CONTAMINATION &

FOOD ALLERGENS
PRINCIPLES OF FOOD SAFETY, HYGIENE & SANITATION
 Biological Toxins
Biological Contaminants
● Microbial contaminant that may cause food borne illness. These
contaminants include bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi

These toxins may:

● Be produced by pathogens
● Come from a plant or animal

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 Major Foodborne Illnesses Caused by Seafood Toxins
Seafood Toxin Illnesses
● Scombroid poisoning
● illness caused by consuming high levels of
histamine, a toxin that forms when scombroid and
other species of fish are subjected to time-
temperature abuse. Scombroid fish include tuna,
bonito, mackerel ad mahi-mahi
● Ciguatera fish poisoning
● illness that occurs when a person eats fish that
has consumed ciguatoxin which is found in
certain marine algae. The toxin accumulates in
fish when they consume smaller fish that have
eaten the algae. Ciguatoxin is commonly
associated with predatory fish such as barracuda,
groupers, jacks and snappers

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 Scombroid Poisoning

Illness: Scombroid poisoning Toxin:

Histamine

Commonly Linked Food Most Common Symptoms

Tuna Initially
●Burning/tingling in mouth or
Bonito
throat
Mackerel ●Reddening of the face and neck
Mahi mahi ●Sweating ●Headache

Possibly later
●Diarrhea ●Vomiting

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 Preventing Scombroid Poisoning

Most Important Prevention Measure

● Purchase from approved, reputable suppliers

Other Prevention Measures

● Prevent time-temperature abuse during storage and
preparation

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 Ciguatera Fish Poisoning

Illness: Ciguatera fish poisoning Toxin:

Ciguatoxin

Commonly Linked Food Most Common Symptoms

Predatory tropical reef fish from

Pacific Ocean, Western Indian Reversal of hot and cold sensations
Ocean, and Caribbean Sea:
● Barracuda ● Grouper Tingling in fingers, lips, or toes

● Jacks ● Snapper Joint and muscle pain

Nausea
Vomiting

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 Preventing Ciguatera Fish Poisoning

Most Important Prevention Measure

● Purchase predatory tropical reef fish
from approved, reputable suppliers

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 Major Foodborne Illnesses Caused by Shellfish Toxins

Shellfish Toxin Illnesses

● Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)
● Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning
(NSP)
● Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP)

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 Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)

Illness: Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)

Toxin: Saxitoxin

Commonly Linked Food Most Common Symptoms

Shellfish found in colder waters

such as those of the Pacific and Numbness
New England coasts:
Tingling in mouth, face, arms, and
● Clams ● Mussels
legs
● Oysters ● Scallops Dizziness
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea

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 Preventing Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)

Most Important Prevention Measure

● Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable suppliers

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 Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP)

Illness: Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP)

Toxin: Brevetoxin

Commonly Linked Food Most Common Symptoms

Shellfish in warmer waters of
west coast of Florida, Gulf of Tingling and numbness of the lips,
tongue, and throat
Mexico, and Caribbean Sea:

● Clams Dizziness

● Mussels Reversal of hot and cold sensations

● Oysters Vomiting
Diarrhea

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 Preventing Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning (NSP)

Most Important Prevention Measure

● Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable suppliers

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 Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP)

Illness: Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP)

Toxin: Domoic acid

Commonly Linked Food Most Common Symptoms

Shellfish found in coastal Initially
waters of Pacific Northwest ● Vomiting
and east coast of Canada: ● Diarrhea
● Abdominal pain
● Clams Possibly later
● Confusion
● Mussels
● Memory loss
● Oysters ● Disorientation
● Seizure
● Scallops ● Coma

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 Preventing Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP)

Most Important Prevention Measure

● Purchase shellfish from approved, reputable suppliers

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 Mushroom Toxins

Foodborne illnesses linked with

mushrooms:
● Are caused by eating toxic wild
mushrooms
● Occur when toxic mushrooms
are mistaken for edible ones
● Can be prevented by purchasing
from approved, reputable
suppliers

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 Plant Toxins

Foodborne illnesses linked with plant toxins

● Usually happen when plants are purchased from
unapproved suppliers
● Can happen when certain plants aren’t cooked
correctly (i.e., undercooked kidney beans)
● Can be prevented by purchasing plants from
approved, reputable suppliers

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 Chemical Contaminants

Toxic Metals
● Some utensils and equipment
contain toxic metals:
• Lead
• Copper
• Zinc
● Toxic-metal poisoning can occur
when:
• Utensils or equipment containing
these metals are used to store or
prep acidic food

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 Chemical Contaminants

Toxic Metals continued

● To prevent toxic-metal poisoning:
• Use food-grade utensils and equipment to
prep and store food

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 Chemical Contaminants

Foodservice Chemicals
● Store away from food, utensils, and
equipment
● Follow manufacturers’ directions for use
● Be careful when using while food is
being prepped
● Label them properly if they are
transferred to new containers
● Use lubricants made for foodservice
equipment

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 Physical Contaminants

Common Physical Contaminants

● Metal shavings from cans
● Staples from cartons
● Glass from broken lightbulbs
● Blades from plastic or rubber scrapers
● Fingernails, hair, and bandages
● Dirt
● Bones
● Jewelry
● Fruit pits

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 Deliberate Contamination of Food

To protect food from deliberate

contamination:
● Train employees to report suspicious
activities
● Control access to food and prep areas
● Eliminate places for intruders to hide
inside the facility
● Make sure intruders can’t enter the
facility in unexpected ways
● Develop procedures that address each
potential threat and train employees to
follow them

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 Food Allergens

Food Allergy
● The body’s negative reaction to a particular
food protein.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction include:

● Itching in and around the mouth, face, or
scalp
● Tightening in the throat
● Wheezing or shortness of breath
● Hives
● Swelling of the face, eyes, hands, or feet
● Abdominal cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea
● Loss of consciousness
● Death

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 Food Allergens

Common Food Allergens

● Milk and dairy products
● Eggs and egg products
● Fish
● Shellfish
● Wheat
● Soy and soy products
● Peanuts
● Tree nuts

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 Preventing Allergic Reactions

Service Staff
● Tell customers how the dish is
prepared
● Identify secret ingredients that
include the allergen
● Suggest simple menu items

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 Preventing Allergic Reactions

Kitchen Staff
● Don’t cook different types of food in
the same fryer
● Don’t put food on surfaces that
touched allergens
● Clean and sanitize cookware,
utensils, and equipment before
prepping food

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 Preventing Allergic Reactions

Kitchen Staff continued

● Wash hands and change gloves
before prepping food
● Assign specific equipment for
prepping food for customers with
allergies

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