scholarly journals Foodborne zoonotic agents and their food bioterrorism potential: Areview

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-159
Author(s):  
Y.D. Tumbarski

Bioterrorism is anact of deliberate release and dissemination of biological agents such as pathogenicmicroorganisms or their products in a naturally occurring or human-modifiedform. Bioterrorist attacks are aimed at causing death, disease or otherbiological malfunction in humans, animals or plants, in order to achievecertain political goals through creating fear and panic among the populationand influencing government’s behaviour. Historical data showed that zoonoticpathogens have been most commonly used as agentsfor bioterrorism. Applied through the food production systems or directly toprocessed foods asbiologicalweapons, zoonotic pathogens canhavefast anddevastating effects on humanhealth with enormous economic andsocial impact. Despite the development of different countermeasuresand the application of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP)systems in the food industry, the bioterrorists’ attacks as intentional actscannot be predicted, but could be avoided by strengthening food control measures.

Author(s):  
Cicilia S. B. Kambey ◽  
Iona Campbell ◽  
Elizabeth J. Cottier-Cook ◽  
Adibi R. M. Nor ◽  
Azhar Kassim ◽  
...  

AbstractThe application of biosecurity in seaweed aquaculture plays an important role in reducing the impact of disease and pest outbreaks. The continuous occurrence of seaweed pests including the macroalgal epiphytes, epi-endophytic filamentous algae and biofilms on Kappaphycus farms may also potentially induce further incidences of the ice-ice syndrome. In this study, on-farm biosecurity management measures were tested on the commercially grown seaweeds Kappaphycus malesianus and Kappaphycus alvarezii during peak ice-ice season at Gallam-Gallam Village, Sabah, Malaysia. The investigation was focused on preventative control measures including the early detection of the ice-ice syndrome and pests through propagule health checks, regular cleaning of the crop thallus and associated long-line ropes and monitoring of the environment. Farm procedures and practices were also assessed in terms of their biosecurity ‘risk’ using the hazard analysis and critical control point (HCCAP) approach. Observations were replicated in two different farm management systems; one system adopted routine biosecurity measures and the other had no biosecurity measures. The results showed that the ice-ice syndrome and pest outbreak was significantly decreased by 60–75% for K. malesianus and 29–71% for K. alvarezii at the farm which adopted the routine biosecurity measures compared with the no biosecurity treatment. The biosecurity measures also significantly improved growth rate and seaweed quality. The infection levels of the epi-endophyte Melanothamnus sp. contributed to the ice-ice syndrome in K. malesianus, whilst the epiphyte coverage was correlated to the ice-ice incidence in K. alvarezii. This study provides the first evidence of biosecurity management measures significantly decreasing the incidence of the ice-ice syndrome and pests on a commercial seaweed farm.


2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAZMIN D. VOJDANI ◽  
LARRY R. BEUCHAT ◽  
ROBERT V. TAUXE

Outbreaks of illness associated with consumption of fruit juice have been a growing public health problem since the early 1990s. In response to epidemiologic investigations of outbreaks in which juice was implicated, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration implemented process control measures to regulate the production of fruit juice. The final juice regulation, which became effective in 2002, 2003, and 2004, depending on the size of the business, requires that juice operations comply with a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) plan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) receives reports of food-associated outbreaks of illness. We reviewed fruit juice–associated outbreaks of illness reported to the CDC's Foodborne Outbreak Reporting System. From 1995 through 2005, 21 juice-associated outbreaks were reported to CDC; 10 implicated apple juice or cider, 8 were linked to orange juice, and 3 involved other types of fruit juice. These outbreaks caused 1,366 illnesses, with a median of 21 cases per outbreak (range, 2 to 398 cases). Among the 13 outbreaks of known etiology, 5 were caused by Salmonella, 5by Escherichia coli O157:H7, 2 by Cryptosporidium, and one by Shiga toxin–producing E. coli O111 and Cryptosporidium. Fewer juice-associated outbreaks have been reported since the juice HACCP regulation was implemented. Some juice operations that are exempt from processing requirements or do not comply with the regulation continue to be implicated in outbreaks of illness.


Foods ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleya El Hariri ◽  
Nourredine Bouchriti ◽  
Rachid Bengueddour

A risk assessment of histamine was conducted for different categories of fishery products in the market. Risk estimates were assessed using the Risk Ranger tool. The estimated risks associated with the consumption of canned, semi-preserved and frozen fish are lower than those associated with fresh fish. According to the hypotheses of application or not of the histamine control measures, two risk levels were calculated for each product. The highest risk is associated to sardine with a score of 35 (equivalent to 39 patients per year). With the application of control measures, the score decreases to 20 (equivalent to one patient per year) with a reduction of 38 patients estimated per year. The risk ranking for frozen fish varies between zero (1 patient for 1000 years) and 11 (three patients for 1000 years). For semi-preserved fish, it ranges from zero to 21. For canned fish, the risk ranking varies between 12 (five patients for 1000 years) and 21 (15 patients for 100 years). As a result, most Moroccan seafood products are classified as “low risk”. However, it is recommended that risk managers maintain the adopted measures, strengthen interventions upstream in the food chain and that professionals maintain the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system effectively.


