Food Contamination and Foodborne Illness Prevention - Food Safety - Minnesota Dept. of Health (2024)

Food becomes contaminated through a variety of mechanisms. Some things that can contribute to foodborne illness are:

• inadequate handwashing
• cross-contamination
• storage and cooking temperatures
• contamination of food by animal waste

Hand Washing

• Pathogens can be introduced into food from infected humans who handle the food without thoroughly washing their hands.
• These pathogens are thus transferred from trace amounts of fecal matter present on hands to the food.
• Hand Hygiene: Wash Your Hands!
  Handwashing and Hand Hygiene information

Cross-Contamination

• Food and kitchen tools and surfaces may become contaminated from raw food products (i.e., meat and poultry).
• Microbes can be transferred from one food to another by using the same knife, cutting board or other utensil without washing the surface or utensil in between uses.
• A food that is fully cooked can become re-contaminated if it touches other raw foods or drippings from raw foods that contain pathogens.
• Prevent Cross-Contamination
  Cross-contamination is the physical movement or transfer of harmful bacteria from one person, object or place to another.

Storage and Cooking Temperatures

• Many pathogens need to multiply to a larger number before enough are present in food to cause disease.
• In general, refrigeration or freezing prevents virtually all bacteria from growing.
• If food is heated sufficiently, parasites, viruses and most bacteria are killed.
• How Temperatures Affect Food
  Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture.

Contamination of Food by Animal Waste

Many foodborne microbes are present in healthy animals raised for food.

• Meat and poultry may become contaminated during slaughter by small amounts of intestinal contents.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables can be contaminated if they are washed with water that is contaminated by animal manure or human sewage.