environmental health food safety

1. FOOD QUALITY CONTROL
& SAFETY
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zaleha Md. Isa,
BSc(Hons) Clin.Biochem. (UKM), PhD (Public Health) UKM,
Department of Community Health,
Faculty of Medicine, UKMMC.

2. The definition of good quality can be varied
depending upon the type of food and the
individual's food preference.
Some of the important characteristics of quality
include wholesomeness, freshness, nutritional
value, texture, color, aroma and flavor.
To many consumers, safe food means that there
will be no danger from pathogenic microorganisms,
naturally occurring toxins and other potentially
harmful chemicals which may be deliberately added
to foods.
FOOD QUALITY
2

3. Introduction
 Hygiene is the science of preserving health.
 A hygienic operation is one which presents no risk of
illness from the operations carried out therein.
 Food hygiene is much more than cleanliness, it involves
all measures necessary to ensure the safety and
wholesomeness of food during preparation, processing,
manufacturing, packaging, storage, distribution,
handling and offering for sale or supply to the consumer.
3

4. Introduction
These measures will involve:
1. Protecting food from risk of contamination of any kind.
Protection against contamination includes the effective
cleaning and disinfection of food premises and
equipment, and requires high standards of personal
hygiene and training of staff.
2. Preventing any organisms multiplying to an extent
which would expose consumers to risk, or result in
premature decomposition of food.
3. Destroying any harmful bacteria in the food by
thorough cooking, processing or irradiation.
4

5. High-risk foods
 High-risk foods are ready-to-eat food which under
favourable conditions, support the multiplication of
pathogenic bacteria and are intended for consumption
without treatment which would destroy such
organisms.
 These foods are usually high in protein, requiring
refrigerated storage and protection. They include:
 All cooked meat and poultry
 Cooked meat products including gravy and stock
 Milk, cream, artificial cream, custards and dairy
produce
 Cooked eggs and products made with eggs, e.g.
mayonnaise, but excluding pastry, bread and
similar baked goods
 Shellfish and other seafoods, e.g. oysters
 Cooked rice
5

6. Bacteria
 Bacteria are essential to life. They are minute
organisms, often referred to as germs, which are found
everywhere, including on and in man and food.
 Two types of bacteria create major problems within the
food industry:
 Spoilage bacteria – responsible for the
decomposition of food.
 Pathogenic bacteria – responsible for causing illness
such as dysentery, typhoid and food poisoning.
6

7. Food poisoning
 Food poisoning is an acute illness, usually of sudden
onset, brought about by eating contaminated or
poisonous food.
 The symptoms normally include one or more of the
following: abdominal pain, diarrhoea, vomiting and
nausea.
 Food poisoning may be caused by:
 Bacteria or their toxins
 Chemicals including metals
 Plants or fish
 Viruses
 Mycotoxins
7

8. Bacterial food poisoning
 Bacterial food poisoning may be defined as `an acute
disturbance of the gastrointestinal tract resulting in
abdominal pain, with or without diarrhoea and
vomiting, due to eating food contaminated by specific
pathogenic bacteria or their toxins’.
 The incubation period is normally short (between 1 and
48 hours). The number of bacteria required to cause
illness in the healthy adult is usually large and
multiplication of bacteria normally occurs within the
food.
 Patients usually recover in a few days but where body
defences are low, illness may be prolonged and lead to
complications. Botulism is more serious, often results
in death, and survivors can take many months to
recover.
8

9. Carriers
 Carriers are people who show no symptoms of illness
but excrete food poisoning or food-borne pathogens
which may contaminate food, e.g. salmonellae or
shigellae. Organisms may be excreted intermittently.
 Convalescent carriers are people who have recovered
from an illness but still harbour the organism. The
convalescent state may be quite prolonged and
salmonellae are sometimes excreted for several months.
 Healthy carriers are people who have displayed no
symptoms but harbour the causal organism. Healthy
carriers may have become infected with pathogenic
bacteria from contact with raw food with which they
work, particularly poultry or meat.
9

