Pages: 152

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 32

Food safety and quality (FSQ) have been emphasized as one of the concerning issues of the 21st century, with factors like inflating population and unstable global economy fueling the deprecation of the same. Despite the unmatchable and extraneous efforts by international and national governing bodies, requisite standards of FSQ have not been achieved by many of the nations. On the other hand, inadequate food is causing nutritional aberrations, of which billions have been suffering since ages. Several factors have been listed out, including physical, chemical, and biological safety taken together with public and private hygiene that determine the safety and quality of the available food. In this regard, many of the diagnostic tools have been used at the cellular and molecular levels to determine the source and type of infection caused. However, despite achieving considerable progress in this arena, issues revoking safety and quality etiquette continue to occur globally to this date. With this under concern, the chapter aims to provide fundamentals of FSQ with respect to the global standards followed in the past and present. The chapter also deliberates on the role of governing bodies, management systems, public, and education that ensure the supply of good quality foods. Highlighting the worldwide scenario of FSQ, the chapter rolls out a prospect on global FSQ standards currently being followed and suggests projections that could likely modulate the concept for improving the lifestyle.

Pages: 32

The safety of food at every single step of food handling till consumption is important to accomplish the high standard of food safety and to ensure the buyer’s wellbeing. The quality of food includes the quality attributes that may impact the product value, such as biochemical, physical, visual, textural, and microscopic attributes. There are various methods to estimate the food quality parameters. The safety of the consumer needs to be ensured by the regular check of various food quality parameters. Therefore, to keep up the integrity and security in food supply chain, it is required to enforce the food laws which protect the consumer against unsafe, impure, and fraudulently presented food by prohibiting the sale of food not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser. There have been different national, international organizations and agreements that upgrade the food safety, quality, and security. This chapter covers various aspects of food quality analysis and food safety as well as various international organizations and agreements related to food that control the quality and safety of food globally.

Pages: 31

Food could never be completely safe, and several types of microbes cause numerous foodborne diseases. Numerous foodborne diseases are triggered by microbes originating from animals or animal products that include bacteria, viruses, helminths, and protozoa. At any step-in food processing chain, food may be contaminated with microbes, hence, there is need to implement hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) system. Food safety system focuses on identifications and prevention of hazards which might cause the product deterioration and also assures food safety and quality (FSQ). System of HACCP, uses the approach of critical control points (CCP) during the food handling to avoid food safety problems. Food spoilage is a major issue for food manufacturers. Hence, it is crucial to assure the safety of food and to avoid food spoilage. Ocins (e.g., enterocins), lactocins, and bacteriocins are anti-bacterial proteins produced by bacteria that suppress or destroy the growth of other bacterial strains. Ocins signify a hopeful strategy to ensure food safety. This chapter assesses the factors which affect the safety and quality of food, and how FSQ are regulated.

Pages: 32

The priorities of the food-oriented sector have been diverted towards the production of high profiling food products with respect to food quality and safety standards. The confronted hazards associated with food handling are biological, physical, and chemical in nature. The alarming and most prevailing hazard among these are biological. Hence, the invasion of biological hazard prevails intimacy of food, which resultantly provokes inconsistency in food quality. The international policies and quality controlling standards are being implemented for assuring conformity and consistency in quality of food products with respect to international standards. However, quality-assuring standards, different food deteriorating hazards, situation coping recommendations and benefits are discussed in this chapter.

Pages: 22

Foodborne illness that results from the exposure of toxins and/or pathogens from the food are causing severe threat to public health. Bacterial and viral causes of foodborne illness are highlighted. Microbial toxins contributing to food intoxications are clearly stated. Thus, food safety has become a matter of concern across the globe with an aim to prepare, handle, and store food to reduce the risk from foodborne illness during the entire cycle of food production for its consumers. Even though there exists a critical requirement for strong preventive measures, the present chapter highlights the available background to these problems to illustrate the cause of various foodborne illnesses.

Pages: 228

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 23

An excessive number of diseases with noteworthy effects on the health of humans as well as economy are caused by foodborne microorganisms. Around one by three people are affected by such food-related bacteria in developed countries every year, whereas WHO also stated that food-related microorganisms are the main risk to food safety. Toxins are the cause of illness spread due to food; these may be either microbial toxin or chemical toxins. Toxins in food cause different diseases which are often mild and self-controlled. But in some cases, the end results are serious disease that leads to mortality. A large number of foodborne diseases are because of microbes that enter into the chain of food at any step from farm to fork. Foodborne pathogens such as bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens, Cronobacter sakazakii, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni, Vibrio spp., as well as Yersinia enterocolitica); viruses (Noroviruses (NoVs) as well as Hepatitis A); and foodborne parasites such as Cyclospora cayetanensis, Toxoplasma gondii, and Trichinella spiralis are discussed in this chapter.

Pages: 34

Food safety is a global issue, and consumers deserve the benefit of healthy and nutritious food. A substantial percentage of diseases that have dire implications on the environment and human health are caused by foodborne pathogens (FBP). Pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites cause human disease. Global interventions by food producers, companies, and policymakers in recent decades have ensured that food supply achieves the high standard demanded by health authorities, protecting public health, and reducing monetary losses from foodborne diseases. To fulfill this aim, many projects and strategies have been established globally by both government departments and the private sector. Foodborne diseases caused by bacteria, environmental pollutants, and chemical contaminants pose a major problem for public health, as new risks are increasingly arising while others are being managed. In this context, to detect possible threats, perform a risk analysis, and an effective sanitary surveillance system is immediately required to monitor foodborne disease outbreaks globally.

