...Foodborne illnesses can come from a variety of sources. Foodborne illnesses are very common and are preventable. There is usually no one specific symptom of a foodborne illness, diarrhea, nausea , vomiting and abdominal cramps are the most common symptoms seen when a person has been exposed to a foodborne pathogen. Poor hand hygiene , poor sanitary conditions in the kitchen, not following the recommended guidelines for proper cooking temperatures of foods, and not washing foods before consumption are a few of the causes of foodborne illnesses. The United States treats about 48 million cases of foodborne illnesses a year according to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2016). The FDA (2016) has four safe food handling interventions for public: 1. Clean: Wash hands and surfaces often 2. Separate: Raw meat from other foods 3. Cook: Cook to the right temperature 4. Chill: Refrigerate foods promptly There are several other interventions that may need to be incorporated to protect the public. Making it mandatory that all food service workers, butchers etc were gloves. Increasing the amount of inspections from the FDA in grocery stores, food service establishments, slaughter houses etc to hopefully decrease the amount of outbreaks of foodborne illnesses by identifying potential issues before they reach the public. Continue to educate the public on food-borne illnesses and ways to prevent them. Many agencies monitor and address compliance when it comes to...
Words: 422 - Pages: 2
...Food Borne Illness Safety Bulletin Aleisha Johnson SCI 220 March 2, 2013 Pamela Cox University of Phoenix Food Borne Illness Safety Bulletin | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Recently the City of Monmouth, Oregon has been notified of an outbreak of food borne illnesses. Over 35 cases of food borne illness have been reported and confirmed. Each year one in six people get sick from a food borne illness and 3000 people in America die. (CDC Food and Safety) There are several causes that spread food borne illness. Food storage is one of the main contributors. It is imperative to make sure you are packaging and storing your food correctly. To prevent food borne illnesses outbreaks you must store your perishable food in a freezer or refrigerator immediately. Your refrigerator temperature should be 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer should be at zero degrees Fahrenheit. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) It is also important to either keep a thermometer in the refrigerator or freezer or check it on a regular schedule to assure you are keeping food at the correct temperature at all times. Another common mistake, that causes contamination, is how the food is stored. For example meat, purchased at the grocery store, is only good for a couple of days in the container it is purchased in. If needing to keep stored for a longer duration of time you will need to wrap the food tightly in containers appropriate for freezer storage. When...
Words: 695 - Pages: 3
...With the outbreak of food-borne illness in the city, we would like to inform the public of what the symptoms are, safety issues, nutritional information, and how to prevent this illness in the future 1. What is food-borne illness? Food-borne illnesses are caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Harmful chemicals can also cause food-borne illnesses if they have contaminated food during harvesting or processing. 2. What are some safety issues related to this illness? Most cases of food-borne illnesses can be prevented through proper cooking or processing of food, which kills bacteria. Between 40 F and 140 F. Refrigerate food promptly, set refrigerator at 40 F or lower, freezer at 0 F, and always wash your hands in warm soapy water. Do not pack refrigerator, cool air must circulate to keep food safe. Wash all unpackaged fruits and vegetables and those packaged and not marked “pre-washed,” under running water just before eating, cutting, or cooking. If prepared food stands at room temperature for more than 2 hours, it may not be safe to eat. 3. What are the symptoms of this illness? In most cases of food-borne illnesses, symptoms resemble intestinal flu and may last a few hours or even several days. Symptoms can range from mild to serious and include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, which is sometimes bloody, fever, and dehydration. That is why it’s important to do research and seek a credible ...