10. Carriers
 Symptomless carriers can only be confirmed by
bacteriological or in some cases, serological screening,
i.e. examination of faecal specimens or blood.
 However, routine screening of food handlers to detect
carriers is not cost-effective. Intermittent excretors may
be missed and a person may become a carrier the week
after screening.
 Medical questionnaires/interviews of new starters
(important to identify persons with a history of
gastrointestinal illness), induction training, effective
communication and supervision of company rules,
counselling, bacteriological testing of persons returning
to work after illness involving diarrhoea or vomiting or
illness whilst on holidays abroad and contacts of
persons suffering from food poisoning are all useful to
assist in the detection of carriers.
10

11. Factors contributing to 1479 outbreaks of food
poisoning in England and Wales (1970 – 1982)
Contributing factor Total no. of outbreaks in
which factor recorded (%)**
1 Preparation too far in advance. 844(57)
2 Storage at ambient temperature. 566(38)
3 Inadequate cooling. 468(30)
4 Inadequate reheating. 391(26)
5 Contaminated processed food. 246(17)
6 Undercooking. 223(15)
7 Contaminated canned food. 104(7)
8 Inadequate thawing. 95(6)
9 Cross-contamination. 94(6)
10 Raw food consumed. 93(6)
11 Improper warm holding. 77(5)
12 Infected food handlers. 65(4)
13 Use of left-overs. 62(4)
14 Extra large quantities prepared. 48(3)
**In some outbreaks, more than one factor was involved.
11

12. The food poisoning chain
 The chain of events associated with an outbreak of food
poisoning consists of:
 Contamination of high-risk food with food poisoning
bacteria.
 Multiplication of these bacteria.
 Consumption of the food.
In order to prevent illness, this chain must be broken
and it is essential that care be taken to ensure that:
 The contamination of food is kept to an absolute
minimum.
 Bacteria already in food are prevented from
multiplying.
 Those bacteria within food are destroyed.
12

13. The contamination of food
is kept to an absolute
minimum by:
 Separating raw and cooked food at all stages of
preparation, storage and distribution. The same
equipment or working surface must not be used to
handle raw and high-risk foods, or ready-to-eat foods
such as lettuce, unless disinfected between uses. The
liquid from thawed, frozen meat and poultry must not
come into contact with high-risk or ready-to-eat foods.
 Not using unsuitable, defective or dirty equipment.
 Not using dirty wiping cloths. Disposable cloths are
preferable.
 Only handling food when unavoidable. Tongs, plates
and trays should be used in preference to hands.
13

14. The contamination of food
is kept to an absolute
minimum by:
 Maintaining the highest standards of personal hygiene
at all times. Hand washing, particularly after handling
raw meat or using the W.C. is essential. Suitable
protective clothing must be worn.
 Keeping food covered wherever possible.
 Preventing insects, animals and birds from entering
food rooms or coming into contact with food.
 Storing food in rodent-proof containers and ensuring
that the lids are tightly replaced after use.
 Using the correct cleaning procedures. Premises, work
surfaces and equipment must be kept clean and where
necessary, disinfected.
14

15. The contamination of food
is kept to an absolute
minimum by:
 Not handling parts of crockery or cutlery which come
into contact with food, e.g. knife blades or inside
glasses and cups.
 Removing unfit or waste food and refuse promptly and
keeping them apart from other foods.
 Keeping food and equipment off the floor.
 Not using wash-hand basins for washing food or food
equipment and not using food sinks for hand washing.
15

16. Bacteria already in food are
prevented from multiplying by:
 Storing food out of the danger zone. Food should be
kept below 5ºC, e.g. in a refrigerator, or kept above
63ºC, e.g. in a bain marie.
 Ensuring that refrigerators are maintained at the
correct temperature.
 Ensuring that when food is removed from chilled
storage for preparation, this work is carried out as
quickly as practicable. High-risk food must not be left
in the ambient temperatures of kitchens or serving
areas.
 Cooling food as rapidly as possible.
 Not allowing dried foods to absorb moisture.
 Using suitable preservatives.
16

