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This information can be used to develop food safety and quality programs that meet the requirements of modern Regulatory, Customer and Industry Standards:
When considering the development, documentation, and implementation of Foodborne Illness Prevention within food safety and quality management systems, the following information should be considered to ensure effective outcomes:
Microorganisms, in particular, bacteria, are by far the most common cause of Foodborne Illness. Foodborne Illness is also commonly referred to as food poisoning. Symptoms of ‘food poisoning’ can include diarrhea, stomach cramps, pain, paralysis, vomiting, nausea, fever, headache, and sweats. For some specified groups including the elderly, infants, immune-compromised, and children, the effects of Foodborne Illness can lead to chronic problems, sometimes even death. In this context, the microbiological integrity of a product must be upheld at all stages while it is being processed and for the entire life of the product.
Food-poisoning organisms can potentially grow during food storage or preparation in the food business. They may already be on the food when it is received, for example, Campylobacter on raw chicken, or may contaminate the foodstuff during preparation, for example, Staphylococcus introduced by a food handler, or from a dirty environment, for example, Listeria from wet surfaces or Salmonella from rodents. To complicate the issue, some food-borne organisms can spread from one infected person to another. Foodborne viruses may start such an outbreak in a workplace. The symptoms of food poisoning include any or all of the following: diarrhea, vomiting, severe abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and headache. The severity of the symptoms depends on the organism, the dose received, and the person suffering the illness.
There are three main causes of Foodborne Illness:
Food poisoning does not necessarily occur immediately after eating contaminated food – Most people automatically assume the last thing they ate is the cause of the problem. An incubation period is required. This is the time between the contaminated food being eaten and when the symptoms become apparent. The incubation period varies between the different types of food-poisoning organisms. In some cases, it is measured in minutes, hours, days, or even weeks.
It generally goes without much thought, but the occurrence of any Foodborne Illness outbreak is far-reaching in its destruction of reputation, confidence, and livelihoods:
The Reputation of your:
Confidence in:
The Livelihoods of:
Foodborne Illness outbreaks are often caused by the following:
Bacteria and viruses are extremely microscopic. It could take millions of bacteria to produce a colony the size of the full stop at the end of this sentence. This number of bacteria is more than enough to cause many people to become seriously ill.
Chemicals are usually in solution and cannot be seen unless they are a recognized color. Food accounts for a high percentage of the total human exposure to most chemicals from environmental sources. Fish poisoning, for example, by Ciguatoxin and Scombrotoxin accounts for a large portion of the reported outbreaks. Scombroid poisoning is most often a result of histamine production in fish that have been improperly refrigerated. Heavy metal poisoning occurs frequently when acid foods such as lemonade and carbonated beverages come in contact with such heavy metals as copper, zinc, antimony, and cadmium.
Parasites involved in most outbreaks are very small and cannot be seen with the unaided eye.
Foods are preserved in many different ways and for varying purposes. The primary concern relating to food preservation lies in making food safe by preventing the presence of pathogens and food spoilage organisms. In today’s consumer-driven world, preservation methods have evolved to be considerate regarding quality characteristics such as palatability, odor, flavor, texture, appearance, and longevity.
Food preservation methods include:
Packaging protects the product from the effects of air, moisture, and contamination by foreign matter. The number of gasses such as moisture vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide can be controlled in the packaging process. Oxygen may be totally or partially excluded from the packaging and replaced with gasses such as nitrogen or carbon dioxide or a combination of gases, which will help to prolong the product’s life. The selection of light-proof or light retardant materials can reduce a product’s exposure to light that may otherwise induce spoilage.
Foods are heated to kill bacteria, yeasts, and molds, and to neutralize naturally occurring enzymes, all of which will change the food if left undisturbed. Sterilization, retorting, pasteurization and blanching are all common treatments covered by the cooking sector in preservation. Cooking is also useful in making foods more palatable in texture and also aids in changing the taste of foods distinctively.
The most ancient and widely practiced method of food preservation is drying. Drying eliminates the moisture that micro-organisms require for growth. The sun and the wind were the sources of energy used in earlier times to dry foods, and now dehydrators and drying ovens are the most popular pieces of equipment in food production and preservation.
