4.3.

8 Food Handlers as Carriers of Pathogenic Microorganism

Bacteria cannot move by themselves. They need carriers to be transferred to

other places, and these could be living or nonliving habitats. The most common carriers
are the food handlers. Some persons are carriers of a pathogenic microorganism
without getting sick, but they can transmit the disease to others.

Animal and insect-borne diseases are transmitted to human beings by exposure

to the infected animal and insect, which include farm animals, domestic pets, marine
organism, and household pests.

Humans: Food handlers. Human body is an excellent reservoir of pathogenic

organism. They are found on the skin, hair, lining of the nose, throat, respiratory tract,
feet, hands, and under the fingernails. Thus, proper disposal of human excreta is a very
important preventive measure.
Skin lesions, such as infected cuts, burns, and acne can be sources of
Staphylococcus aureus. The respiratory tract and the skin may harbor viruses and
hemolytic streptococci group A, which is very contagious. A person with the respiratory
ailment for infected skin lesion is not allowed to work. Human saliva and discharges
from the nose, mouth and throat are potential transmitters of many diseases.
Practically all food and waterborne illnesses could be transmitted through “hand
habits” of the person. These are common involuntary movements of the hands, like
touching the hair and face, rubbing the nose, scratching an itch, touching his/her clothes
or toying with a personal item (earnings, wristwatch, pen or pencil, utensil, etc.).
Personal hygiene includes daily bathing, wearing clean clothes and shoes, and using
hair restrains.
The kitchen personal are given an orientation that includes personal hygiene,
grooming, physical safety, etc.

4.4 Other Biological Organism that Transmit Diseases

4.4.1. Farm Animals. The pathogenic organism that are common inhabitants in the
intestines of livestock are: salmonellae, Clostridium perfringens, and coliforms. An
infected animal may transfer the pathogens to other animals during shipment to
abattoirs, or in crowded corrals or barns.
 Brucellosis or undulant fever caused by Brucella abortus, B. melitensis, and B. suis
transmitted from infected cattle, goats, and hogs, respectively, used to be a major concern.
Also, early detection and getting rid of the infected animal immediately is one way of
eradicating the disease.
Another disease that has concerned consumers lately is foot-and-mouth disease
(FMD), which occurs in infected cattle and swine. FMD is not a human health concern
but is an animal health issue that has serious economic implications due to production
losses in the livestock industry.

Hogs are known to be a link in the Trichinella spiralis (roundworm) cycle that causes
trichinosis in the humans. Another parasitic worm that may be transmitted to people
is hog tapeworm, which is one of the serious parasitic infestation in populations that
are pork eaters.

Poultry is the greatest animal reservoir for Salmonella and Campylobacter. About
half of salmonellae cases that cause gastroenteritis in humans are raced to poultry
products. S. pullorum causes many deaths of baby chicks and poults but has not been
demonstrated to be pathogenic to people.
The best preventive measure to avoid animal-borne diseases in farm animals is
to maintain a high sanitary standard in the care of livestock and poultry. Children below
age 5, elderly, pregnant woman and person whose immune systems are compromised,
are at high risk to these infections and should thus take extra precautions when in
contact with farm animals and even household pets.
Fish and marine mammals may harbor Clostridium botulinum. The incidence of botulism
varies with the type of fish and its feeding habits. The incidence is not confined to
improperly canned fish. Even fermented, salted or smoked fish that are home-
processed could be carriers for Cl. botulinum.

Ciguatera poisoning is one of the serious public health problems related to fish
consumption. Some fish that are usually considered safe to eat, like barracuda,
mackerel, sea bass, and pompano; may sometimes be poisonous to people, because
they accumulate toxins in their flesh. Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is caused by
saxitoxin, an alkaloid neurotoxin known to be a potent toxin.

Norwalk viruses are responsible for about one-third of viral gastroenteritis. Foods
associated with this viral disease include raw or insufficiently cooked oysters, clams and
mussels.
Anisakis food poisoning, a parasitic infection due to a nematode, is associated
with eating raw fish.
 Another parasitic disease, called diphyllobothriasis, is transmitted to humans by
eating infected fish. The etiologic agent is a tapeworm, known as diphyllobothrium
latum.

Safety tips about consuming seafoods:

 Know your seafood seller.

 Buy only from approved sources.
 Purchase seafood carefully.
 Keep seafood cold.
 Keep live shellfish alive.
 Refrigerate live shellfish properly.
 Do not cross-contaminate.
 Cook seafood thoroughly.

Certain algae blooms are known to produce potent toxins. There are six distinct human
clinical syndromes associated with harmful algal blooms: ciguatera fish poisoning,
paralytic shellfish poisoning, neurotoxic shellfish poisoning, diarrheic shellfish poisoning,
amnestic shellfish poisoning, and Pfiesteria syndrome.