17. Those bacteria within food are
destroyed by:
 Thorough cooking.
 Heat processing such as pasteurization, sterilization or
canning.
 A combination of a suitable temperature and sufficient
time is always required to destroy bacteria.
 The time and temperature required will depend on the
particular organism. E.g. spores of Clostridium
perfringens are much more heat resistant than
salmonellae.
 Furthermore, a time/temperature process only destroys
a percentage of vegetative bacteria and the greater the
numbers that are present the more likely it is that some
will survive. 17

18. Cooking
 Cooking not only renders food palatable but also
ensures a measure of preservation.
 Improper cooking of poultry and other meat is
extremely hazardous.
 Frozen poultry requires special attention including
adequate thawing followed by sufficient cooking to
secure the necessary centre temperature to destroy
pathogens.
 Management must introduce effective control
procedures to ensure that correct temperatures of
cooking and storing are achieved.
 The time between removal from the refrigerator and
cooking, between cooking and eating or between
cooking and returning to the refrigerator must be kept
as short as possible.
18

19. FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY
DIVISION, MOH

20.  GENERAL OBJECTIVE
 To protect the public against health hazards and fraud in the
preparation, sale and use of foods.
 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE
 Ensure that all food preparation, sale and storage of food
material is safe and hygienic.
 Ensure that all food material sold are:
 Free from contamination and food additives which are not
required and fraudulent;
 Compliance with the established legislations and
regulations;
 Labeled and advertised in a clear and not misleading
manner.
 Ensure that all food imported into the country is safe and in
compliance with Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.
 Ensure that food consignments exported by the country is in
compliance with regulations imposed by the importing countries.
 Ensure that the public receives sufficient information on food
safety aspect. 20

21. SERVICES PROVIDED
 • Food Labeling
- Food Labeling Advisory Services
- Product Classification
• Licensing
- Packaged Drinking Water
- Natural Mineral Water
- Non-nutritive sweetener
 • Certification
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
certification
 - Health Certificates
 - Free Sale Certificate
 - Genetically Modified Food (GMF) Certificate
 - Good Manufacturing Practice

 Application forms can be obtained from the following web
http://fsq.moh.gov.my 21

22. FOOD DIVISION, PUBLIC
HEALTH LABORATORY,
SG. BULOH

23. Organizational Chart
Public Health Laboratory, Sg. Buloh
Director
Administration
Division
Disease Division Food Division Epidemiology
General Administration Bacteriology Food Microbiology
Post Virology Pesticides Residue
Finance Tropical Diseases /
National TB Reference
Laboratory
Veterinary Drugs Residue
Cytology Food Additives and
Chemistry
Serology Environmental and Industrial
Food Contamination
Biochemistry Micotoxin
Biotechnology and GMF
Nutrient
Natural Contaminants
Tar and nicotin
QA and Quality
23

24. Food Microbiology Unit
 Food sample analysis (150 samples + 30% during crisis
per month):
 Total plate count
 Coliform
 E. coli
 Yeast & mould count
 Staphylococcus aureus
 Bacillus cereus
 Salmonella spp.
 E. coli 0157
 Vibrio cholerae
 Vibrio parahaemolyticus
 Listeria monocytogenes
 Campylobacter jejuni
 Shigella spp
 Clostridium perfringens
24

25. Food Biotechnology Unit
 Purpose: to identify and validate the sources of food
products (10 samples per month)
 Corn and its product
 Soy bean and its product
 Potato and its product
 Animal tissues and meat product
25

26. Food Additives Unit
 Preservatives – materials when added to food is able to
prevent, hamper or stop the process of degradation,
fermentation and acidification of a food (not including
herbs, vinegar or wood smoke).
 Benzoic acid
 Boric acid
 Sorbic acid
 Formaldehyde
 Sulphur dioxide
26

