Food safety

Question

This piglix contains articles or sub-piglix about Food safety

Answer 1

Insulated shipping container

Insulated shipping containers are a type of packaging used to ship temperature sensitive products such as foods, pharmaceuticals, organs, blood, biologic materials, and chemicals. They are used as part of a cold chain to help maintain product freshness and efficacy. The term can also refer to insulated intermodal containers or insulated swap bodies.

An insulated shipping container might be constructed of:

Some are designed for single use while others are returnable for reuse. Some insulated containers are decommissioned refrigeration units. Some empty containers are sent to the shipper disassembled or “knocked down”, assembled and used, then knocked down again for easier return shipment.

Insulated shipping containers are part of a comprehensive cold chain which controls and documents the temperature of a product through its entire distribution cycle. The containers may be used with a refrigerant or coolant such as:

A digital Temperature data logger or a time temperature indicator is often enclosed to monitor the temperature inside the container for its entire shipment.

Labels and appropriate documentation (internal and external) are usually required.

Personnel throughout the cold chain need to be aware of the special handling and documentation required for some controlled shipments. With some regulated products, complete documentation is required.

The use of “off the shelf” insulated shipping containers does not necessarily guarantee proper performance. Several factors need to be considered:

In specifying an insulated shipping container, the two primary characteristics of the material are its thermal conductivity or R-value, and its thickness. These two attributes will help determine the resistance to heat transfer from the ambient environment into the payload space. The coolant material load temperature, quantity, latent heat, and sensible heat will help determine the amount of heat the parcel can absorb while maintaining the desired control temperature. Combining the attributes from the insulator and coolant will allow analysis of expected duration of the insulated shipping container system.

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Answer 2

Identity preservation

Identity preservation is the practice of tracking the details of agricultural shipments so that the specific characteristics of each shipment is known. Identity preserved (IP) is the designation given to such bulk commodities marketed in a manner that isolates and preserves the identity of a shipment, presumably because of unique characteristics that have value otherwise lost through commingling during normal storage, handling and shipping procedures. The concept of IP has been accorded greater importance with the introduction of genetically modified organisms into agriculture.

Technical and managerial techniques are used to track and document the paths that agricultural products move in the production process. A fully integrated IP system might track and document a commodity’s seed characteristics, initial planting, growing conditions, harvesting, shipping, storage, processing, packaging, and ultimate sale to the consumer. Separating organic products from conventionally raised ones is one type of IP system. IP systems are a central component of value-chains.

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Answer 3

Infectious dose

Infectious dose (ID) is the amount of pathogen (measured in number of microorganisms) required to cause an infection in the host.

Usually it varies according to the pathogenic agent and the consumer's age and overall health.

The likelihood of infection in all cases is also linked to the immune status of the individual (immunocompromised individuals may become infected more readily).

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Answer 4

ISO 22000

ISO 22000 is a standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization dealing with food safety. It is a general derivative of ISO 9000.

Food safety is linked to the presence of food-borne hazards in food at the point of consumption. Since food safety hazards can occur at any stage in the food chain it is essential that adequate control be in place. Therefore, a combined effort of all parties through the food chain is required.

The ISO 22000 international standard specifies the requirements for a food safety management system that involves the following elements:

Critical reviews of the above elements have been conducted by many scientists ^,,,. Communication along the food chain is essential to ensure that all relevant food safety hazards are identified and adequately controlled at each step within the food chain. This implies communication between organizations both upstream and downstream in the food chain. Communication with customers and suppliers about identified hazards and control measures will assist in clarifying customer and supplier requirements.

Recognition of the organization's role and position within the food chain is essential to ensure effective interactive communication throughout the chain in order to deliver safe food products to the final consumer.

The most effective food safety systems are established, operated and updated within the framework of a structured management system and incorporated into the overall management activities of the organization. This provides maximum benefit for the organization and interested parties. ISO 22000 has been aligned with ISO 9001 in order to enhance the compatibility of the two standards.

ISO 22000 can be applied independently of other management system standards or integrated with existing management system requirements.

