FOOD SAFETY AND

FOOD
MICROBIOLOGY
DR. SUZITA RAMLI
Think pair share
What do you think about food safety?
meaning
- is a scientific discipline describing handle, preparation, and storage
of food in ways that prevent food-borne illness
Concept
•Food is any substance, usually composed primarily of carbohydrates,
fats, water and/or proteins, that can be eaten or drunk and
metabolized by an human for nutrition or pleasure.
•Microorganisms: bacteria, fungal, virus, some parasites (Protozoa)
•Food microorganisms: microorganisms found in the food – not all
microorganisms found in food will cause human health problems
(illness, disease, poisoning).
•Microorganisms found in food and can cause human health problems –
foodborne microorganism (foodborne bacteria, foodborne fungal,
foodborne viral)
Pathogens = pathogenic microorganisms
Foodborne Pathogens = pathogenic microorganisms found in the food
•Foods can be contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms –
foodborne pathogens
•Definition of foodborne illness/disease: Foodborne illnesses are
defined as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature,
caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food
(WHO).
•Foodborne illness or foodborne disease is colloquially referred to as
food poisoning..
 FACTORS OF SPOILAGE

1. INTRINSIC FACTOR
2. EXTRINSIC FACTOR
 Intrinsic factor
1. Water availability
•In general, lower water activity inhibits microbial growth
•water activity lowered by:
◦ drying
◦ addition of salt or sugar
•osmophilic microorganisms
◦ prefer high osmotic pressure
•xerophilic microorganisms
◦ prefer low water activity
2. Physical structure
•grinding and mixing increase surface area and distribute
microbes
◦ promotes microbial growth
• outer skin of vegetables and fruits slows microbial growth
3. Antimicobial substances
coumarins – fruits and vegetables
lysozyme – cow’s milk and eggs
aldehydic and phenolic compounds – herbs and spices
allicin – garlic
polyphenols – green and black teas
Extrinsic Factors
1. Temperature
◦ lower temperatures retard microbial growth
2. Relative humidity
◦ higher levels promote microbial growth
3. Atmosphere
◦ oxygen promotes growth
◦ modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
◦ use of shrink wrap and vacuum technologies to package food in
controlled atmospheres
Food Spoilage
Approximately 1/3rd of all food manufactured in world is
lost to spoilage
Microbial content of foods (microbial load): qualitative
(which bugs) and quantitative (how many bugs)
Shelf life
◦ Non-perishable foods (pasta)
◦ Semiperishable foods (bread)
◦ Perishable foods (eggs)
Common symptoms of
foodborne illness
Preventing
foodborne
illnesses
Good management practice
(GMP)
Preventing food
contamination in kitchen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiNTqUU-h6w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf_-DqzTcic
Food safety in the kitchen
◦ Keep a clean, safe kitchen
◦ Avoid cross-
contamination
◦ Keep hot foods hot
◦ Keep cold foods cold
Recommended Safe
Temperatures (Fahrenheit)

60°C

4°C
Safe
Refrigerator
Storage Times
Food poisoning prevention
Safe shopping
Buy cold foods last during your
shopping trip. Get them home fast.
Never choose torn or leaking
packages.
Do not buy foods past their "sell-by" or
expiration dates.
Keep raw meat and poultry separate
from other foods.
Pregnant women should avoid foods
that can carry Listeria and should
discuss healthy foods during their
pregnancy with their OB/GYN
physician.
Safe storage of foods

Keep it safe; refrigerate.

Unload perishable foods first and
immediately refrigerate them.
Place raw meat, poultry, or fish in the
coldest section of your refrigerator.
Check the temperature of your
appliances. To slow bacterial growth, the
refrigerator should be at 40°F (4.44°C) ,
the freezer at 0°F (-17.7°C).
Cook or freeze fresh poultry, fish, ground
meats, and variety meats within two
days.
Safe food preparation

Keep everything clean!

