Food borne illness

At the end of this lesson Students will be able to:

1. To define the term “food borne illness”
2. Describe causes, symptoms and treatment of food borne illness
3. Describe how to prevent cross contamination
Food borne illness refer to an illness/condition caused by a
poison in the food when eaten.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning refers to an illness or condition
caused by a poison or toxin in the food when
eaten.
Reasons for the increase in the number of cases of food poisoning

1. More ready- prepared foods are eaten, eg. Meat pies, pastries, partly cooked
breads.

2. More people eat out at restaurants, take- away shops and hotels. Large- scale
catering may result in outbreaks of food poisoning.

3. Increased importing of food, from countries where food hygiene laws may not be
strictly enforced.

4. Increased importing of animal feeds, which may be contaminated and will infect
the animals that eat them.
Reasons for the increase in the number of cases of food poisoning

5. Insufficient training of staff who handle food.

6. Failure by consumers to store food correctly and use it by the recommended date.

7. Temperature too high in domestic freezer or refrigerator, leading to the growth of

bacteria.

8. Failure to prevent cross contamination in homes, restaurants, and other eating

establishments.
Cross Contamination

Cross- contamination is the physical movement or transfer of pathogens from one

food to another food that is ready to eat and will receive no further cooking. Cross-
contamination can occur in four ways:

1. Food to Food

2. People to food

3. Equipment or utensil to food

4. Work surfaces to food