What is Food-borne Disease?Food-borne disease can be defined as:When a person becomes ill after ingesting a contaminated food.Food-borne diseases are caused by consuming pathogens (disease-causing microbes) in contaminated food or drinks. Viruses and bacteria arethe most common types of pathogens found in the United States. Parasitescan also cause some food-borne illnesses. Chemical agents and toxins that occur naturally in foods, for example, poisonous mushrooms and some fish, as well as chemical agents such as antibiotics and pesticides that are intentionally added to foods can also cause food-borne illnesses.There are two types of food-borne diseases: Food poisoning (also called food intoxication), and food infection.• Food poisoning occurs when a microorganism grows in the food and produces some sort of toxin. You eat the food containing the toxin and get sick; the microorganism does not have to be present within you for you to become ill, as it is the toxin that causes the problem, not the microorganism. The severity of the illness depends on the amount of toxin that is consumed, the chemical nature of the toxin, and how reactive and toxic it is.• Food infection is caused by microorganisms or bacteria that are present in the food; when the food is ingested, the bacteria end up in the person’s digestive tract and invade the intestinal lining. It is this invasion that produces the illness, usually leading to vomiting and/or diarrhea.How common is the occurrence of food-borne disease? It is difficult to estimate, because many cases go unreported or are attributed to the common cold or flu, but the number of cases could range from 25 to 80 million per year.Bacteria in FoodDifferent types of harmful bacteria are found in food. Scientists identify them using a variety of techniques, including:• Staining. The bacteria is stained with dye; the resulting color identifies the structure of the cell wall and membrane and helps in the initial identification of the bacteria.• Biochemical testing. This testing helps identify the genus of the microorganism.• Serology. This is the study of blood serum, and is used to identify if, or how, the immune system is reacting to a bacteria.• Genetic testing. This is the most specific and costly testing, and requires DNA mapping to distinguish one bacterium from another.Identifying the specific bacteria responsible for an illness is important in determining treatment options and in isolating the origin of the bacteria.For example, you may have seen news stories in the past regarding E. colicontamination in hamburger where the bacteria was identified as E. coli O157H7. There are thousands of E. coli bacteria, but the identifier is very specific, and allowed officials to compare food sources to determine the source of the outbreak.The Salmonella FamilySome of the most common bacteria found in food are organisms in the salmonella family. Over 2000 species of salmonella have been identified. Salmonella is present in animals, especially poultry products; animals are a natural host for these bacteria.Salmonella is estimated to cause over 2 million food-borne illness cases per year and, while it is usually not life-threatening, an estimated 500-1000deaths per year are attributed to salmonella poisoning. Symptoms include flu-like ailments, such as nausea, fever, headache, and diarrhea. The onset can be from 12 to 24 hours after the organism is ingested, and the illness usually lasts from 4 to 10 days. The most frequent cases of salmonella are associated with poultry, especially from eating undercookedor raw eggs. Other causes are eating food prepared by someone who carries the bacteria, or having contact with such pets as lizards, turtles, frogs, snakes, etc. (these animals are natural hosts and carriers of salmonella).Infamous Outbreaks Caused by Salmonella• Typhoid Mary. In the early 1900s, a food handler named Mary Mallon spread typhoid fever (caused by salmonella) throughout New York. Wherever she worked, typhoid fever outbreaks occurred, and she was eventually pinpointed as the carrier of the disease, even though she was not sick. Typhoid Mary proved that a person who is not sick can spread disease through food preparation.Unpasteurized Orange Juice. In 1995, 62 people contracted a salmonella infection at Disney World in Florida. The outbreak was traced to a batch of unpasteurized orange juice sold at the theme park; toads living around the processing plant were found to be the carriers of the organism. This incident showed that the acid content of fruit juices does not protect it from contamination.Causes of Food ContaminationFood serves as a host for bacteria because it permits the growth of many microorganisms. Most of the microorganisms just spoil the food, and are not toxic; the food may look or smell bad, but it is not contaminated.Paradoxically, food that looks and smells fine may be contaminated; what causes illness in most cases are the bad bacteria present in food, whether or not the food is spoiled.The following are some of the conditions and practices that can cause foodcontamination:• Exposing food to contaminated water . Water can carry harmful organisms, especially if it is contaminated with human or animal fecal matter. One hypothesis as to why certain pathogens have beenfound in fruits and vegetables is that fecal matter from farm animals runs into streams, and the stream water is then used to irrigate crops. In addition, water used to wash food can be a source of contamination.• Poor personal hygiene . Common sense dictates that you wash your hands before preparing food.• Insufficient or uneven cooking . Most meats must be cooked thoroughly to eliminate harmful bacteria.• Slow cooling of cooked foods . Cooked foods, such as leftovers, should be cooled quickly, instead of leaving them out in the air for anextended length of time.• Temperature regulation . The danger zone in terms of cooking is between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot foods should be kept hot (140 degrees or above) and cold foods should be kept cold (40 degrees or cooler). Anything in between is the danger zone in which microorganisms grow rapidly. Food left at temperatures between 40and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for more than four hours is potentially at risk and should be discarded.• Cross-contamination . This occurs when raw food and cooked food share the same preparation and/or serving area. Putting cooked chicken back on the surface you