Unit 5 Food

intoxication
STAPHYLOCOCCAL POISONING
BOTULISM

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Food intoxication

Onset of illness is usually very rapid

Food intoxication is a form of food
borne illness caused by ingesting
exotoxins made by organism such as
bacteria, fungi etc. or by consuming the
foods that are naturally toxic to humans
and animals.
with food intoxication and people can
become very sick. Treatment varies,
depending on the toxin involved, but
can include administrating medications,
providing the patient with fluids, and
offering other supportive care to help
patient recover.

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Food borne illness data
Every year around 300, 000
hospitalizations are reported for
In Malaysia, there were 11,226
food borne illness world wide
cases reported in 2007.
and the fatality is around 2000-
4000.

It has increased 100% from 2006

with 67% of such cases confined
(source from The Star, Oct 2007)
to primary and secondary school
students. 

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Aflatoxins poisoning in food
An outbreak of food poisoning
resulting in 13 deaths in children
The offending food was a Chinese
occurred in Malaysia during the
noodle called "Loh See Fun" (LSF).
Chinese Festival of the Nine-
Emperor Gods in 1988.

The source was traced to a factory

The clinical features included
where a banned food preservative
vomiting, pyrexia, diarrhoea,
was added to make the LSF. The
abdominal pain, anorexia,
food poisoning was attributable to
seizures, and eventual coma.
aflatoxins and boric acid.

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 Bacterial intoxications

Fungal intoxications
Types of food
intoxication Chemical intoxication

Plant toxicants

Poisonous animals
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 There are four chief bacteria which caused the food
intoxication.

Bacterial 1. Staphylococcus aureus

intoxications 2. Bacillus cereus

3. Clostridium perfringens
4. Clostridium botulinum

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 Staphylococcal food
intoxication
This is a type of food borne intoxication is caused by consumption of food
contaminated with staphylococcal enterotoxins produced by certain strains of
Staphylococcus aureus while growing in food.

The organism produces the following five serologically different enterotoxins that are
involved in food borne intoxication.

1. Staphylococcal enterotoxin A(SEA),

2. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB),

3. Staphylococcal enterotoxin C (SEC),

4. Staphylococcal enterotoxin D (SED),

5. Staphylococcal enterotoxin E (SEE)

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 • Caused by a toxin (poison)
made by Staphylococcus
• Individual strains of S.
bacteria, usually
aureus may produce one or
Staphylococcus aureus found
more of enterotoxin types
on the skin, nose, mouth, and
while growing in food.
throat of many healthy
people.

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 Growth of staphylococcus and their toxin production
required a food sources.
Food that For example, Milk and milk products (including pasteurized
support the milk, yoghurt, chocolate milk, fermented milk, cream filled
staphylococcus pastries), poultry, fish, shellfish, meat and meat products,
non-meat salads, egg and egg products, vegetables and
cereal products have been involved.

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Conditions for toxin production due to
staphylococcal
Toxin production occurs
at growth temperature
12-44°C, pH 4.2 and salt
concentration of ≤10%.
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75% of all staphylococcal
No toxin production
food poisoning
occurs at temperatures
outbreaks occurs
below 12°C, pH < 4.2 and
because of inadequate
> 10 % salt
cooling of foods.
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 The means of prevention of out breaks of
staphylococcus food poisoning include:-

1. Prevention of contamination of food

Prevention of with staphylococci.
staphylococcal
poisoning 2. Prevention of growth of the
staphylococcus.

3. Killing staphylococci in foods.

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How is staphylococcal food poisoning
spread

Usually contaminated Food is not cooked Foods commonly

when someone handles thoroughly or properly involved include ham,
food with bare hands, kept hot or cold, the poultry, filled pastries,
especially after touching bacteria can grow and custard, egg salad and
the face or mouth. produce toxin in the food potato salad.

