Food Contamination

 Food contamination refers to the presence of harmful chemicals and microorganisms in food, which can cause consumer illness. This article addresses the chemical contamination of foods, as opposed to microbiological contamination, which can be found under food-borne illness.

The impact of chemical contaminants on consumer health and well-being is often apparent only after many years of processing and prolonged exposure at low levels (e.g., cancer). Unlike food-borne pathogens, chemical contaminants present in foods are often unaffected by thermal processing. Chemical contaminants can be classified according to the source of contamination and the mechanism by which they enter the food product.

This category contains an almost endless list of contamination culprits. Here are just a few:

  • Hair: Every food manufacturer should insist that factory floor workers wear a hairnet to minimise contaminants.
  • Glass or metal: Glass and metal can make their way into your output from broken equipment, facilities and containers. Aim to report such breakages swiftly. You should stop the production line and deep-clean it until you are 100 per cent certain that every piece has been cleared. A robust Equipment Maintenance Plan can also reduce the chances of breakages that lead to contamination.
  • Pests: No one wants to find animal droppings in their food. Yet pests such as mice, rats and cockroaches produce urine, saliva, fur and faeces – all of which could end up in your product if your premises are not kept clean. Even worse, these pests – plus a whole variety of insects and spiders – can make their way into food.
  • Jewellery: Finding jewellery or components of broken jewellery in food is unacceptable to consumers, who will lose trust in you and quit buying your brand. Managers must therefore insist that no worker handling food is permitted to wear jewellery of any kind.
  • Dirt: Detecting dirt is a challenge as the particles are often tiny. It can get into food if there are any unwashed ingredients such as fruit and vegetables. The solution is to wash all raw materials before entering the production line thoroughly.
  • Fingernails: Carry out spot-checks to ensure everyone working on the production line keeps their nails short and clean to prevent contamination. Ban the use of nail varnish or fake nails – as these can easily fall off or chip and contaminate food.
By - Naitik Thakkar 


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