In the food industry, hygiene and care is essential when handing food. If not taken seriously, the possibility of food poisoning is high. Ideal conditions for bacteria to grow and multiply is where there is warmth, moisture, oxygen and food. Food poisoning is caused by harmful bacteria, so we want to reduce this as much as possible. Some harmful bacteria include salmonella, listeria, and clostridium botulinum.

Salmonella lives in the intestinal tracts of humans and animal, and is passed on to humans by consumption of foods contaminated by faeces. These foods are commonly (but no always) of animal sources to begin with, such as meats, milk or eggs. Symptons include diarrhead, fever and abdominal cramps. Thourough cooking prevents salmonella, as does having clean hands when preparing food after going to the bathroom.

Listeria is an illness caused by consuming food containing listeria monocytogenes. Commonly found in raw meat, vegetables and

There is so much we can do to prevent food poisoning, we need not ever have to experience it. We can take safety measures at all stages in food handling; in how it is preserved, stored, prepared and cooked.

There are many ways of doing this including freezing, drying, canning and bottling, and vacuum packaging. When foods are frozen they can be kept for very long periods of time, as bacteria cannot grow in low temperatures, thus eliminating warmth. Drying involves removing the moisture from the food, whereby this also prevents micro-organisms to grow, thus eliminating the moisture they need to grow and reproduce. Canning and bottling is also very useful, as after they have been sealed, they are exposed to very high temperatures, which kills the bacteria. Foods can then be kept for many years providing that the packaging remains unopened. Lastly vacuum packing works by removing all air and oxygen from the food, which won't prevent but will slow down the growth of micro-organisms.

Botulism is more rare, and when foods containing the botulism toxin is consumed, usually in home-canned foods and foods containing low levels of acid. Symptons include double vision, droopy eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, and muscle weakness which can ultimately result

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