Food borne infections

1. Food Borne Infection and
Intoxication
P. Karthika
Assistant Professor
Department of Food Science and Nutrition
Periyar University, Salem - 636011

2. Food Borne Infections
 It is caused by ingestion of pathogenic
microbes that penetrate the intestinal
mucosa and multiply or migrate in to
other tissues where they multiply.

3. Causes
 The majority of foodborne illness is caused by micro-organism.
 Parasites and chemicals may also cause foodborne illness.
- Micro-organism
 Bacteria
 Moulds
 Viruses
- Chemicals
 Cleaning products
 Pesticides
- Metals
 Tin
 Copper
- Natural Poisons
 Red kidney beans, brinjal, groundnuts, berries
- Physical Contamination
 Plastics
 Screw

5. Complications
 Foodborne illnesses can cause
dehydration, hemolytic uremic
syndrome (HUS), and other
complications.
 Acute foodborne illnesses may also lead
to chronic health problems or even
death.

6. Prevention
 Hands should be washed
 Refrigerated food should be stored at 40F or lower and frozen
food should be stored at minimum 0F. Frozen food should be
thawed in the refrigerator or in the microwave followed by
immediate cooking.
 A meat thermometer should be used to ensure foods are cooked
to the appropriate internal temperature.
 Fruits and vegetables should be washed under running water just
before eating, cutting, or cooking. A produce brush can be used
under running water to clean fruits and vegetables with firm skin.
 Raw meat, poultry, seafood, and their juices should be kept away
from other foods.
 Utensils and surfaces should be washed with hot, soapy water
before and after they are used to prepare food. Diluted bleach—1
teaspoon of bleach to 1 quart of hot water—can also be used to
sanitize utensils and surfaces.

7. Recommendations
 Drinking plenty of liquids
 Sipping small amounts of clear liquids or
sucking on ice chips if vomiting is still a problem.
 Gradually reintroducing food, starting with
bland, easy-to-digest foods such as rice,
potatoes, toast or bread, cereal, lean meat,
applesauce, and bananas.
 Older adults and adults with weak immune
systems should also drink oral rehydration
solutions to prevent dehydration.
 Avoiding fatty foods, sugary foods, dairy
products, caffeine, and alcohol until recovery is
complete

8. Foodborne Intoxication
 Consumption of toxic chemicals liberated
or produced by bacterial growth in food.
 These respective toxins results in variety of
illness of the consumers.
 These toxins are not visible to naked eye
but will change the chemical properties of
the food.

9. The foodborne bacteria that
cause intoxication are:
•Clostridium botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus,
Clostridium perfringens, and Bacillus cereus.
•Chemicals that can cause an intoxication
include cleaning products, sanitizers, pesticides
and metals (lead, copper, brass, zinc, antimony,
and cadmium).
•Seafood toxins include ciguatera toxin,
scombroid toxin, shellfish toxins, and systemic
fish toxins.
•Plants and mushrooms can also cause an
intoxication.

10. Two main categories are:
Foodborne
intoxication
Food Infection
After a meal the microbes
present in the food affect the
whole body by skin allergy,
vomiting or diarrhea
Food Intoxic
Chemical or natural toxins from
the food cause the illness

11. Clostridium Botulinum
 Clostridium botulinum is Gram-
positive, straight to slightly curved, rod-
shaped, motile by peritrichous flagella,
and forms oval and subterminal spores,
which usually swell the cell

12. Classification
C. botulinum
Foodbron
e botulism
Wound
botulism
Infant
botulism
Adult
infectious
botulism

13. Staphylococcus aureus
 The staphylococci are ubiquitous in nature,
with humans and animals as the primary
reservoirs.
 They are present in the nasal passages and
throat, in the hair, and on the skin of
probably 50 % or more of healthy
individuals,
 Hospital environments
 staphylococci also can be found in the air,
dust, water, and human and animal wastes.

14. Bacillus cereus
 Bacillus cereus are Gram-positive, catalase-
positive, endospore-forming rods.
 B. cereus group are ubiquitously distributed in
the environment
 B. cereus can easily contaminate various types
of foods, especially products of plant origin
 is also frequently isolated from milk and dairy
products, meat and meat products,
pasteurized liquid egg, rice, ready-to-eat
vegetables, and spices.

15. Mycotoxins
 Mycotoxin is a convenient generic term describing
the toxic substances formed during the growth of
fungi.
 ‘Myco’ means fungal (mold), and ‘toxin’ represents
poison
 Mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses are an especially
 significant problem for human and animal health,
because under certain conditions
 crops and foodstuffs can provide a favorable
medium for fungus growth and
 toxin production.

16. Prevention
 High-temperature preservation
◦ Pasteurization
◦ Sterilization
 Freezing, chilling, and frozen storage
 Thawing
 Natural sugars
 Common salt
 Smoking
 Organic acids
 Plant substance