1.) why might a contaminated food make a child sick, but not affect

 

Pathogens in Food

Although the US has one of the safest food supplies in the world, Americans still suffer from foodborne illnesses.  According to the CDC, an estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States.

What causes foodborne illness?

To get sick from a foodborne illness, we have to eat foods or beverages that are contaminated with harmful agents.  These are mostly caused by disease-causing microbes, or pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, parasites, or molds.  Think E. Coli, salmonella,  and norovirus (on cruise ships), which are usually the ones that we hear about in the media. This foodborne illness chart

Actions lists the most common pathogens, their incubation period and symptoms. As you go through this chart, think about strategies to prevent these diseases in an ECE setting, which would also apply in a home setting.

Now, pathogens are live microorganisms that when ingested, will continue to grow and multiply in our intestines, thereby causing an infection.  The good news is that these can be destroyed by cooking, which is why cooking food to the appropriate temperature is very important in preventing foodborne illness.  However, in some cases, it’s not ingesting a pathogen that causes illness, instead it’s consuming a chemical or a toxin, which cannot necessarily be killed by cooking.  Examples of chemical hazards are fertilizers, sanitizers, cleaning agents that foods may come in contact with. Toxins may be something that is naturally present in the food, or it’s produced by bacteria or fungi.  An example would be E. Coli O157:H7 which produces the Shiga toxin, which can be deadly. 

How does food become contaminated?

Picture of points during food production and processing where microbes can contaminate food

What is the role of government?

The government sets standards and regulations for how food should be handled.  There are several government agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Dept. or Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), that regulate the use of additives, agricultural chemicals, inspect farms, food processing and storage facilities, monitor domestic and imported foods for contamination, and investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness, with the most recent one being the recall of red onions for possible contamination with salmonella. 

For more information on food recalls, visit The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection ServiceLinks to an external site.

What is the role of food manufacturers and retailers?

The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system helps prevent foodborne illness.  At every step of food production, processing, and transport, potential sources of contamination are identified and checkpoints are established to  prevent illness.  These critical control points, such as controlling how food is stored and how it’s cooked, are monitored and corrected, if needed, to prevent or eliminate contamination.  More on the HACCP system in the next section.

What should we, as consumers, do to prevent foodborne illness?

Even though government, food manufacturers, and retailers have a responsibility in ensuring a safe food supply, once food is in our homes, it’s ultimately up to us to practice safe food handling.  In this week’s discussion board assignment you will have to consider your own food preparation habits and determine how well you’re protecting your family against foodborne illness.  In addition to our textbook, the section on what consumers can doLinks to an external site. and the additional videos in this module go over how to minimize contamination risks.

Place your order
(550 words)

Approximate price: $22

Calculate the price of your order

550 words
We'll send you the first draft for approval by September 11, 2018 at 10:52 AM
Total price:
$26
The price is based on these factors:
Academic level
Number of pages
Urgency
Basic features
  • Free title page and bibliography
  • Unlimited revisions
  • Plagiarism-free guarantee
  • Money-back guarantee
  • 24/7 support
On-demand options
  • Writer’s samples
  • Part-by-part delivery
  • Overnight delivery
  • Copies of used sources
  • Expert Proofreading
Paper format
  • 275 words per page
  • 12 pt Arial/Times New Roman
  • Double line spacing
  • Any citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard)

Our guarantees

Delivering a high-quality product at a reasonable price is not enough anymore.
That’s why we have developed 5 beneficial guarantees that will make your experience with our service enjoyable, easy, and safe.

Money-back guarantee

You have to be 100% sure of the quality of your product to give a money-back guarantee. This describes us perfectly. Make sure that this guarantee is totally transparent.

Read more

Zero-plagiarism guarantee

Each paper is composed from scratch, according to your instructions. It is then checked by our plagiarism-detection software. There is no gap where plagiarism could squeeze in.

Read more

Free-revision policy

Thanks to our free revisions, there is no way for you to be unsatisfied. We will work on your paper until you are completely happy with the result.

Read more

Privacy policy

Your email is safe, as we store it according to international data protection rules. Your bank details are secure, as we use only reliable payment systems.

Read more

Fair-cooperation guarantee

By sending us your money, you buy the service we provide. Check out our terms and conditions if you prefer business talks to be laid out in official language.

Read more