1. PHYSICAL HAZARDS
Risks of hazards
Presented by
PRANABESH GURU
STUDENT ID: 000710812
Food Safety (FOOD 1025)
Natural Resources Institute (NRI)
Date of Presentation: 05/12/2012

2. • Physical hazards are either foreign materials
unintentionally introduced to food products that are
hazardous to the consumers.
• Any extraneous object in food or food products that
can cause injury or illness in the person after
consuming it (Folks 2001).
• Like biological and chemical hazards, physical
hazards can enter a product at any stage during food
production.

3. • Not all foreign objects found in food will
cause harm or illness. It is very
undesirable for a consumer to find a hair
in their food.
• This is a quality hazard, not a food safety
hazard.

4. • It includes a wide range of materials like
• Glass- Light bulbs, glass containers.
• Metals- Fragments from equipment, such as splinters,
blades, needles, utensils, staples.
• Plastics- Material used for packaging, fragments of
utensils.
• Stones- Found in peas, beans, rice type food items.
• Wood- Found from wooden pallets used for storage or
transports.

5. • Physical hazards like hard or sharp
objects in food products can cause
 Cuts to the mouth and throat of
consumer.
 Damage to the intestines.
 Damage to teeth and gums.

7. • Low Risk
• Medium Risk
• High Risk

8. • The physical hazards for which good
control measures are established but the
minor infractions occurred.
• Clinical nature of hazard: Maximum
general effect attained in
minutes/hours/one day.

9. • The physical hazards for which little or no
control measures are established and
critical infractions occurred.
• Clinical nature of hazard: Maximum
general effect attained in weeks/ months/
years.

10. • The physical hazards for which same
control measures are established but the
gaps or inconsistency occurred.
• Clinical nature of hazard: Maximum
general effect attained in days/one week.

11. • If a food contain a hard or sharp foreign object that
measures 7mm – 25mm in length called as physical
hazards.
• Hard or sharp objects that are 7mm or longer, maximum
dimension, represent a potential physical hazard.
• Hard or sharp objects that are less than 7mm, maximum
dimension, represent a possible physical hazard in food
(FDA 1999).

12. • Mouth and Teeth
• Respiratory tract
• Digestive tract
• Other Risks

13. • Lacerations of the teeth and tongue
• Broken fillings
• Chipped teeth
In a review of FDA, consumer complaints of
foreign materials in food, the most frequently reported
injury was mouth or throat laceration .

14. • Chocking of the respiratory airways.
• Children under age are generally at
highest risk.

15. • Esophageal laceration.
• Fistula formation.
• Laceration of pharynx, stomach,
intestine.

16. • Nausea, vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Headache, fever and dizziness.
• Chest pain.

17. Materials Sources Potential Risks
Glass Bottles, jars, lamps, Cuts, bleeding, surgery
utensils, gauge covers may be needed.
Wood Fields, lands, packaging, Cuttings, infection,
transports chocking, surgery may be
needed.
Stones Fields, farms Chocking, tooth breakage
Metals nail, key, coin, machinery Cutting, infection, surgery
parts may be needed
Bones Meat, fish Chocking, trauma, injury
Plastic materials Industrial packaging Chocking, cuttings,
materials infection, surgery may be
needed

18.  Do not wear jewellery when you prepare or serve food.
 Wear hair restraints to prevent hair from getting into food.
 Be careful when you open packages.
Make sure that nothing gets into the food. Watch out for metal
staples, plastic or other parts of the packaging.
 Watch out for hazards in your workplace.
Old equipment or paint peeling from the ceiling can be a
hazard for food contamination.

20. • Castillo, M. (11 October 2012) Kellogg's recalls Mini-Wheats due
to metal pieces. Available from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-
204_162-57530536/kelloggs-recalls-mini-wheats-due-to-metal-
pieces/ (accessed on 26 November 2012).
• FDA (2009) SECTION 555.425 -Foods - Adulteration Involving
Hard or Sharp Foreign Objects. Inspections, Compliance,
Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations. Available from:
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePoli
cyGuidanceManual/ucm074554.htm (accessed on 26 November
2012).
• Folks, Heather, and Dennis Burson. 2001. Food Safety: Chemical
Hazards. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.
• Luning, P.A. Devieghere, F. Verhe, R. (edited) (2006) Quality
systems food hazards risk assessment. Safety in Agri-food chain.
Netherland: Wageningen Academic Publisher.