Wash hands before and after
handling raw meat and poultry.
Sanitize cutting boards often in a
solution of one teaspoon chlorine
bleach in one quart of water.
Do not cross-contaminate. Keep raw
meat, poultry, fish, and their juices
away from other food. After cutting
raw meats, wash hands, cutting board,
knife, and counter tops with hot, soapy
water.
Marinate meat and poultry in a
covered dish in the refrigerator.
Discard any uncooked/unused
marinade.
Thawing food safely

Refrigerator: Allows slow, safe

thawing. Make sure thawing juices
do not drip on other foods.
Cold water: For faster thawing,
place food in a leak-proof plastic
bag and submerge in cold tap
water.
Microwave: Cook meat and poultry
immediately after microwave
thawing.
Safe cooking

Use a meat thermometer

Cook ground meats to 160°F (71°C)
Cook beef, veal, and lamb steaks, roasts and
chops to 145°F (63°C)
Cook all cuts of fresh pork to 160°F (71°C).
Whole poultry should reach 180°F (82°C) in the
thigh; breasts 170F° (76.6C°).
Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Never leave food out more than two hours (or
more than one hour in temperatures above 90°F
[32°C]).
Bacteria that cause food poisoning grow rapidly
at room temperature.
Use cooked leftovers within four days.
Food Poisoning Medical
Treatment
•The main treatment for food poisoning is replacing fluids into the
body (rehydration) through an intravenous (IV) fluid and by
drinking. This depends on the severity of the dehydration, response
to therapy, and ability to drink fluids without vomiting. Children,
in particular, may need close observation.
•Anti-vomiting and diarrhea medications may be given.
•The doctor may also treat any fever to make the patient more
comfortable.
•With mushroom poisoning or eating foods contaminated with
pesticides, aggressive treatment may include intravenous (IV)
fluids, emergency intervention for life-threatening symptoms, and
giving medications such as antidotes, such as activated charcoal.
These poisonings are very serious and m
PRINCIPLE OF FOOD
MICROBIOLOGY –jigsaw
activity
Microorganisms in food
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlKP35bct2o
MICROORGANISMS IN FOOD
Beneficial microorganisms (food
production)-Lactic acid bacteria (yogurt)
Spoilage microorganisms-fungi
Disease causing microorganisms
(pathogens)-salmonella
 Groups of microoganisms
important to food

Bacteria Fungi Virus

Microscopic
Parasites Prions
algae
 Salmonella-salmonellosis Campylobacter- Campylobacteriosis

E. coli -
enterohaemorrhagic Listeria - Listeriosis
Vibrio cholera-cholera
Jigsaw aCtivitY
Expert 1 - types of illness, types of toxin
Expert 2- B. cereus, C. jejuni, C. botulinum, C. perfringens
Expert 3- E. coli, Salmonella, Vibrio, Yersinia
Expert 4- T. gondii, Cryptosporium parvum, tapeworm,
roundworm, trichuris trichuria
Expert 5 - Rotavirus, Novorvirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus,
Hepatitis virus
FOODBORNE PATHOGENS
May not alter quality of food – not easy to asses microbial safety
of a product without microbiological tests.

Responsible for:
◦ foodborne infection
◦ food intoxication
◦ Toxico-infection
TYPE OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS
Infection
eating food contaminated with pathogens

Intoxication
eating food contaminated with the toxins (poisons)
formed by bacteria
eating food contaminated with other biological or
chemical toxins (poisons) X

Toxin-mediated infection
Eating food contaminated with pathogens that grow in
the body and form toxins (poisons)
INFECTION INTOXICATION TOXIN-MEDIATED
INFECTION

Salmonella Staphylococcus aureus Clostridium perfringens

Shigella Clostridium Bacillus

botulinum
E. coli Aspergillus Vibrio cholerae

Yersinia Penicilin E. coli

Vibrio

Listeria monocytogenes
TYPES OF TOXIN
ENDOTOXIN
◦ A toxin that is a component of the pathogen itself
◦ Will be released only when the cell dies or is broken apart

