Physical and chemical hazards in food

A Food safety hazard is a biological, chemical or physical agent or condition of food with the potential to cause harm or an adverse health affect at the time of consumption.

1. PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL HAZARDS IN FOOD AND THEIR CONTROL MEASURES BFST 1206 FOOD SANITATION W.A.G.E. WIJELATH - AG/12/FT/024 M.HARTHIKA - AG/12/FT/026

2. HAZARD??? 2 CONTROL MEASURES??? A Food safety hazard is a biological, chemical or physical agent or condition of food with the potential to cause harm or an adverse health affect at the time of consumption. Any action or activity that can be used to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard

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4. Physical Hazards Any extraneous object or foreign matter in food Item which may cause illness or injury to a person at the time of consumption. 4

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6. 6 Some common physical hazards and sources Material Sources           Glass Bottles, jars, light fixtures, utensils   Wood Fields, pallets, boxes, buildings   Stones Fields, buildings   Bullet/ Needles Animals shot in field, hypodermic needles used for infections Jewelry Pens/pencils, buttons, careless employee practices Metal Machinery , fields, Wire, employees   Insects and other filth Fields, plant post-process entry   Insulation Building materials   Bone Fields, improper plant processing   Plastic Fields, plant packaging materials, pallets, employees Personal effects Employees        

7. 7 Some common physical hazards and sources Material Sources           Glass Bottles, jars, light fixtures, utensils   Wood Fields, pallets, boxes, buildings   Stones Fields, buildings   Bullet/ Needles Animals shot in field, hypodermic needles used for infections Jewelry Pens/pencils, buttons, careless employee practices Metal Machinery , fields, Wire, employees   Insects and other filth Fields, plant post-process entry   Insulation Building materials   Bone Fields, improper plant processing   Plastic Fields, plant packaging materials, pallets, employees Personal effects Employees        

8. Injury potential Cuts Bleedings Infections Choking Trauma Illness Sometimes require surgery to remove. 8

9. 9 Factors determining the risk level Target audience for the food Type of product Method of consumption Size Hardness Sharpness Shape Type Ease of discovery Of physical hazards

10. 10 Injury risk of physical hazards Injury risk Commodity Size of physical hazard High Infant foods Any size(including small particles < 2mm   Beverages 2mm or larger in size in any one dimension Moderate All other foods 2mm or larger in size in any one dimension   (except infant food & beverage)   Low All other foods 2mm in size in all dimensions   ( except infant foods)  

11. Control measures of physical hazards 11

12. To prevent……. GMPs GAPs HACCP Identification of raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials and processes that are at high risk of contamination. Proper maintenance of the buildings, facilities, grounds and processing plants and equipments………etc . Eliminate potential sources of physical hazards within the establishment . Employee training program 12

13. 13 To find and remove…………. Physical exclusion of hazards. (e.g.: screens, filters and sieves, etc ) Effective detection and elimination systems Proper equipment design, selection, calibration and maintenance. Effective facility maintenance On-line visual inspection Detection methods include metal detectors, X-ray machines, optical systems, magnets . Screening assessment of raw materials End product screening Consumer feed back or complaint analysis

14. Chemical hazards Any chemical contaminants or naturally occurring substances in food that can cause harm to human health when present over the recommended level 14

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16. Naturally occurring Some chemical hazards are naturally present in food- Toxic plant components. Such substances are often prohibited in foods beyond a certain level. These hazards often are also classified as biological hazards 16

17. 17 Intentionally added To maintain the food freshness or to enhance the flavor, aroma and color Direct additives - Preservatives ( e.g. : nitrate, sodium benzoate , sulfiting agents ) -Nutritional additives (e.g.: niacin, retinol ) -Color additives Indirect food additives -Adhesives -Polymers

18. 18 Source Why a hazard? Food colorings Can produce an adverse reaction   in sensitive people Preservatives Can be toxic in high concentration   Can cause an intolerance reaction   in sensitive people Nutritional supplement Can be toxic in high concentration

19. 19 Unintentionally added Agricultural chemicals Pesticides Fungicides Herbicides Fertilizers Antibiotics Growth hormones Cleaning chemicals ( e.g. : acids, caustics ) Maintenance chemicals ( e.g. : lubricants ) Packaging materials ( e.g. : tin ) Equipment component ( e.g. : copper pipe fittings )

20. 20 Sources Why a hazard? Agricultural chemicals If improperly applied, some can be   acutely toxic or may cause long-term   health effects Cleaning chemicals can cause chemical burns if present in   the food at high level Equipment components Acidic food can cause leaching of heavy   metal from pipes and joints   (e.g. : copper and lead ) Maintenance chemicals Some chemicals that are not approved   for food use may be toxic Packaging materials High nitrate levels in food can cause   excessive detinning of uncoated cans   resulting in excessive levels of tin in   the food

21. In addition to this; 21 There are some ingredients or parts of food which can be considered as chemical hazards for certain people who have an allergic reaction for such ingredients or food parts Common allergens include: Soybeans and their products sesame

22. 22 Cereals containing gluten Milk and milk products Egg and egg products Peanuts and their products Crustaceans and their products Fish and fish products

23. Health effects 23 Cause food poisoning symptoms within a short period of time . Disrupt body metabolism Cause cancer (e.g.: Aflatoxins- liver cancer) Damage genes Alter organ functions Affect reproduction and development Affect developing brains in foetuses, infants and children (e.g.: mercury )

24. Control measures of chemical hazards 24 Prior to receipt Specifications Upon receipt Inspection before acceptance During processing Use ‘approved’ chemicals

25. 25 References 1.Gagged(2010 ) Undestanding Hazards Associated with foods (online)Available from :http :// WWW.gaaged.org 2. Food safety site(2012) Food Safety (online)Available from : http :// WWW.Foodsafetysite.org 3.Facstaff(2004) chemical hazards (online)Available from : http:// WWW. . Facstaff.org