Introduction
Cross contamination is the presence of unwanted pathogens that can either be bacterial or viral in food, water or human body thus resulting in various diseases and conditions. To understand best the various causes and types of bacteria as well as viruses that bring about cross contamination this paper will focus on the various sources that will be used. It will review the various peer-reviewed data that is related to cross-contamination, its sources, prevention, and treatment.
Annotated Bibliography
Kadariya, J., Smith, T., & Thapaliya, D. (2018). Staphylococcus aureusand Staphylococcal Food-Borne Disease: An Ongoing Challenge in Public Health. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/827965/abs/
The researchers in the article begin by providing a definite definition to the notion of cross contamination. It is stated to be the transfer of harmful bacteria from source to food that is to be consumed. The transfer has various modes ranging from the curtly used in the kitchen during preparation, the processing plant or during transportation among other. Nonetheless, this form of contamination is not only limited to bacteria but also toxins or viruses. Regardless of means, the contact of these factors with food is regarded as cross contamination. Moreover, the researchers agree that heat kills these bacteria in the majority of cooked food; however, the problem arises when food that is not cooked is distributed to the public. SFD (Staphylococcal food-borne disease) is among the most common food-related diseases that are caused by food contamination by the bacteria S. aureus enterotoxins. The paper further goes ahead and identifies other variants of the bacterium and such as SEA, a highly heat-resistant bacterium that causes the majority of the food-related diseases in the United States. When this paper is taken into consideration, it will provide all the needed information when it comes to understanding cross contamination on bacteria that have been widely assessed by the American Health Association. Though it is just one of many, as a source it provides the symptoms and signs to look for to determine if the food was contaminated. Additionally, it provides data on the various precautions that can be applied to prevent further contamination of other foods and people by notifying the needed authority.
Banach, J., Sampers, I., Van Haute, S., & van der Fels-Klerx, H. (2015). Effect of Disinfectants on Preventing the Cross-Contamination of Pathogens in Fresh Produce Washing Water. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120808658
· This article on the other hand mainly focuses on the notion of prevention of cross-contamination. The researchers in this article relied on experiments that focused on the manner by which produce is cleaned in a single large wash tank. The research stated that the determinant of contamination was highly dependent on the water quality. In most produce processing companies, they use water disinfectant to limit the number of times they have to change the water in their wash tanks. However, the main purpose of this review was to determine the efficacy of the disinfectants in preventing cross-contamination of pathogens. Though there are various disinfectants, a limited number can be used with produce such as free chlorine, peracetic acid, and ozone among others. Its main purpose is to deactivate the pathogen; however, specific disinfectants only deactivate the pathogens leaving behind residuals, which can reactivate thus causing cross contamination. The research paper used various disinfectants and determined those that were safe for use while those that had minimal effects on the pathogens. With the overall purpose of disinfecting produce, it offered other techniques that could be used by the consumers to protect themselves from cross-contamination of bacteria such as Escherichia coli. The data from this paper is instrumental in the research of cross contamination as it provides regulations that can be applied to producers, processors, and consumers on procedures that should be followed before package and consumption of produce. However, the research paper stated that different states have different regulations that govern the techniques and procedures that should be applied when processing produce.
Muhterem-Uyar, M., Dalmasso, M., Bolocan, A., Hernandez, M., Kapetanakou, A., & Kuchta, T. et al. (2015). Environmental sampling for Listeria monocytogenes control in food processing facilities reveals three contamination scenarios. Food Control, 51, 94-107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.10.042
This study was conducted in Europe and the researchers wanted to understand how the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes entered food-processing facilities through the environment or with raw material that is to be processed. However, to create more understanding of the bacteria, the paper gave out information about the bacteria such as the disease it causes known as Listeriosis, and mostly affect those who eat food contaminated by it. Nonetheless, the most affected are pregnant women, infants, and people over the age of 65years. For pregnant women, the effects may be mild; however, for infants it can be fatal. Data from the CDC state that the disease affects approximately 1600 people annually with 260 of them dying to the bacteria. Overall, the European researched did their research by monitoring dairy products and meat. The researchers believed, that the products that were tested for contamination and regarded being uncontaminated were actually contaminated. The reason behind this was that the bacteria that infected the product in the environment were dormant and packaging conditions reactivated them. On the other hand, it estimated that conditions that the products were exposed to while in the hands of the consumer reactivated the bacterium thus resulting in an infection. The paper identified a factor that various food-processing companies fail to perform and that is mandatory checking of all products. It was discovered that food-processing companies, only tested a sample of the product from an entire batch. This discovery raised alarms on the manner by which food is processed and how cross contamination in Europe was slowly rising.