EXOTOXINS
◦ Affect specific host metabolic reactions
◦ Proteins produce inside the pathogenic microorganism
◦ Toxin that is secreted by cells

ENTEROTOXIN
◦ Any toxin specific for intestinal cells
◦ Cause vomiting and diarrhoea associated with food poisoning
MYCOTOXINS
◦ Toxin produced by fungus
◦ Some are carcinogenic

NEUROTOXINS
◦ A secreted toxin that affects nerve signal transmission
◦ May damages or destroys nerve tissue

EMETIC TOXINS
◦ Toxins that cause vomiting
Types OF
FOODBORNE
pathogens
Major food poisoning/infection
bacteria
Salmonella spp.
Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium spp.
Vibrio spp.
Bacillus cereus
Campylobacter jejuni
Yersinia spp.
Escherichia coli (various strains)
Listeria monocytogenes
 CONTAMINATION BY
SPORES

Food contaminated Spores resistant to Temperature abuse

by spores heat during storage

Food being served

with no/incomplete Spores germinated
reheating process
 1. Bacillus cereus
•Gram +ve, spore-forming rods
•Produces emetic and diarrhoeal syndrome
•Emetic toxin
◦ Heat stable (survives 126°C), acid resistant, resists protease
enzymes
◦ Require > 105 cells/g to produce enough toxin to cause illness
◦ Not produced at <10°C
 2. Campylobacter jejuni
•Gram-negative
•Non-spore forming rods
•Thermophilic (optimum = 42°C);
survive poorly at RT
•Found in animal intestinal tract
◦ Chicken, cattle, sheep
◦ Unpasteurized milk
◦ Shellfish (<)

•Produce enterotoxin
•Acute attack of diarrhoea ; lasting for
5 days; fever, abdominal pain
 3. Clostridium botulinum
•Gram-positive; anaerobic rods, Spore-forming (heat resistant)
•Simptoms: 18-36 hrs after ingestion
•Produce neurotoxins (exotoxin)
◦ Most potent toxin
◦ Therapeutic use: treatment for focal dystonias (Botulinum neurotoxin A)

•Cause foodborne intoxication

◦ Botulism
◦ Can cause fatal

•Potential source: processed food

◦ Canned food
◦ Improperly cured meat products
◦ Fermented uncooked fish or marine products
4. Clostridium perfringens
•Gram-positive; anaerobic rods
•Spore-forming (heat resistant)
•Optimum temperature: 43-47°C
•Produce enterotoxin during sporulation
•Symptoms:
◦ 8-24 h after ingestiondiarrhoea
◦ Food poisoning commonly occur when food is being prepared some time in
advance
◦ Meat containing spores cooked spores survive cooking temperature
abuse of product (e.g. slow cooling or prolonged storage at RT) allow
spores to germinatefood serve cold or insufficient reheating
 5. Escherichia coli
• Gram-negative; Enterobacteriaceae

• Categories:
◦ Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC)
◦ Watery diarrhoea severe cholera-like syndrome
◦ Produce 2 types of toxins (ST & LT)

◦ Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC)

◦ Illness similar to shigellosis
◦ Invades & multiplies within epithelial cells ulceration & inflamation

◦ Enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC)

◦ Infection occurs in infants and young children

◦ Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) / Shiga toxigenic E. coli

◦ EHEC Haemorrhagic colitis (HC), Hemolytic -uremic syndrom (HUS)
◦ O157:H7 Outbreaks from hamburgers, lamb, apples, apple juice, lettuce, salad
 6. Salmonella spp.
• Gram-negative; non-sporeforming; Heat sensitive
• New taxonomy :
◦ Salmonella enterica subsp. Enterica ser. Typhimurium  Salmonella Typhimurium
◦ Salmonella bongori

