FOOD PROCESS EQUIPMENT-A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF CONTAMINATION

Food processing equipment used in the industry contribute to many food poisoning episodes unwittingly because of inappropriate design parameters based on which they are fabricated that enable microorganisms thrive in certain parts in spite of thorough cleaning. Though stainless steel (non-magnetic varieties) has replaced other fabrication materials during the last five decades, inadequate appreciation of parameters that go into sound machine design results in equipment which could be vulnerable to residual contamination or left over residues with potential to spoil large volumes of food under processing. Due to cost consideration, plastics are replacing metal as preferred fabrication material posing problems of contamination from these parts. Food industry should be careful while selecting processing equipment to ensure that they are soundly designed to address the various concerns safety experts point out from time to time. Here is a critical commentary on this important issue which is a must reading for all food technologists.

"Improved hygienic design enhances cleanability, decreasing the risk of biological (pathogens), physical and chemical (e.g., allergens) contamination. Furthermore, equipment that is designed and constructed to meet hygienic principles is easier to maintain and reduces the risks of physical hazards (e.g., metal fragments from food equipment) in food processing. Surfaces of food equipment and related ancillary equipment are divided into food contact and nonfood product contact surfaces. While most of the discussion in this article relates to food contact surfaces, it should be recognized that nonfood product contact surfaces are very important and cannot be overlooked, as these surfaces have been implicated in environmental contamination. Under 3A Sanitary Standards, the accepted definition of a food contact surface is any surface that has direct contact with food residue, or where food residue can drip, drain, diffuse or be drawn. All food contact surfaces must meet specific hygienic design and fabrication requirements to ensure cleanability. Corrosion resistance and durability of the materials used are also important to maintain cleanability. Where appropriate, equipment should also be constructed to allow accessibility for inspection to observe whether it is adequately cleaned. Hygienic equipment design encompasses the following:"

With the advent of Clean-in-place (CIP) system of equipment offered by most of the manufacturers, food poisoning may be considered as a thing of the past but still inadequate attention to manage such cleaning operations can pose some problem and continuous vigilance only can avoid unanticipated food infection on the factory floor. It is the small scale sector which suffers because of the inability of these processors to shell out huge investment for buying high end equipment with CIP regime which costs heavily. These players end up buying equipment from small scale engineering firms with indifferent quality fabrication which can derail any well laid plan for safety management. In India the difference in the cost of machinery between large players and small fabricators can be as high as 100-200% and with a low volume production base, many food processors invariably gravitate towards small fabricators resulting in frequent production problems. While dry foods do not pose much of a problem except for infestation it is the high moisture food on the processing line that is vulnerable to safety risks. Many of the points raised in the above critique are valid and food industry must listen and practice what is recommended for their own sake as well as that of the consumers whom they are supposed to serve.

V.H.POTTY
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DROPPING THE FOOD ON THE FLOOR-IS IT SAFE TO EAT?

Is it not very uncommon for many people to pick up a dropped piece of food from the floor and blow it to remove any adhering matter before eating the same? Can this be condoned in to day's world where every one is aware of the potential pathogens can cause if infected foods are ingested? For convenience it was assumed by many that if such a dropped food piece is picked up within 5 seconds of dropping it, it is safe for consumption! Can this be correct? No way if one cares for likely contamination the dropped food is exposed to and the consequences of a stomach upset. Whether the foods can pick up bacteria within a short time of 5 seconds from the floor is not a relevant question because there is bound to be some bacteria on the floor and even if a minuscule portion sticks to the food, that will be sufficient to cause some damage if there are pathogens among them. There are many factors like moisture content of the food, stickiness of the food, shape of the piece dropped, relative cleanliness of the floor, surface roughness of the floor, composition of the food, pressure used to pick up the food etc and no one can predict that the food so picked up within 5 seconds after dropping will be free from bacteria. Here is a commentary on this issue which provides fascinating reading.   

"There is nothing funny about food-borne illnesses. They can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and chills. Symptoms typically appear suddenly and last a short time. But it's enough time to make you miserable. Most healthy people don't need medical treatment for food poisoning. But dehydration can result due to fluids lost during your sickness. And certain people need to be especially cautious. Pregnant women, young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk for severe infections. There are two silly but common reactions when we drop food. First, you may look around to see if anyone noticed. "Maybe people think if no one saw it then it didn't really happen -- like if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Dobbins says. Another reaction is to blow on the dropped food, as if that will clean it off. "Not only is it silly, it actually adds 'fuel to the fire,'" Dobbins says."Your mouth contains lots of germs and bacteria, and blowing on something usually means we're kind of spitting on it, too." "That means we're adding more germs into the mix," she says. "Pediatricians tell us not to 'clean' off our babies' pacifiers with our own mouths for this very reason." "Yes, that technically means when someone blows out the birthday candles we're getting some germs there, too. Sorry to spoil the party!" Dr. Jorge Parada, director of the infection prevention and control program at the Loyola University Health System, suggests we adopt a new rule of thumb. "Instead of applying the five-second rule to a dropped food item," he says, "people should employ 'when in doubt, throw it out' as the golden rule."