Words: 518 - Pages: 3
...Food Safety and Information Bulletin “Food borne illness is a major health issue facing Americans. There are between 6.5 million and 81 million cases of food borne illness and as many 9,100 related deaths occur annually. Illnesses from pathogenic bacteria appear to be increasing each year.” (MSUcares.com, 2009) When purchasing foods one must be aware of expiration dates, damaged packaging, proper storage temperatures and freshness of the product. Issues of such nature can cause food to become contaminated. To protect stored foods check temperatures of freezer and refrigerator and ensure that the freezer is at 0 °F or lower and refrigerator temperature is at least 40 °F. Perishable foods should be refrigerated promptly. Meats should be wrapped securely to prevent leakage of juices into other foods which could cause contamination of other foods. Cook foods should be refrigerated promptly. When preparing foods wash hands with soap and warm water before and after handling foods, sanitize all utensils, countertops and cutting boards and keep raw meats away from other foods to avoid cross contamination. Do not thaw meats at room temperatures; warm temperatures can cause the growth of bacteria and be sure to cook foods thoroughly. “Food borne illnesses are caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated with bacteria, parasites, or viruses. Harmful chemicals can also cause food borne illnesses if they have contaminated food during harvesting or processing.”(NDDIC, 2009)...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...The Importance of Food Safety and Preventing Food-borne Illness (Public Safety Announcement) Charles A. Kennedy University of Phoenix Abstract Food safety a consumer concern this bulletin will address four topics (listed below) that the industry, and consumers' need to meet regarding food safety? 1. What are some illnesses that can come from improper storage and handling of foods? 2. Illnesses that can come from contaminated food and preventive measures 3. Where to find Credible information sites 4. Why it’s important when searching for information to only use credible sites Food safety is a responsibility that is shared by us all producers, processors, distributors, retailers, and consumers. We as consumers must be concerned about the following food safety issues, farming practices, pesticide residues in crops bacterial contamination food additives and preservatives. The public must demand safe food, from the farm to the fork. We are all stakeholders in keeping our food safe and you know there are a number of variables that can affect the safety of our food. For most of the food-borne outbreaks reported to the CDC, the cause isn't known. That’s why the public needs to stay diligent in combating food-borne illnesses. There are countless ways that our food can become contaminated between the time it is produced and prepared. Some food-borne bacteria live in the intestines of healthy animals, and only become a threat and during the slaughtering...
Words: 817 - Pages: 4
...Food Born Illness Introduction There has been a drastic rise in food-borne illness in the United States. Food-borne illnesses are contracted by ingesting contaminated food or water with parasitic or bacterial agents. Last year millions of people were exposed to food borne illnesses and many died. Identify the infectious agent (pathogen)? A pathogen or infectious agent in colloquial terms means germ, a microorganism in the widest sense. There are six kinds of infectious agents such as a virus, bacterium, prion, protizoa or fungus that causes disease in its host. The host can be an animal (including humans), a plant, or even another microorganism. Explain how the pathogen is transmitted through food or water? Pathogen transmission involves three steps: escape from the host, travel, and infection of the new host. This infectious agent is commonly transmitted through food, water and air. Traveling outside the country where diseases are common can also increase your risk of being exposed to infectious disease. You can be exposed to certain pathogens when eating foods that have been prepared by an unsanitary person. For example, a person preparing your food after using the bathroom but didn't wash his or her hands. Provide an example of a real life outbreak in the USA? Last year in the fall of 2011, The United States had one of the deadliest foodborne illnesses in the United States. Traces of Listeria were found in cantaloupes from Jensen Farms in Colorado. The...
Words: 610 - Pages: 3
...Food Service Bulletin Tiffany Owen SCI/220 May 12, 2011 Lena Walker Food Service Bulletin Each year an estimated 48 million illnesses and 3000 deaths occur in the United States from food-borne illnesses. Symptoms may occur within minutes, or could take a few weeks to appear. These symptoms are flu-like and can cause intestinal problems such as vomiting, cramping, and diarrhea, or even more severe illness and infection in people with a weakened immune system (diet-and-health.net). These illnesses can be prevented with proper storage and preparation of foods. Some common safety issues related to food purchase can simply be the cleanliness of the store. While at the grocery store, always look for how clean the counters are where fresh meat or seafood is prepared and packaged, also the fresh produce area. Do not purchase foods from a dirty store because the foods may be contaminated. Purchase only Grade A or better eggs and avoid purchasing eggs that have cracks, or are leaking. Do not purchase foods that the expiration date has passed, and when purchasing milk or cheeses make sure they are pasteurized. Some safety issues related to safe food storage are proper refrigeration and proper storage. Cold foods should immediately be refrigerated once brought home from the grocery store. Cold foods left unrefrigerated for even one hour can begin to grow unwanted bacteria. Make sure the temperature of the refrigerator is between 33ºF and 40ºF for proper food storage...
