PHYSICAL HAZARDS Risks of hazards

Presented by PRANABESH GURU

Food Safety presentation

STUDENT ID: 000710812Food Safety (FOOD 1025)Natural Resources Institute (NRI)Date of Presentation: 05/12/2012

• Physical hazards are either foreign materials unintentionally introduced to food products that are hazardous to the consumers.

• Any extraneous object in food or food products that can cause injury or illness in the person after consuming it (Folks 2001).

• Like biological and chemical hazards, physical hazards can enter a product at any stage during food production.

Introduction

• Not all foreign objects found in food will cause harm or illness. It is very undesirable for a consumer to find a hair in their food.

• This is a quality hazard, not a food safety hazard.

• It includes a wide range of materials like• Glass- Light bulbs, glass containers.• Metals- Fragments from equipment, such as

splinters, blades, needles, utensils, staples.• Plastics- Material used for packaging,

fragments of utensils.• Stones- Found in peas, beans, rice type food

items.• Wood- Found from wooden pallets used for

storage or transports.

Common Sources

• Physical hazards like hard or sharp objects in food products can cause

Cuts to the mouth and throat of consumer.

Damage to the intestines.Damage to teeth and gums.

Risk in food

• Low Risk• Medium Risk• High Risk

Types of Risks

• The physical hazards for which good control measures are established but the minor infractions occurred.

• Clinical nature of hazard: Maximum general effect attained in minutes/hours/one day.

LOW RISK

• The physical hazards for which little or no control measures are established and critical infractions occurred.

• Clinical nature of hazard: Maximum general effect attained in weeks/ months/ years.

HIGH RISK

• The physical hazards for which same control measures are established but the gaps or inconsistency occurred.

• Clinical nature of hazard: Maximum general effect attained in days/one week.

MEDIUM RISK

• If a food contain a hard or sharp foreign object that measures 7mm – 25mm in length called as physical hazards.

• Hard or sharp objects that are 7mm or longer, maximum dimension, represent a potential physical hazard.

• Hard or sharp objects that are less than 7mm, maximum dimension, represent a possible physical hazard in food (FDA 1999).

FDA: Section 555.425

• Mouth and Teeth • Respiratory tract• Digestive tract• Other Risks

Risk causes to Human Anatomy

• Lacerations of the teeth and tongue• Broken fillings• Chipped teeth

In a review of FDA, consumer complaints of foreign materials in food, the most frequently reported injury was mouth or throat laceration .

Mouth and Teeth

• Chocking of the respiratory airways.

• Children under age are generally at highest risk.

Respiratory tract

• Esophageal laceration.• Fistula formation.• Laceration of pharynx, stomach,

intestine.

Digestive tract

• Nausea, vomiting• Diarrhoea• Headache, fever and dizziness.• Chest pain.

Other risks

Materials Sources Potential Risks

Glass Bottles, jars, lamps, utensils, gauge covers

Cuts, bleeding, surgery may be needed.

Wood Fields, lands, packaging, transports

Cuttings, infection, chocking, surgery may be needed.

Stones Fields, farms Chocking, tooth breakage

Metals nail, key, coin, machinery parts

Cutting, infection, surgery may be needed

Bones Meat, fish Chocking, trauma, injury

Plastic materials Industrial packaging materials

Chocking, cuttings, infection, surgery may be needed

 Do not wear jewellery when you prepare or serve food.

Wear hair restraints to prevent hair from getting into food.

Be careful when you open packages.Make sure that nothing gets into the food. Watch out for metal staples, plastic or other parts of the packaging.

Watch out for hazards in your workplace.Old equipment or paint peeling from the ceiling can be a hazard for food contamination.

To prevent physical contamination:-

Kellogg's recalls Mini-Wheats due to metal pieces (Cistallo 11 october 2012)

• Castillo, M. (11 October 2012) Kellogg's recalls Mini-Wheats due to metal pieces. Available from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57530536/kelloggs-recalls-mini-wheats-due-to-metal-pieces/ (accessed on 26 November 2012).

• FDA (2009) SECTION 555.425 -Foods - Adulteration Involving Hard or Sharp Foreign Objects. Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/CompliancePolicyGuidanceManual/ucm074554.htm (accessed on 26 November 2012).

• Folks, Heather, and Dennis Burson. 2001. Food Safety: Chemical Hazards. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.

• Luning, P.A. Devieghere, F. Verhe, R. (edited) (2006) Quality systems food hazards risk assessment. Safety in Agri-food chain. Netherland: Wageningen Academic Publisher.

References