• Cause
◦ Systemic Disease/ Enteric Fever
◦ Typhoid fever –”Typhoid Mary”; Paratyphoid fever
◦ S. Typhi, S. Paratyphi A, B and C (host specific to human)
◦ Fever, malaise, headache, abdominal tenderness, rose spots on the trunks, involvement of
lymphoid tissue
◦ Gastroenteritis
◦ S. Enteritidis, S. Typhimurium
◦ Onset: 6-48h
◦ Mild fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea

• Salmonellosis  zoonotic infection; animal intestinal tract

◦ Major source: poultry, eggs, cattle, sheep, pigs
 7. Shigella spp.
•Gram-negative; Enterobacteriaceae
•Non-sporeforming; typical mesophiles
•S. dysenteriae, S. flexneri, S. sonnei
•Cause bacillary dysentery (intestinal inflammation) in humans
•Found in water contaminated by human feces.
•Can persist in food for up to 1 month.
•Low infectious dose (10-100 cells)
•Cases normally involved human carrier
 8. Staphylococcus aureus
•Gram-positive cocci; typical mesophiles
•Produce enterotoxin (heat resistance)
•Tolerant to salt (5-7%)and reduced (water activity) Aw
•Principal habitat: skin
Symptoms:
◦ Onset: 2-4h
◦ Nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, retching

•Contamination difficult to detect – no change in food appearance,

taste, odour
◦ Poultry, cold cooked meats
◦ Contamination by food handlers
 9. Vibrio spp.
• Gram-negative; NaCl stimulates growth (obligate requirement to some)
Inhabit estuarine, marine and fresh water, especially if organic, fecal matter present.

Vibrio cholerae
• Two major toxigenic serotypes – O1 & O139
• Waterborne infection
• Cause of cholera epidemics & pandemics due to poor sanitation, fecal contamination of
water, contaminated seafood.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Vibrio vulnificus

• Found in contaminated shellfish, seafood. (Bivalves accumulate bacteria because of filter
feeding)
• In raw fish, raw oysters, shellfish, crab, shrimp - not thoroughly cooked, refrigerated
 10. Listeria monocytogenes
•Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic
•Non-sporeformer
•Optimum temperature: (30-35°C)
•Ubiquitous in the environment
◦ soil, water, sewage, plants, intestinal tract of farm animals & human carriers
•Invasive infection susceptible individual listeriosis Mortality rate is
high (20-30%).
•Can cause premature labour for pregnant women
•Outbreak :
◦ Ready to eat food or minimally processed food
◦ dairy products (raw & pasteurized milk, soft cheese), cured meat
◦ Post-processing contamination – major concern
 11. Yersinia enterocolitica
• Gram-negative, Enterobacteriaceae

• Can grow over a wide range of temperature (-1  40°C) / heat sensitive

• Produce heat stable enterotoxin

• Cause yersiniosis gastroenteritis

◦ Common in children below 7 years old

• In America – pigs are primary reservoir of pathogenic strains

• In Western Europe – in marine env., water, milk, seafood, vegetables

• Outbreaks due to milk, contact with pig’s intestines.

FUNGI
1. Aspergillus niger
•It causes a disease called "black mold" on certain fruits and
vegetables such as grapes, apricots, onions, and peanuts, and is a
common contaminant of food
• It is ubiquitous in soil
•In extremely rare instances, humans may become ill, but this is
due to a serious lung disease, aspergillosis that can occur.
2. Mucor
•found in soil, digestive systems, plant surfaces, rotten bread,
rotten vegetable and fruits
•Colonies of this fungal genus are typically white to beige or grey
and fast-growing
can reproduce asexually and sexually.
3. Rhizopus stolonifer
•can reproduce asexually and sexually.
•The disease caused by this fungus occurs mainly on ripe fruits,
such as strawberries, melon and peach
•Zygomycosis is the main disease that might be caused by this
fungus in humans
PARASITES
 1. Toxoplasma gondii
• Obligate intracellular parasite

