What is Food Safety?

It is a scientific discipline describing the handling,

preparation and storage of food in ways that can
prevent food borne illness. This include a number of
routine that should be followed to avoid potentially
severe health hazards.
What is Codex Alimentarius?

It is a collection of internationally recognized standards,

codes of practices, guidelines and other recommendations
relating to foods, food production, and food safety. It
contains general standards covering matter such as food
labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide
residues.
Specific standards:
• Meat products ( fresh, frozen, processed and meat poultry)
• Fish ( marine, fresh water, aquaculture)
• Dairy (milk products)
• Foods for special dietary uses ( including infant formula and
baby foods)
• Cereals and derived products (chocolate, sugar, honey)
The track within this line of thought are safety between industry
and the market and between the market and the consumer.
FOOD SAFETY considerations include the origin of food including
the practices relating to:

• Food Labeling
• Food Hygiene
• Food Additives
• Pesticide Residues
In considering market to consumer practices the usual thought
that ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe
delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer.
FOOD LABELLING

A panel found on a package of food which contains a variety of

information about the nutritional value of the food item. These
includes the production date consume/best before, serving size,
number of calories, grams of fat. etc. These information helps
people who are trying to restrict consumers about their intake
reactions. etc.
FOOD ADDITIVES
• Food additives are substances added to food to maintain or improve its safety,
freshness, taste, texture, or appearance.
• Food additives need to be checked for potential harmful effects on human
health before they can be used.
• The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), is the
international body responsible for evaluating the safety of food additives.
• Only food additives that have been evaluated and deemed safe by JECFA, on
the basis of which maximum use levels have been established by the Codex
Alimentarius Commission, can be used in foods that are traded internationally.
What are food additives?
Substances that are added to food to maintain or improve the safety, freshness,
taste, texture, or appearance of food are known as food additives. Some food
additives have been in use for centuries for preservation – such as salt (in meats
such as bacon or dried fish), sugar (in marmalade), or sulfur dioxide (in wine).

Many different food additives have been developed over time to meet the needs
of food production, as making food on a large scale is very different from
making them on a small scale at home. Additives are needed to ensure processed
food remains safe and in good condition throughout its journey from factories or
industrial kitchens, during transportation to warehouses and shops, and finally to
consumers.
What are food additives?
The use of food additives is only justified when their use has a technological
need, does not mislead consumers, and serves a well-defined technological
function, such as to preserve the nutritional quality of the food or enhance the
stability of the food.

Food additives can be derived from plants, animals, or minerals, or they can be
synthetic. They are added intentionally to food to perform certain technological
purposes which consumers often take for granted. There are several thousand
food additives used, all of which are designed to do a specific job in making food
safer or more appealing. WHO, together with FAO, groups food additives into 3
broad categories based on their function.
a. Flavoring Agents
Flavoring agents are added to food to improve aroma or
taste by making up the greatest number of additives used
in foods. There are hundreds of varieties of flavorings
used in a wide variety of foods, from confectionery, soft
drinks to cereal, cake, and yoghurt. Natural flavoring
agents include nut, fruit and spice blends, as well as those
derived from vegetables and wine. In addition, there are
flavorings that imitate natural flavors.
b. Enzymes Preparations
Enzyme preparations are a type of additive that may or may not end
up in the final food product. Enzymes are naturally-occurring proteins
that boost biochemical reactions by breaking down larger molecules
into their smaller building blocks. They can be obtained by extraction
from plants or animal products or from micro-organisms such as
bacteria and are used as alternatives to chemical-based technology.
They are mainly used in baking (to improve the dough), for
manufacturing fruit juices (to increase yields), in wine making and
brewing (to improve fermentation), as well as in cheese manufacturing
(to improve curd formation).
c. Other Additives
Other food additives are used for a variety of reasons, such as
preservation, coloring, and sweetening. They are added when
food is prepared, packaged, transported, or stored, and they
eventually become a component of the food.
Preservatives can slow decomposition caused by mould, air,
bacteria, or yeast. In addition to maintaining the quality of the
food, preservatives help control contamination that can cause
foodborne illness, including life-threatening botulism.
c. Other Additives

Coloring is added to food to replace colors lost during

preparation, or to make food look more attractive.