Generally if the product dropped is firm and can be washed under running water, it can be used after such a washing process, If the food is a floury one, it is difficult to pick it up even within a minute, let alone in 5 seconds. Liquid foods can never be fit for consumption if it is recovered from the floor while pasty foods present still tougher logistical problem. In these days when every one is talking about food waste, it is true that no efforts must be spared to reduce such wastage as much as possible. May be those with high immunity to almost all bugs that thrive in tropical environments may be least affected by picking up dropped foods and eating them but many consumers with "weak" belly might be better off by avoiding such risks!. As the critics above aver, just throw the dropped food if there is a doubt about its safety, no matter how costly the dropped food is.

V.H.POTTY
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MEAT CONTAMINATION-WHY IT OCCURS?

If there is a perceptible change in dietary habits where people are increasingly shifting to non-animal based foods, one of the most critical factors has been their perception regarding the safety of meat products offered in the market place by the meat products industry with indifference to the well being of the consumer. There are thousands of reports that indict meat products like various cuts, minced products and ground meat items, the main culprit being the virulent E.coli mostly originating from fecal sources. Slaughter house facilities which ought to be clean, hygienic and safe are not up to the desired standards while the handling personnel with potential as carriers of pathogens are not as clean as they should be. While in tropical countries where the primitive slaughtering practices are still in vogue, food poisoning episodes from meat are far and few, probably because they are cooked properly and the consumers have better immunity to these bugs. Here is a commentary on the situation obtaining in a country like the US where food poisoning episodes from beef products are assuming dangerous proportion. 

"There have been a number of reports of people falling ill from fecal contamination in beef products. E. coli is a group of bacteria that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm blooded organisms and is known to cause diarrhea, dehydration and in most severe cases kidney failure and death in those with weak immune systems (children, the elderly). E. coli bacteria is normally present on surface of beef in which cooking from 145 F-160 F, depending on how the meat is processed will effectively kill bacteria. However many beef producers mechanically tenderize their beef to produce a tender cut of beef as well as to produce ground beef. The process of mechanically tenderizing meat cuts through the connective tissue in the meat and brings bacteria from the surface to the inner parts of the meat thoroughly infecting the meat with E. coli."

It is still a mystery as to why the beef industry is not using the well proven irradiation technology or other newer technologies that can effectively decontaminate the surface area of the carcass adequately which can pre-empt further contamination of the products during processing. Some critics seem to be pointing their fingers to fresh produce like leafy vegetables for most of the infection in meat, forgetting that the very same slaughter house waste and effluents let out to growing fields are responsible for vegetable contamination! There is an urgent need to over haul the abattoirs to prevent pollution of waters nearby as well as to ensure carcasses are decontaminated thoroughly before processing them into finished products. While safety agencies can contribute to better safety through more frequent and efficient inspections, there has to be more introspection on the part of meat industry regarding their responsibility to the well being of the consumers who are their "bread and butter' partners!

V.H.POTTY
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BAGGED SALAD-IS IT ABSOLUTELY SAFE?

As per the recommendations of nutrition experts, in order to maintain a good health one must eat large quantities of fruits and vegetables which supply many micro nutrients besides dietary fiber. This has created an opportunity to the fresh produce industry to offer fresh salad preparations in super markets which boast of tremendous convenience to the consumer. Preparing fresh vegetables for making salads is an involved process requiring time and lot of care which most modern families do not have and this situation has led to massive patronage of "Bagged Salads", ready to be consumed on the dining table or at any time. However countless recalls of salad products made by reputed manufacturers  due to suspected contamination with pathogenic bacteria during the last few years have literally created a panic in the American market with more and more consumers hesitating to buy them due to fear of contamination by virulent E.coli and similar disease causing bacteria. If such fears are not removed from the minds of consumers, there may be a possibility of significant reduction of intake of these health protecting foods in that country. Here is a take on this unfortunate development.