Words: 562 - Pages: 3
...they can also be found in unwanted places such as food. Over 70 million cases of food-borne illnesses are reported every year in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Linscott, 2011). Although the government tries to regulate the amount of bacteria in meat that cause food borne illnesses, certain bacteria that cause illness don’t receive notice (Waters et al. 2011). Organizations, such as the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS), that monitor the amounts of bacteria in food look at certain multidrug-resistant bacteria species like Escherichia coli, but neglect others like Staphylococcus aureus, which is one of the leading causes of clinical infections worldwide (Waters et al., 2011). Although, some bacteria found in meat can be less harmful than other. Without lactic acid bacteria, sausage meats wouldn't be fermented safely. Although some strings can cause spoilage, most lactic acid bacteria prevent more harmful bacteria from growing. This makes the overall presence of lactic acid bacteria on meats more desirable than other bacteria (Egan, 1983). Steps of prevention are being taken to prevent food borne illnesses, such as pasteurization of dairy products, but more actions should be taken to further help the prevention of food-borne illnesses (Linscott, 2011). The European Union has recently taken that step in furthering prevention. The fermentation of certain foods relies on starter cultures of bacteria when pasteurization...
Words: 1402 - Pages: 6
...Food Safety Announcement Reginald Alan Guest SCI/220 June 20, 2013 Jeff Housman This is a public announcement for the community of Beer town. There is a drastic rise in food borne illnesses spreading throughout the community of local farmers who supply their own farm animal and residents who purchase dairy products and meats. We as a community are not aware of the many ways that the community can prevent food borne illness. Many problems can be very easily prevented, if we all follow a few safety guidelines and instructions from the CDC, FDA, and the local Health Department. There are many safety issues when purchasing, storage, and presentation of many meats and dairy products. One of the biggest safety issue is washing hands thoroughly with warm water and soap before handling of meat poultry, and seafood’s. Never wash meats, washing raw meat and poultry can help bacteria spread because juices may splash onto your sink, and countertops. Always make sure washing the cutting boards, dishes, and utensil after uses will help with cross contamination. Whenever, you are purchasing groceries at your local supermarket, always separate ready to eat foods and raw meat or poultry in the shopping cart, shopping bags, and your refrigerator. While preparing and handling foods at home also consider placing raw meat or poultry from dripping onto other foods by placing it in sealed containers or sealed plastic zip lock and placed in the freezer In preparation (cooking) many people...
Words: 926 - Pages: 4
...Center for Disease Control and Prevention “estimates that each year, roughly 1 in 6 Americans [or 48 million people] gets sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of food borne diseases” (para.1, 2012). Misinformation, lack of awareness of diseases, and unreliable information sources contribute to improper food handling habits. Common Safety Issues Keeping food safe is important to prevent food borne illnesses. Common safety procedures that help prevent illness include cleaning, separating, cooking, and chilling or storing food. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests cleaning, separating, cooking, and chilling foods as measures to keep food safe (n. d.). Before handling food, it is important to wash hands to rub and wash hands for at least 20 seconds (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Hand washing is necessary after handling garbage, using the toilet, touching animals or animal waste, or treating an open wound (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Proper washing of utensils helps detain the spread of germs and is necessary before and after use. A solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach to a gallon of water for is good for disinfecting (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services). Washing vegetables and fruits is also important to remove bacteria. Separating foods is necessary to prevent cross contamination. The U.S. Department of Health and Human services suggest using a separate cutting board for meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs...
Words: 1077 - Pages: 5
...related to food purchase, storage, and preparation. The common health problem is food borne illness known as food poisoning. Food borne illness every year gets one out of six Americans sick by eating or drinking contaminated foods. When purchasing foods consider recent food recalls when shopping for groceries. Inspecting your foods before you purchase them like meat, poultry produce, and cheese needs to have proper color and no signs of dirt. Storing the meat, cheese, and poultry in the refrigerator or the freezer as soon as you get home from grocery shopping. Cleaning vegetables with a scrub brush is very important. Meat and poultry does not have to be rinsed. When preparing a meal make sure to have different cutting boards and knives for vegetables and meat. Also, making sure anything you are cooking reaches the safe inside temperature is very important. 2. Describe some illnesses or problems the safety issues might cause, and ways to prevent the illnesses or problems. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there are many different diseases causing microbes or pathogens that can contaminate foods. There has been a discovery of more than 250 different types of food borne diseases, which cause viruses, parasites, and bacteria. All the types of food borne diseases have different symptoms, the toxin enters the human body through the gastrointestinal tract causing nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, cramps, and vomiting. The challenges in food safety...