Non-sugar sweeteners are often used as an alternative to sugar

because they contribute fewer or no calories when added to food.
PESTICIDE RESIDUES
• Some of the older, less costly pesticides can remain for years in
soil and water. Many of these chemicals have been banned
from agricultural use in developed countries, but they are still
used in many developing countries.
• Pesticides play a significant role in food production. They
protect or increase yields and may increase the number of times
each year a crop can be grown on the same land. This is
particularly important in countries that face food shortages.
PESTICIDE RESIDUES
• To protect food consumers from the adverse effects of
pesticides WHO reviews evidence and develops
internationally-accepted maximum residue limits.
• Pesticides are used to protect crops against insects, weeds,
fungi and other pests.
• Pesticides are potentially toxic to humans and can have both
acute and chronic health effects, depending on the quantity and
ways in which a person is exposed.
PESTICIDE RESIDUES
• People who face the greatest health risks from exposure to
pesticides are those who come into contact with them at work,
in their home or garden.
 Food
Hygiene
What is food hygiene?
• Food hygiene is the practice a food manufacturing business applies to
safeguard public health from any risks of foodborne illnesses that can be
caused by microbial contamination. Particularly, food hygiene deals with
the biological aspect of keeping food safe.
• Food hygiene is a collection of practices and guidelines to keep the
operations clean and under healthy conditions. This term is concerned
with food handling, transport, proper storage of food, and the actual
processing of the materials.
Specifically, the aims of food hygiene include the following:

• To prevent food from spoiling due to contamination as a result

of unclean environmental conditions, poor food hygiene
practices, and lack of orientation on food safety.
• To orient and educate people involved in the processing of the
product on how to practice safe food handling and sanitary
practices.
• To extend the shelf-life of your product through clean
processing.
• To prevent releasing unsafe food to the market that can result in
foodborne illnesses.
What is the difference between food safety and food hygiene?

Is food hygiene the same as food safety? Technically, they are not the same. Although, in
some cases, food manufacturers use these terms interchangeably, they have different
meanings and encompass different principles.
When it comes to food establishments and manufacturing, food safety is an essential
aspect. It includes a wide array of areas to ensure that food is safe and fit for
consumption. This term is used to describe a wide management system that is applied
by a food business to ensure that hazards are controlled to acceptable levels. Food
safety is concerned with all types of hazards and includes the system of corrective
actions, monitoring, and how to achieve safe operations. In short, food safety is the
bigger umbrella, and food hygiene is under it. Food hygiene is the practice of doing the
directives from food safety in the cleanest and safest way possible.
What is the difference between food safety and food hygiene?

Food safety refers to a holistic approach to controlling and managing food

safety hazards. It spans from sourcing raw materials, processing, food
packaging, transporting, and finally, until the products are ready for sale.
During processing, food is vulnerable to biological, physical, chemical, and
allergy contamination. Food hygiene standards mainly cover conditions,
rules, and procedures to prevent biological food contamination, leading to
foodborne illnesses. The measures range from proper food handling,
thorough cleaning activities, preventing cross-contamination, etc. In
comparison, traceability and correct labelling are part of food safety
management but not necessarily in food hygiene standards.
What is the difference between food safety and food hygiene?

