Importance Of Food Microbiology

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Food Safety Principles Research aspects of Food Microbiology and Food Safety Management The purpose of this project is to research aspects of food microbiology and food safety management for my Food Safety Principles Module. The topic chosen is Food Poisoning Bacteria. It is hoped to attain a better understanding of food poisoning bacteria by paying close attention to the five most commonly known food poisoning bacteria which are Salmonella, Listeria, E Coli 0157, Clostridium Botulinum and Clostridium Perfingens. A greater insight will be given into each of these bacteria individually. The areas covered in this report will be the characteristics and symptoms of each food poisoning bacteria, the sources in which these bacteria grow and or are…show more content…
Listeria is a type of bacterium which infects humans and other warm-blooded animals through contaminated food. There are over 200 different types of Listeria. Listeria monocytogenes is the most important type that has been found to cause food poisoning. The Listeria bacteria produce a substance which damages the white blood cells which defend the body against infection. The evolution period for this bacterium is anything from 1 to 90 days. Listeria is a non sporeing bacterium which can grow like salmonella in aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It does not produce a toxin and the prime growth temperature for Listeria is 30-37 degrees Celsius. Listeria is unlike many other bacteria as it can grow at temperatures as low as 0 degrees Celsius but at a much slower rate. Listeria is killed by proper cooking and pasteurisation. The main symptoms of Listeria are fever, diarrhoea, stiff neck, confusion, weakness, septicaemia and meningitis. Up to 25% of Listeria cases are pregnancy related. When a pregnant woman is contaminated with the listeria bacteria it is flu like illness which can lead to infection of the foetus. Listeria also puts older people, people with weakened immune systems and people with certain diseases such as HIV or cancer at greater risk. It is found that only 10% of cases occur in previously healthy people. Listeria is widespread in the environment it has many different sources. It comes from various foods such as: • Raw milk and dairy…show more content…
Clostridium Perfringens is a food poisoning bacterium which is widely dispersed in the environment and frequently occurs in the intestines of humans and many domestic and feral animals. Spores of the organism persist in soil and areas subject to human or animal faecal pollution. Clostridium Perfringens can take from 8 to 22 hours before causing illness. It is a spore forming rod shaped bacteria which can grow under anaerobic conditions. This bacterium is known to multiply between 10-52 degrees Celsius but the optimum temperature for this bacterium is between 43-47 degrees Celsius at this temperature a lot of bacteria can develop. This means slowly cooked foods and improperly stored, cooled or reheated foods are more likely to cause illness. Spores can survive boiling and it is said that a high intake of Clostridium Perfringens is needed for it to be

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