Food safety is of the utmost importance to processors and food businesses, not only because of the risk to human health but in terms of business reputation and profits. Preventing contamination of any kind is therefore an essential part of quality assurance in food processing. Today, we’re going to investigate some different examples of physical contamination of food and how to prevent them in your processing line. Show
Overview:The 3 (or 4) types of food contaminationTraditionally, there are three main types of food contamination: physical, chemical and biological. However, it is becoming increasingly common today to refer to four types: chemical, microbial (biological), physical, and allergenic. 1. ChemicalChemical contaminants include mycotoxins, pesticide residues, and other industrial and environmental contaminants. 2. BiologicalBiological, or microbial, contaminants include viruses, bacteria and other pathogenic microorganisms that can cause spoilage and food poisoning. 3. AllergenicFood allergy occurs in around 10% of infants, 4-8% of children, and about 2% of adults in Australia and New Zealand. Today’s food processors must pay close attention to allergenic contaminants, such as nuts and gluten, which can cause an allergic reaction and/or serious sickness to some people. 4. PhysicalPhysical contaminants include any foreign body that is present in food when it shouldn’t be. Let’s look at some of the most common examples now. 5 examples of physical contamination in foodFor food processors, it’s particularly important to prevent the following physical contaminants during the manufacturing process.
This is not an exhaustive list. There are many kinds of physical contaminants and a myriad of ways for them to enter food. This makes eliminating them very difficult. So, let’s look at the best ways to prevent physical contamination of food. How to prevent physical contamination of foodSolid pest control, food storage, cleaning practices and worker personal hygiene standards must be maintained in order to reduce the risk of contamination. In accordance with HACCP guidelines, food processors must:
How X-Ray equipment can helpIf your HACCP audit identifies that your food products are at risk of physical contaminants besides metal, there is a strong business case to invest in X-Ray food inspection systems as opposed to metal detecting equipment. Eagle X-Ray machines are designed to detect foreign bodies such as glass, mineral stone, calcified bone and high-density plastic and rubber in raw and/or finally processed product. It should be noted that finding physical contaminants in products with complex density levels (high variations in density) can prove challenging for traditional X-Ray inspection systems, which is why Eagle PI is FPE’s manufacturer of choice. Eagle X-Ray equipment uses MDX technology to discriminate physical materials by their chemical composition (atomic number). This technology is ideal for inspecting ‘difficult’ or ‘busy’ X-Ray images, making it especially valuable for inspecting bulk and packaged foods—such as bags of mixed salad leaves, cereals, nuts and confectionery that contain high variations in density. These machines therefore provide a huge amount of reassurance to processors with regards to the safety of their output. If you’d like further details about the Eagle physical contaminant machines we supply, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team on AUS 1800 882 549 or NZ 0800 100 003. Don’t forget, all FPE’s X-Ray customers have access to a 24-hour support line for equipment breakdowns and emergencies, for total peace of mind. People also liked:
When food becomes contaminated with something that shouldn't be there, it can be dangerous to your customers and disastrous for your business. That's why preventing food contamination is such an important component of food safety. Before you can prevent it, you have to understand what kinds of things can contaminate food and the mechanisms that can lead to contamination. Types of Food ContaminationTraditionally, we taught that there were three types of food contamination: physical, chemical, and microbial (sometimes called biological). These days, we add a fourth type: allergenic. All food is at risk from these four types of contamination. Consumption of contaminated food can result in sickness or death, so it's important to understand how to prevent foodborne illness by safeguarding against all types of contamination. What is Cross-Contamination?There are many ways for contaminants to enter food – during cultivation, processing, or in the kitchen. Contaminants aren't always introduced to food directly. Cross-contamination is the accidental transfer of contaminants into the food from a surface, object, or person. Four common sources of cross-contamination include clothing, utensils, food handlers, and pests. People usually mean biological or allergenic contaminants when they talk about cross-contamination, but it can involve any of the four contaminants.
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Physical contamination refers to foreign objects that contaminate food. It can happen at any time between farm and table. Physical contaminants can cause choking, cutting, or broken teeth, but they can also introduce harmful microorganisms that come with their own hazards. Even if a customer isn't ill or injured, finding something in their food can be very distressing. Examples of Physical ContaminationCommon examples of physical contaminants include hair, bandages, fingernails, jewelry, broken glass, metal, paint flakes, bone, the body parts of pests, or pest droppings. Preventing Physical ContaminationSourcing food from reputable suppliers is an important start, but employees need to take measures to make sure physical contaminants aren't introduced in-house. Common policies include:
What is Chemical Contamination?Chemical contamination happens when food comes into contact with toxic chemicals. Any chemical that can make you sick if you ingest it directly can also cause a problem if it contaminates your food This can happen before the food arrives at your restaurant, or it can happen on-premises. Chemical contaminants can be artificial or natural, from the food itself. Examples of Chemical ContaminationCommon examples of artificial chemical contaminants include detergent, sanitizer, other cleaning products, fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Examples of natural chemical contaminants include the glycoalkaloids produced by potatoes and stored under the peel and in the eyes or sprouts. Fugu sushi poisoning is a more exotic example – if pufferfish is prepared incorrectly, it may include tetrodotoxin. Preventing Chemical ContaminationAgain, using food suppliers that take their own precautions is important. Common policies to prevent in-house chemical contamination include:
What is Biological Contamination?Biological and microbial contamination are sometimes used interchangeably, but biological contamination is technically a broader umbrella. Microbial contamination covers microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa, fungi (including mold), and prions. It can also include the toxins these microorganisms produce. Biological contaminants include all that but also any biological matter produced by humans, rodents, or insects. Microbial contamination is the most common cause of foodborne illness, sometimes called food poisoning. It's also a common source of food spoilage. Examples of Microbial ContaminationThe most common microbial contaminants are norovirus, Listeria, Salmonella, E. coli, and Campylobacter. There are also toxins from animals like fish and shellfish or microbes like Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Listeria. Many toxins are more heat-resistant than the bacteria that make them, so they require more stringent precautions to keep them from building in the first place. Some foods are more likely to harbor dangerous levels of microbes or microbial toxins than others. Foods that are moist, neutral in acidity, and/or high in protein or starch tend to grow microbes the best – they're known as Time and Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods because they require specific precautions related to those factors. Preventing Biological ContaminationUsing reputable suppliers, inspecting each delivery, and refusing suspicious items can be critical to avoiding microbial contamination of the food you serve. That includes rejecting things like:
You can minimize the risk of in-house biological contamination if you:
What is Allergenic Contamination?Allergenic contamination happens when food that causes an allergic reaction comes into contact with another food. For the wrong customer, an allergic or otherwise adverse reaction to food can result in anything from hives to gastrointestinal distress to potentially deadly anaphylaxis. Examples of AllergensPeople can develop allergies to many different types of food, but the most common examples of food allergens include:
Lesser-known but documented food allergies include celery, mollusks, mustard and mustard-containing sauces, sesame seed, lupin flour, and sulfite/sulfur dioxide (a preservative). Preventing Allergenic ContaminationIf you're going to advertise allergen- or gluten-free food, you need to really commit. Policies to prevent allergenic contamination include:
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