Grove, S., Suriyanarayanan, A., Puli, B., Zhao, H., Li, M., & Li, D. et al. (2015). Norovirus cross-contamination during the preparation of fresh produce. International Journal Of Food Microbiology, 198, 43-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2014.12.023
The authors of this paper focused on a mode of cross-contamination that few researchers endeavor and that is the infection of individuals by a virus. The best example is the norovirus as provided (HuNoV), they claim that it is the most common foodborne disease globally. Either it mainly occurs after the handler or the environment infects the food that is to be ingested. Unlike the other papers, this one provides a site in the manner by which viruses infect food thus crossing the gene pool from animals to humans such as the H1N1 virus that ravaged Asia. The researchers had varied opinions on how the virus could spread from environment to food and speculated that it would have been caused by preparation techniques, cutting surface, or handling mechanisms. They developed different scenarios that would be used to determine the main means of contamination. With each speculated cause undergoing nine different experiments. The overall result was that the produce that was to be prepared already had the virus and the environment as well as the cook, contaminated the food by not washing the cutting surface, cutting tool and hands properly, thus contaminating other foods. This paper provides the needed data that can be used to understand how norovirus can be prevented from spreading as it was discovered that heat during cooking kills the virus. Moreover, the quantitative data that was collected could be applied to other viruses that cause contamination of food products.
WHO. (2017). Hepatitis E. World Health Organization. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs280/en/
When various papers discuss on human-related errors that cause cross contamination, the World Health Organization focusses on the environmental causes of cross contaminations. With viral conditions such as Hepatitis E, which is a liver disease, the organization has made it its mission to create awareness to the required authorities and governments of the most affected. The disease is a result of contaminated water and is rampant in East and South Asia, and China is the only country with the vaccine for the disease. According to their fact sheets, the disease is estimated to contribute over 3% of the global mortality rate and over 20 million are currently infected. The disease is caused by poor sanitation and transmitted via the fecal-oral route. In terms of geographical distribution, the condition mostly affects the poor regions of the continent where clean drinking water is hard to acquire. Other sources include improperly prepared meat products of infected animals and vertical transmission. Nonetheless, the fact sheet raises the issue of cross-contamination is not only limited to food products only but also through drinking water. The paper goes a step further and provides the needed information that can be used to determine symptoms of the disease, prevention, and diagnosis. Currently, there is no specific treatment plan for the disease. The best that can be offered is the limiting of the effects of the disease to the patient’s body.
Loveday, H. P., Lynam, S., Singleton, J., & Wilson, J. (2014). Clinical glove use: healthcare workers' actions and perceptions. Journal of Hospital Infection, 86(2), 110-116.
Cross contamination has also been studied in caregivers and practitioners among the various other healthcare professionals. Nonetheless, it was noted that in specific scenarios, these healthcare practitioners either did not follow procedure when handling patients or did not wear the protective gloves properly thus resulting in cross contamination. The researchers in this paper aimed to monitor how the use of gloves and cross-contamination related to healthcare facilities. Through observation, it was determined that over 35% of glove users in a period just over 12 hours in a single facility could have contributed to cross contamination. This information is vital as it identifies that cross-contamination is not necessarily food or water related but can be caused by healthcare providers.
References
Banach, J., Sampers, I., Van Haute, S., & van der Fels-Klerx, H. (2015). Effect of Disinfectants on Preventing the Cross-Contamination of Pathogens in Fresh Produce Washing Water. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120808658
Grove, S., Suriyanarayanan, A., Puli, B., Zhao, H., Li, M., & Li, D. et al. (2015). Norovirus cross-contamination during the preparation of fresh produce. International Journal Of Food
Kadariya, J., Smith, T., & Thapaliya, D. (2018). Staphylococcus aureusand Staphylococcal Food-Borne Disease: An Ongoing Challenge in Public Health. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2014/827965/abs/
Loveday, H. P., Lynam, S., Singleton, J., & Wilson, J. (2014). Clinical glove use: healthcare workers' actions and perceptions. Journal of Hospital Infection, 86(2), 110-116.
Microbiology, 198, 43-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2014.12.023
Muhterem-Uyar, M., Dalmasso, M., Bolocan, A., Hernandez, M., Kapetanakou, A., & Kuchta, T. et al. (2015). Environmental sampling for Listeria monocytogenes control in food processing facilities reveals three contamination scenarios. Food Control, 51, 94-107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.10.042
WHO. (2017). Hepatitis E. World Health Organization. Retrieved 26 March 2018, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs280/en/
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