Biological Contamination: What Should We Know?

Do you know all the vegetables and fruits have something in common? All the ingredients have potential enough to get polluted with organisms. Food contamination is harmful or it can be said that is potentially dangerous. when uninvited organisms enter into food and cause food to become polluted.

What Are Biological Contaminants

Living organisms such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria are biological contaminants that can be dangerous to human health if absorbed or consumed by the body can lead it to infection. There are plenty of reasons that might cause adulteration, but basically, there are 4 categories - physical, biological, cross-contamination and chemical.

Let's Check What Is Biological Contamination And How They Affect The Food?

Biological contamination is when unwanted organisms infect the food and become the basic cause of food spoilage. These organisms are the living things which can only be seen through the microscope. You might not know but food poisoning happens when bacteria gets spread on food and consumed.

These tiny living organisms increase in number very quickly. Do you know in conditions ideal for their growth these bacteria's get split nearly 50 times in just 7 hours and reach millions in numbers?

Bacteria such as Listeria is extremely unsafe by themselves. While some bacteria are damn dangerous to humans, some are quite beneficial - as bacteria Streptococcus and Lactobacillus produce lactic acid which makes curd.

Places For Bacteria To Grow 

Air

Dust

Human Body (14.1)

etc...

How Do Bacteria Survive

Water: Water is quite essential for bacterial growth. Water in food which is not bonded to molecules supports the growth of yeast and mold. And that is the reason why drying foods are sometimes used as a way of preservation.

Temperature: Temperature between 5 degree Celsius and 60 degree Celsius (danger zone) allows the bacterial growth. So, make sure that you don't keep your food at this temperature for long. 

Few Biological Contaminants

Vibrio cholerae can result in the disease called cholera.

Salmonella leads to diarrhea and vomiting

Clostridium botulinum paralyzes your muscles

Viruses That Causes Problems: heading

Rotavirus: results in stomach flu

Hepatitis: it inflames the liver

Worms including:

Ascaris lumbricoid - can grow inside your gut

Giardia lamblia - can lead to watery stools