When preparing ingredients in a restaurant, food hygiene is

applied by segregating raw and cooked materials including the
utensils used for each ingredient. It is involved in cleaning and
sanitation procedures before cooking as well. These processes are
also under food safety, but in applying a corrective action if any
non-complying steps are not part of food hygiene anymore.
Food Hygiene; the 4’c

Good food hygiene is all about controlling harmful

bacteria, which can cause serious illness. In
avoiding the risk of food poisoning among
customers, handlers must obey of standard
operations, these might protect the business’s
reputation and fatal scenarios for consumers. There
are actually 4 main things to remember for food
hygiene:
1. Cross-contamination

Cross- contamination happened when bacteria are spread between food, surfaces, or
equipment. It most likely to happen when raw food touches (or drips onto) ready-to-
eat, frozen, fresh, and processed foods. To avoid cross-contamination the following
must be observe:
• Clean and disinfect work surfaces
• Wash hands before preparing foods
• Provides separate working areas, storage facilities, clothing and staff for the
handling of processed/ fresh foods.
• Separate cleaning materials including cloths, sponges and mops. It should be used
in areas where are stored, handled and prepared.
• Make sure that the staff know how to avoid cross- contamination.
2. Cleaning

• Effective cleaning gets rids of bacteria on hands, equipment

and surfaces. So it helps to stop harmful bacteria from
spreading into foods.
• Clear and clean as you go. Clear away used equipment, spill
food; etc.
• Use cleaning and disinfection products that are suitable for the
job, always follow manufacturer’s instructions.
• Do not let food waste build-up.
3. Chilling

• Food properly chilled helps to stop harmful bacteria from

growing. Some food needs to kept chilled to keep it safe, for
example food with a “ use by date”, cooked dishes and ready-
to-eat food such prepared salads and desserts.
• It is very important not to leave these types of food standing
around at room temp.
• Check regularly that your cold storage and display units are
cold enough.
4. Cooking

Through cooking kills harmful bacteria in food, so it is extremely

important to make sure that food is cooked properly.
The cost of poor food hygiene:

• Food poisoning outbreaks and sometimes death

• Food contamination, customer complaints and brand image
• Pests infestations
• Waste food due to spoilage
• The closure of food premises
• Fines and costs of legal action taken because of contraventions
in hygiene legislation, or because of the sale of unfit or
unsatisfactory food
Personal hygiene

Hands and skins (food handlers must wash their hands

especially)
• After visiting the toilet
• On entering the food room, after a break and before
handling any food.
• After putting on or changing a dressing
• After dealing with an ill customer or a baby’s nappy
Personal hygiene

• After handling raw food including eggs, and before handling

ready-to eat food
• After cleaning up animal feces or handling boxes contaminated
by bird dropping
• After combing or touching the hair, face, nose, mouth or ears
• After handling waste food
• After cleaning, or handling dirty cloths, crockery, etc.
• After handling external packaging, flowers or money
The benefits of food food hygiene:

• Satisfied customers, a good reputation, increased business and

brand protection
• Compliance with food safety legislation
• Less food wastage
• Good working conditions, higher staff moral and lower staff
turnover, which promote increased productivity
5 Key Principles of Food Hygiene:

• Prevent contaminating food with pathogen spreading from

people, pets, and pests
• Separate raw and cooked foods to prevent contaminating the
cooked foods.
• Cook for the appropriate temperature to kill pathogens.
• Store food and the proper temperature.
• Do use safe water and raw materials.
Overview of Microbiology

• To understand how employee health and hygiene can contribute

to food contamination the need to know some basic
microbiology is important.
• Microbiology is a broad term that covers the study of:
organisms that cannot be seen without a microscope. For this
subject, microorganism means bacteria, yeast, mold, viruses
and some parasites.
Common mistakes that cause illness: Studies have shown that the
two most common caused of food born illness in the Philippines
are:
• holding food at the wrong temperature, and
• poor personal hygiene of food workers

Food workers typically transmit disease causing organisms to

food from their hands by:
• touching contaminated surfaces and then touching food.
• touching contaminated food and then touching other food.
• touching a portion of their own body and then touching food.
Food Safety Hazards
The are 3 major hazards that may be introduced into the food
supply anytime during; harvesting, processing, transporting, and
storing.