4.4.3. Household Pests

The National Pest Control Association has developed a list of the 10 most
common households pests and their living habits as follows:

1. Cockroaches spread disease by contaminated food and create an offensive odor

in large populations.
2. Mice contaminate food with droppings, urine and hair. They are always looking
for food. They nest in dark areas of sewers, flooring, garbage, and the kitchen.
Mousetraps may get rid of them.
3. Rats nest in basements, attics, sewers, sub-flooring, open garbage cans, and
piles of trash. They contaminate food with germs that can cause acute food
poisoning. Caution! They will bite people.
4. Termites live in underground colonies and feed on wood products. In addition to
destroying wood, they eat books, clothing, and anything made from pulp and
paper.
 5. Ants come in more than twenty household varieties. To get rid of these annoying
indoor species that contaminate food and in rare cases bite humans and pests,
find and destroy their nests and remove their source of food by practicing vigilant
housekeeping methods.
6. Carpenter ants are frequently confused with termites because they too, destroy
wood.
7. Fleas enter your house on pets and lay their eggs on carpeting, bedding, and
upholstered furniture.
8. Ticks: American and Brown Dog ticks live outdoors, but can be brought in by
mice and rats. These ticks are dangerous because they transmit serious
diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease to humans.
9. Spiders: many of 25,000 varieties are helpful in that they trap and eat other
pests. Their cobwebs gather dust, are unsightly, and removed in good
housekeeping.
10. Silverfish (an insect, not a fish) have not been deleterious to health, but they can
do extensive damage to clothing, books, wallpaper and important records.

Of these household pests, the most troublesome and threatening to food and
water safety are: cockroaches, flies, pantry insects, ants and rodents. The next sections
describe briefly their characteristics and how common consumers can identify and
eradicate them or avoid their entry into the building or house.

Insects are animals belonging to the class Insecta, which are small air-breathing
arthropods. They usually have three bodily parts: head, thorax or abdomen with a pair
of wings and legs. Many of them are useful for ecology, but some are harmful as
carriers of diseases. Their breeding places and eating habits are given below.

Cockroaches are not only annoying and destructive, but are carriers of
pathogens. Their eggs are deposited in a leathery case or capsule and each capsule
may contain as many as 48 eggs. They like to hide in dark and comes out to feed during
at night.

Flies. Fruits flies, blowflies, and houseflies are the common types found in the
house or food establishments. The housefly (Musca domestica) is the species that can
spread disease. They feed on human and animal feces, garbage and fresh or rotten
food. They carry the pathogenic organisms in their mouth parts. They multiply rapidly,
especially during warm weather.
 Ants may carry pathogenic organisms in their mouth, body and feet, which can
contaminate food where they pass by or feed on. Their favorite places are garbages,
food pantry and kitchen shelves, or anywhere food morsels are left.

Pastry Insects. There is hardly any food item in the kitchen or pantry that can
escape infestation by some pests if consumers leave them along enough unprotected
for pantry insects to enter and multiply. Generally, pantry insects do not carry disease-
producing organisms, but their presence gives off-tastes and off-odors not fit for human
consumption. Therefore, food is wasted.

Rodents. The common domestic rodents include: Norway rats, roof rats, and
house mice. They feed frequently and can be found in the kitchen, garbage, or indoors
where there are food crumbs, especially grains and unprotected food.

Rodents harbor many kinds of pathogenic microorganisms that include: plague

(bubonic or pneumonic types), hantavirus, and salmonellae serotypes. Hantavirus
Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a newly, recognized disease. First discovered in the
United States in 1993, about 100 cases have been identified since then in 20 states.

Rodents can damage property and ruin food. Their presence is easily detected
from their droppings, tracks, and rub marks. All of the three kinds of domestic rats do
not travel far, but want to stay close to food and water sources.

4.4.4. Birds. Sparrows and pigeons may enter the compound of farms, food
establishments or manufacturing industries and could be carriers of diseases that are
harmful to humans. Their droppings may be infected with one or more of these
illnesses: mycosis, toxoplasmosis, salmonellosis and pseudotuberculosis.

Control of these unwanted birds is similar to how rodent control measures are
handled: by physical means of preventing their entry, by not providing them food and
shelter, and with the use of trappings and pastes.

4.4.5. Domestic Pets. There are over twenty possible kinds of animals that people
enjoy around and in the house as pets. The popular ones are dogs and cats. They are
known to carry Staphylococcus aureus on their skin and nose and many serotyps of
Salmonella. The disease has very mild symptoms, but if a baby gets infected through
his mother before birth, it could result in mental retardation, blindness or death.

Psittacosis is a disease related to sick of seemingly healthy birds. Household bird pets
like parrots and parakeets, are the frequent sources of this illness, although cats and
dogs may also harbor it. Transmission may be by inhalation of the dust from dried
droppings in an enclosed room.

Pets are not allowed in areas where food is prepared and served. Anyone who
just handled a pet must wash hands properly and is required to change clothes when
necessary.

