FOOD CONTAMINATION

Contamination is the introduction of animate or inanimate objects or thing into or on the body surface of an article or a substance. Sometimes, contamination is when foreign bodies or materials or harmful substances are introduced into it, which makes it dirty, impure or diseased. The foreign bodies or materials are called contaminants. Contaminants in foods are those extraneous matters- present in it. They may enter the food incidentally or accidentally.

Food contamination is the introduction of dangerous or extraneous or noxious substances 'into food. Contamination may or may not lead to food infection or food poisoning.

Other terms used in relation to food contamination are:

1.     CROSS CONTAMINATION: 

This is any contamination caused by an article or object that has already been contaminated. It denotes the transference of contaminants or entry of undesirable organisms or substances through another contaminated object, mostly equipment or human handlers. For instance, a knife could be contaminated by using it to cut through the intestine of an animal, e.g., cow, when the unwashed knife is used again to slice bread. Another example is when an uncooked meat is preserved in the refrigerator together with a cooked meat in such a manner that contamination from the fresh meat spreads to the cooked one.

2.        FOOD SPOILAGE:

Microbial spoilage of foods does not necessarily mean the destruction of food by microbes. Food is considered "spoiled" when quantitatively or qualitatively minor and physiologically insignificant changes occur but where there is a marked change in taste, odour, texture, and appearance. He went further to say that much of the microbial origin of these changes could be traced to environmental contamination rather than inherent micro-flora.

Spoiled food as food is defined as, which has been rendered unfit, undesirable, or unhealthy in entering the market for which it is normally intended for sale. The causes of food spoilage may be classified as:

(a)      Uncontrolled microbial growth.

(b)      The action of naturally present enzymes.

(c)     Chemical interactions between food components or reaction of food components with environmental 

          chemical systems.

(d)      Physical degradation,

(e)      Desiccation.

It should be noted that most food-poisoning organisms give no indication of their presence in food by common spoilage signs recognised by off odours and tastes, or changes in appearance such as colour, consistency or gas production. That even when there are manifestations, such as gas production by clostridium perfringens, the number of the organisms is beyond those initially required to invade the intestine of man. Other bacterial organisms that are known to spoil loot! and cause food poisoning are Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coil, pseudomonas, proteus and Citrobacter.

3.        FOOD ADULTERATION:

Food adulteration is the admixture of dissimilar, food items tor consumption e.g. adding water to palm-wine, adding Hour or garri to melon, adding kola-nut to pepper, adding water to milk. etc. This practice is against - food hygiene law and should be stopped and condemned. It may lead to food contamination and food poisoning,