ISO 22000 integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. By means of auditable requirements, it combines the HACCP plan with prerequisite programmes. Hazard analysis is the key to an effective food safety management system, since conducting a hazard analysis assists in organizing the knowledge required to establish an effective combination of control measures. ISO 22000 requires that all hazards that may be reasonably expected to occur in the food chain, including hazards that may be associated with the type of process and facilities used, are identified and assessed. Thus it provides the means to determine and document why certain identified hazards need to be controlled by a particular organization and why others need not.

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Answer 5

Non-protein nitrogen

Non-protein nitrogen (or NPN) is a term used in animal nutrition to refer collectively to components such as urea, biuret, and ammonia, which are not proteins but can be converted into proteins by microbes in the ruminant stomach. Due to their lower cost compared to plant and animal proteins their inclusion in a diet can result in economic gain, but at too high levels cause a depression in growth and possible ammonia toxicity (microbes convert NPN to ammonia first before using that to make protein.) NPN can also be used to artificially raise crude protein values, which are measured based on nitrogen content, as protein is about 16% nitrogen, but, for example, urea is 47% nitrogen. The source of NPN is typically a chemical feed additive, or sometimes chicken waste and cattle manure.

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Answer 6

Olive oil regulation and adulteration

Olive oil regulation and adulteration are complex issues overseen and studied by various governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, and private researchers across the world.

The International Olive Council (IOC) is an intergovernmental organization based in Madrid, Spain, with 16 member states plus the European Union. It promotes olive oil around the world by tracking production, defining quality standards, and monitoring authenticity. More than 98 percent of the world's olives are grown in IOC member nations. The United States is not a member of the IOC, and the US Department of Agriculture does not legally recognize its classifications (such as extra-virgin olive oil). On October 25, 2011, the United States adopted new olive oil standards, a revision of those that have been in place since 1948, which affect importers and domestic growers and producers by ensuring conformity with the benchmarks commonly accepted in the U.S. and abroad.

The IOC officially governs 95 per cent of international production and holds great influence over the rest. IOC terminology is precise, but it can lead to confusion between the words that describe production and the words used on retail labels. Olive oil is classified by how it was produced, by its chemistry, and by its flavor. All production begins by transforming the olive fruit into olive paste. This paste is then malaxed to allow the microscopic oil droplets to concentrate. The oil is extracted by means of pressure (traditional method) or centrifugation (modern method). After extraction the remnant solid substance, called pomace, still contains a small quantity of oil.

The EU regulates the use of different protected designation of origin labels for olive oils.

US Customs regulations on "country of origin" state that if a non-origin nation is shown on the label, then the real origin must be shown on the same side of the label and in comparable size letters so as not to mislead the consumer. Yet most major US brands continue to put "imported from Italy" on the front label in large letters and other origins on the back in very small print. These products are a mixture of olive oil from more than one nation and it is not clear what percentage of the olive oil is really of Italian origin. This practice makes it difficult for high quality, lower cost producers outside of Italy to enter the US market, and for genuine Italian producers to compete.

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Answer 7

Organoleptic

Organoleptic properties are the aspects of food, water or other substances that an individual experiences via the senses—including taste, sight, smell, and touch.

In traditional U.S. Department of Agriculture meat and poultry inspections, inspectors perform various organoleptic procedures to detect disease or contamination. Such techniques are part of the effort to detect invisible foodborne pathogens that cause food poisoning.

Organoleptic tests are sometimes conducted to determine if food or pharmaceutical products can transfer tastes or odors to the materials and components they are packaged in. Shelf life studies often use taste, sight, and smell (in addition to food chemistry and toxicology tests) to determine whether a food product is safe to consume.

Organoleptic analyses are, occasionally, still used when the protocol for a certain sample does not have a high enough sample throughput to meet the demand. In this case, organoleptic analyses serves as a primary screen to determine which samples must be analyzed according to the original method protocol, and which samples need no further sensory analysis.

Measurements of pepper spiciness on the Scoville scale depend upon an organoleptic test. The quality of extracts used in phytotherapy is assessed in part using organoleptic tests. Organoleptic qualities are considered part of Hurdle technology. Indicators identified organoleptically as part of European Union wine regulations are assessed when qualifying for a Quality Wine indicator.

