36 Microbial Pathogens
Learning Objectives
Give examples of microbial pathogens and the sanitation and health risks thereof
Microorganisms
There are 5 types of microorganisms:
Bacteria, Yeast, Moulds, Parasites and Viruses
Microorganisms can be beneficial (i.e. yeast for brewing and baking, bacteria in yogurt, etc.). Some microorganisms may just cause spoilage while others cause disease.
Pathogens
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Listed below are common pathogens:
Salmonella
Foodborne bacteria with 1,300 types known. One of the most severe infections caused by salmonella is typhoid fever. The main sources and carriers of salmonella in the food industry are most poultry, eggs and cracked eggs, shellfish, raw milk, and service workers with unwashed hands. People and animals may be carriers without showing any symptoms.
Safeguards:
- Cook products to an internal temperature over 60°C (140°F) for 12 minutes to kill salmonella.
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
A bacterium found naturally in the intestines of humans or other animals. The strain common to the meat and food industry is E. coli 0157:H7. E. coli does not cause a disease and is not considered parasitic because its source of food is the body waste in the intestinal tract. However, should E. coli gain access to the kidneys, bladder, or other internal organs, it can become parasitic and produce infections that can turn fatal. E. coli outbreaks associated with domestic animals (mainly beef) have strained the meat industry when it has been discovered in ground meat supplies. In addition, E. coli has occurred in milk, cheese, and related foods as well as in plants and plant products irrigated with contaminated groundwater supplies.
Safeguards:
- Understand that E. coli cannot be destroyed by freezing.
- Cook products such as ground meat to a core temperature of 71°C (160°F) to kill E. coli.
- Follow and enforce good personal hygiene (hand washing) after using the toilet.
- Follow industry safeguards to prevent contamination during the harvesting of animals, especially during the removal of the hide, which is often covered in fecal matter. (One large harvesting plant in Alberta has a state-of-the-art hide wash to help eliminate contamination prior to removal of the hide.)
- Take the preventive measure, which should now be a common practice, of carefully trimming meat surfaces on sub-primals that are near the aitch bone portion of the pelvis and anal canal. These areas are located on the hip and sirloin, especially on the hindquarters of beef carcasses and pork and lamb legs.
Clostridium botulinum
an anaerobic microorganism (it grows without air) which forms spores that exist over a wide range of temperatures. The organism itself does not cause illness, but the toxin it produces is one of the most deadly known to humankind. The spores can survive in frozen, raw, and precooked food. Although it is not a frequent cause of illness, it is considered the most serious to deal with in the food industry. This nasty organism is fou