Bacteria Poisoning to Foods

Contaminated food by bacteria can be change to poisonous food because bacteria convert of nutrition on the food into other material that not suitable to be consumed by human. Human body will avoid the new substance that is created by many bacteria on the food. The below lists are cause and reason of poisoning food by some bacteria’s:

Staphylococcus Aureus:

Reason: Produces a heat stable toxin.
Habitat: Nose and throat of 30 to 50 percent of healthy population, also skin and superficial wounds.
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Meat and seafood salads, sandwich spreads and high salt foods.
Symptoms of poisonous: Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea within 4 to 6 hours, No fever.
Causes: Poor personal hygiene and subsequent temperature abuse.
Temperature Sensitivity: No growth below 40o F, Bacteria are destroyed by normal cooking but toxin is heat stable.

Salmonella:

Reason: Produces an intestinal infection
Habitat: Intestinal tracts of animals and man
Types of Foods to be poisoning: High protein foods – meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
Symptoms: Diarrhea nausea, chills, vomiting and fever within 12 to 24 hours.
Causes: contamination of ready-to eat foods, insufficient cooking and recontamination of cooked food.
Temperature Sensitivity: No growth below 40oF, Bacteria are destroyed by normal cooking.

Clostridium Perfringens:

Reason: Produces a spore and prefers low oxygen atmosphere. Live cells must be ingested.
Habitat: Dust, soil and gastrointestinal tracts of animals and man.
Types of Foods to be poisoning:
Symptoms: Blurred vision, respiratory distress and possible Deat
Causes: Improper method of home-processing foods.
Temperature Sensitivity: Type E and Type B can grow at 38oF. Bacteria destroyed by cooking and the toxin is destroyed by boiling for 5 to 10 minutes. Heat resistant spore can survive.

Vibrio Parahaemolyticus:

Reason: Requires salt for growth.
Habitat: Fish and shellfish
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Raw and cooked seafood.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, cramps, vomiting, headache and fever within 12 to 24 hours.
Causes: Recontaminates of cooked foods or eating raw seafood.
Temperature Sensitivity: No growth below 40o F. Bacteria killed by normal cooking.

Bacillus Cereus

Reason: Produces a spore and grows in normal oxygen atmosphere.
Habitat: soil, dust and spices.
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Starchy food.
Symptoms: Mild case of diarrhea and some nausea within 12 to 24 hours.
Causes: Improper holding and storage temperatures after cooking.
Temperature Sensitivity: No growth below 40oF. Bacteria killed by normal cooking, but heat resistant spore can survive.

Listeria Monocytogenes

Reason: Survives adverse conditions for long time periods.
Habitat: Soil, vegetation and water. Can survive for long periods in soil and plant materials.
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Milk, soft cheese, vegetables fertilized with individual most susceptible.
Symptoms: Mimics meningitis. Immuno compromised
Causes: Contaminated raw products.
Temperature Sensitivity: Grow at refrigeration (38 – 40oF) temperatures. May survive minimum pasteurization temperatures (161oF for 15 seconds.)

Campylobacterjejuni

Reason: Oxygen sensitive, does not grow below 86oF
Habitat: Animal reservoirs and foods of animal origin.
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Meat, poultry, milk, and mushroom.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal cramps and nausea.
Causes: Improper pasteurization or cooking cross contamination.
Temperature Sensitivity: Sensitive to drying or freezing. Survives in milk and water at 39oF for several weeks.

Versinia enterocolitica

Reason: Not frequent cause of human infection
Habitat: Poultry, beef,swine, Isolated only in human pathogen
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Milk, tofu and pork
Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, Mimics apprendicitis.
Causes: Improper cooking. Cross contamination
Temperature Sensitivity: Grows at refrigeration temperature (35-40o F) Sensitive to heat (122 oF)

Enteropathogenic E colli

Reason: Can produce toxins that are heat stable and others that are heat-sensitive
Habitat: Feces of infected human.
Types of Foods to be poisoning: Meat and cheese
Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal cramps, no fever
Causes: Inadequate cooking, Recontamination of cooked product.
Temperature Sensitivity: Organism can be controlled by heating. Can grow at refrigeration temperature.