Other methods of controlling moisture levels in foods include the use of chemical humectants such as salt, sugar, and glycerin. These substances are very effective in controlling moisture levels in foods, while also leaving foods with textural characteristics that dried foods lack.
Acid control has been a long-used method in food preservation. As micro-organisms do not tolerate high levels of acidity in their growth, storing food in acid for preservation works very successfully. Pickling fruits and vegetables, meats, and fish in vinegar have been practiced for thousands of years to preserve these foods for use when they would have otherwise spoiled.
Pasteurization is a heat treatment used to destroy vegetative bacteria. It does not necessarily destroy spores or toxins. Pasteurization is a gentle process designed for foods that may be affected by very high and abrupt temperatures. Times and temperatures for pasteurization vary from one food type to another. An example of pasteurization is the method conducted for milk, which is usually standardized at 72 Degrees Celsius or 162 Degrees Fahrenheit or above for at least 15 seconds. Foods that have undergone a pasteurization process not contained within hermetically sealed packaging must generally be stored under refrigerated or frozen conditions.
Sterilization is a heat treatment that destroys almost all vegetative spores and bacteria and spores. It is usually referred to as Commercial sterility as some bacteria may still be present. The process commonly involves heating hermetically packaged products to 121 Degrees Celsius or 250 Degrees Fahrenheit or higher for a specified timeframe. Commercial canning operations are considered a form of sterilization.
Ultra-Heat Treatment or UHT is used to give a long shelf to foods otherwise affected by prolonged high temperatures. It involves heating to high temperatures. For example, UHT milk may be heated up to 135 Degrees Celsius or 275 Degrees Fahrenheit for one to two seconds before rapid cooling.
Temperature control is probably the most commonly used preservation method for potentially hazardous foods. The ability to control foods at low temperatures through refrigeration and freezing for storage, distribution, and handling, and high temperatures for short-term storage of cooked products, enables us to use temperature as a viable preservation method.
Temperature recording and related protocols need to be scheduled and maintained as components of a successful food safety program. The basis of temperature recording is the ability to record temperatures correctly and efficiently with adhering to documentation when temperatures are found to be outside of nominated boundaries.
The following steps can be taken in initiating temperature control as a Critical Control Point:
In many foods, chemicals, in conjunction with one or more of the previously mentioned methods of preservation are used. Stringent care must be initiated when using these chemicals, to ensure that they are only used as per valid safety data in creating a safe, consumable product. Misuse of such items can realistically result in potentially more serious human complications than the very problem that chemicals are used to combat in the first place.
A good understanding of the growth requirements for relevant pathogens is required to operate a sufficient food safety program.
Chemicals used for this process may include:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Development requirements in relation to their items.
Document: A document provides guidance and/or direction for performing work, making decisions, or rendering judgments that affect the safety or quality of the products or services that customers receive.
Documented policies, procedures, work instructions, and schedules form the basis of any food safety and quality management system. The following documentation formats may be considered to ensure ongoing compliance with specified requirements for Foodborne Illness Prevention:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Documentation requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Foodborne Illness Prevention Templates section of haccp.com for examples of Foodborne Illness Prevention documentation, record, and resource formats commonly applied within food safety and quality systems.
Implementation: Implementation is the application of documented food safety and quality system elements into the actual business operation.
The implementation of Foodborne Illness Prevention within any food business requires genuine commitment from senior management, staff, and visitors to ensure the nominated goals of implementation are achievable on an ongoing basis. It is a step that requires significant planning and consideration of general and specific food business circumstances to ensure the outcomes of Foodborne Illness Prevention do not negatively impact the safety and quality of the food items dispatched from the business.
Implementation of Foodborne Illness Prevention must include a clear definition of responsibilities and authorities for all levels of participation by senior management, staff, and visitors to the site.
When implementing Foodborne Illness Prevention within the food safety and quality system, you may wish to consider the following requirements before completion.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Implementation requirements in relation to their items.
Monitoring: Monitoring is the act of reviewing and confirming measurable parameters of a defined process or product status.
