Foodborne Illnesses

Transmission of pathogens. In order to prevent many of these pathogens from spreading,
it is important to understand the various routes of transmission. Foods can also be contaminated at the source. For example, poultry is contaminated with salmonella and campylobactor during processing. Shell stock can become contaminated in shell stock beds because of sewagecontaminated water. Foods that grow in the ground are contaminated with both bacteria and bacterial spores. Foods that are harvested from the ocean and fresh water can be contaminated with bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Both food and water can be subject to crosscontamination. Major causes of foodborne illness. Generally in the United States, most foodborne illnesses are attributed to pathogenic bacteria. While this has changedwe now find norovirus to be the numberone cause of foodborne illness in the United Statesthere are still practices that when done improperly can lead to foodborne illness. Some of these specifically relate to bacteria, while others can relate to any of the pathogen categories. They include improper holding temperatures, either hot or cold holding, improper cooling, leaving food in the temperature danger zone too long, improper cooking or reheating, either the required minimum temperature or the required holding times, infected employees, poor personal hygienean example being poor hand washingcrosscontaminationan example might be cutting fresh vegetables on a cutting board previously used to cut raw chicken without proper wash, rinse, and sanitizing between use.