Pages: 73

Foodborne diseases play a significant threat in society, having tangible and intangible costs. Major impacts of foodborne diseases are on public health leading to gastrointestinal (GI) and other clinical symptoms in consumers. Ingestion of raw, inadequately processed or foods contaminated by microbial pathogens including bacteria, viruses, toxins, or other toxic agents. Due to the present lifestyle of people, where a variety of manufactured, ready-to-eat food products are daily consumed in large quantities, the knowledge on the occurrence of foodborne diseases (FBDs) by foodborne organisms has gained significant attention in public health protection. This chapter discusses different foodborne organisms focusing on general characteristics, virulence factors, clinical manifestation, etc. This highlights the importance of achieving better health education in terms of controlling or minimizing the occurrence of foodborne diseases.

Pages: 23

Food safety is becoming an imperative public health issue in all over the world. Foodborne pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, infecting humans by contaminated food or water. Foodborne bacteria include various species from the genera Bacillus, Brucella, Campylobacter, Clostridium, Cronobacter, Helicobacter, Listeria, Mycobacterium, Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Streptococcus, Vibrio, Yersinia, etc. Foodborne viruses, comprising mostly of hepatitis A, E viruses, rotavirus, astrovirus, and norovirus (NoV), can transfer from infected living organism to food and water. Foodborne bacteria and viruses truly are a main cause of concern, but it is difficult to escape the conclusion that mycotoxins in foods are responsible for much higher numbers of human deaths than are foodborne bacteria and viruses. Foodborne fungi produce mycotoxins [aflatoxin, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, and zearalenone (ZEN)] that are cancerogenic metabolites in infected foods. Foodborne parasitic diseases are becoming common and can transmit directly or indirectly in humans from meat and water sources. These parasites include protozoa and helminths. Control of contamination, proper cooking and adopting good hygienic practices during handling/preparation of food can result in the provision of safe food. Overall, there is an urgent need for better monitoring and control of foodborne pathogens using new technologies.

Pages: 33

Foodborne pathogens (FBP) produce many severe health issues, which is due to the consumption of contaminated food and water. Foodborne bacterial diseases are classified into foodborne infections and foodborne intoxications.The most common pathogenic bacteria involved in foodborne diseases (Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium botulinum, Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio spp., Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus) are discussed in this chapter. The chapter also described viruses (Hepatitis A, Rotavirus, Norovirus (NoV), and Hepatitis E), parasites(Giardia, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Ascaris, and Cyclospora), and mycotoxins (Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin A, Patulin, Zearalenone (ZEN), Fumonisin, Sterigmatocystin, and Citrinin). In addition to that, the growth conditions and characteristics of each pathogenic organism, food involved in the disease outbreaks, most common clinical symptoms of foodborne illness, identification tools, and strict hygiene control measures to bring down the risk of transmission of foodborne diseases are also explained in detail.

Pages: 36

Food is any material or substance eaten or drunk to provide energy and nutrients for the body’s growth, development, and maintenance. It is usually of an animal or plant origin consisting of nutrients like fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Food can be considered safe if it is free from all hazardous substances that can affect consumers’ health. In pre-historic times, the food safety chain was very short; it compromised hunter-gatherers and their families. When societies grew complex and larger, this chain became more diffused due to an expanded international trade network and long shipping distances. This chain can be a reason for introducing unfamiliar food safety hazards during food transportation. This situation places a high burden of responsibility on traders, government bodies, and international organizations. This chapter covers the hazards, their types, foodborne diseases, and strategies to ensure food safety and quality (FSQ). Developing countries face challenges due to raised standards of FSQ management worldwide. Different food quality and safety assurance programs are discussed as well like quality management systems (QMS), HACCP certification, ISO 9000 family, good manufacturing practices (GMP)/good hygiene practices (GHP), total quality management (TQM), good working practices (GWP), good lab practices (GLP), etc. Moreover, the role of some novel processing technologies is also focused in this 346regard. The effectiveness of a quality and safety assurance system is based on the relationship of external, internal, and structural factors. Food quality assurance (QA) and certification has an important role in building the trust of the customer. The industry needs to select a suitable management system for evaluating and measuring the performance of the company.

Pages: 46

No chapter abstract available.

Pages: 30

Food safety is still a concern throughout the world despite the various efforts taken by the people involved in the food chain. Microbial hazards contribute to most food safety concerns since the microbes can enter at any stage of the food chain, cause foodborne illness and produce toxins that may have serious consequences on humans. Other than microbes, chemicals used during the processing stage, heavy metal and pesticide residue contamination play a significant part in the food safety concerns. Food safety and management system are established based on hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP), good manufacturing practices (GMPs), good hygiene practices (GHP) to manage and maintain food safety throughout the food chain. A risk analysis framework used to predict the source of the problem can prevent the issues that might arise during the process. Genetically modified (GM) foods and nanotechnology in the food industry have also become a growing concern in the food safety aspect due to insufficient toxicological studies. Proteomics, genomics, and bioinformatics can identify food quality traits, adulterants, allergens, pathogens, and xenobiotics present in the food product. This chapter discusses food safety/quality, especially microbial food safety, and techniques involved in food safety in detail.

Pages: 14

Food is an essential component of our everyday lives. Before reaching the market, many food products are processed in some way, ranging from fermentationto packaging. Microorganisms play an important role in all of these processes, whether they are converting the food or spoiling or contaminating it. Bioinformatics is becoming more important in predicting and evaluating the desirable and unwanted effects of microorganisms on food. It combined with laboratory confirmation of selected findings is especially effective. This chapter discusses about how bioinformatics plays an important role in predicting and assessing the desired and undesired effects of microorganisms on food, genomics, and proteomics study to meet the requirements of food production, food processing, improving the quality and nutritive value of food sources and many others.