What is the difference between contamination cross contamination and spoilage ?

Cross contamination is the transferring of micro-organisms from contaminated food and contaminated areas to cooked or ready to eat food. This often involves transferring of micro-organisms from raw to cooked foods.

Food contamination occurs when foreign material becomes mixed with the food. Several types of contamination may occur. This includes physical, chemical and microbiological contamination. In the home, pathogenic bacteria are the most common cause of food contamination.

Though most people will not eat spoiled food, the spoilage bacteria that ruined your food will not necessarily make you sick, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spoilage bacteria affect the quality of food, causing the food to take on a foul odor and become slimy.

Cross contamination is the physical movement or transfer of harmful bacteria from one person, object or place to another. It is a key factor in food poisoning, and it has four common sources - food, people, equipment and work surfaces.

Food spoilage means the original nutritional value, texture, flavour of the food are damaged, the food become harmful to people and unsuitable to eat.

Causes of the spoilage of food

The picture of spoiled food

a.                  Microbial spoilage

There are three types of microorganisms that cause food spoilage -- yeasts, moulds and bacteria.

• Yeastsgrowth causes fermentation which is the result of yeast metabolism. There are two types of yeasts true yeast and false yeast. True yeast metabolizes sugar producing alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. This is known as fermentation. False yeast grows as a dry film on a food surface, such as on pickle brine. False yeast occurs in foods that have a high sugar or high acid environment.

• Moulds grow in filaments forming a tough mass which is visible as `mould growth'. Moulds form spores which, when dry, float through the air to find suitable conditions where they can start the growth cycle again.

• Mould can cause illness, especially if the person is allergic to molds. Usually though, the main symptoms from eating mouldy food will be nausea or vomiting from the bad taste and smell of the mouldy food.

• Both yeasts and moulds can thrive in high acid foods like fruit, tomatoes, jams, jellies and pickles. Both are easily destroyed by heat. Processing high acid foods at a temperature of100°C (212°F) in a boiling water canner for the appropriate length of time destroys yeasts and moulds.

Fungal Spoilage

Storage rot in grapes caused by Botrytis cinerea.

Storage rot in strawberry caused by Botrytis cinerea.

Blue mould rot in tomato caused by Penicilliumi spp. (also by Fusarium spp.)

Black mummy rot of grapes caused by Guignardia bidwellii

Watery soft rot in apple caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Blue mould on oranges caused by Penicillium digitatum.

]

• Bacteria are round, rod or spiral shaped microorganisms. Bacteria may grow under a wide variety of conditions. There are many types of bacteria that cause spoilage. They can be divided into: spore-forming and nonspore-forming. Bacteria generally prefer low acid foods like vegetables and meat. In order to destroy bacteria spores in a relatively short period of time, low acid foods must be processed for the appropriate length of time at116°C (240°F) in a pressure canner. (Temperatures higher than100°C [212°F] can be obtained only by pressure canning.)

• Eatting spoiled food caused by bacteria can cause food poisoning.

Bacterial Spoilage

Soft rot in tomato caused by Erwinia carotovora.

]

b.      Autolysis

·         Enzymes

Enzymes are proteins found in all plants and animals. If uncooked foods are not used while fresh, enzymes cause undesirable changes in colour, texture and flavour. Enzymes are destroyed easily by heat processing.

·         Oxidation by air

Atmospheric oxygen can react with some food components which may cause rancidity or color changes.

[Back to top]

c.       Other factors

• Infestations (invasions) by insects and rodents, which account for huge losses in food stocks.

• Low temperature injury - the internal structures of the food are damaged by very low temperature.

Low Temperature Injury

Internal mahogany browning of potato caused by low temperature injury.

Chilling injury in cucumber caused by low temperature. Note the watery surface

spoilage: deterioration of the product to a point that it cannot be used anymore due to contamination or not good preservation

cross contamination: exterior contamination of a product or an ingredient by a contaminated ingredient or equipment or tool or product

contamination: is bacteria which grew inside a product because of a contaminated ingredient or workspace

Definition: Cross contamination is what happens when bacteria from one food item are transferred to another food item, often by way of unwashed cutting boards ...

Food spoilage means the original nutritional value, texture, flavour of the food are damaged, the food become harmful to people and unsuitable to eat.

Though most people will not eat spoiled food, the spoilage bacteria that ruined your food will not necessarily make you sick, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Spoilage bacteria affects the quality of food, causing the food to take on a foul odour and become slimy.

Food contamination occurs when foreign material becomes mixed with the food. Several types of contamination may occur, according to the National Sanitation Foundation. This includes physical, chemical and microbiological contamination. In the home, pathogenic bacteria are the most common cause of food contamination.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends keeping foods refrigerated at temperatures below4.44 degrees C. The FSIS also recommends taking one day a week to remove perishable foods from the refrigerator. As a rule of thumb, meats can last one to two days, eggs in the shell can last up to five weeks and leftovers can last four days in the refrigerator.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, people should wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Seal meat and poultry in tight containers to prevent them from contaminating other foods with dangerous bacteria. During food preparation, wash hands and surfaces after touching meat, handling pets, changing diapers and attending to bathroom needs.

Contamination is the process by which a surface, object, product etc has lost its native nature due to invading of certain foreign material; can be chemical/ microbial contamination; in chemical the product may become toxic not fit for use; in microbial it leads to the next stage called Spoilage, can be prevented by applying proper Sterilisation technique.

Spoilage is the process by which the product has become unfit for use by the invading agent; involves multiplication of contaminated microorganisms producing some bye products may be toxic in nature; not necessarily every contamination may result in spoilage; mainly fits to the scope of food products.

Cross contamination is the process by which the product has become contaminated due to the involvement of some external factors such as unsterilised equipments or other agents; maily fits to the scope of clinical specimens like blood and food products.

spoilage is when the food is rotten, contamination when the food has an out side source touch it such as chicken touching an apple.

Hazard analysis and critical control points or HACCP  is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes

Cross-contamination is how bacteria can spread. It occurs when juices from raw meats or germs from unclean objects touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods. By following a few simple steps as you handle, store, shop and cook foods, you can greatly reduce your risk of food poisoning 

And where as Spoilage  is the process in which food deteriorates to the point in which it is not edible to humans or its quality of edibility becomes reduced. Various external forces are responsible for the spoilage of food. Food that is capable of spoiling is referred to as perishable food.

Contamination is the wide term expresion of food poisoning either by Chemical, Physical or Biological hazards.

Cross contamination describes the case in which the food got contamination by direct contact with another high loaded contaminated food, utensils or food handlers.

Spoilage caused by improper saving conditions (temperature/ time factor) then the food caught contamination and/ or enzymatic reactions which is responsible for deterioration of physical condition of the food appearance (odor, texture, viscosity, color and consistency)

cross contamination means contamination through contact of safe food with un safe food which is may be direct or in direct 

direct through contact of safe food with un safe food direct as in refrigitor 

indirect through contact of safe food with un safe surface contact with unsafe food ex: during cutting meat

 spoilage: deterioration of the product to substance that harmfull effect on healthwhen eat .

people must not eat spoiled food because harmfull effect on health,

some change occur on spoilage food in smell .flavour.texture