Players in the Food Chain

Manufacturers


a) Monitoring

At all stages of the food chain, rigorous checks are made to reduce the risk of contamination. Concerted action from all players throughout the production and storage process is aimed at eliminating the dangers of food poisoning, with a zero-risk objective. The European Directive 93/43 on food hygiene, defines the responsibility of manufacturers regarding general hygiene principles and their obligation to ensure in-house quality control. Being legally accountable for the quality of food they market, manufacturers are required to implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) schemes. HACCP helps determine where products is most at risk in the food processing chain (bacterial contamination, cold chain, etc.) and define suitable monitoring procedures for each stage, e.g. temperature, humidity, pH or germ levels. A weakness in one link of the chain can be sufficient to render the entire process defective. The analysis also covers what happens to a product after it leaves the plant, through to when it is consumed.

Properly implemented traceability allows both stores and the public to be alerted, so that in the event of a food scare, suspicious products may be recalled as quickly as possible. But manufacturers are not immune to the unforeseen, which can often be due to human error. A breach in the hygiene chain resulting from lack of cleanliness in premises or poor personal hygiene (someone forgot to wash their hands), can be the cause of bacterial contamination.

 

b) Pasteurization

To reduce the risk of contamination, manufacturers commonly use pasteurization, a method of heating for several minutes the finished product, or one of its components, to between 55 and 70°C. This destroys germs without altering either the composition, taste or nutritional value of the liquid while allowing optimum preservation. Pasteurization is used for milk, beer and sometimes wine.

By studying diseases in wine and beer, Louis Pasteur showed that these were due to a particular ferment and that by specific heating to 55°C, it was possible to protect wine and beer from such alterations. This method, now applied to a wide variety of liquids, is known throughout the world as "Pasteurization" (the word dates from 1887).

 

c) Mass poisoning

In cases of mass poisoning where the potential cause is a food product, food hygiene specialists set up an inquiry into the origin of the contamination. They relay their findings to the appropriate authorities in order to decide on a course of remedial and preventive action.

 

Food hygiene at home

In the majority of studies, it is estimated that 50% of domestic food poisoning cases are de to poor hygiene in the home. Consumers are not always aware of household contamination risks. Better knowledge and adherence to good hygiene practices would have a significant impact the number of cases. It is very important to understand how contamination occurs and know some essential rules.

 

a) Cold does not kill germs

Some micro-organisms are particularly resistant to low temperatures. A contaminated product does not improve when it is refrigerated. The spread of germs is simply retarded by cold. Refrigeration preserves but does not clean food. A refrigerator should therefore :
- Be washed and disinfected regularly, since bacteria-carrying chicken can contaminate the entire fridge.
- Not be too full, so that cold air can circulate.
- Have raw food kept apart from cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.
- Be checked regularly to ensure that the inside temperature is suitable for storing food.
- Allow for each type of food to be kept at the correct level, according to its ideal storage temperature.

Top to bottom
Refrigeration level
+ 6°C : eggs
+ 4°C : poultry, game, milk, butter, cheese
+ 3°C : cooked dishes, cream cakes, fresh pastries, meat and cooked meats
+ 2°C : minced meat
0 to + 2°C : fish, molluscs and shellfish
- Vegetable compartment (+8°C) : vegetables
- Freezer compartment (-18°C) : frozen food

Food that does not need to be kept refrigerated should be stored as indicated on the packaging, which is often a dry, cool and dark place.
Date indications on food packaging should be followed. An expiry date means the date after which a product should not be used for reasons of safety or effectiveness. As an example, the use-by dates for packaged minced meat varies from 4 to 10 days according to the type of packaging. Fresh pasteurized milk will keep for one week at the most (varies from country to country). In any event, if the packaging is damaged or once a product is unpacked, the time within which the product should be consumed is considerably shortened.
It is therefore important to keep food at the required temperature, as indicated on the packaging, and never to refreeze a product or eat something that has been.

 

b) Cooking is best against bacteria


Cooking food is an excellent way of keeping germs from spreading. However, cooking does not eliminate all micro-organisms. For optimum protection against bacterial threat, food should be cooked at a sufficiently high temperature and for long enough.
- Salmonella, the main cause of food poisoning, is destroyed at temperatures of 65°C for 15 minutes or 80°C for 10 minutes.
- Listeria, the cause of Listeriosa, multiplies at temperatures of between 3 and 8°C, causing problems for extended storage of food products. It is only destroyed at temperatures of 65°C or above.

Complete safety is therefore difficult to attain, but an increase in temperature and cooking times make it possible to get close. But overcooking can destroy the taste of food as well as its nutritional value because it leads to a significant fall in vitamin content, since vitamins do not withstand high temperatures well. Like all things, a happy medium should be found.
Microwave cooking is not always a good way to get rid of germs. Te process of electromagnetic radiation heating water molecules can leave some areas colder than others, allowing germs to survive.
New trends in cooking favour raw or slightly cooked foods, leading in turn to an increased risk of germs. It is therefore necessary to pay particular attention food origins, freshness and method of preparation. The numbers of bacteria in food double roughly every 15 minutes at near-ambient temperature and humidity levels. So, it is best to consume food as soon as possible after preparation if it is not to be cooked or kept cold.

 

c) Rigorous hygiene

The kitchen is where germs are most likely to be found in the home, in much higher and more varied quantities than in other rooms. This concentration of bacteria stems from the comings and goings of different family members as well as the diverse range of food handled. Micro-organisms cover all surfaces and lead to cross-contamination and contamination via objects such as kitchen utensils or hands. Hygiene rules in the kitchen should focus on the following :

- Always wash hands before handling food.
- Wash frequently cloths and towels used in the kitchen, because they are often damp and are used for a variety of purposes. It's better to have separate hand towel, tea towel, etc. Use disposable paper towel as often as possible.
- Avoid using wooden chopping boards, salad bowls and spoons. Nicks and cracks harbour moisture, making an ideal place for germs to proliferate.

- Pets have no place on the kitchen table.
- Kitchen utensils should not be used to prepare different dishes unless they have been cleaned in between.
- Table and worktops should be cleaned between preparing different types of food. Wiping with a sponge is not enough, surfaces should be cleaned with a detergent, then rinsed and wiped dry.
- A sponge is alive with bacteria due to almost constant humidity. Bacteria multiply spectacularly in such a favourable environment. It is essential to disinfect sponges regularly with bleach or to use antibacterial washing-up liquid.