Chapter 2: Microbial World Flashcards
Microorganism def.
Small, living organism that can be seen only with a microscope
Pathogen def.
- Harmful microorganism
- Makes people sick when eaten or produces toxins that cause illness
Toxin def.
poison
What are the four types of pathogens that can contaminate food and cause foodborne illness?
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Fungi
Common symptoms of foodborne illness:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Nausea
- Abdominal Cramps
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes
Onset time of foodborne illness (period of time from when contaminated food is first consumed to when symptoms of the disease actually begin to appear)
- depends on type of food
- can range from 30 min-6 weeks
What are the 6 pathogens that are highly infectious and can cause severe illness? ( THE BIG 6!)
- Salmonella Typhi
- Shigella spp.
- Nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS)
- Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) aka E. coli
- Hepatitis A
- Norovirus
- are often found in very high numbers in an infected person’s feces
- can be transferred to food easily
- can make a person severely sick from small doses
Shared characteristics of bacteria:
- Found almost everywhere
- Cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted
- Grow rapidly if conditions are correct
- Can produce toxins as they grow and die
how to prevent foodborne illness from bacteria:
- control time and temperature
What do bacteria need to grow?
FATTOM
F: Food (proteins or carbs)
A: Acidity (little to no acid; pH of 7.5-4.6 is ideal) ex. bread, raw chicken, cantaloupe, milk, cooked corn
T: Temperature (danger zone=best zone: 41F-135F/5C-57C) bacteria grow even more rapidly from 70F-125F
T: Time
O: Oxygen (some bact. need oxygen to grow others grow when oxygen isn’t there)
M: Moisture (aw=water activity)
Conditions that you can control (in FATTOM):
- time
- temperature
Bacterial stages of growth:
- lag
- log
- stationary
- death
what are spores?
Bacteria can change into spores to keep from dying when they lack nutrients
- are often found in dirt
- can survive cooking temps
- can change back to a form that grows
Controlling time and temperature can keep these bacteria from causing a foodborne illness:
- Bacillus cereus
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
- Campylobacter jejuni
- Clostridium perfringens
- Clostridium botulinum
Bacteria: Bacillus cereus (Diarrhea Illness)
Found in: - Cooked vegetables - Meat products - Milk Most common symptoms: - Watery diarrhea - No vomiting
Parasites:
- require a host to live and reproduce
- found in seafood, wild game, and food processed with contaminated water, such as produce
Prevention of Parasites:
- Purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers.
- Cook food to required minimum internal temperatures.
- Fish that will be served raw or undercooked must be frozen correctly by the manufacturer.
Fungi:
- Sometimes make people sick
- Commonly spoil food
Examples of fungi:- Mold
- Yeast