4.4.6. Plants. Plants as biological hazards to food safety are due to three reasons. They
may be carriers of pathogenic organisms, as sources of naturally occurring toxins, or
from chemical contaminants.

Microorganisms found in soil are: CL botulinum, CL perfringens, Listeria

monocytogenes, and most microorganisms that are waterborne. Many of the bacteria
and fungi that inhabit water are also found in the soil.

Certain plants naturally contain toxic substances that could cause severe illness
in humans if consumed in concentrated amounts. Some could be deadly, e.g.,
cyanogenic glycosides found in some cassava roots, seeds of almond, peaches and
apricots.

The best assurance of safety is to avoid wild varieties of plants or unfamiliar

produce and eat the kinds that have had long tradition of food use. Cook thoroughly
varieties of plants whose toxins are easily destroyed by heat.

Chemical contaminants in plants are mainly due to pesticide residues or to the

kind of fertilizers used in agricultural practices.
 A general guideline about safe consumptions of fruits and vegetables is to
consider all produce to contain some chemical residues and pollutants from air and soil.
Therefore, proper washing before use is very important.

When to wash your hands:

 Before and after eating.
 After using the restroom or toilet.
 Before handling any food.
 After touching your hair, skin or picking up items from the floor.
 After using your handkerchief, used hand towel, used sponge or wash cloth or
touching dirty clothes or dirty dishes.
 After touching household pets.
 After cleaning the litter box and food containers of pets.
 After handling money.
 After smoking and engaging in an activity that contaminated the hands, such as
clearing and wiping the table, surfaces or equipment and mopping on the floor.
 After handling chemicals, like insecticides.
 After throwing out garbage.
 After handling raw food.
 Before handling and preparing cooked or ready-to eat foods.
 Before and after wearing gloves.

Washing the hands properly is so important that periodic retraining is needed.

Supervisors and managers should randomly check on food handlers to ensure that they
use proper hand washing techniques.

4.5. Pest Control

The general rules for pest control are to practice sanitation indoors and in your
surroundings. Do not provide conditions favorable to their habitat and
reproduction like: food, water, shelter, oxygen and optimal temperature for their
survival.
Thus, a food establishment must observe the following:

 Clean all surfaces: from ceiling, walls, floors, table, and other furniture.
 Dry, moisture free atmosphere. Maintain relative humidity at about 40 percent.
 Good ventilation and lighting in all work areas.
 Food stored is well protected. No food or water is accessible to pets. This
includes fresh or rotten foods. The latter refers to garbage, dumps; left over
spoiled food, pet foods in their dish. Food crumbs on the table or floor should be
removed and are cleaned immediately. Fresh farm animal or pet feeds should be
protected from pets.
 Discards littering and potential shelter places for pets.
 Keep pets away from entering indoors by sealing all holes, cracks, screening,
and other physical means of preventing their entry.

An integrated pest control management (IPM) is the best approach, because it is

combination of different methods of controlling pests. First, start with simple non-
chemical methods such as fly glue, rat bait, and traps. The risk for contaminating food,
beverage and the air is higher with chemical substances.

The use of biological control is another way and is usually incorporated with the
other methods of an integrated pest management programs (IPM). Examples, are life
cycle of insects and prevent reproduction.

4.5.1. Key Concepts of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

The main objective of IPM is to control pests-economically through

environmentally sound techniques. Many of them are biological means. Most single
methods of pest control have not been successful, because the pests develop immunity
and resistance to chemical pesticides.

An IPM program has two components: PREVEDNTION and CONTROL. The five
steps of IPM as recommended by the National Pest Control Association are: inspection,
identification, sanitation, application of two or more pest control procedures, and follow
up of evaluation.
 Understand the use and storage of pesticides, observing these pointers:

Bear in mind that pesticides are hazardous materials. They could be dangerous
to people, directly or via food and water that have been contaminated with pesticide
residues.

 Pests can develop resistance and immunity to pesticides.

 Humans should avoid prolonged exposure to pesticides.
 Do not spray directly to surfaces or areas where food is.
 Local or national laws should regulate pesticides. Be familiar with them and
comply with regulations.
 Keep pesticides in their original container well sealed. Be sure that labels and
dates are clearly readable. The words DANGER and WARNING should be eye-
catching.
 Store in locked cabinets separate from food and away from preparation and
cooking areas.
 Store in a school place, especially aerosols. Temperatures 120 °F (49°C) may
cause them to explode.
 Check proper disposal of discarded containers from your local authorities.

In food establishments or food industries, a file of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
information should be readily accessible.

Concluding Remarks

Continues training and retraining of staff and food personnel should be part of
management’s duties. Maintenance of equipment and documentation of pest control
activities are to be monitored and filed.

In the tropics or less developed countries where parasitic diseases are prevalent,
the examination of stool or fecal materials of food workers is highly recommended, if not
mandatory.