Words: 883 - Pages: 4
...Food Safety Bulletin Charity Wilson SCI/220 May 2, 2011 Professor Zam Poller Food Safety Bulletin Consumers in Hawaii want safe food, but how can the public be safe if there is a gap between the amount of regulation food purchasers’ want, and the food safety rules that farmers are willing to implement. On the heels of the recent drastic rise in food-borne illness, food safety is on everyone’s minds. Here in this food safety bulletin are some common safety issues related to food purchase, storage, and presentation. In addition, some illnesses or problems the safety issues may cause, ways to prevent food-borne illness, and some recommendations to sources of nutritional information to help educate the public about appropriate food safety. The public (consumers, food service workers) needs to be aware of where our food comes from and how the food is processed and handled. More important, we need to be sure those animals from which are food is made are being raised in clean, safe living conditions. In addition, people should buy food with proper packaging and labels (brand names, trademarks), together with place of origin and quality. To start, we live in an infectious world, and present are many chances for food to become tainted as it is produced and prepared. Food-borne illnesses are results from consuming foods or beverages, which have been contaminated with germs. Meat and poultry can become contaminated in the course of slaughter by contact with small amounts...
Words: 771 - Pages: 4
...Food Safety Bulletin SCI/220 Version 6 Food Safety Bulletin COMMUNITY PUBLIC SERVICE BULLETIN Food Safety Tips for Everyone! The community is reporting numerous food-borne illnesses to the city health department. The health department is dealing with an increase of food-related illnesses among the community and the need to educate the public on food safety is evident. The community must recognize contamination of food can occur at any stage during food purchase, food storage, and food preparation. One common safety issue related to food purchase is making sure the food is fresh or not past the expiration date. Effects from eating food past their expiration date could lead to food poisoning or physical discomfort, such as an upset stomach. Any food that is older than its expiration date may have dangerous bacteria that can cause food poisoning or an upset stomach (Lance Armstrong Foundation, 2011). It is important to pay attention to the expiration date on all food items. Do not purchase food older than its expiration date. When a person purchases food close to the expiration date, make sure to eat the food immediately to prevent any food safety issues. If the food has a bad smell, it is always best to throw the food away. To find more information on this subject one can visit the local city or county health department or go online and visit websites like usda.gov or livestrong.com. After a food item is purchased, it is important to store the food properly. Make sure...
Words: 824 - Pages: 4
...Food Safety Did you know that nearly one in six Americans suffer illnesses directly related to food-borne illnesses, and that three thousand die each year from these types of diseases? According to the CDC ( CDC and Food and Safety, 2009), “reducing food-borne illness by just 10% would keep 5 million Americans from getting sick each year”. According to (What is Food Safety, 2010), food safety is defined as the utilization of various resources and strategies to ensure that all types of foods are properly stored, prepared, and preserved so they are safe for consumption. There are measures you yourself can take to ensure that the food you purchase is safe to eat. It is important to always pay close attention to expiration dates as this can cause many illnesses. Ensure that the foods you are purchasing are stored properly. improperly stored food, such as food that is not kept at the proper temperature when stored, can develop molds, and can spoil resulting in severe food related illnesses and potentially death. Pay attention how different foods are being presented as well. Purchasing the wrong foods can lead to miserable food related illnesses, to avoid these illnesses when purchasing foods be sure to purchase produce that is free from bruising or showing any physical signs of damage. Select produce that is kept cold by ice or refrigeration. This will keep foods fresher longer. Be sure to store your foods properly as-well. Remember to keep your refrigerator set to 40 degrees...
Words: 545 - Pages: 3
...INTRODUCTION The title of this report is Food-Borne Pathogens, a paper provided as part of a course requirement for Technical Writing. This topic was selected to share information about food-borne pathogens, what illnesses they cause and the possible food items contaminated with that pathogen You will be learning steps for prevention of food-borne diseases. I think you’ll be interested to discover the location of the possible contaminants of those pathogens. There are thirty known food-borne pathogen, I only selected these sixteen since they are the most common. BACILLUS CEREUS It causes two types of illnesses a diarrheal type or an emetic type (vomiting) this depends when in the incubation period. The incubation period goes between 30 minutes to 15 hours. The symptoms are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting. The possible contaminants are meats, milk, vegetables, fish, rice, potatoes, pasta, and cheese. You pay careful attention to food preparation and cooking guidelines to prevent contaminations. CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI Even with low numbers, it causes infection, with an incubation period of one to seven days. The symptoms are: abdominal cramps, nausea, diarrhea, headache that varying in severity. The possible contaminants are raw milk, eggs, poultry, raw beef, cake icing, and water. You must use pasteurize milk; cook foods properly; and prevent cross-contamination. CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM The illness is toxin produced by the pathogen, the incubation...
Words: 1351 - Pages: 6
