Food SPOILAGE AND contamination

Question
Show pictures of foods which are contaminated by….

[Moulds, Yeast, Bacteria ]

The food must show evidence of the contamination/spoilage.

Name : Amesha Ellis

Grade : 11 Garrick

Subject : Food Nutrition and health

Subject teacher : Ms. Thomas

Date : January 19 , 2021

 FOOD SPOILAGE AND CONTAMINATION
Food contamination is when food is contaminated with microorganisms or
substances and eating it could result in food borne disease. Food spoilage is any
undesired change in the natural color, taste or texture of food items that makes it
unfit for consumption because it has lost its quality and nutritional value. Various
factors cause food spoilage, making items unsuitable for consumption. Light,
oxygen, heat, humidity, temperature and spoilage bacteria can all affect both safety
and quality of perishable foods. When subject to these factors, foods will gradually
deteriorate.

There are three different types of food contamination - chemical, physical and
biological.

Chemical contamination refers to food that has been contaminated by some type of
chemical substance. Because chemicals can be very useful when cleaning in the
kitchen, they can easily contaminate food. Chemicals must be properly labeled and
stored separately for foodstuff to minimize the risk of contamination.

There are also chemicals that occur naturally in foods, like toxins in some fish, and
in some cases, minimal chemical contamination might not actually lead to illness.
However, the food handler must always be aware of the presence of chemicals in
food and take all reasonable precautions to make sure that chemical contamination
doesn’t happen.

Biological contamination refers to food that’s contaminated by substances

produced by living creatures – such as humans, rodents, pests or microorganisms.
This includes bacterial contamination, viral contamination or parasite
contamination that’s transferred through saliva, pest droppings, blood or faecal
matter. Bacterial contamination is thought to be the most common cause of food
poisoning worldwide, and the best way to protect against it occurring is by
maintaining the best food safety practices.

Physical contamination refers to food that has been contaminated by a foreign

object at some stage of the production process. These objects have the ability to
injure someone and can also potentially carry harmful biological contaminants,
which then cause illness. An additional consequence of physical contamination is
the upset caused to the person who finds the object. Things like band-aids,
fingernails and pieces of cooking equipment are the last thing you would like to
find in your meal.

YEAST

Spoilage is a consequence of yeast growth in the product. Food components are

utilized as growth substrates by the yeasts and are transformed into a vast array of
metabolic end products. In this way, the chemical, physical, and sensory properties
of the food are changed.

Example :

Raspberries

MOULD

Mould not only contaminates our air but also contaminate our food. As

the mould grows on food it produces enzymes that break down the food resulting
to spoilage. ... Food spoilage due to mould includes off-flavours, mycotoxins
contamination, discoloration, and rotting. Spoilage can occur either in the field or
in storage.

Example : mould on bread

BACTERIA

 Spoilage bacteria are microorganisms too small to be seen without a microscope

that cause food to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.
These one-celled microorganisms can cause fruits and vegetables to get mushy or
slimy, or meat to develop a bad odor.

Bacterial growth on strawberries and tomato.