Food Safety and Hygiene: Objectives and History

Objectives of Food Safety and Hygiene

• Key objective is to provide an overview of the important events of milestones in food safety history
• Food safety and hygiene concepts will be introduced.
• Key elements of food safety will be covered
• Emphasis on the importance of appropriate food production, handling, storage, and preparation techniques to prevent infections and illnesses.
• Hygiene and sanitation throughout the food chain are important in reducing the risk of food-borne illnesses and ensuring food quality.

History of Food Safety and Hygiene: Ancient Times

• Early humans used drying, salting, and smoking in order to improve usability and prevent spoilage
• Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans kept records of food preparation and storage, including fermentation and using honey as a preservative.

History of Food Safety and Hygiene: Religious and Cultural Laws

• Religious food laws in ancient societies focused on ensuring food safety, such as kosher laws in Judaism and halal practices in Islam
• The Roman Empire had food regulations with inspections of markets and storage.

History of Food Safety and Hygiene: Scientific Advances

• 1854: Dr. John Snow found link between contaminated water and cholera in London, which increased focus on sanitation.
• 1860s: Louis Pasteur's discovery of microorganisms' role in food spoilage led to pasteurization.

History of Food Safety and Hygiene: 20th Century

• NASA and Pillsbury developed Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in the 1960s to ensure food safety for astronauts
• HACCP identifies and manages hazards at critical points
• Establishment of organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the mid-20th century promoted international food safety standards.
• In 1963 the Codex Alimentarius Commission was created to develop global food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice
• Food safety was improved and spoilage was reduced thanks to advancements like refrigeration, packaging, and sterilization.

History of Food Safety and Hygiene: 21st Century

• The global food supply chain increased the emergence of new hazards, such as contamination during transportation, and challenges tracing outbreaks
• Stricter traceability and labeling were implemented by governments and organizations
• Newer technologies like blockchain, AI, and sensors are now used to improve traceability and real-time monitoring of food safety.
• The Covid-19 Pandemic made apparent the importance of food safety in keeping food supply chains safe and consistent
• In 2011, The U.S. enacted the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) as a way of shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it
• Consumer education about safe food handling practices has been emphasized more

History of Food Safety and Hygiene: Current trends

• Food safety practices now consider environmental factors, like reducing food waste and utilizing eco-friendly packaging.
• A significant aspect of food safety now includes addressing food allergens and accommodating certain dietary needs.
• Emerging hazards include increased awareness of risks like antimicrobial resistance and food fraud e.g., substitution of ingredients.

Food concepts

• Food is defined as any solid, semi-solid, or liquid that, once swallowed, digested, and assimilated by the body, provides essential nutrients and sustains well-being.
• Food supplies energy, enables growth, and repair of tissues and organs
• Food protects the body from disease and regulates body functions

Food Safety Definition

• Food Safety encompasses the practices, procedures, and measures implemented to ensure that food is safe for consumption and free from hazards that could harm human health.
• This includes all of the steps in the food supply chain, from production to consumption, with the goal of preventing contamination and ensuring the integrity of food products.

Food hygiene

• Food Hygiene includes conditions and measure necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food during all stages of the food supply chain.
• Responsible preparation and presentation of food by;
• Protecting food from food poisoning bacteria, spoilage bacteria, and foreign objects.
• Preventing bacteria growth that could lead to a food borne illness
• Properly cooking and processing to kill harmful bacteria.

Food Quality

• Food Quality is defined as a combination of the attributes or characteristics of a product that determine how acceptable a product is
• These attributes include external qualities like appearance (size, shape, color, gloss, and consistency), texture and flavor, plus internal composition (chemical, physical, microbial).
• Food Quality ensures product traceability and proper labeling.

Food Security

• Food Security is based on the 1996 World Food Summit by FAO
• Food security is defined when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
• It has four dimensions; availability, access, utilization, and stability

Food safety key elements

• Absence of Hazards: Food is free from biological (e.g., bacteria, viruses, parasites), chemical (e.g., pesticides, toxins), and physical hazards (e.g., glass, metal fragments)
• Prevention of Food-borne Illnesses: Reducing the risk of illnesses caused by consuming contaminated food.
• Hygienic Practices: Cleanliness is maintained during harvesting, processing, storage, distribution, and preparation of food.
• Temperature Control: Storing and cooking food at safe temperatures limit bacterial growth.
• Cross-Contamination Prevention: Avoiding the transfer of harmful substances between raw and cooked foods or different food types eliminates chances for contamination.
• Compliance with Standards: Comply with health authorities like the World Health Organization (WHO) and local food safety agencies laws and guidelines
• To summarize, food safety is a comprehensive method of safeguarding public health by reducing risks associated with food production and consumption.

Food Safety Importance

• To ensure provision of food security
• To reduce health costs caused by food related diseases
• To reduce risk of foodborne illnesses
• To prevent health illnesses
• To preserve food quality

Poor Food Safety Practices

• Food-borne illnesses can pose a threat to international public health and economic development.
• There is an increase in health costs when food safety is poor
• Poor hygiene and sanitation at different levels of food centers.
• High prevalence rate of communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases.
• Leads to poor functioning of the body
• Increases high cross-contamination rate of food
• Decreases nutrients that are present in food
• The outcome is a lack of freshness and not meeting the standards for edible condition.
• Severe outcomes are likely with food poisoning, these may include seizures, brain damage, or even death.
• Unsafe food creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly, and the sick.
• There would be financial losses, and loss of business
• You could face a black mark on a business reputation plus fines for not meeting health & safety