Chapter 12

hazard

a state of danger; used to refer to any circumstance in which harm is possible under normal conditions of use

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)

a systematic plan to identify and correct potential microbial hazards in the manufacturing, distribution, and commercial use of food products

microbes

a shortened name for microorganisms; minute organisms too small to observe without a microscope, including bacteria, viruses, and others

growth hormone

a hormone that promotes growth and that is produced naturally in the pituitary gland of the brain

generally recognized as safe (GRAS) list

a list, established by the FDA, of food additives long in use and believed to be safe

Olestra

a nonnutritive artificial fat made from sucrose and fatty acids

arsenic

a poisonous metallic element. in trace amounts, arsenic is believed to be an essential nutrient in some animal species. arsenic is often added to insecticides and weed killers and, in tiny amounts, to certain animal drugs

hemolytic-uremic syndrome

a severe result of infection with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, characterized by abnormal blood clotting with kidney failure, damage to the central nervous system and other organs, and death, especially among children

modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)

a technique used to extend the shelf life of perishable foods; the food is packaged in a gas-impermeable container from which air is removed or to which an oxygen-free gas mixture, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen, is added

aflatoxin

a toxin from a mold that grows on corn, grains, peanuts, and tree nuts stored in warm, humid conditions; a cause of liver cancer prevalent in tropical developing nations

World Health organization (WHO)

an agency of the United Nations charged with improving human health and preventing or controlling diseases in the world's people

reference dose

an estimate of the intake of a substance over a lifetime that is considered to be without appreciable health risk; for pesticides, the maximum amount of a residue permitted in a food

botulism

an often fatal foodborne illness caused by botulinum toxin, a toxin produced by the Clostridium botulinum bacterium that grows without oxygen in nonacidic canned foods

heavy metal

any of a number of mineral ions such as mercury and lead, so called because they are of relatively high atomic weight; many heavy metals are poisonous

food contaminant

any substance occurring in food by accident; any food constituent that is not normally present

antibiotic-resistant bacteria

bacterial strains that cause increasingly common and potentially fatal infectious diseases that do not respond to standard antibiotic therapy

pesticides

chemicals used to control insects, diseases, weeds, fungi, and other pests on crops and around animals

food additives give foods desirable characteristics...

color, flavor, texture, stability, enhanced nutrient composition, resistance to spoilage, enhanced safety

food irradiation protects consumers and offers other benefits by...

controlling molds, particularly aflatoxin; sterilizing spices and teas; controlling insects; extending shelf life in fresh fruits and vegetables (inhibits the growth of sprouts on potatoes and onions and delays ripening in some fruits; destroying disease-causing bacteria in fresh and frozen beef, poultry, lamb, and pork

organic foods

foods meeting strict USDA production regulations for organic, including prohibition of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, drugs, and preservatives and produced without genetic engineering or irradiation

organic gardens

gardens grown with techniques of sustainable agriculture, such as using fertilizers made from composts and introducing predatory insects to control pests, in ways that have minimal impact on soil, water, and air quality

recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST)

growth hormone of cattle, which can be produced for agricultural use by genetic engineering

foodborne illness

illness transmitted to human beings through foods and water; caused by an infectious agent or a poisonous substance arising from microbial toxins, poisonous chemicals or other harmful substances. also called food poisoning

margin of safety

in reference to food additives, a zone between the concentration normally used and that at which a hazard exists

FDA focuses in these areas

microbial foodborne illness, natural toxins in foods, residues in food, nutrients in foods, intentional approved food additives, genetically modified foods

disease-causing bacteria require three conditions to survive

nutrients, moisture, warmth (40-140F or 4-60C)

persistent

of a stubborn or enduring nature; with respect to food contaminants, the quality of remaining unaltered and unexcreted in plant foods or in the bodies of animals and human beings

enterotoxins

poisons that act upon mucous membranes, such as those of the digestive tract

neurotoxins

poisons that act upon the cells of the nervous system

sulfites

prevent oxidation in processed foods, alcoholic beverages, and drugs

nitrites

prevent the growth of the deadly Claustridium botulinum bacterium, preserve color in meats

PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)

stable oily synthetic chemicals once used in hundreds of U.S. industrial operations that persist today in underwater sediments and contaminate fish and shellfish. now banned from use in the United States, PCBs circulate globally from areas where they are still in use. PCBs cause cancer, nervous system damage, immune dysfunction, and a number of other serious health effects

additives

substances that are added to foods but are not normally consumed by themselves as food

incidental additives

substances that can get into food not through intentional introduction, but as a result of contact with the food during growing, processing, packaging, storing, or some other stage before the food is consumed

nonnutritive sweeteners

sweet-tasting synthetic or natural food additives that offer sweet flavor but with negligible or no calories per serving; also called artificial sweeteners, and very low-calorie sweeteners

toxicity

the ability of a substance to harm living organisms. all substances, even pure water or oxygen can be toxic in high enough doses

bioaccumulation

the accumulation of a contaminant in the tissues of living things at higher and higher concentrations along the food chain

MSG symptom complex

the acute, temporary, self-limiting reactions, including burning sensations or flushing of the skin with pain and headache, experienced by sensitive people upon ingesting a large dose of MSG

irradiation

the application of ionizing radiation to foods to reduce insect infestation or microbial contamination or to slow the ripening or sprouting process. also called cold pasteurization

cross-contamination

the contamination of a food through exposure to utensils, hands, or other surfaces that were previously in contact with a contaminated food

acceptable daily intake (ADI)

the estimated amount of a sweetener that can be consumed daily over a person's lifetime without any adverse effects

safety

the practical certainty that injury will not result from the use of a substance

pasteurization

the treatment of milk, juices, or eggs with heat sufficient to kill certain pathogens (disease-causing microbes) commonly transmitted through these foods; not a sterilization process. pasteurized products retain bacteria that cause spoilage

outbreak

two or more cases of a disease arising from an identical organism acquired from a common food source within a limited time frame. government agencies track and investigate outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, but tens of millions of individual cases go unreported each year

residues

whatever remains; in the case of pesticides, those amounts that remain on or in foods when people buy and use them

salt and sugar

withdraw water from food so microbes can't grow without moisture