"Bagged salad is easy to open, great on a hot summer day and a super easy dinner. Is it safe to eat? Let's see what the experts say. I eat bagged salad and unless I am reporting a bagged salad recall will buy the Dole and Fresh Express products. I am careful and if there is a bagged salad recall, I check what's in my frig. This week, Fresh Express had a recall of 8,000 cases  of Hearts of Romaine. I have Fresh Express at home but it's Iceberg Lettuce. Apparently, I am not alone, a contributor of US Food Safety, Doug Powell, a professor of food safety at  Kansas State University, was quoted on nbcnews.com, "We call it faith-based food safety,"and most of it is faith-based." Powell and Christina Bruhn, a researcher in food science and technology at UC Davis, say that while figuring out what fraction of the lettuce may make you sick is a gamble, they still place their bets on the bagged stuff. "I go to the biggest grocery store I can find," he said. "They have requirements for what they put on the shelf." Even the crisp heads of lettuce in a farmer's market stall can be suspect, said Powell. They may be fresh and local, but that's no guarantee of safety. "The lettuce was sitting swamped in water for days," he said. "If I go to a farmer's market, I don't want to know that it's lovingly grown. I want to know you've taken steps for microbiological safety. If you can't answer those questions, I don't want to buy your lettuce." I will take my chances".

It is not understandable as to how greens can get contaminated if proper agricultural practices are used in producing them in the farms. Why such contamination problems are more prevalent in the US is also a mystery. Whether contamination takes place in the field or during handling, packing, distribution or retailing is also not clear. The industry has to take full responsibility for such a situation as contaminated products should not have come out of their premises unless tested rigorously by quality testers. The irradiation technology which has an answer for decontaminating tainted foods needs to be deployed more extensively if a fool proof distribution system is to be put in place. Consumers must realize that any technology used can have marginal influence on quality and it is trade of between safety and absolute eating quality! Safety authorities in the US must consider mandatory irradiation of products like bagged salads in the interest of consumer safety.

V.H.POTTY
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"NANO" CONTAMINANTS IN SOIL- A MEGA SAFETY PROBLEM IN THE MAKING?

Nano technology has emerged as a major breakthrough for many industries because of its ability to deliver designer materials to well defined targets, overcoming normal physical barriers. Though no where in the world its safety has been established conclusively, in absence of any regulatory mechanism, there is an unwritten understanding that the technology can be used without any consumer knowing about it! Food industry is eagerly looking forward to use Nano technology in processing as and when regulatory approvals are forthcoming. There are a few alarming reports about the potential harm nano particles can cause to human beings because of the ability of nano particle chemicals to pass through the cell membrane and the unpredictable consequences of such a scenario on human health. A problem of a different dimension has recently been highlighted by health experts regarding the impact of unanticipated nano size contaminants in soil like Zinc Oxide and Cerium Oxide coming from industrial effluents on the soil productivity and food safety. Here is a critique on this emerging issue.  

STAR researchers at the University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, have published an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that manufactured nanoparticles in agricultural soil can accumulate in plants and can  affect plant growth and food quality.  This was the first major study of soybeans grown in manufactured nanomaterials-tainted soil. The researchers looked at the effects of zinc and cerium oxides. Nano materials, used in everything from lotions and makeup to fuel additives can be transported into air, water and soil and can impact plant growth and food quality.  Soil contamination may come from the final stage of waste water treatment which creates biosolids, which are applied to soils in many parts of the U.S. This solid material fertilizes the soil, returning nitrogen and phosphorus that are captured during waste water treatment but is also a point at which zinc oxide and cerium oxide can enter the soil. Cerium oxide may also contaminate soils from air deposition as a combustion biproduct. The researchers found that zinc oxide accumulated in the plants grown in the tainted soil and affected food quality although it may not be harmful to humans if the zinc is in salt or ion form in the plant. The cerium oxide however stunted plant growth, affecting the root nodules where bacteria symbiotically convert nitrogen in the air to a form plants can use. The researchers conclude there is a high probability of nanoparticles in crop soil but more research is necessary to determine impact on crops and consumers.  This research was co-funded by EPA and NSF.
It is true with any technology that both good and bad aspects will have to be considered before mass application. Genetic Engineering, food irradiation, use of chemical preservatives and antibiotics etc are all beautiful technologies of immense benefit to the consumers but safety of their applications under all conditions must be established before wide scale use. Same holds good for Nano technology also with opinions differing widely among the scientists. Unofficial use of Nano technology in non-food applications was ignored so far because the nano sized particles used by the non-food industry does not cause any direct dangers to humans. But the new revelation that these dangerous particles can end up in food crops through cultivated soil raises the bar vis-a-vis unrestricted use of Nano technology in any field without properly assessing the consequences.  

