Foodborne illnesses are caused by improper food handling, preparation, or storage and can be caused by contamination from pesticides, medicines, or toxic substances. Each year in the United States, an estimated 48 million people experience foodborne illnesses, which cause around 3,000 deaths annually. Foodborne illnesses may lead to health issues like dehydration or long-term complications. Challenges to food safety include changes in food production and supply, environmental changes leading to contamination, emerging pathogens and antibiotic resistance, and rising numbers of multistate outbreaks. There are three main categories of food contamination hazards: chemical, biological, and mechanical.

1. FOODBORNE ILLNESS
~ is any illness resulting from the consumption of contaminated food. (Also referred to as food
poisoning.)
SOURCE: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodborne_illness
Foodborne illnesses are caused by improper handling, preparation, or food storage. It can also be
caused by pesticides or medicines in food and naturally toxic substances such as poisonous mushrooms
and or reef fish. Each year an estimated 48 million people in the United States experience a foodborne
illness. Foodborne illnesses caused about 3,000 deaths in the United States annually. Foodborne
illnesses may lead to dehydration, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and other complications. Acute
foodborne illnesses may also lead to chronic or long lasting health problems.
CHALLENGES TO FOOD SAFETY
~food safety means a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways
that prevent foodborne illness.
SOURCE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_safety
Challenges to food safety are:
Changes in our food production and supply.
Changes in the environment leading to food contamination.
New and emerging germs, toxins, and antibiotic resistance.
Rising number of multistate outbreaks.

2. CLASSIFICATION OF CONTAMINANTS/HAZARDS
According to the USDA FSIS, there are 3 categories of hazards that must be addressed within the
regulated establishment’s HACCP plan…
1. Chemical – cleaners, sanitizers
2. Biological – E.coli, salmonella, Listeria
3. Mechanical – foreign particles, wood chips, metal flakes
SOURCE: wiki.answers.com
Here are 3 types of contamination:
1. Microbial contamination – this is when food contains a forgien object.
2. Cross contamination – this is when harmful bacteria are passed from one food to another.
3. Indirect contamination – this is when bacteria are passed from the source to the high-risk food
via something else such as worktop, hands, equipment and cloths.
RISK FACTORS FOR FOODBORNE ILLNESSES
There are 5 risk factors that I have found:
1. Improper hot and cold holding temperatures of potentially hazardous food.
2. Improper cooking temperatures of food
3. Dirty or contaminated utensils
4. Poor employee health and hygiene
5. Food from unsafe sources