Bacterial Food Intoxication

Food intoxication occurs when a toxin is already present in the food at the time it is eaten.These illness are caused by certain bacteria with this special ability.

 Staphylococcus aureus - cause by toxin produced by the Staphylococcus miroorganism. Found on the skin, nose,and mouth.Easily transmitted by sneezing ,coughing,scratching skin and touching hair. Employees with severe cuts,wounds or burns must make properly bandaged and that an effective barrier,such as a disposable glove,is worn when handling food.Employees with infected cuts,burns or boils should be excluded from all food handling ( not even with gloves) and warewashing (dishes,utensils,pans etc).Staph is also unique because it can grow on foods with high amounts of sugar (custard, dessert) and salt.Once staph produces the toxin, it cannot be destroyed by cooking or reheating! .However ,the growth of this bacterium and its toxin can be reduced by:

•  Keeping potential hazardous foods below 41F or above 140F
• Not allowing foods to remain at room temperature
• Moving foods through the danger zone quickly
• Cooling foods in shallow pans

 Symptoms of this intoxication appear quickly, usually within 2 to 4 hours and include nausea, severe vomiting,diarrhea, cramps,chills, sweating, headache and severe fatique.The effects of staph food poisoning last for 1 to2 days.

 Bacillus Cereus -  It is one of a group of bacteria that can form
spores.These spores allow bacteria to survive when there is not enough water and food. Typical cooking temperatures do not kill spore-forming bacteria.This is why PROPER COOLING and HOT-HOLDING are very critical for the control of this and many other foodborne bacteria!Nearly all cases of B.cereus food poisoning are traced to cooked rice that has been improperly cooled or hot-held.Other foods,such as potatoes,pasta,green beans, vegetable sprouts and dry spices, may contain this microorganism. Many cases have been caused by cooking rice,then leaving it in the cooker at room temperature for more than 4 hours.Under these condition, B.cereus can produce a toxin that enters the rice and causes a foodborne illness. Proper refrigeration and hot-holding solves this problem.Also,keeping dry food products away from moisture will help. Symptoms of the illness begin from 1 to 16hours after the contaminated product is eaten and include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.