Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli
Animal and human feces and untreated water are the source of Escherichia coli contamination in food. Any food product (meat, vegetables, and dry products) can become contaminated. There are 4 virulent strains of Escherichia coli; 3 of them 4 virulent strains cause mild diarrhea, cramps and fluid loss.

E.coli 0157:H7, the fourth and most virulent strain, is of current concern because of its effect: bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain and cramps. Hemolytic uremic syndrome, a possible complication of this illness, is the leading cause of kidney failure in children. In the past few years, under cooked ground beef products have been implicated in transference of E.coli 0157:H7.

There is estimated annual incidence of over 200,000 cases of enteric E.coli in the United States with about 400 fatalities.

The temperature range for growth of E.coli is 36 degree F to 114 degree F. E.coli are less resistant to heat than are Salmonella spp. Heating foods to temperatures that destroy Salmonella are sufficient to inactivate any E.coli which may be present.

Some critical problems which are responsible for illnesses cause by E.coli include

• Animal feedlot practices which allow some animals to become colonized

• The spreading of the organisms during slaughtering, processing, food preparation, and poor personal hygiene

• Improper sewage treatment and disposal; use of improperly treated animal and human waste to fertilize crops

• Allowing food products to remain above 36 degree F which enables this microorganism to multiply during distribution and service

• Infected people who contaminate food products because they do not washed their hands and fingertips correctly after using the toilets

Escherichia coli

Food System that Lead to Salmonellosis

Food System that Lead to Salmonellosis

• The government sets no microbial standards or pasteurization specifications that can be used to control the presence of this microorganism in raw food in retail food operations, Meat animals and poultry are often infected as a result of the environment in which they are slaughtered. Since they often appear to be disease free, they contaminate other carcasses through cross contamination during slaughtering procedures. Salmonella are present at low levels within the yolks of eggs produced by diseased flocks of chickens. They are found in fish and seafood taken from contaminated water.

• During transport and distribution, are often above 41 degree F allowing Salmonella to multiply in food products.

• Food may not be heated sufficiently to destroy Salmonella. Cooks can only guess when food is cooked adequately. Hence, Salmonella spp. survive to cause illness.

• There is post cooking cross contamination of cooked food when it is cut on contaminated cutting boards or with knives used to prepare raw products contaminated with Salmonella.

• In spite of regulations forbidding people to work when they are ill, people who are ill or carries of Salmonella spp. continue to work in food operations. These individuals shed the microorganism in their feces and spread Salmonella to the food they prepared or touch. This occurs when they do not properly washed their fingertips and under their fingernails after defecating.

Food System that Lead to Salmonellosis

Salmonella spp.

Salmonella spp.
There are over 2000 types of Salmonella, all are pathogenic to humans. This microorganism is often found in raw poultry products and may also be present on other raw meat products. It can be transmitted to other food products by cross contamination, improper food handling and poor sanitation.

Symptoms of illness include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, and chills. The illness develops 8 to 72 hours after ingestion of food containing the microorganisms. Ingestion of greater than 10,000 Salmonella cells in a meal is usually necessary to cause illness in healthy people. However, as few as 4 to 5 cells per 100 grams of food can cause illness when present in foods containing higher amounts of fats such as cheese and chocolate candy. Fat in these foods provides a protective barrier around the microbial cells and prevents their disintegration by stomach acid during digestion.

Severe complications form salmonellosis include: reactive arthritis, cardiac inflammation, intracranial, and other nervous system involvement and osteomyelitis. Because of the seriousness of illness caused by Salmonella, the standard for heat destruction times and temperature for this pathogen are used as a basis for food pasteurization.

Recent news about Salmonella;
In June 2006, the BBC reported that the Cadbury chocolate manufacturer withdrew a number of products when products contaminated with salmonella caused up to 56 cases of Salmonellosis.

In February 2007, the U.S. FDA issued a warning to consumers not to eat certain jars of Peter Pan peanut butter or Great Value peanut butter due to risk of contamination with 'Salmonella Tennessee'.

July 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suspects that the contaminated food product is a common ingredient in fresh salsa, such as raw tomato, fresh jalapeño pepper, fresh serrano pepper, and fresh cilantro. It is the largest reported salmonellosis outbreak in the United States since 1985.
Salmonella spp.