Trade, food hazard
THERE are three major hazards that may be introduced into the food supply any time during harvesting, processing, transporting, preparing, storing and serving food. These hazards may be biological (microbiological), chemical or physical.
A food safety hazard refers to any agent with the potential to cause adverse health consequences for consumers and this occurs when food is exposed to hazardous agents which result in contamination of that food.
The Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF) manages quarantine controls at the Fijian border whereby food items are inspected to ensure they meet import requirements and are free of food hazards.
Biological hazards include infestation of food by bacteria, fungi, viruses and other agents such as prions. These can also be called parasites. When introduced into food, these pose food safety concern for consumers.
Biological hazards can be introduced to food from the environment (e.g. soil bacteria, agricultural runoff) or from inadequate sanitation practices and cross contamination during transportation, handling, processing and storage (e.g., poor food hygiene practices). The type and magnitude of microbial growth is determined in part by the nature of the food, package conditions and food storage environment.
The principal bacteria associated with food borne illnesses include: Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp. and Listeria spp. Viruses commonly associated with food safety issues include Hepatitis A virus and Norovirus.
Parasite: any organism which obtains nourishment from its host organism in order to grow and reproduce. Unlike symbiotic organisms, which reciprocate by supplying their hosts with other resources the host would not otherwise be able to find, parasites do not supply the host with any resources, usually to the detriment of the host. Parasites commonly associated with food-borne illnesses include: Taenia spp. and Trichinella spiralis.
When toxic chemicals used for pest control or for cleaning and sanitising food contact surfaces and food preparation equipment come into contact with food, the food may be contaminated by those chemicals. Toxic metals such as copper, brass, cadmium, lead and zinc can be a source of chemical contamination. Zinc, used in galvanised containers (garbage cans) and in gray enamelware containers which may be plated with anatomy or cadmium, can make acidic foods such as orange juice or tomato sauce and pickles poisonous. Pottery dishes with lead glazes should not be used to prepare or serve food.
Intentionally added chemicals help to maintain a food's freshness or to enhance flavours in foods. Check the food ingredient label for more information about the additives. Excessive use of some additives has been linked to cases of lethal allergic reactions particularly among sensitive individuals, in particular, asthmatics.
Food service establishments are prohibited by law from using sulfites to maintain product freshness. However, they are still approved for use in some food processing operations, for example, processing shrimp and manufacturing wine. If they are used, the product must be clearly labeled.
Physical hazards usually result from accidental contamination and/or poor food handling practices. Extraneous material covers all materials (excluding bacteria, fungi and their by-products (toxins), viruses and parasites) which may be found in a food that are foreign to that particular food.
These materials are usually non-toxic but are associated with unsanitary conditions of production, processing, handling, storage and distribution of food.