Food Safety at Home: A review and case study

By: William H. Sperber

Background
A ‘typical’ suburban Hill City, Kansas (USA), family has been stricken by a number of illnesses during the
past several years, most or all of which may have been foodborne illnesses resulting from foods
prepared in their home. The Knight family – father, Winston, age 61; mother, Margaret, age 35;
daughter, Penelope, age 12; and son, Charles, age 10 – can recall three recent episodes in particular that
seem to have been food related:
1. Three of the family members began vomiting within 2 hours of eating a meal that included Himalayan
Nut Pilaf. Penelope, the only member who did not become ill, had not eaten the Pilaf.
2. All family members experienced repeated diarrhea within 14 hours of eating a winter holiday meal
that included a dressed and roasted 4 kg goose. Because this meal was a family tradition, all members
ate heartily
3. Two family members and three of four visiting neighbors experienced simultaneous vomiting and
diarrhea within 1 day of feasting at an outdoor barbeque that included grilled chicken and Caesar salads.

HAZARDS
The wide range of microbiological, chemical and physical hazards that can be found through the food
supply chain can often be encountered in the home kitchen.
Potential microbiological hazards include the following:
 Salmonella and Campylobacter in raw meat and poultry
 Listeria monocytogenes in cooked, ready-to-eat (RTE) meats and soft cheeses
 E. coli O157:H7 in raw ground beef, raw milk and juices, and fresh produce
 Clostridium botulinum in improperly cooled foods, e.g. soups and baked potatoes
 Clostridium perfringens in dressed, roasted poultry and gravies
 Bacillus cereus in improperly cooled, cooked rice and potatoes
 Staphylococcus aureus in custard or crème-filled cakes
 Salmonella in pet food
Potential chemical hazards include the following:
 Allergens
 Cleaning chemicals
 Pesticides and rodenticides
Potential physical hazards include the following:
 Broken glass
 Other foreign material
PRESENT CONTROL MEASURES
Several common-sense practices will minimize the possibilities of a foodborne illness originating at
home, but they are not always easy to implement:
 Use clean (potable) water for preparing foods, especially when rehydrating foods such as dried
milk for consumption without heating. In many regions, limited access to potable water is a
major public health issue. Clean and disinfect bottles used for infant feeding before filling with
properly heated milk or infant formulas.
 Maintain allergen controls if a family member has a food allergy. Be aware of food allergies that
visitors may have.
 Do not store toxic chemicals in the kitchen or in other areas where foods are stored. No pets
are allowed on tables or countertops.
 Cross-contamination control, e.g. hand-washing and separate utensils for raw and cooked food
handling.
The following are my suggestions to have a more efficient control measure in addressing the identified
hazards:
Heating
Raw meat and poultry products must be cooked to a minimum center temperature in order to ensure
food safety. The recommended center temperatures are (Marchiony, 2004):
 71◦C – raw ground beef, beef and pork
 74◦C – raw ground poultry, leftover foods
 82◦C – whole poultry or pieces
It is highly recommended that an accurate meat thermometer be used to measure the center
temperature before serving. This is especially important with ground meats; if not adequately cooked,
the center of the ground products can potentially contain pathogenic micro-organisms that had been on
the meat surface before grinding.
Refrigeration
Providing proper refrigeration of perishable foods begins when foods are purchased. Perishable foods
should be refrigerated at 4◦C or below as soon as possible, or within 2 hours of purchase. Attention
should be given to the product’s recommended shelf-life date so that it would be consumed before
spoilage could occur.
Many frozen foods need to be thawed before cooking. These should not be thawed at ambient
temperatures, as pathogens could grow on the warming food surface while the interior of the food
remains frozen. Preferably, frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator or under cold running
water. They can also be thawed in a microwave oven, provided that they are cooked immediately after
thawing.
Sanitation and Personal Hygiene
Many opportunities for contamination and cross-contamination exist in the kitchen (Walter et al. 2007).
Elimination of the causes of contamination, when applied in millions of kitchens worldwide, will reduce
the burden of foodborne illness. Examples of prevention of contamination include the following:
 Avoid contact of raw and cooked foods.
 Clean kitchen counters and utensils regularly.
 Adequate hand-washing, e.g. after handling raw foods, changing diapers, taking out garbage and
visiting the bathroom.
 Avoid preparing food when ill.
 Proper use of dish towels.
 Avoid interacting or playing with pets while preparing foods.
 Avoid smoking, sneezing or coughing while preparing foods.