The three (3) majors hazards are:

• Microbiological hazard
• Chemical Hazard
• Physical Hazard
• Allergen
a. Microbiological Hazards

Occurs when food becomes contaminated by microorganisms

found in : air, food, water, soil, animals, human body. Many
microorganisms are helpful and necessary for life itself.
However, given the right conditions, some micro organisms may
cause a food borne illness. It is actually associated with food
borne illness include bacteria, viruses and parasites.
b. Chemical Hazards

Occur at any point during harvesting etc. When toxic chemicals

used for pest control or for cleaning and sanitizing food contact
surfaces and food preparation equipment come into contact with
food, the food may be contaminated by those chemicals.
However, there are also added chemicals which are beneficial for
human consumption. These chemicals are known as additives.
c. Physical Hazards

Usually results from accidental contamination and poor food

handling practices. These includes;
• shivers of glass,
• human hair,
• nails,
• nail polish,
• pieces of jewelry,
• metal fragments from worn/ chipped utensils and containers
dirt, stones, frilled toothpick.
d. Allergens

The Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) defines Food

Allergy as a medical condition in which exposure to a food
triggers a harmful immune response. The immune response called
an allergic reaction occurs because the immune system attacks
proteins to the foods that are normally harmless. The proteins that
trigger the reaction are called allergens.
Food Poisoning

Food poisoning is a acute illness, which usually occurs within

one (1) to 36 hours of eating contaminated or poisonous food.
Symptoms normally last from one (1) to 7 days and include one
(1) or more of the following:
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Collapse
Food poisoning may be caused by:

• Bacteria or their toxins

• Mould (mycotoxins)
• Chemicals such as insecticides, cleaning agents and wee killers
• Metal such as lead, copper and mercury
• Poisonous plants such as deadly nightshade and toadstools
• Poisonous fish or shellfish
How to prevent food poisoning?
Food poisoning rarely occurs of a single isolated mistake. Food
poisoning results from management failing to identify hazards
and/or failing to control these hazards.
The food poisoning chain consists of 3 major hazards
1. The contamination high - risk food
2. The multiplication of bacteria within the food
3. The survival of bacteria within the food
To control these hazards the chain must be breaks to prevent
food poisoning
How to protect food from contamination?
1. Purchase food from reputable supplier
2. Effective instruction, supervision and training of food handlers
3. Maintaining high standard of personal hygiene and good hygiene
practices
4. Well designed and constructed food premises and food rooms
5. Effective pests control
6. The separation of raw and high risk food at all stages of delivery,
storage, preparation, serving, and distribution
7. Effective storage and disposal of waste and unfit food
8. Well-designed and proper use of suitable equipment/utensils
How to stored food properly?
• All the foods were stored in different storage areas depending
on the type of food
• The meat, seafood, and poultry were stored in their own
designated area to keep contamination as low as possible
• All the food were double wrapped to insure food safety
• Each tray or container had a tag which state the type of food
being held the temperature that is should be held at, and the
date frozen and date to be thrown out.
Food spoilage commences in food as soon as it is harvested,
taken from the sea or slaughtered.
Spoilage results from the action of:
• Bacteria
• Mould
• Yeast
• Poor hygiene practices
• Poor temperature control
• Unsuitable packaging
• Rough handling
• Results in damage and accelerates spoilage
What are the signs of food spoilage?

1. Off odors
2. Discoloration
3. Slime/Stickiness
4. Mould growth (whiskers)
5. Change in texture - e.g. dry or spongy
6. Unusual taste
7. Production of gas
8. Blown cans or packs
References
• Food Safety Regulations Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access ISSN: 2155-9600.
https://www.longdom.org/scholarly/food-safety-regulations-
journals-articles-ppts-list-2936.html
• Garde, Nova Mae. A Basic Training on GWP, SSOP
&HACCP. https://www.slideshare.net/crystaljappy/food-safety-
presentation-030915