Food Biochemistry and Food Processing (2 edition)

BLBS102-c41 BLBS102-Simpson March 21, 2012 14:25 Trim: 276mm X 219mm Printer Name: Yet to Come

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Microbial Safety of Food and Food Products

J. A. Odumeru

Preface

Introduction

Shelf Life of Foods and Food Ingredients and Food Safety

Categories of Foodborne Organisms

Sources of Foodborne Pathogens

Foodborne Disease Cases

and Outbreaks

Foodborne Bacterial Infections

CampylobacterEnteritis

Salmonellosis

Listeriosis

VerotoxigenicEscherichia coli(VTEC) Infections

Foodborne Parasite Infections

Foodborne Fungi

Foodborne Virus Infection

Emerging Pathogens and

Food Safety

Control Measures for Microbial Contaminants

Food Safety Programs

Future Perspectives on Food Safety

References

PREFACE

Globally, food safety issues are of top priorities to the food in-

dustry, government food safety regulators, and consumers as a

result of a significant increase in the number of foodborne dis-

ease cases and outbreaks reported worldwide in the twentieth

century. These issues led to the proliferation of several food

safety programs designed to reduce the incidence of foodborne

illness. Although a number of producers and processors have

implemented a variety of food safety programs, the occurrence

of foodborne illness from emerging and existing pathogens re-

mains a challenge to the food industry and food safety regulators.

Food safety begins on the farm and continues through process-

ing, transportation, and storage until the food is consumed. Food

safety programs such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP),

Sanitation, Food Quality, and Safety Tests, and Hazard Analysis

Critical Control Points (HACCP) are examples of food safety

programs that are commonly used to control and monitor micro-

bial contamination of food.

The three main categories of food safety concerns in the food

industry include microbiological, chemical, and physical haz-

ards. The microbiological hazards are those involving foodborne

pathogens; chemical hazards include concerns related to antibi-

otics, pesticides, and herbicides; and physical hazards are those

related to foreign objects in foods that can result in injury or

illness when consumed with foods. Although this chapter ad-

dresses issues related to microbial hazards, food safety pro-

grams, which provide protection against these three types of

hazards, especially during food processing, will be discussed.

Foodborne organisms, sources of microbial contamination of

foods and emerging pathogens, will be reviewed in relation to

food safety issues.

INTRODUCTION

Food safety concerns are currently at an all-time high due to

worldwide publicity about cases and outbreaks of foodborne ill-

ness. These concerns are now of top priority in the political and

economic agendas of governments at various levels. One of the

worst nightmares for food producers or processors is to have the

name of their company show up in a news report as the source of

a foodborne illness. Apart from the loss of consumer confidence

and loss of sales, there are also legal aspects about which food

companies must be concerned (Odumeru 2002). An estimated

76 million cases of foodborne illness per year occur in the United

States, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5000 deaths

(Mead et al. 1999). The economic impact of these illnesses is

estimated at $5 billion or more. A number of food safety pro-

grams are currently in place in the food industry in an attempt

to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness, which has been on

Food Biochemistry and Food Processing, Second Edition. Edited by Benjamin K. Simpson, Leo M.L. Nollet, Fidel Toldr ́a, Soottawat Benjakul, Gopinadhan Paliyath and Y.H. Hui.

©C2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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