Foodborne Illness

What is a foodborne illness?

Commonly referred to as Food Poisoning

According to the CDC, each year:

▪ roughly 1 in 6 Americans (or 48 million people) gets

sick

▪ 128,000 are hospitalized
▪ 3,000 die of foodborne diseases

Poor personal hygiene plays a major role in foodborne
illness breakouts.

Handwashing is part of personal hygiene practices.

Food Inc.- Kevin’s Law

Microorganisms

▪ Living creatures seen only through

a microscope

▪ 5 Main Types:

▪ Viruses: Can infect all life forms

▪ Bacteria: Directly applied to FAT-TOM

▪ Toxins: Produced by bacteria

▪ Parasites: Feed off a living host

▪ Fungi: Yeasts, molds, mushrooms

BACTERIA

◼ Grow rapidly and thrive in certain

conditions we know as

FAT-TOM

What the letters stand for:

F: Food

What the letters stand for:

A: Acidity

Foods with a neutral
pH more likely to grow
bacteria

The 2 T’s work together:

◼ TIME
◼ TEMPERATURE

TEMPERATURE DANGER ZONE

Temperature danger zone 41-135°

◼ Temp which bacteria survive & grow
◼ Don’t leave food out in the TDZ for

more than 2 hours

◼ Keep hot foods hot

◼ Keep cold foods cold

Thawing Foods

1.
Refrigerate

2.
Run under cold water
or change still water
every 30 minutes

3.
Microwave

▪
Only ifcooking
immediately!

COOKING FOODS

◼ Use a thermometer to reach proper

internal temperatures

For POULTRY: 165℉

Moving on with FAT-TOM . . .

O: Oxygen

▪aerobic vs. anaerobic

Keep foods covered!

What the letters stand for:

M: Moisture

▪more moisture, more bacteria

Foodborne Illnesses

FOODBORNE ILLNESSES

◼ NOROVIRUS

▪ About 50% of all outbreaks of food-related illness are caused by

norovirus.
▪ If you work with food when you have norovirus illness, you can spread the virus

to others.

▪ Foods commonly involved in outbreaks:

▪ leafy greens (such as lettuce)
▪ fresh fruits
▪ shellfish (such as oysters)

◼ SALMONELLA

▪ Raw/undercooked poultry, eggs

FOODBORNE ILLNESSES

◼ STAPH

▪ Personal hygiene; open wounds
▪ Foods that are not cooked after handling

◼ C. PERFRINGENS

▪ Beef, poultry, gravies, and dried or precooked foods are common

sources

▪ Often occurs when foods are prepared in large quantities and

kept warm for a long time before serving.

▪ Think catered or cafeterias

◼ CAMPYLOBACTER

▪ Undercooked poultry and unpasteurized dairy products

FOODBORNE ILLNESSES

◼ E-COLI

▪ Raw/undercooked beef products; contaminated water supply, raw

sprouts

◼ BOTULISM

▪ Improperly canned goods

▪ Tightly wrapped heated foods cooled improperly

▪ i.e. Foiled baked potatoes

◼ LISTERIA

▪ Dairy

▪ Deli Meats

▪ Melons

▪ Wash melons with antibacterial soap before cutting into the fruit