This book presents food safety concepts and issues in a practical and applied framework for use in the classroom. It covers microbial food safety, chemical residues and contaminants, and risk assessment and food legislation. These sections can be used individually or together to discuss a range of issues. Each chapter has a summary of the issues discussed, objectives, and discussion questions focused on the major issues.
Food Safety: A Practical and Case Study Approach, the first volume of the ISEKI-Food book series, discusses how food quality and safety are connected and how they play a significant role in the quality of our daily lives. Topics include methods of food preservation, food packaging, benefits and risks of microorganisms and process safety.
This unique book covers the key issues relating to the control and management of the most commonly occurring food borne bacteria which compromise the safety and quality of food. The 21 case studies, drawn from a wide range of sources, present real life situations in which the management of food borne pathogens failed or was at risk of failure. Each chapter contains a case study which is supported by relevant background information (such as diagrams, tables of data, etc), study questions and a subsequent feedback commentary, all of which encourage the reader to apply their knowledge. With reference to specific organisms such as E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and so on, the chapters move the reader progressively from strategies for control of food borne organisms, techniques for their control, appreciating risk, through sampling criteria and acceptance, to managing risk. With the provision of real-life problems to explore, along with the opportunity to propose and justify approaches to managing food safety, this book will be welcomed as a new approach to learning not only by students and their teachers, but also by food professionals in policy-making and enforcement and the many within the food industry who are involved with the management of food safety.
The identification and control of food contaminants rely on careful investigation and implementation of appropriate management strategies. Using a wide range of real-life examples, Case studies in food safety and authenticity provides a vital insight into the practical application of strategies for control and prevention.Part one provides examples of recent outbreak investigations from a wide range of experts around the world, including lessons learnt, before part two goes on to explore examples of how the source was traced and the implications for the food chain. Methods of crisis management are the focus of part three, whilst part four provides studies of farm-level interventions and the tracking of contaminants before they enter the food chain. Part five is focussed on safe food production, and considers the challenges of regulatory testing and certification, hygiene control and predictive microbiology. The book concludes in part six with an examination of issues related to food adulteration and authenticity.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, Case studies in food safety and authenticity is a key reference work for those involved in food production, including quality control, laboratory and risk managers, food engineers, and anyone involved in researching and teaching food safety. - Delivers a vital insight into the practical application of strategies for control and prevention of food contaminants - Provides detailed examples of recent outbreak investigations from a wide range of international experts, discussing how the source was traced and the implications for the food chain - Chapters discuss methods of crisis management, farm-level interventions, safe food production and the challenges of regulatory testing and certification
Over the last century, the industrialization of agriculture and processing technologies have made food abundant and relatively inexpensive for much of the world’s population. Simultaneously, pesticides, nitrates, and other technological innovations intended to improve the food supply’s productivity and safety have generated new, often poorly understood risks for consumers and the environment. From the proliferation of synthetic additives to the threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the chapters in Risk on the Table zero in on key historical cases in North America and Europe that illuminate the history of food safety, highlighting the powerful tensions that exists among scientific understandings of risk, policymakers’ decisions, and cultural notions of “pure” food.
Globalization of the food supply has created conditions favorable for the emergence, reemergence, and spread of food-borne pathogens-compounding the challenge of anticipating, detecting, and effectively responding to food-borne threats to health. In the United States, food-borne agents affect 1 out of 6 individuals and cause approximately 48 million illnesses, 128,000 hospitalizations, and 3,000 deaths each year. This figure likely represents just the tip of the iceberg, because it fails to account for the broad array of food-borne illnesses or for their wide-ranging repercussions for consumers, government, and the food industry-both domestically and internationally. A One Health approach to food safety may hold the promise of harnessing and integrating the expertise and resources from across the spectrum of multiple health domains including the human and veterinary medical and plant pathology communities with those of the wildlife and aquatic health and ecology communities. The IOM's Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop on December 13 and 14, 2011 that examined issues critical to the protection of the nation's food supply. The workshop explored existing knowledge and unanswered questions on the nature and extent of food-borne threats to health. Participants discussed the globalization of the U.S. food supply and the burden of illness associated with foodborne threats to health; considered the spectrum of food-borne threats as well as illustrative case studies; reviewed existing research, policies, and practices to prevent and mitigate foodborne threats; and, identified opportunities to reduce future threats to the nation's food supply through the use of a "One Health" approach to food safety. Improving Food Safety Through a One Health Approach: Workshop Summary covers the events of the workshop and explains the recommendations for future related workshops.
How safe is our food supply? Each year the media report what appears to be growing concern related to illness caused by the food consumed by Americans. These food borne illnesses are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, pesticide residues, and food additives. Recent actions taken at the federal, state, and local levels in response to the increase in reported incidences of food borne illnesses point to the need to evaluate the food safety system in the United States. This book assesses the effectiveness of the current food safety system and provides recommendations on changes needed to ensure an effective science-based food safety system. Ensuring Safe Food discusses such important issues as: What are the primary hazards associated with the food supply? What gaps exist in the current system for ensuring a safe food supply? What effects do trends in food consumption have on food safety? What is the impact of food preparation and handling practices in the home, in food services, or in production operations on the risk of food borne illnesses? What organizational changes in responsibility or oversight could be made to increase the effectiveness of the food safety system in the United States? Current concerns associated with microbiological, chemical, and physical hazards in the food supply are discussed. The book also considers how changes in technology and food processing might introduce new risks. Recommendations are made on steps for developing a coordinated, unified system for food safety. The book also highlights areas that need additional study. Ensuring Safe Food will be important for policymakers, food trade professionals, food producers, food processors, food researchers, public health professionals, and consumers.
Food safety awareness is at an all time high, new and emerging threats to the food supply are being recognized, and consumers are eating more and more meals prepared outside of the home. Accordingly, retail and foodservice establishments, as well as food producers at all levels of the food production chain, have a growing responsibility to ensure that proper food safety and sanitation practices are followed, thereby, safeguarding the health of their guests and customers. Achieving food safety success in this changing environment requires going beyond traditional training, testing, and inspectional approaches to managing risks. It requires a better understanding of organizational culture and the human dimensions of food safety. To improve the food safety performance of a retail or foodservice establishment, an organization with thousands of employees, or a local community, you must change the way people do things. You must change their behavior. In fact, simply put, food safety equals behavior. When viewed from these lenses, one of the most common contributing causes of food borne disease is unsafe behavior (such as improper hand washing, cross-contamination, or undercooking food). Thus, to improve food safety, we need to better integrate food science with behavioral science and use a systems-based approach to managing food safety risk. The importance of organizational culture, human behavior, and systems thinking is well documented in the occupational safety and health fields. However, significant contributions to the scientific literature on these topics are noticeably absent in the field of food safety.
"The food problems now facing the world-scarcity and starvation, contamination and illness, overabundance and obesity-are both diverse and complex. What are their causes? How severe are they? Why do they persist? What are the solutions? The authors of the more than sixty international case studies contained in these books approach the food system with a multidisciplinary perspective. In three volumes that serve as valuable teaching tools, they call upon the wisdom of disciplines including economics, nutrition, sociology, anthropology, environmental science, medicine, and geography to create a holistic picture of the state of the world's food systems today. The authors focus in on specific cases from all corners of the globe to cover topics including drought and soil conservation; land allocation and cooperative marketing efforts; and food safety measures and advertising policies. In documenting past successes and failures, these case studies provide a valuable foundation for future research and efforts to create truly successful and sustainable food policy."--Pub. desc.
