Food Safety Flashcards
What are spores?
A hard shell around bacteria which can survive in many conditions. They are heat resistant,cold resistant, and resistant to bacteria meaning it protects the bacteria in all conditions and areas
What is bacteria?
Single-celled organisms present in the air, soil, on animals and on humans
What is the danger zone? Definition and temperatures
5-63 degrees
The temperature that bacteria is the most active
Moulds are…
- visible
- only harmful when they produce poisonous substances
- reproduced by producing spores which travel in the air (spores settle, germinate and multiply into new growths)
Conditions needed for mould to grow:
- oxygen
- grow in acid/alkali
- grow best at 20-30 degrees
- killed in heat
How to minimise growth of bacteria
- put in fridge/freezer asap
- eat food within its ‘use by’ date
- cook high risk food for long enough
- eat food straight after being prepared
What is the temperature of a fridge?
0-5 degrees
Freezer temperature
-18 °C
High risk foods should be heated to:
Over 63°C
At what temperature is bacteria destroyed
100 °C
Reheated food should reach:
75°C
How to control moisture in food:
- dehydrate it e.g. dried milk
- high sugar - makes less water available e.g. jam
- salt - removes water by osmosis e.g. bacon
- freezing - turns water to solid
- pickling - water is replaced by vinegar
Classification of bacteria:
Pathogenic - makes you ill
Helpful - used to make cheese, yoghurt etc
Spoilage - cause food to perish
What is MAP and what does it help?
Modified atmospheric packaging
- removes oxygen which is what mould needs to grow
What does yeast cause?
- food spoilage in high-sugar foods e.g. jam, fruit
- produces CO2 in fermentation when sugar is used for food
Properties of yeast
Do not need oxygen to grow
Active in warm,moist conditions
Become dormant when it’s cold
What is food poisoning
‘An acute illness caused by eating food that is contaminated by microorganisms or poisons
When is food poisoning especially problematic?
- when pregnant (could effect baby)
- when young or baby (not fully developed)
- when elderly (weaker immune system)
- for people with weakened immune systems due to illness
Risky foods for salmonella
Poultry, eggs, raw eggs products, vegetables
Risky foods for listeria
Soft cheeses, pate, pre-packed salad, cook chill products
Risky food for E Coli?
Contaminated water, milk, inadequately cooked meat
What is food spoilage?
When the original value, texture or flavour of the food is damaged, the food becomes harmful to people and unsuitable to eat
What is natural decay?
As soon as a plant food is harvested, or animal food is slaughtered, changes take place inside the food which cause it to spoil
Ways to prevent food spoilage
1) freeze food so bacteria becomes dormant
2) check use by date
3) eat up old food before you open new food
4) cover up food so ends don’t spoil