V.H.POTTY
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FRESH PRODUCE CONTAMINATION-INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY INITIATIVES

Episodes of contamination of fresh produce with bacterial pathogens and the attending adverse consequences are becoming increasingly common in many wealthy countries and the impact of such incidences of contamination is more with people in these countries because of two reasons. First the immunity level of the population to several pathogenic bacteria encountered in foods is relatively low, making them easily susceptible to their effect on health. Second the habit of consuming fresh produce like lettuce, broccoli, tomato etc in salad preparations is a part of their food culture making them highly vulnerable to food poisoning more frequently from these sources. It is against such a background one has to appreciate the action taken recently in the US to launch a public-private research initiative worth about $ 10 million to evolve technologies which can pre-empt such risks in consuming salad vegetables produced in different regions. 

"To fund the study, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing a $5.4 million, three-year grant and produce industry partners are kicking in nearly $4 million in in-kind support. The University of Maryland will be working with Ohio State University, Rutgers University, University of California, Davis; University of Florida, University of Delaware, USDA and the FDA. In its news release, UMD said agriculture producers are already testing for pathogens in irrigation water, fertilizers and other soil amendments, as well as in produce just before and after harvesting. Some 200,000 separate tests will be analyzed by the researchers. The team will conduct a series of controlled experiments by region to gauge how various practices affect levels of pathogens. "Producers, processors and consumers must be assured that the good practice standards apply to their region - that what works on a big farm in California, makes sense on a couple dozen acres on the East Coast," Buchanan said. "No group's protocol will be approved and enforced without scientific validation," Buchanan added. "The science must be solid enough to withstand domestic legal challenges and international trading disputes." He emphasized: "Guidelines, standards and regulations need to be based on solid science or we'll end up with legal wrangling rather than safer salads."

The collaborative project will have far reaching implications because whatever remedial measures are developed, they will have much better chance of getting accepted by the user industry with least reservation. The industry has been using certain techniques to ensure pathogen-free salads and these also will be subject to validation independently to confirm or modify such practices. Though some industry has been pleading to allow irradiation for pasteurizing fresh meat, clearance was not forthcoming from the authorities concerned due to apprehension that the processors may pass of low quality food products after irradiation as prime quality ones, defrauding the consumer. Many countries have a lesson to learn from the above project which only can solve common industry safety problems affecting the society at large. This mode also effectively utilizes the tremendous knowledge that is bottled up in the universities for the good of the nation.

V.H.POTTY
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LIPTON'S TEA "PARTY" IN CHINA-WHAT HAS GONE SOUR?

Food safety concerns are growing day by day in every nook and corner of the world and what is surprising is that the seriousness of the crisis is assuming dangerous proportion in most wealthy countries! The fatality numbers due to food poisoning and extent of market recall of foods are also on the increase despite the best safety monitoring infrastructure available in developed countries. Probably a stage is coming when governments will have to throw up their hands and take the stand that ultimate responsibility for food safety lies with the consumer and eternal vigilance is the price one has to pay for safety. China, though not considered a rich country, still has pretensions to be an economic power that will overturn the US from the perch as most powerful country in the world one day and its record in the food safety front is one of the worst in the world. Here is a recent case of tea contamination reported from this country for which responsibility has been placed on the Uni Lever which markets the brand of tea found to contain rare earth metals considered highly injurious to health. Here is a take on this unfortunate episode and its consequences as reported by the Media: 

"Unilever reassured Chinese consumers on Thursday that it had destroyed a batch of Lipton tea bags that were found contaminated with harmful rare earths and sent new samples for safety inspections. In an inspection in July, 19 samples of Lipton Tieguanyin tea bags, produced in January in Anhui province, were found to contain excess amounts of rare earths, which can cause liver and bone damage if accumulated in the body, said Tan Guijun, a doctor at Tianjin First Center Hospital. Many agriculture and food experts accused Unilever of deliberately using the rare earth as a fertilizer and adding it to tea trees to help combat droughts and flooding. Unilever has denied this claim, saying the rare earths came from the soil where its tea grows, according to China Daily. A third party who examined new tea bag samples in September found the amount of rare earths met Chinese government standards. Many multinational brands in China have been wrapped up in food safety scandals recently. Guangdong authorities found that foods sold in local supermarkets, including those at Walmart, were substandard. The supermarket has issued a statement to stress that the problematic foods have been removed.