27. Food Additives Unit
 Artificial colouring – give colour to food.
 Paper chromatography
 Artificial flavour – give sweet taste to food (not
including saccharide, polyhidric alcohol or honey).
 Saccharin
 Cyclamate (not permitted in food)
 Identification – Thin Layer Chromatography
 Food standards – cafein in tea, coffee, cocoa and cola
drinks; iodine in iodized salt.
27

28. Pesticides Residue Unit
Pesticides analysis:
 23 parameters for organophosphorus (GC with
FPD)
 15 parameters for organochlorine (GC with ECD)
 7 parameters for organonitrogen (GC with FTD)
 5 parameters for synthetic pyrethroid (GC with
ECD) and dithiocarbamate
Food samples:
 Fruits & vegetables (80 samples/month), nuts &
cereals (20 samples/month), tea & onions (20
samples/month), meat (30 samples/month) and
water.
28

29. Natural Toxin and Micotoxin Unit
Toxins analysis:
 Aflatoxin B and G (nuts, rice and spices – 30
samples/month)
 Ochratoxin A (rice, wheat, cocoa and coffee – 20
samples/month)
 zearalenone (rice and wheat – 10 samples/month)
 Aflatoxin M1 (milk – 20 samples/month)
29

30. Food Environmental and
Industrial Contamination Unit
 Detection of -
 Lead, arsenic, cadmium and mercury in food and
water.
 Equipments:
 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
 Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission
Spectrometer
 Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption
Spectrophotometer
 Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Mass
Spectrophotometer
30

31. Tar dan Nicotin Unit
 Analysis of nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide in
ciggarettes (36 samples/month)
 Equipments:
 ASM 500 Smoking Machine
 Gas Chromatography FID/TCD
31

32. Natural Food Contaminant Unit
 Analysis of humidity, ash and protein in food; fat in
dry and wet food; fat in milk and milk-based
product and total fibre.
 Nitrate and nitrite in vegetables
 Nitrosamine
 Biogenic amines
 Equipments:
 Kjeltec Digestion Block
 Kjeltec Protein Analyzer
 Soxtec System
 Fibertec
32

33. Veterinary Drugs Residue Unit
 Analyze drugs residue in meat, chicken and pork.
 Tetracycline
 Anti bacteria
 Anti helminth
 Metabolite nitrofuran
 Equipments:
 High Performance Liquid Chromatography
 Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
 Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
(LCMS/MS)
33

34. HAZARD ANALYSIS CRITICAL
CONTROL POINT (HACCP)
 The original concept of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point) was recommended in the year 1973 as the
combined outcome of Pillsbury Company, NASA and US
Army Natick Laboratories to produce a food production
programme which is `nil-defect’.
 HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) is a
systematic evaluation of each step in the process of food
production and identification of critical points to food
safety. Technical and financial sources subsequently can
be focused to these critical points.
 All aspects of food safety from raw material acceptance to
final product will be evaluated. The important element in
HACCP food safety system is prevention with emphasis
on control steps throughout the process of food 34

35.  Hazards involving food products (suitability of bacterial
growth and use of preservatives), processes (handling,
heating, drying, cooling, freezing, fermentation,
treatment), personnel, equipment and environment
(premises, atmosphere, water supply) and products that
will be used (storage condition, life span, packaging,
consumers group) are analyzed systematically and points
where the above processes occur will be identified.
 Points assumed to be critical to product safety will be
monitored and corrective actions will be taken.
 HACCP concept first introduced to the Food Quality
Control Unit, Ministry of Health, Malaysia in October
1990.
35

36. HACCP PRINCIPLE
In HACCP implementation, there are 7 main principles:
Principle 1: Hazard analysis – to determine hazard and evaluates its effect as well as risk towards food
Principle 2: Determination of critical control point
Principle 3: Determination of critical limits
Principle 4: Monitoring steps
Principle 5: Forms corrective actions
Principle 6: Effective record keeping
Principle 7: HACCP validation
36

37. Flow chart of the production of freeze-
dried curry puffs
Acceptance (meat)
Meat is grinded
Mixture of meat with vegetables (central part)
Pastry is formed
Cook
Freezing
Packaging
Distribution
Re-heating
Serve
37

38. 38