• Three strains: I,II, and III

• Three forms: Oocysts, Tachyzoites, and Tissue cysts

Oocysts

• Cats are the definitive hosts • Shed in cat feces • Infective in 1 to 21 days • Oocysts can remain viable in warm, moist soil
for more than 1 year

Tachyzoites

• Vegetative stage – acute stage of infection

• Most common in brain, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle

• Rapid multiplication lyses cell

Tissue Cysts

• Contain slowly growing trophozoites known as bradyzoites

• Most common in brain, skeletal muscle, and cardiac muscle

• Remain for the life of the host

• Recrudescence of infection in immunocompromised hosts

Zoonotic Potential
• Spread to humans by ingestion of contaminated food or water
• May be infected by contaminated soil
• Possibility of transmission via touch is almost nonexistent
• 40% chance of mother passing disease onto unborn child
• 10% have severe neurological and ocular diseases
• Domestication of felines
• Increasing number of felines
– 69 million in 2000
• Feral vs. pet cats

Food animals and Toxoplasmosis

• 30-40% of adult humans have antibodies
• Eating undercooked meat increases the risk of becoming infected
• Properly processed or frozen is unlikely to spread toxoplasmosis to humans
• Prevention measures:
– Wash hands
– Thoroughly cook meat
– Salting
– Curing
– Freezing
 2. Cryptosporidium parvum
•Enteric parasite
•One of the three most common diarrhea-causing pathogens in the world

Transmission
•Fecal-oral route
•Fomites
•Water
–Drinking water (even after treatment)
–Swimming pools
•Unpasteurized Apple Cider
•Animal contact
•Food
Helminth gastrointestinal
diseases
 1. Tapeworm infections
• Humans infected by :

- eating uncooked or poorly cooked, contaminated pork or beef

- contact with infected dogs

- eating infected raw fish

• Taenia solium – pork tapeworm (2-7m)

• Taenia saginata – beef tapeworm (5-25m)

• Enter body as larvae, can mature to adult

• Adult tapeworm in intestine absorbs large quantity of nutrients – causes malnutrition, blocks
passage of materials

• Eggs of worms spread to other sites, esp. CNS

• Cysticercus (larva) from ingested eggs penetrate intestine and enter bladder – bladder worm –
often found in brain.
 2. ROUNDWORM
A. Trichinella spiralis
•Most notorious of the nematodes
•No free living stage
◦ Past from host to host

•Consumption of poorly cooked pork, venison, game

•Larvae migrates to tissue (causes tissue damage)
B. Ascaris lumbriciodes

•Large roundworm (25-35 cm)

•Food/water contaminated with Ascaris eggs
•In intestine, eggs hatch, larvae penetrate intestine walls, enter lymph
vessels, move to pharynx and are swallowed.
•Larvae move to intestine, mature and produce eggs (1 female produces
200 000 eggs/day), lives for 12-18 months.
•Eggs resistant to acids, drying, airborne eggs can infect.
•Worldwide 25% people infected with Ascaris worms.
 3. Trichuris trichuria
•Whipworm.
•Worldwide distribution.
•Humans infected where human feces present in warm, moist soil in
shady areas (eggs in feces).
•Children susceptible – dirty hand in mouth.
•Eggs – swallowed, hatch, enter glands in intestine, return to intestinal
lumen & mature (3 months from ingestion)
•Adult worms – damage intestinal mucosa, feed on blood.
 Viruses
•Enteric viruses are highly infectious.
•Low dose of viruses (10-100 particles) cause foodborne infection.
•Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites but can survive in the
environment for a period of time (few days – few months).
•Infants/children are more susceptible.
What are the Human
Enteric Viruses?
Obligate intracellular parasites
Simple structure, RNA genome
Very small
Transmitted by humans
• Feces
• Vomitus (Norovirus)
Highly transmissible
Difficult to:
• Study
• Detect
 Types of Virus
Norovirus/
Norwalk Hepatitis
virus