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Answer 8

Osteoblast milk protein

Osteoblast milk protein (OMP, Chinese: 造骨牛奶蛋白) is the name used by Mengniu, a Chinese dairy company, for a milk protein used as a food additive in their Milk Deluxe (simplified Chinese: 特伦苏; traditional Chinese: 特倫蘇; pinyin: Telunsu) since 2005. It is supposed to help the absorption of calcium and promote bone growth in the osteoblasts and prevent osteoporosis.

In February 2009, the safety of OMP was questioned by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), national quality supervision department in China, when they were doing a general clean-up on the use of food additives after the 2008 Chinese milk scandal where melamine was found in some milk products. Mengniu stopped adding OMP to its milk on February 2 after a government order, but did not recall products already on the market. On February 13 the Ministry of Health stated that OMP is "not harmful to human health", but the ban on its use stayed in place because the importer had not submitted the necessary paperwork.

The raw ingredients for OMP were imported from the Tatua Co-operative Dairy Company in New Zealand via Shanghai Tongyuan Food Technology Co. Ltd. (上海统圆食品技术有限公司). Mengniu first stated that the major active ingredient in OMP is Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), but later denied adding IGF-1 and said that OMP is the same as Milk Basic Protein (MBP). IGF-1 could possibly cause cancer in extreme doses. The company claimed that the additive is widely used in Europe, the United States and Japan, and had been certified by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However it turned out that the FDA letter referred to a perhaps different additive used by the Japanese Snow Brand Milk Products Company. A director of the Guangdong Dairy Industry Association said that OMP is seldom used in milk products overseas and no conclusion about the impact of OMP on human health has been proven globally. The association may contest any official declaration from the Ministry of Health that OMP is safe.

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Answer 9

Over Thirty Months Scheme

The Over Thirty Months Scheme is a scheme to keep older cattle out of the human foodchain. It is based on the "Over Thirty Months Rule" introduced in the UK on 3 April 1996, as one of several measures to manage the risk associated with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

By November 1997, about 1,772,000 cows had been slaughtered under the scheme, with compensation of 1 ecu per kg, reduced to .9 ecu in October 1996, and later to .8 ecu, and later still a 560 kg cap per animal.

The Royal Society of Edinburgh reviewed the scheme in 2003, in view of the steps taken to date, and the introduction of EU testing and inspection regime in 2001.

In November 2004 Farmer's Weekly announced that DEFRA intended to scrap the scheme "as early as July 2005". The scheme was finally abolished in November 2005. At the same time it became illegal to send cattle born before August 1996 to an abattoir for human consumption.

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Answer 10

Peroxide value

Detection of peroxide gives the initial evidence of rancidity in unsaturated fats and oils. Other methods are available, but peroxide value is the most widely used. It gives a measure of the extent to which an oil sample has undergone primary oxidation, extent of secondary oxidation may be determined from p-anisidine test.

The double bonds found in fats and oils play a role in autoxidation. Oils with a high degree of unsaturation are most susceptible to autoxidation. The best test for autoxidation (oxidative rancidity) is determination of the peroxide value. Peroxides are intermediates in the autoxidation reaction.

Autoxidation is a free radical reaction involving oxygen that leads to deterioration of fats and oils which form off-flavours and off-odours. Peroxide value, concentration of peroxide in an oil or fat, is useful for assessing the extent to which spoilage has advanced.

The peroxide value is defined as the amount of peroxide oxygen per 1 kilogram of fat or oil. Traditionally this was expressed in units of milliequivalents, although if we are using SI units then the appropriate option would be in millimoles per kilogram (N.B. 1 milliequivalents = 0.5 millimole; because 1 mEq of O2 =1 mmol/2=0.5 mmol of O2, where 2 is valence). Note also that the unit of milliequivalent has been commonly abbreviated as mequiv or even as meq.

The peroxide value is determined by measuring the amount of iodine which is formed by the reaction of peroxides (formed in fat or oil) with iodide ion.

2 I^− + H₂O + HOOH -> HOH + 2OH^− + I₂

Note that the base produced in this reaction is taken up by the excess of acetic acid present. The iodine liberated is titrated with sodium thiosulphate.

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