Generally tea is a product subjected to hot water leaching to get the brew and the extent of solids extracted depends on the water used and the temperature of brewing. In some countries the standards are not rigorous considering that tea is never consumed directly and only the hot water extract has beverage value. It is understandable that most microorganisms are killed during extraction while insoluble contaminants cannot leach into the brew. Even presence iron filings is permitted in tea in some countries because of this reason. It is arguable that rare earths might not be soluble and there fore are not injurious to the consumer. Still there are lot of things not known about these mineral materials and their behavior during food processing. A thorough probe is necessary to reach a finality regarding the source of these contaminants to preclude the possibility that they are part of the insecticides or fertilizers used by the plantations".Unilever, the MNC giant has an obligation to the unsuspecting consumers to explain regarding this vexed issue.  

V.H.POTTY
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"HONEY" ANTIBIOTICS!- THE FSSAI'S TEPID RESPONSE

Recent uproar about antibiotic tainted honey seems to have opened up a Pandora's box and many culprits responsible for this fraud have been apprehended in Europe and the US. While China was blamed for this sorry episode of spreading honey products produced by treating the bees with antibiotic drugs, commonly used in treating human diseases, India was also implicated because of the presence of four types of antibiotics in honey marketed in this country. Whether these products were of Chinese origin or produced within India can at best be a matter of speculation because of the total apathy shown by the safety agencies responsible to prevent such episodes. Here is a take on the response by FSSAI to the reports about tainted honey which is nothing but prevarication and shirking of responsibility.

"The permitted levels of antibiotics for honey in India are almost equivalent to international levels, the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India asserted in a statement issued here Wednesday. 'In the matter of admissibility of antibiotics in honey, safety standards in India are similar to those in the European Union, Codex Alimentarius (collection of internationally recognized food safety standards) and the US - where they are completely prohibited,' the statement said. It said that standards for honey have been prescribed under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules (1955), which mention limits for different categories like sucrose and fructose-glucose ratio. Last month, the Centre for Science and Environment, a voluntary group, revealed that leading Indian and foreign brands of honey have high levels of antibiotics".

While the public would have liked to hear assurance from this bureaucrat dominated body, what they got was quoting of the rules under PFA! No one disputed the fact that Indian standards are on par with those enunciated by Codex Commission but by not taking action through country wide investigation, seizure of tainted honey and punishing the culprits, the Authority seems to have washed of its hands through the above bland press release, not worth a dime. Fortunately honey consumption in India is so low that even if antibiotic containing honey is marketed in the country it is unlikely to have any major impact. Of course this does not absolve neither those indulging in this practice nor the safety agency that appears to be a silent spectator, of the responsibility for this fraud.

V.H.POTTY
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THE "TAINTED" INGREDIENT-MASSIVE PRODUCT RECALL

Salmonella pathogen seems to be haunting American food industry and consumers are becoming increasingly becoming testy because of the frequent recalls of products suspected of contamination with this dreaded bacteria. The latest episode involves recall of more than 100 different brands of food products containing Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins (HVP) which was found to have Salmonella cells in them, the contamination originating from this ingredient, supplied to the food processors for use in their products. While FDA of the US is to be complimented for this preemptive action, the situation warrants more diligence by the regulatory authorities all over the world to prevent such incidences.

"Three more companies are recalling products for potential Salmonella contamination from Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP). Nestle Professional North America is recalling roughly 6,000 pounds of its ready-to-eat bacon, Procter and Gamble is recalling two Pringles chips flavors: Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger and Family Faves Taco Night, and Ruiz Foods, Inc., is recalling ready-to-eat beef. Basic Foods Flavors Inc., the Las Vegas company at the center of a recall of more than 100 different products, recalled its HPV products on March 4. HPV is used as a flavor enhancer in many foods, including various kinds of dips, soups, dressings, snack foods, and more. Although the HPV was recalled March 4, the Pringles chips and ready-to-eat bacon and beef products were recalled yesterday after FDA determined that the HVP ingredient was added after Salmonella prevention steps were applied. According to the Wall Street Journal yesterday, FDA conducted an investigation at the Basic Foods plant in Las Vegas after a customer of an FDA-regulated firm reported finding Salmonella in the HVP ingredient. FDA officials discovered the company did not adequately clean equipment and store foods to protect against the growth of bacteria such as salmonella".

That no human illness was reported because of consumption of any of the tainted products in the market may be due to extremely small concentration of the contaminant present and low levels of HVP, less than 1%, used for flavoring the finished products. While manufacturers of finished products were absolved of the responsibility for this mishap as they were using established safety practices, the addition of the unsuspected, tainted HVP towards the end of the manufacturing steps, was found responsible. A lesson to be learned from the above episode is that food processors depending on suppliers of food ingredients from out side sources will have to increase their alertness to avoid such risks to their products for no fault of theirs.

V.H.POTTY

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