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March 14, 2024Navigating the Risks: Understanding Biological Hazards in Our Food Supply
The CDC estimates that each year, on average, foodborne illness affects 48 million people, resulting in an estimated 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths. At least $95.2 billion per year is lost in low and middle-income countries in treating foodborne diseases and economic losses that are caused by biological hazards.
Most foodborne illnesses reported are caused by one major type of food safety hazard, which is referred to as biological hazards. Examples of biological hazards in food include bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoans and other microscopic parasites. These microscopic organisms enter the intestinal tract by ingesting contaminated food, water, or other beverages and cause various illnesses, some of which become life-threatening.
What Is An Example Of A Biological Hazard From Food Handlers?
Biological food hazards are invisible, making them extremely difficult to detect and remove from a food processing facility. Another factor leading to biological hazards being so dangerous is that they may enter the processing and distribution of food at any point in the chain. One example of biological hazards in food include viruses and bacteria carried on the hands and skin of handlers, which can introduce those microorganisms into food products, particularly ready-to-eat foods like lunch meats. Bacterial pathogens from raw ingredients can contaminate poultry products. In the agricultural industry, many fruits and vegetables may be contaminated by bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses in the soil or through contaminated irrigation systems or water systems in processing plants. Yeast and molds can also contaminate fresh fruits and vegetables that have been improperly stored or handled. Simple food handling practices, such as proper hand washing, proper environmental hygiene, and strict monitoring of food handling protocols and conditions, significantly contribute to controlling biological hazards and reducing cases of foodborne illness.
There are a significant number of food microbiology hazards recognized in the food industry. Some foodborne illnesses include watery diarrhea and abdominal cramps, while others are known to cause severe health problems. Whatever the degree of risk that a biological hazard may have, all biological hazards prefer to grow in moist and nutritious environments. This is the main reason that makes food products their number one target.
Examples Of Biological Hazards
Bacteria
Bacteria are the primary type of biological hazards that every food handler must be aware of. The types of foodborne bacteria vary greatly. The most commonly occurring bacterial biological hazards include Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens. Some foodborne bacteria can survive extreme conditions, whereas others can be easily eliminated and have minimal threats to human health. However, certain bacteria can stay inactive for long periods of time in the form of spores and multiply when the conditions are favorable again. This mechanism makes spore-forming bacteria species a significant concern in food preparation.
Fungi
Fungi are a type of biological organism that includes both yeasts and molds.
Microscopic fungi can survive in very acidic and dry conditions. Their ability to withstand these conditions makes them a significant concern for intermediate moisture foods and preserved products. Many species of fungi produce toxins. In addition to causing potentially serious illness if consumed, these toxins are difficult to remove once they have contaminated food. In these instances, prevention is a better approach to protecting consumers. Some of the most common foodborne fungi include Aspergillus species and Candida species.
Parasites
Parasites are microorganisms that require another living thing (a host) to get the nutrients they need to survive. Parasites can live in moist foods and transfer to humans, where they can cause foodborne illness. According to the CDC, Trichinella and Cryptosporidium are the most common foodborne parasites.
Viruses
Viruses are also a biological hazard that is a source of contamination in foods. Several viruses are involved in foodborne illness, with the most common being noroviruses and the hepatitis A virus. Noroviruses are one of the most significant biological hazards responsible for causing foodborne illness in the United States.
The Science Behind Food Safety: Microbiology Lab Testing
Microbiology lab testing and identifying microorganisms that contaminate consumable products and can lead to foodborne illness is a high priority in the food and beverage industry. When a contamination issue arises, it is essential to detect and identify the type of contaminating microorganism and determine its source. How quickly this information is acquired is also a vital factor. Traditional microbiological plate culturing methods using selective nutrient media are often used in many microbiological testing labs. Microbiological plate culturing frequently requires relatively long time frames to culture bacteria and fungi, and it can be limited in identifying to the species level. In addition, the microbiological plate culturing methods used to culture bacteria and fungi cannot be used to culture viruses and protozoans as these organisms require specialized host cell culturing, which is more expensive, time-consuming and technical.
The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has become the gold standard in detecting and identifying contaminating foodborne microorganisms.
- PCR has greater specificity and sensitivity than plate culturing methods.
- Because PCR is a rapid method, it can provide results in a fraction of the time.
- PCR can also be coupled with DNA sequencing to obtain the DNA sequence from a target foodborne microorganism to ensure 100% identification using search and matching to DNA databases.
- PCR is relatively cost-effective and is the method of choice for rapidly detecting and identifying foodborne microorganisms.
- PCR and DNA sequencing technologies offer unparalleled insights into foodborne pathogens’ genotype, diversity, and activities with their potential for pathogen surveillance, tracing, screening and identification.
Maintaining food safety from biological hazards requires preventive controls and strict monitoring. These approaches are instrumental in the early detection and management of foodborne outbreaks, thereby enhancing public safety and health and limiting or preventing economic loss to food businesses. However, when an issue with microorganism contamination occurs, Helix Biological Laboratory can assist our clients facing this problem. Our advanced food microbiology lab methods and extensive experience with PCR-based assays allow us to perform testing and analysis to detect and identify contaminating microorganisms in various food, beverage and agricultural products. Contact us today to learn more about our microbiology testing lab testing services!