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What are the Diarrhea Vomiting Nausea

symptoms of
staphylococcal
food poisoning
Cramps Weakness Start suddenly within
1-6 hours after eating
contaminated food

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Control of food contamination by
staphylococcal

1. Keep hot food hot at

2. By pasteurization of raw
above 140 F and cold food
food
cool at 41 F

3. By adequate refrigeration
4. By addition of
of food, do not store foods
bacteriostatic substance
longer than four hours at
such as serine , antibiotic.
room temperature

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Case study of food poisoning due to
staphylococcal

1,364 children became

ill out of a total of 5,824 Studies revealed that
who had eaten lunch 95% of the children who
served at 16 became ill had eaten a
elementary schools in chicken salad.
Texas.

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 Contamination of the chicken probably occurred when it was
deboned
Prevention of this incident would have entailed screening the
individuals who deboned the chicken for carriers of
staphylococcus
More rapid cooling of the chicken
Inadequate refrigeration of the salad from the time of
preparation until it was eaten.

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Botulinum foodborne intoxication
Botulism :- botulism is caused by the ingestion of food containing the
neurotoxin produced by clostridium botulinum.
• The intoxication is caused by botulinal toxins A, B, E, F and G, produced
by C. botulinum type A, B, E, F and G, while the organism grows in food.
• C. botulinum types C and D produce toxins C and D that cause disease in
animals
• Type E strains are non-proteolytic while the rest are proteolytic.
• Spores of C. botulinum type A can survive temperatures of 120°C.
• The strains are divided into proteolytic and nonproteolytic types
according to whether they hydrolyze proteins or not.
• The botulinum toxin can cause paralysis then stop breathing and cause
death.

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 • Proteolytic strains grow at temperature range
between 10-50°C, while non-proteolytic grow at 3.3-
45°C (optimum 35-37°C).

Growth • anaerobic, gram-positive spore-forming rods, with the

characteristics spores being very heat resistant which can live in the soil
and grow best with very little air. Toxin production
of botulinum occurs at temperature range between 25-30°C.

• Botulinus toxin is one of the most lethal poisons

known. The calculated lethal dose for an adult person is
10 μg.

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Food involved in Botulinum intoxication

Canned food-
string beans, Preserved meat
corn, beets, peas, and fish.
figs etc.

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Preventive measures of Botulinum

• Proper manufacturing
• Preserved foods
practices e.g. ensure
possessing rancid or
proper sterilization and
other odors should be
preservation of canned
rejected
meat.

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Case study of botulinum poisoning
Three people were hospitalized with botulism after eating a chopped garlic-in-oil mix that had been used in a
spread for garlic bread in Kingston, New York.
The bottled chopped garlic spread relied solely on refrigeration to ensure safety
Most of the 10 to 30 outbreaks reported annually in the United States are associated with home canned foods
As of August 24, 2007, eight cases of botulism have been reported to CDC (Centre for Disease Control &
Prevention) in USA.
All eight persons were reported to have consumed hot dog canned chili sauce made by Castleberry's Food
Company.
The two cases in Indiana occurred in two persons who shared a meal that included Castleberry's hot dog chili
sauce the day before illness onset.
Botulinum toxin was identified in both patients' sera (serum) and leftovers containing hot dog chili sauce
collected from the patients' refrigerator

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 News
report

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 Eating foods that contain botulism toxin (especially
improperly home-canned foods)
Babies who eat certain foods such as honey or natural
How Botulism syrups that contain spores of botulism bacteria, which grow
in the body and produce toxin;
spread Wounds infected with botulism bacteria.
Botulism is not spread from person-to-person.

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 What are the symptoms
of Botulism
Double vision or blurred vision
Drooping eyelids
Difficulty speaking or swallowing
Dry mouth
Weakness Paralyzed arms, legs, and chest

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How can Botulism be prevented
People who do home
canning should follow very
clean methods to reduce
contamination of food and
carefully follow home-
canning instructions.
If the can or jar looks
normal but the food has a
bad taste or smell, do not
eat it.
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People who eat home Never eat foods in cans or
canned foods should boil jars that are bulging,
the food for 10 minutes discolored, or have swollen
before eating it. lids or caps.
Do not feed honey to
babies less than twelve Carefully clean and
months old. Honey can disinfect all cuts and
contain spores of the wounds, especially if they
bacteria, which can easily are dirty.
grow in infants.
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