Monitoring requirements within food industry sectors are generally identified against limits of acceptability defined within HACCP plans, implementation procedures, and work instructions. Monitoring usually includes some element of record-keeping, which may be maintained manually or through digital systems. It is important to consider that advancements in technology have spawned many systems and processes which are self-monitored and or self-adjusted when variances are identified. Regardless of the system used; The goal of any monitoring activity is to provide sufficient evidence that any limit of acceptability has been met.
Traditional Foodborne Illness Prevention monitoring requirements include manual recording and the application of corrective actions when the results of monitoring are found to be outside acceptable limits. Corrective Actions should also generally be strongly linked to the monitoring process where applied to ensure full traceability of the applied actions.
Common monitoring activities and record formats may apply to Foodborne Illness Prevention:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Monitoring requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Foodborne Illness Prevention Templates section of haccp.com for examples of Foodborne Illness Prevention documentation, record, and resource formats commonly applied within food safety and quality systems.
Corrective Action: Corrective action is mandatory action to be taken when a deviation to the Quality System occurs, particularly to a Critical Control Point.
Preventative Action: At any step in the process where a hazard has been identified, preventive action must be put into place to prevent re-occurrence.
Corrective Action and Preventative Action are implemented to ensure that any identified non-conformance issues are documented, investigated, and rectified within appropriate time frames. Corrective action is any action applied to regain control over a product, process, policy, or procedure that has been identified as being non-conforming or outside nominated limits of acceptability. Preventative action is any action applied to prevent any identified non-conformance from reoccurring.
The outcomes of corrective and preventative actions should result in regained process control after effective application. Specified corrective actions are commonly linked to the HACCP Plans and the food business certification process.
Below are Corrective Action and Preventative Action examples which may be associated with Foodborne Illness Prevention related non-conformance:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Corrective Action requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Corrective Action and Preventative Action section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Verification: The act of reviewing, inspecting, testing, checking, auditing, or otherwise establishing and documenting whether items, processes, services, or documents conform to specified requirements.
Verification is the detailed review of all food safety and quality system elements to confirm that they are effectively developed, documented, implemented, monitored, and reviewed. All food safety and quality system elements, including documented policies, procedures, training, HACCP plans, and their operational applications must be verified on an ongoing scheduled basis. The verification process commonly includes a defined schedule for which verification activities are required, how often they are conducted, who is responsible, and detailed documented procedures for each nominated verification activity.
The general goal of an established verification process is to ensure any systemic non-conformance issues are identified and rectified within an appropriate time frame. When non-conformance issues are identified through the verification process, Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions should be implemented to ensure they do not impact the effectiveness of the food safety and quality system.
The following examples of verification activities may apply to Foodborne Illness Prevention: – Review of the Foodborne Illness Prevention policy;
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Verification requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Verification Activities section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Validation: The process of gathering evidence to provide a scientific basis for the documented act of demonstrating that a procedure, process, and activity will consistently lead to the expected results. It often includes the qualification of systems and equipment.
Validation is the provision of evidence to support the limits of control or acceptability for food safety or quality parameters nominated within systemic elements. Limits of control or acceptability are commonly included within documented food safety and quality systems elements such as procedures, HACCP plans, and specifications.
Common sources of validation include regulatory and legislative standards, finished product specifications and customer requirements, industry codes of practice and guidelines, verified and validated research, historical product, and process control outcomes, and analytical testing.
The general goal of an established validation process is to ensure any systemic non-conformance issues are identified and rectified within an appropriate time frame. When non-conformance issues are identified through the verification process, Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions should be implemented to ensure they do not impact the effectiveness of the food safety and quality system.
Validation activities are commonly defined within the verification schedules and procedures of established food safety and quality management systems.
The following examples may apply to validation of the limits of control or acceptability for Foodborne Illness Prevention:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Validation requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Validation Activities section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Skills and Knowledge: Skills and knowledge are attributes of human interactions commonly linked to competency within any specified job-related task.
Training and competency requirements for Foodborne Illness Prevention must be ongoing, including regularly scheduled reviews to ensure the effectiveness of training and competency outcomes.
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding Foodborne Illness Prevention should have knowledge including:
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding Foodborne Illness Prevention should have skills including:
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding Foodborne Illness Prevention should have access to resources including:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific Foodborne Illness Prevention Training, Competency, and Resources requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Training, Competency, and Resources section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
