Food Safety And Microbial Standards, Food Quality Standards,



Food safety and Microbial standards, Food quality standards

Food safety-Indicators of food microbial Quality and safety-Coliforms, Enterococci, Bifidobacteria, Coliphages/Enteroviruses, predictive Microbiology/ Microbial modeling

Microbial Standards of Processed and preserved Foods

The Center for disease control (CDC) investigates each documented outbreak of food borne disease and attempts to determine not only the specific microorganisms and foods involved but also the events which led to the outbreak.

Indicators of Food Safety:

Microbial indicators are employed more often to assess food safety and sanitation than quality. Ideally a food safety indicator should meet certain important criteria.

1. It should be easily and rapidly detectable
2. It should be easily distinguishable from other members of the food biota.
3. It should have a history of constant association with the pathogen whose presence it is to indicate
4. It should always be present when the pathogen of concern is present
5. It should be an organism whose numbers ideally should correlate with those of the pathogen of concern.
6. It should possesses growth requirements and a growth rate equaling or exceeding that of the pathogen
7. It should have a die-off rate at least it parallels that of the pathogen and ideally persists slightly longer than pathogen of concern.
8. It should be absent from foods that are free of the pathogen except perhaps at certain minimum numbers.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) System

• HACCP is a system that should lead to the production of microbiologically safe foods by analyzing for the hazards of raw materials-those that may appear throughout processing and those that may occur from consumer abuse.
•  It is a proactive, systematic approach to controlling food bome hazards.
• Although some classic approaches to food safety rely heavily on end product testing, the HACCP system places emphasis on the quality of all ingredients and all process steps on the premise that safe products will result if these are properly controlled.
• The system is thus designed to control organisms at the point of production and preparation.

HACCP principles:

Although interpreted variously, the ICMSF and NACMCF view HACCP as a natural and systematic approach to food safety and as consisting of the following seven principles:

1. Assess the hazards and risks associated with the growing, harvesting, raw materials, ingredients, processing, manufacturing, distribution, marketing, preparation, and consumption of the food in question.
2. Determine the CCP(s) required controlling the identified hazards.
3. Establish the critical limits that must be met at each identified CCP.
4. Establish procedures to monitor the CCP(s).
5. Establish corrective actions to be taken when there is a deviation identified by monitoring a given CCP.
6. Establish procedures for verification that the HACCP system is working correctly.
7. Establish effective record-keeping systems that document the HACCP plan.

Coli forms:

• Etiologic agent of cholera in 1885.
• Originally named as bacterium coli concerne because it was present in the stools of each patient he examined.
• Schardinger – suggested the use of this organism as an index of fecal pollution. Rapidly than individual water borne pathogens.
• A test for this organism as a measure of drinking water portability was suggested in 1895 by T. Smith.
• They produce metallic sheen on calories embager coliforms, citro bacter, Enterobacter, klebsicela, Raoultella.
• IMVIC formula is the classic method used.

(I = Indole Production; M = Methyl red reaction; V = Voges – Proskauer reaction; C = Citrate utilization)

Coliphages / Enterovinuses:

• Indirect indicators.
• A coli phage assay procedure for water samples that contain five or more phases / 100ml and that can be completed in 4-6 hours is described in “Standard methods for the examination of water and waste water”

Bifidobacteria:

Tissier (1908) identified and named as Bacillus bifidus. Later it was named as Lacto bacillus bifidus and contently known as Bifidobacterium bifidum.

• Commonly present in stools
• They are gram positive anaerobic bacteria as indicators of fecal pollution, especially of waters.
• Some bifido bacteria are employed in the production of fermented milks, yogurt and other food products and they are belived to provide some health benefits.
• Growth conditions –
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  Temperature min 25-28°C and max 43-45°C and PH 5-8
• Produce lactic and acetic acids as the major end products of their carbohydrate metabolism

Distribution:

• Found in human feces at higher lutes per gram (108 – 109 ) than E. coli (106 – 107 ) and this makes them more attractive as indicators of human fecal pollution.
• By using the bifide bacteria, it is possible to determine their origin among the following three sources: human feces, animal feces or environmental conditions.
• Gavinietal (1991) devised the method to distinguish between human and animal strains and it devides bifido bacteria into suten groups.
• Human origin belong to I, III and VII.
• B. adolescentis and B. longum are mount often isolated in highest numbers.

