Wheat Flour-Bacillus Cereus

Bacillus Cereus food poisoning is a gastrointestinal intoxication caused by toxins produced by the Bacillus Cereus bacteria.

There are two types of toxin, - the Diarrhoeal (causing diarrhoea) and the Emetic (causing vomiting).

Symptoms are: 1) nausea
2) cramplike abdominal pains
3) watery diarrhoea
Which will begin 8 to 16 hours after eating and are related to the lower intestine. Emetic toxin (causes vomiting) the symptoms are more severe and acute and are nausea and vomiting beginning 1 to 6 hours after eating and are related mainly to the upper intestine. The illness occurs when people swallow the bacteria or spores formed by them which then multiply and produce toxin in the intestine, or from eating the toxin already produced in food.

Common sources of infection include:
1) Raw, dried or processed foods such as cereals, cornflower, spices, and other dried foods.
2) Contaminants from the environment including soil, air, dust, water and decaying matter.
3) Animals.
4) Foods such as turkey, beef, seafood, salads, potatoes, rice, noodles, food mixes -(sauces, soups, casseroles), milk powder, various bakery products and desserts especially items with custard and cream.

-The emetic toxin type grow well in rice dishes, mashed potatoes, other starchy foods and vegetable sprouts, while the diarrhoeal toxin type grow in a variety of foods from vegetables and salads to meat and casseroles.

How to reduce the risk?

Bacillus cereus exists in normal bacterial and spore forms in foods.
The normal form can be inactivated by cooking, but most illness is caused by the multiplication of spores during inadequate refrigeration of moist cooked protein foods and rice. Cooking often kills competing bacteria and heat activates the Bacillus cereus spores, storing large masses of cooked food between 4 deg C and 60 deg C can allow the bacteria to multiply.

Preventive measures:
1) Ensure adequate temperatures are reached during cooking to inactivate the bacteria.
2) Keeping cooked hot foods above 60 deg C (preferably 70 deg C) if not served immediately.
3) Ensure rapid cooling of cooked food by dividing into smaller lots and refrigerating in shallow containers (less than 10cm deep).
4) Storing cold foods at or below 4 deg C to prevent toxin being produced.
5) Avoid storing protein-containing foods with cooked rice because this stimulates the growth of Bacillus cereus.
6) Reheating foods to 75 deg C or until steaming hot, as flash frying or brief rewarming is not adequate to destroy the toxin.
7) Preventing cross-contamination from raw to cooked foods (by using separate preparation areas or sanitising between processes).
8) Thoroughly washing fruit and vegetables with clean water of drinking standard before use.
9) Ensuring food handlers have good personal hygiene and adequate food safety training.

With reference from: www.ccc.govt.nz/Health/cereus.asp retrieved on 07/05/07.

Wheat Flour-Bacillus Cereus

Bacillus Cereus food poisoning is a gastrointestinal intoxication caused by toxins produced by the Bacillus Cereus bacteria.

There are two types of toxin, - the Diarrhoeal (causing diarrhoea) and the Emetic (causing vomiting).

Symptoms are: 1) nausea
2) cramplike abdominal pains
3) watery diarrhoea
Which will begin 8 to 16 hours after eating and are related to the lower intestine. Emetic toxin (causes vomiting) the symptoms are more severe and acute and are nausea and vomiting beginning 1 to 6 hours after eating and are related mainly to the upper intestine. The illness occurs when people swallow the bacteria or spores formed by them which then multiply and produce toxin in the intestine, or from eating the toxin already produced in food.

Common sources of infection include:
1) Raw, dried or processed foods such as cereals, cornflower, spices, and other dried foods.
2) Contaminants from the environment including soil, air, dust, water and decaying matter.
3) Animals.
4) Foods such as turkey, beef, seafood, salads, potatoes, rice, noodles, food mixes -(sauces, soups, casseroles), milk powder, various bakery products and desserts especially items with custard and cream.

-The emetic toxin type grow well in rice dishes, mashed potatoes, other starchy foods and vegetable sprouts, while the diarrhoeal toxin type grow in a variety of foods from vegetables and salads to meat and casseroles.

How to reduce the risk?

Bacillus cereus exists in normal bacterial and spore forms in foods.
The normal form can be inactivated by cooking, but most illness is caused by the multiplication of spores during inadequate refrigeration of moist cooked protein foods and rice. Cooking often kills competing bacteria and heat activates the Bacillus cereus spores, storing large masses of cooked food between 4 deg C and 60 deg C can allow the bacteria to multiply.

