CLASSIFICATIONS OF FOODS ACCORDING TO STORAGE

Perishable foods include meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and many raw fruits and vegetables. All cooked foods are considered perishable foods. To store these foods for any length of time, perishable foods need to be held at refrigerator or freezer temperatures. If refrigerated, perishable foods should be used within several days.

Semi-perishable foods, if properly stored and handled, may remain unspoiled for six months to about one year. Flour, grain products, dried fruits and dry mixes are considered semi-perishable.

Staple, or non-perishable, foods such as sugar, dried beans, spices and canned goods do not spoil unless they are handled carelessly. These foods will lose quality, however, if stored over a long time, even if stored under ideal conditions.

TYPES OF HAZARS Chemical hazards Chemicals can affect the skin by contact or the body either through the digestive system or through the lungs if air is contaminated with chemicals, vapour, mist or dust. There can be an acute (immediate) effect, or a chronic (medium to long-term) effect from the accumulation of chemicals or substances in or on the body.

Noise hazards Excessive noise can disrupt concentration, interfere with communication, and result in loss of hearing. High impact noises are particularly damaging. Noise can also mask out signals, affecting communication or danger warnings.

Radiation hazards Equipment such as radioactive gauging devices or the radioactive trace element used in analytical chemistry produce Ionising radiation. Non-ionising radiation covers infrared radiation (heat-producing processes), lasers, ultraviolet radiation (welding, sunlight), and microwaves (high-frequency welders, freeze drying).

Electrical hazards These include the risk of injury from all forms of electrical energy. Lighting hazards Inadequate lighting levels are a potential safety hazard. A common problem area is the reaction time needed for the eyes to adjust from a brightly lit to a darker environment — such as a forklift driver coming indoors from bright sunlight. Temporary lighting is often inadequate.

Vibration hazards This includes whole-body vibration — for example, truck drivers, people standing on vibrating platforms, and operators of mobile equipment — and also more localised vibration effects from such equipment as hand tools, chainsaws, and pneumatic hammers. Temperature hazards Extremes of cold or heat can cause problems such as tiredness, vulnerability to infections or reduced capacity to work.

Biological hazards These include insects, bacteria, fungi, plants, worms, animals and viruses. For example, poultry workers exposed to bird feathers and droppings to which they are allergic can contract a medical condition. Brucellosis is a well known problem in New Zealand associated with people handling meat and meat products infected with brucella. Hepatitis and the AIDS virus are other biological hazards.

Ergonomic hazards Ergonomics (the ‘fit’ between people and their work) covers risk of injury from manual handling procedures, incorrectly designed desks or workstations, audio and visual alarms, and colour coding control mechanisms.

Physical hazards These include a wide range of injury risks— as diverse as being caught in or by machinery, buried in trenches or hurt by collapsing machinery. This category also includes the hazards from working in confined spaces, being hit by flying objects, caught in explosions, falling from heights and tripping on obstacles. Other hazards Include stress, fatigue, the effects of shift work, and even assaults from other people.

Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria are found on human skin, hair, noses, throats and infected cuts and sores. The bacteria can live on the skin of people who are otherwise healthy. By some estimates, the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria live on the skin of up to 25 percent of people. Staphylococcus aureus bacteria reproduce very quickly at room temperatures, and produce a toxin that can't be destroyed by cooking.

The Listeria Monocytogenes bacteria are found in up to ten percent of human intestinal tracts, as well as other mammals and birds, and even fish and shellfish. An unusually stubborn pathogen, Listeria can multiply even in foods stored in the refrigerator, and the standard procedures of freezing, drying and heating are not always effective at eradicating it.

The Shigella and Shigellosis bacteria is found in the human intestinal tract. It's also carried by flies, and it is sometimes found in water that's been contaminated by feces. While most cases of Shigellosis worldwide occur in developing countries, where it frequently leads to dysentery, Shigella is a major cause of food poisoning in industrialized nations as well, including at least 18,000 cases per year in the United States alone.

Campylobacter jejuni bacteria are found in all kinds of places, including the intestinal tracts of animals, including cats and dogs as well as poultry, cattle, pigs and other animals. The campylobacter bacteria is also present in human intestinal tracts, where it can exist without causing harm. Raw milk, untreated water, and sewage sludge are also potential sources of campylobacter jejuni.

Clostridium perfringens is a bacteria that causes food poisoning, especially in cooked food that is kept warm in steam tables such as those in cafeterias and buffets. Because outbreaks of Clostridium perfringens tend to occur in hospitals, school cafeterias, nursing homes and prisons, it is sometimes referred to as the "cafeteria germ."

One of the most toxic substances known, Clostridium botulinum is the bacteria that causes botulism, a life-threatening paralytic illness. Clostridium botulinum bacteria produce a toxin that leads to to respiratory failure through paralysis of the muscles used for breathing.

Escherichia coli, or "E. coli" as it's more commonly known, is a type of bacteria that can cause food poisoning in humans. Sometimes referred to as "hamburger disease" because it can be transmitted through undercooked ground beef, E. coli has also caused outbreaks of food poisoning linked to raw produce like spinach and sprouts.

PATHOGENIC BACTERIA THAT

CAUSES FOOD POISONING

Salmonella bacteria are found in the intestinal tracts and feces of animals and people, but water, soil, insects and live animals can also carry the bacteria. Raw eggs and poultry products are known to carry the Salmonella bacteria naturally.