Foodborne Illness

FOODBORNE ILLNESS

Foodborne illness is defined as the sickness that some people experience when they eat contaminated foods. The disease is mostly caused by food exposure to unsafe temperature, poor personal hygiene and cross contamination. It has highly susceptible on population that is very young people, elderly, pregnant or lactating women and people who has impaired immune system due to cancer, AIDS, diabetes mellitus, or any medications that suppress response to infection.
According to the statistic, foodborne illnesses occur 40% from food retail, 15% from home, 5% from food processor, and 40% from others

 

Food hazards that cause foodborne illness can divided as:

1. Biological Hazards : bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi
2. Chemical Hazards: cleaning compounds, heavy metals, agricultural chemical, food additives and food allergens
3. Physical Hazards: fragment of glass, metal, jewelry, human air, etc.

 

Person who has foodborne illness has symptoms as following here:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Abdominal pain
• Fever
• Fatigue

 

Classification of Foodborne Illness
Foodborne illness can devided as:
1. Infection
It is caused by eating food that contains living disease causing microorganisms.
2. Intoxication
It is caused by eating food that contains a harmful chemical or toxin produced by bacteria
3. Toxin-Mediated Infection
It is caused by eating food that contains harmful microorganisms that will produce a toxin once inside the human body.

 

There are the ways how to prevent foodborne illness:

• Practice good personal hygiene
• Prevent cross contamination
• Avoid temperature abuse by proper cold storage, proper thawing, proper cooking, proper cooling, proper reheating, and proper hot holding.