2008 ◽  
Vol 62 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 301-315
Author(s):  
Mirjana Dimitrijevic ◽  
Nedjeljko Karabasil ◽  
Natasa Kilibarda ◽  
Vlado Teodorovic ◽  
Milan Baltic

L. monocytogenes has been established in different plants for the production of food, including dairy plants, abattoirs, plants for the processing of fish, as well as those for the production of ready-to-eat (RTE) food and this fact is being considered as the primary mechanism of food contamination with this bacteria. There is also the factor of numerous and diverse contaminated production equipment, because it has certain parts that are inaccessible for the necessary cleaning and disinfection. The temperature, position, as well as the material of the work surface are also linked to the contamination of plants with this bacteria. Investigations carried out so far have helped toward the better understanding of the manner and time of contamination of food items in the course of the production process, but there are still unresolved problems, including most certainly the biggest one - the adherence of bacteria and the creation of a biofilm, when the bacteria is in that condition more resistant to so-called stress factors which are usually used in the food industry for the purpose of decontamination of the surfaces with which foods come into contact. The control of L. monocytogenes in food production plants is possible primarily by using an integrated programme, compatible with the systems Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Hygiene Practice (GHP), necessary in the production of food that is safe for the consumer. Essentially, the control measures that can contribute to reducing the incidence of findings of L.monocytogenes in the finished product, as well as the reducing of the level of contamination with this bacteria are linked, on the one hand, with hygiene procedures in the production process, and, on the other, with the applied technological procedures.


2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 810-814 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN E. KVENBERG ◽  
DARRELL J. SCHWALM

This paper examines the role that the microbiologist and microbiological testing play in implementing hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) programs. HACCP offers a more comprehensive and science-based alternative for controlling food safety hazards compared with traditional sanitation programs based upon good manufacturing practices. Controlling hazards under an HACCP program requires a systematic assemblage of reliable data relating to the occurrence, elimination, prevention, and reduction of hazards. These data need to be developed in a transparent environment that will ensure that the best scientific methodologies have been employed in developing the needed data. The two mechanisms used in HACCP to assess the adequacy of the database are validation studies and the verification assessments. Microbiological testing is an important mechanism for collecting data used in developing and implementing an HACCP plan. Microbial sample data can help establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sanitation, assess the likelihood of the occurrence of hazards, establish critical limits, and assess the validity of the HACCP plan. The use of a performance standard to assess whether microbiological hazards have been reduced to an acceptable level creates an especially important use for microbial analysis. Microbial testing is also useful in implementing an HACCP plan by helping to monitor the effectiveness of sanitation SOPs, the compliance of incoming ingredients with safety criteria, the safety of product being held for corrective action, and the safety of the finished product. The verification audits demonstrate that all control measures have been applied as designed in the HACCP plan. Although auditing HACCP records is the primary means of verification, microbial sampling can play an important role as well.


2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1248-1252 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHONG-HAE HONG ◽  
EWEN C. D. TODD ◽  
GYUNG-JIN BAHK

A hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system was designed to identify specific hazards so that preventive and control measures to ensure the safety of a food could be implemented. Microbiological data generated through sampling were used to characterize the hygienic performance and to validate and verify the various HACCP plans. Aerobic plate counts (APCs) often are chosen as an indicator of the effectiveness of HACCP plans, because data for all aerobic bacteria are more easily collected than are data for pathogens of concern or other indicator organisms. However, it is not clear whether APCs are useful in verifying that a HACCP plan is working satisfactorily. In this study, APC data were collected from one pork-cutting plant in Korea both before and after the company initiated its HACCP plan. These APC data were used to compare microbiological differences and to determine the effect of any changes before and after implementing the HACCP plan. For this pork plant, after the HACCP plan was implemented the proportion of samples exceeding the 3 log CFU/cm2 limit dropped from 73.39 to 4.29% for the overall process. These results indicate that this plant improved its hygienic performance considerably and that the HACCP plan was an effective and valuable tool for achieving this improvement. The APC data were sufficient for validation and verification of the HACCP system that was successfully implemented to improve hygienic performance.


1999 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 786-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
MATTHEW P. MORTLOCK ◽  
ADRIAN C. PETERS ◽  
CHRISTOPHER J. GRIFFITH

A mail survey was designed and distributed to 1,650 managers of food businesses across the manufacturing, retail, and catering sectors of the United Kingdom food industry. Respondents were asked about the food hygiene practices of their business, their use of systems such as hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), and their attitudes toward a range of food hygiene-related issues. Complete responses were received from 254 businesses, a response rate of 15.3%. The results showed that 69% of manufacturers were using HACCP systems, significantly more than the 13% and 15% in the retail and catering sectors, respectively (P < 0.05); 53% of manufacturing, 59% of retail, and 48% of catering managers thought that their business represented a low risk to food safety. Among businesses using HACCP, specific training in the system was significantly related to the likelihood that businesses had adopted all seven of the HACCP principles (P < 0.05). Business size was a significant factor in the use of HACCP in both the manufacturing and retail sectors. Higher levels of food hygiene qualifications among business managers, business status, and higher perceptions among managers of the risk to food safety of the business were also significantly related to HACCP use in all sectors (P < 0.05). The results from this survey have implications for the future development of HACCP, particularly within the UK retail and catering sectors. Risk communication and training are highlighted as areas of concern for marketing HACCP within these industry sectors.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-53
Author(s):  
Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka ◽  
Ali Abdulhassan Abbase

AbstractThe practical implementation of hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) and in particular the definition of the critical control points (CCPs) in the food industry is usually a complex structured task. This is particularly the case of food enterprise, where quality/safety manager ability, knowledge of the production processes and ‘‘sensitiveness’’ is usually the discriminate for the proper identification and prioritization of risks. The same applies for the definition of causes which may lead to food safety hazards. This paper addresses the issues of how quality/safety managers can objectively and automatically implement the HACCP principles of hazard analysis in the application of HACCP, which is the identification of risk priorities and of the related CCPs. The proposed methodology combines decision tree analysis approach for the analytical decomposition of the relevant steps in the manufacturing process of ice cream.


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