NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Inspects seafood
ATF - Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
Regulates and inspects alcohol production
Toxicity
Determined by dose and compound or microbe consumed. May also depend on the size, diet and health of the recipient.
National Food Safety Initiative
Seeks to reduce food-borne illness by improving practices from the farm to the fork and coordinating the efforts of Federal Agencies
HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
Food-borne illness prevention system designed to improve food safety in US. Enforced by FDA and USDA.
Pathogens
(bacteria, viruses and molds) Cause illness in humans.
Food-borne Infection
Microbes set up and grow in GI tract may take a few days to develop illness so often under diagnosed
Salmonella
Common in raw meats, poultry & eggs - most common food-borne illness in US causing flu-like symptoms a couple days later
Campylobacter
Common fecal-to-oral causing diarrhea can cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome where immune system attacks own nerves and causes paralysis
Traveler's Diarrhea
Primarily from Eschericia coli
Food Intoxication
Microbes produce toxin that causes illness when consumed - rapid onset and often noticed quickly due to vomiting and diarrhea
Clostridium Botulinum
Most deadly intoxication causes respiratory shutdown - up to 60% fatal - may occur in improperly canned foods
Staphlococcus Areus
Most common intoxication causing vomiting and diarrhea - common in nasal passages and spread by coughing and sneezing - not usually fatal
E.Coli O157:H7
From healthy cattle is an Intoxification (caused Jack in the Box illness) that may contaminate meat or vegetables causing hemolytic uremia and damaging GI tract and kidneys and causes death in some people especially young and old
Viruses
Require a living host - their genetic material produces more viruses in victims cells do not grow and reproduce in food itself - common cause is undercooked seafood - proper cooking will kill them
Norovirus
Can cause gastroenteritis (stomach flu)
Hepatitis A
Can cause infection and liver disease
Hepatitis
Can also be transmitted in raw or undercooked seafood
Aspergillis
Mold in peanuts - can cause liver disease
Cyclospora, Giardia, Cryptosporum and Trichinella
Parasites - can be problems if undercooked foods are consumed
Bovine Spongioform Encephalopathy (BSE)
Mad cow disease is caused by prions in contaminated feed and has severely damaged the British Cattle Industry
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease
Human form of mad cow - may lead to dementia and death in about 14 months and may be transmitted by brain and nervous tissue consumption - rare disease