Coliform criteria and standards:

1. Grade A pasteurized milk & milk products including cultured products not over 10/ml
2. Certified raw milk not more 10/ml. Certified pasteurized milk not over 1/ml
3. Pre cooked & partially cooked frozen foods not over 10/ml
4. Crab meat not over 100/ml
5. Custard filled items not over 100/ml

IEMSF – International commission on the microbiological specifications for foods

Enterococci:

E. Faecalis (M. ovalis)

• Pollution indicators for water:

1. They generally do not multiply in water especially if the organic matter content is low.
2. They are generally less numerous in human feces than E.coli
3. The enterococci die off at a slower rate than coliformds in waters.

• E. Faccium present in hogs & wild boars, E. Faccalis present in feces of vanity of mammals
• Grows at 10°C – 45°C
• PH – 9.6
• Mole % GTC – 37 – 45
• Enterococci are more fastidious in their nutritional requirements for more growth factors
• Although they are aerobes but they do not produce catalise.

Predictive microbiology or Microbial modeling:

• Microbial modeling or predictive microbiology is a rapidly emerging sub discipline that entails the use of mathematical models/equations to predict the growth and/or activity of microorganisms in a food product over time.
• It is applied in heat process calculations in the canning of low acid foods, food poisoning and food spoilage organisms by the use of more sophisticated mathematical / computer models that can handle more growth parameters.
• The effective applications of predictive microbiology require the selection of appropriate to reflect the effect of growth parameters. Among the many models that have been proposed and tested are two kinetic models – the non linear arrhenius and Belebradek types.
• Non linear Arrhenius model is applied with the dependent variable expressed as in (logarithm) rate latter square root model; the dependent variable is expressed as rate.
• Computer software packages for predictive microbiology are available from private and commercial sources.
• One of the simplest applications of predictive microbiology is the use of Monte Carlo simulation. Based on collected dates to predict shelf life/safety relative to changes in environmental parameters such as PH, aw etc.

Food quality standards

• The present initiative of the government seeks to meet the requirements of the food sector and is aimed at bringing together the proposed initiatives of the Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI), as well as related schemes proposed by other concerned ministries like the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Health, and Department of Consumer Affairs — all of which are directly involved in the implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• The initiative has certain components.

Some of these are:

• Under the new scheme of upgradation of hygiene and quality of street food of the Ministry, 10,000 street vendors across the nation would be identified, profiled and steps taken to upgrade the safety and quality of their food. They would also be granted quality certification on the basis of standards which have already been worked out by the Ministry.
• Also, 10 food streets with ethnic cuisine will be identified, under which the majority of stakeholders would be upgraded in terms of quality and hygiene, and support will be given for creation of infrastructure such as drainage, water supply, lighting, etc., so that these efforts result in more hygienic and safe conditions of food preparations.
• A protocol based on best international and trade standards would be prepared and checks against the prepared protocol in HACCP certified units would be conducted. The field protocol will be evaluated and companies graded into Platinum, Gold and Silver categories.
• National and regional industry associations would be involved in identifying units and launching a programme for capacity building through HACCP or ISO 22000 for the food processing units who are members of their Organisations. Under this programme, 10,000 units could be targeted, which would be taken up, profiled and detailed programmes drawn up for upgradation and follow-up steps launched. Certification would be achieved within a period of 18 months.
• 50 food safety laboratories will be identified which would be benchmarked against industry best practices and a plan of action drawn up for their upgradation. Steps will be initiated to bring them up to best practice levels within the next two years.Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) have already been identified as a thrust area for improving traceability, hygiene and safety of food items. Across the country, 10,000 farmers would be identified (approximately 500 in each state) who would be taken in a step by step process to achieve certification of GAP or for organic food. Viable projects would be created so that the agri-horticultural produce from these farms is marketed and the returns accrue to the farmers.
• The current Food Safety Standards under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act would be reviewed in consultation with stakeholders, and revised proposals would be drawn up for consideration of the Central Food Authority.
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