Food surveillance, hygiene
and food-borne illnesses
Dr. Pracheth R.
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Outline
• Food surveillance
• Food hygiene
• Food-borne diseases
• World Health Day 2015
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Food surveillance
• Needed: protect, maintain health
• Monitor food safety/ hygiene
• Conditions, measures
• Production, processing, storage
• Distribution, preparation
• Safe, wholesome, fit –consumption
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Food hygiene
• Food: source-infection, contamination
• Hygiene: production, handling, distribution,
serving
• Aim: prevent food poisoning, food-borne
illnesses
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Food-borne diseases
• Infectious/toxic
• Agents: enter body- ingestion of food
• Urbanization, industrialization
• Tourism, mass catering
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A. Food-borne intoxications
1. Naturally occurring toxins: lathyrism, endemic
ascites
2. Toxins: bacteria: botulism, staphylococcus
aureus
3. Toxins: fungi: aflatoxin, ergot, fusarium
4. Food-borne chemicals: heavy metals, oil
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B. Food-borne infections
1. Bacterial: typhoid, paratyphoid, salmonellosis,
staphylococcal, Cl. perfringens, B.cereus
2. Viral: viral hepatitis, gastroenteritis
3. Parasites: taeniasis, hydatidosis, ascariasis
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Food toxicants: Lathyrism
• Neurolathyrism : humans
• Osteolathyrism : animals
• Spastic paralysis – lower limbs
• Crippling disease
• Adults – lathyrus sativus
• Age: 15-45 years.
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Aflatoxins
• Mycotoxins
• Produced by fungi: A. flavus
• Groundnut, maize, parboiled rice
• Improper storage: B1, G1: hepatotoxic
• Moisture: > 16%, temperature: 11-37 degree C
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Aflatoxin
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Prevention and control
• Proper storage after drying
• Moisture content: below 10%
• Contaminated food: not consume
• Educate local population
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Ergot
• Field fungus
• Foodgrains: bajra, rye, sorghum, wheat
• Ergot fungus: Claviceps purpura
• Blackish mass, seeds-irregular
• Sporadic outbreaks
• Acute not fatal
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Prevention and control
• Float in 20% salt water: remove fungus
• Hand picking
• Air flotation
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Epidemic dropsy
• Many outbreaks reported India
• In 1926: Sarkar
• Contamination of mustard oil with argemone oil
• Mukherjee et al , 1941: sanguinarine isolated
• Sudden, non-inflammatory, bilateral swelling :
legs
• Dyspnoea, cardiac failure , glaucoma
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Continued….
• Contamination: accidental/deliberate
• Seeds of Argemone mexicana (prickly poppy)
resemble mustard seed
• Prickly leaves, bright yellow flower
• Harvested along with mustard seeds
• Dealers: mix oils
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Tests
• Orange colour with acrid colour
1. Nitric acid test
2. Paper Chromatography
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Prevention and control
• Accidental contamination prevented at source
• Remove agremone weeds
• Prevention of Food Adulteration Act
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Endemic ascites
• Sarguja District, MP : 1973, 1976
• Outbreak: rapidly developing ascites, jaundice
• Except infants
• Mortality: 40%
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Continued….
• Studies: millet Panicum miliare (Gondhli)
• Contaminated with crotolaria (jhunjhunia)
• Contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids-hepatotoxic
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Crotolaria
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Prevention and control
• Educate people
• Deweeding
• Simple sieving of millet: household- remove
seeds of Jhunjhunia: smaller
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Fusarium toxins
• Field fungi
• Known to contaminate food crops
• Sorghum
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Continued….
• Work in progress: NIN
• Identify, isolate: toxin produced by
• Fusarium incamatum
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World Health Day 2015 –
Food Safety
• Unsafe food : deaths of 2 million people
• Responsible for > 200 diseases
• New threats: emerging
• Changes in food production, distribution and
consumption;
• Changes to environment;
• New and emerging pathogens;
• Antimicrobial resistance
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Continued….
• Food supply: globalized
• Need to strengthen food safety systems
• Codex alimentarius- WHO
• International food standards, guidelines and
codes of practice
• Covering all main foods and processes.
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Milk hygiene
• Dairy animal
• Human handler
• Environment
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Milk-borne diseases
• Tuberculosis
• Brucelllosis
• Streptococcal, staphyolococcal
• Typhoid, paratyphoid
• ETEC
• Shigella
• Cholera
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Clean and safe milk
• Healthy, clean animal
• Premises
• Milk handler
• Cool immediately: < 10 degree C
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Methylene Blue Reduction Test
• Indirect method: detect microorganisms
• Methylene blue: 10 ml of milk
• Held at 37 degree – till blue colour disappears
• Blue colour longest: best quality
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Pasteurization
• Holder (Vat):
 Kept: 63-66 degree C, 30 minutes
Cooled- 5 degree C
Small, rural communities
• HTST Method:
Rapid heating: 72 degree C
Held: 15 seconds
Rapid cooling: 4 degree C
Widely used
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Pasteurization
• UHT Method:
Rapid heating: 2 stages
Second stage: under pressure
To 125 degree C: few seconds
Rapidly cooled
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Pasteurization
• Kills nearly 90 percent bacteria
• Even heat-resistant bacteria
• Not thermoduric, spores
• Despite rise in temperature: bacteria multiply
• So rapid cooling: 4 degree C
• Cold till it reaches consumer
• Keeping quality
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Meat hygiene
• Tapeworm infections:
T solium, T saginata, Trichinella spiralis
• Bacterial infections:
Anthrax, actinomycosis, TB, food poisoning
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Meat inspection
• Proper ante mortom, post mortem inspection
• Ante mortom rejection:
 emaciation, exhaustion, pregnancy, infectious
diseases
• Good meat: neither pale pink nor purple, firm,
elastic, agreeable odour
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Slaughter House (Model Public
Health Act, 1955)
• Location: away residential
• Structure: Floors, walls- impervious, easy to
clean
• Disposal of wastes:
• Water supply
• Examination of animals
• Storage of meat: Below 5 degree C
• Transportation: fly-proof covered vans
• Other animals: not allowed
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Sanitation-eating places
• Location: not near open drain, filth
• Floors: higher than land, impervious
• Rooms:
Not more than 100 sq feet, maximum 10
persons
Walls: smooth, corners rounded, impervious
Lighting, ventilation
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Sanitation-eating places
• Kitchen:
Floor space- 60 sq feet
Floor impervious
Doors and windows: self-closing , rat, fly-proof
• Storage of cooked food
• Storage of raw food
• Furniture: easy to clean
• Disposal of waste
• Water supply
• Washing facilities
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Food handlers
• Complete medical examination
• Typhoid, dyssentry, diphtheria, TB, wounds, otitis
media
• Disease in family: notified
• Education of food handlers
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Food handlers
• Aspects of personal hygiene:
Hands
Hair
Overalls: clean white
Habits: coughing, sneezing, licking fingers,
smoking in premises
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Conclusion
• Opportunity to alert people
• Working in government sectors, farmers,
manufacturers, health practitioners – as well as
consumers
• Importance of food safety
• Part each can play
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Summary
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THANK YOU
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