Bacterial Contamination in Food: Sources, Risks, and Prevention Strategies

Abstract

Aims: to revisited the route of microbial contamination of food which can cause morbidity and mortality to vulnerable individuals and how proper food handling practices and specific intervention can prevent it Discussion: Unsafe foods due to bacterial contamination contribute to morbidity and mortality and the most common causative agent is bacteria such as Salmonella thyphi, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridium perfringens, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Bacillus cereus. Poor personal hygiene, improper food handling combined with the existence of this opportunistic organisms can facilitate entry for these bacteria to their host. By tightly controlling the environment and other supporting conditions, potentially harmful bacteria will not be able to survive, grow, and multiply, or in other word will never be able to cause definite illness. In the food processing, controlling potentially harmful and potentially dangerous microorganisms is crucial for ensuring food safety and quality. There are six factors that affect bacterial growth, which can be directed to by the mnemonic FATTOM, namely Food source, Acid, Temperature, Time, Oxygen and Moisture. The implications of understanding microbial contamination for public health and its food safety regulations could minimize the risk of bacterial contamination in food.