Astrovirus Rotavirus
 Food borne Enteric Viruses of Known
Epidemiological Significance

-Rotavirus -Noroviruses
- Hepatitis A virus -Leading cause of viral
- Reoviridae
-Most severe of the -Important cause of infant food borne disease;
foodborne viral diarrhea world-wide with leading cause of food
diseases relatively high mortality borne disease?
-Approximately 5% of -Food borne transmission -20-80% of cases are
cases are food borne rare
transmitted by
contaminated foods
1. Rotavirus
Fecal-oral route
Replicate in intestine
Diarrhea in young children (< 4 yrs), infants; enteritis. Mortality in
children.
Virus shed in stool in large numbers.

2. Norovirus (Norwalk-like) virus

Outbreaks common in schools, camps, cruise ships, restaurants,
swimming pool
Projectile vomiting, cramps, nausea, diarrhea.
3. Adenovirus
Found in shellfish
Infection in children < 2 years (adults immune)
Virus shed in feces in large numbers

4. Astrovirus
Mild diarrhea in children
HEPATITIS VIRUS
Hepatitis A
Fecally contaminated water, shellfish, frozen berries
Active in environment for 1 month, resistant to chlorine. Inactivated by
heating at >85 C for 1 min.
Children, young adults infected. Long incubation period, difficult to
trace food source.

Hepatitis E
Fecally contaminated water supplies
More common in adults.
Question 1
------------------- is eating food contaminated with pathogens
that grows in the body and form toxin.

ANS: TOXIN MEDIATED INFECTION

Question 2
Botulism can cause by C. jejuni and can lead to fatal. True of
false?

ANS: TRUE
Question 3
E. coli have 4 categories which are ETEC, EIEC, EPEC
and……………..

ANS: EHEC
Question 4
Toxoplasma gondii transmitted from soil and can infect unborn
child (miscarriage). True or false

ANS: TRUE
Question 5
----------------------- is the most severe of foodborne viral

ANS: HEPATITIS A
Halal certification
•Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) is the
competent authority being responsible for halal certification in
Malaysia.
The responsibility in ascertaining the halal status of the products
involved not only on the official site inspection of plants but also
on the examination on how the Halal status of the raw material is
maintained and monitored at all times.
•In view of many raw material used in local food production are
mostly imported products which requires the appointment of
reputable and reliable foreign halal certification bodies to
monitor the Halal status of these raw materials. The recognition is
also extended to halal status of finished products.
Importance of halal
concept
•Muslim - Religious identity and acculturation
•Positive perception – healthier, safer and humane animal
treatment
•Halal accreditation - benchmark for food safety, quality
assurance and many beneficial characteristics which are not only
to be enjoyed by Muslim consumers but also meant for non-
Muslims consumers.
•Food safety - Halal food requires that it is prepared in the most
hygienic manner that meets international food safety standards
and should not be viewed as offensive to any religious belief.
Requirements needed for application of
halal certification by Jabatan Kemajuan
Islam Malaysia (JAKIM)

•Register under Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (SSM) /

Suruhanjaya Koperasi Malaysia / others government agencies
•Have a business license from Local Authorities or Declarations
from Government Agencies (for those who do not have local
authorities)
•Have been fully operate before do the application
•Produce or handle halal product only
•Imported meat or animal-based products should be obtained
from slaughterhouses approved by the Department of Veterinary
Services (JPV) and JAKIM
Schemes of Malaysia Halal
Certification.
•Food/drinks/functional food/supplements products
•Food premises
•Applied goods (barangan gunaan)
•Cosmetics and self-grooming products
•Slaughter house
•Pharmaceutical
•Medical devices
Thank you!
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