Physical Hazards

Physical hazards are foreign material such as stones pieces of glass, staples, wood, and bone fragments from animals. Theses can entry food from food-processing, poor food-handling, and in retail food establishments. It can cause harm to human if the people swallow the food with pieces of glass. Glasses are often used as packing material for foods, which must be avoiding breakage container to prevent slivers of glass get into food. Any hard object can damage teeth and mouth. Commercial food manufacturers must installing devices such as X-ray machine and metal detectors to detect foreign material in food, controlling the quality of the raw materials and production environment to minimize risks. (WHO, 2007b) The foodborne illness has become the world's most widespread health problem, and it is also the main reason for lower the economic production. In March 2002 the the information which were published by World Health Organization (WHO) shows thatthe global foodborne illness occur each year in both developed and developing countries, and the number of cases reached 1 billion, even in the developed countries there are at least 1/3 of people suffering from foodborne illness. The cost for foodborne illness reaches billions of dollars, the death of children aged 0-15 about 1.7 million caused by diarrhea due to the foodborne microbial contamination. Around the world, there are series of incidents of foodborne illness (Shabbir, 2007). So we should pay more attention to foodborne illness, it has the significant meaning to our health and life.

HACCP is a systematic approach to be used in food production as a means to ensure food safety. The first step requires a hazard analysis, an assessment of risks associated with all aspects of food production from growing to consumption. However, before one can assess the risk, a working knowledge of potential hazard must be obtained. A hazard is defined by the National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) as any biological, chemical or physical property that may cause an unacceptable consumer health risk. Thus, by definition one must be concerned with three classes of hazard, biological, chemical, and physical. This article provides a generalized background of the potential hazard associated with foods. Appropriate reference materials on food hazards have been included. A number of textbooks are available on the subject of hazards in foods. Biological Hazards The first hazards category, biological or microbiological, can be further divided into three types: bacterial, viral, and parasitic (protozoa and worms). Many HACCP programs are designed specifically around the microbiological hazards. HACCP programs address this food safety problem by assisting in the production of safe wholesome foods. When developing a HACCP programs, the food grower or processor should have three basic aims with regard to biological hazards: (1) destroy, eliminate, or reduce the hazard; (2) prevent recontamination (3) inhibit growth and toxin production. Preventive measures should be taken to achieve these goals.

Microorganisms can be destroyed or eliminate by thermal processing, freezing and drying. After the microorganism has been eliminated, measures to prevent recontamination should be taken. Finally, if hazard cannot be totally eliminated from the food, microbial growth and toxin production must be inhibited. Growth can be inhibited through the intrinsic of the food, such as pH and water activity (aw), or by the addition of salt or other preservatives. Condition under which the food is packaged (aerobic or anaerobic) and storage temperatures (refrigeration or freezing) can also used to inhibit growth. Bacterial Hazards Bacterial hazards can result either in foodborne infections or intoxications. A foodborne infection is caused by ingesting a number of pathogenic microorganisms sufficient to cause infection, and the reaction of tissues to their presence, multiplication, or elaboration of toxins. A foodborne intoxication is caused by the ingestion of preformed toxins produced and excreted by certain bacteria when they multiply in foods. The following summary discusses the notable characteristics of the various foodborne bacterial pathogens of concern to the food industry and their relationship to the developing of a HACCP program. The natural incidence and the severity of disease caused by these bacteria, along with the general conditions required for their control represent a cross-section of challenges for HACCP programs. If these organisms are controlled, numerous other pathogens may be similarly controlled.