeria monocytogenes (soil, chicken)

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Foodborne Intoxication
 Bacillus cereus (rice)
 Staphylococcus aureus (infected food
handler)
 Clostridium botulinum (product, soil)

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Viral Infection
 Hepadnavirus (water)
 Norwalk virus (fecal contamination)

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Biological Toxins
 Seafood Toxins
 Ciguatera
 Scombroid
 Shellfish
(histamine)
 Systemic fish toxins (e.g. pufferfish)
 Plant Toxins
 Fungal Toxins
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Parasites Associated with
Foodborne Diseases
 Taenia spp.
 Trichinella spiralis
 Toxoplasma gondii

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Chemical Contamination
 Toxic substances that may occur naturally
or may be added during the processing of
food
 Substances such as food additives &
preservatives, pesticides, toxic metals, &
toxic cleaning products

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Man-made Chemical
Contaminants
 Cleaning solutions
 Food additives – nitrites, sulfites & MSG
 Pesticides – plant sprays
 Heavy metals – Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, & brass
 Drugs – growth hormones, antibiotics

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Physical Contamination
 Results from the accidental introduction of
foreign objects into foods
 Includes metal shavings, staples, glass,
blades, fingernails, hair, bandages, pieces
of wood, etc.

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Common Causes of Food
Spoilage
 Improper storage temperatures
 Incorrect storage times
 Improper ventilation
 Failure to separate foods
 Excessive delays between receiving and
storing
 Inadequate food safety standards 25
Factors contributing to food
poisoning outbreaks 1980 - 1995
Poor personal
hygiene 9% Other 6%

Unsafe food
source 19%
Inadequate
cooking 27%

Contaminated
equipment 19% Temperature
control 20% 26

Source: Crerar, S.K. et al 1996

7.
The food poisoning time bomb

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8.
Low-Temperature Food
Preservation
 Chilled storage: 50˚F (10˚C) to 59˚F
(15˚C)
 Refrigerated storage: 32˚F (0˚C) to 45˚F
(7˚C)
 Freezer storage: 0˚F (–18˚C) or below

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Pasteurization
High-temperature food preservation
Food product heated to 145˚F (63˚C)
for 30 minutes or to 161˚F
(72˚C) for 15 seconds then
immediately cooled to 50˚F (10˚C)
or less.

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Sterilization
High-temperature food preservation
Virtually kills all microorganisms and their
spores.

Heating usually takes place in a large

container which is pressurized
according to the food product, its ability to
withstand heat, and packaging.
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