Preventive measures:
1) Ensure adequate temperatures are reached during cooking to inactivate the bacteria.
2) Keeping cooked hot foods above 60 deg C (preferably 70 deg C) if not served immediately.
3) Ensure rapid cooling of cooked food by dividing into smaller lots and refrigerating in shallow containers (less than 10cm deep).
4) Storing cold foods at or below 4 deg C to prevent toxin being produced.
5) Avoid storing protein-containing foods with cooked rice because this stimulates the growth of Bacillus cereus.
6) Reheating foods to 75 deg C or until steaming hot, as flash frying or brief rewarming is not adequate to destroy the toxin.
7) Preventing cross-contamination from raw to cooked foods (by using separate preparation areas or sanitising between processes).
8) Thoroughly washing fruit and vegetables with clean water of drinking standard before use.
9) Ensuring food handlers have good personal hygiene and adequate food safety training.

With reference from: www.ccc.govt.nz/Health/cereus.asp retrieved on 07/05/07.

Ingredients, related foodborne illness & some facts (I)

I) SPICES (BASIL/ OREGANO)

Salmonella Blockley. Salmonella is a well-known cause for outbreaks and is potentially a health hazard.. Salmonella is a microorganism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella bacteria often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the microorganism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditis and arthritis.

Oregano Powder used in preparing foods if cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, the risk of food borne illness due to Salmonella is significantly reduced. However if oregano is not cook to this temperature, risk still exist.

Reference: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/answers/2005/ans01365.html
http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/badia01_02.html

II)TOMATO

Salmonella enter tomato plants through roots or flowers and can enter the fruit through small cracks in the skin or through the plant itself. But it is not clear whether the pathogen can move from the roots to the fruit. Killing Salmonella inside a tomato is difficult without cooking, even if treated with highly concentrated chlorine solution.

Reference: http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/fs/food-disease/news/april0805tomatoes.html

III)PEPPERONI

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/PDF/FSRE_SS_5MicrobiologyDried.pdf

Slaughtering process exposes sterile body tissues of animals with e coli n salmonella usually from animal intestine as well as contaminants such as Pseudomonas n gram positive lactic acid bacteria n staphylococcus aureus associated with humans, animals n the environment.

-Yeast & Mold
Yeasts and molds can also be present in salted meats and can survive and grow at lower pH. Both prefer to grow under aerobic conditions at the outer edge and external surface of the meat product (although yeast can grow anaerobically)

Yeast can result in gas production and fruity flavors. Some molds can attack proteins and produce ammonia, which raises the pH on the sausage surface. Others may be lipolytic, attacking fats. Although these microorganisms are often undesirable, they can be controlled via fermentation and proper drying.

Many pathogenic microorganisms can also be present in the raw sausage mix, including
S. aureus, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, and clostridia.
Fortunately these pathogens also are not very competitive with the lactic acid
microorganisms and are inhibited by low pH, nitrite and lower water activity.

Mold are microbes that are salt tolerant and can grow in absence of air. Gram-positive, fermentative types of microorganisms included the lactic acid bacteria, staphylococci, micrococci, and yeasts.

Other types of common microbes in salted meats are members of the Micrococcaceae and Staphylococcaceae families, including Kocuria and Staphylococcus, respectively. Not all the lactic acid bacteria that can occur in meat are desirable. For example, L. viridescens can cause greening of the meat due to the production of hydrogen peroxide. L. brevis and L. mesenteroides can cause gas production and unacceptable souring. Brochrothrix can cause souring, off flavors and odors.

-Salmonella

E. coli O157:H7 can be transferred from contaminated hides or the intestines of infected animals during the slaughter process. Although not a good competitor it can survive under refrigerated and frozen conditions. It is acid resistant, and thus it presents a potential problem by its survival in fermented meats.

In most fermented sausages, a combination of low pH and intermediate heat treatment can effectively eliminate high numbers of E. coli. For non-heated meat products, reduced water activity (combined with other factors such as salt level, time, and temperature) has been an effective means to reduce numbers of E. coli.

-Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a common bacterium found in the environment and can be carried by humans and animals. It has been isolated at every level of the meat processing chain, including slaughter and processing plant environments.
L. monocytogenes can cause listeriosis, and pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals (e.g., transplant patients, persons with cancer) are especially vulnerable to it and can result in serious illness and even death. This pathogen is of concern in the production of dried meats, since it is able to grow under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions and can survive dry conditions. It is also salt tolerant and can grow over a wide temperature range (31.3-113°F, -0.4-45°C), which includes refrigeration. It does not grow well in acid conditions, but can survive.

In addition to good sanitation and avoiding cross contamination, Listeria can be
controlled by a combination of lower pH, high brine concentration, and competitive
exclusion (and in some cases bacteriocin production) with lactic acid starter cultures,
varying degrees of heat processing, and the drying process.