Food safety hazards can occur in all links of the food chain, with great differences. According to the usual classification of HACCP hazard analysis, there are four types.
I. Biological hazards
Common biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, parasites and molds.
1. bacteria
According to its morphology, bacteria are divided into cocci, bacilli and spirillus; According to its pathogenicity, bacteria can be divided into pathogenic bacteria, conditional bacteria and non-pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria in food are harmful to food safety and quality in two aspects.
(1) leads to food spoilage.
(2) Causing food-borne diseases. If food is contaminated by pathogenic bacteria, it will cause serious food safety problems.
2. Virus
The virus is very small, not only invisible to the naked eye, but also invisible under the optical microscope. You need an electron microscope to detect it. Virus pollution of food is not as common as bacteria, but once it happens, the consequences will be very serious.
3. Parasites
In the parasitic relationship, the intermediate host of parasites is of great significance to food safety. Livestock, poultry and aquatic products are intermediate hosts of many parasites. Consumers may be infected with parasites after eating livestock and aquatic products containing parasites. For example, the intermediate hosts of trematodes are arthropods such as freshwater fish and lobsters. People will be infected with trematodes if they are eaten raw or cooked improperly.
Step 4 mold
Mold will destroy the quality of food, and some will also produce toxins, causing serious food safety problems. Such as aflatoxin, sterigmatocystin, ochratoxin, etc., can cause liver injury and have a strong pathogenic effect.
Second, chemical hazards.
Common chemical hazards include heavy metals, natural toxins, pesticides, detergents and other chemical hazards.
1. Heavy metals
Heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic are harmful to food safety. Heavy metals in food mainly come from three ways: (1) the use of agricultural chemicals and the pollution of industrial wastes; (two) machinery, pipelines, containers and food additives used in food processing that do not meet the hygiene requirements contain toxic metals; (3) Plants as food absorb toxic heavy metals from geology with high metal content during their growth.
2. Natural toxins
Many foods contain natural toxins, for example, germinated potatoes (potatoes) contain a large amount of Solanum nigrum toxin, which can cause poisoning or death; 5-A carp alcohol contained in fish gall can damage human liver, kidney, heart and brain, leading to poisoning death. Moldy sugarcane contains 3- nitropropanol, which can lead to death. Some natural toxins are carried by the food itself, while others are produced by bacteria or molds in the process of reproduction in food.
3. Pesticides
In the process of planting and growing edible plants, pesticides, herbicides, antioxidants, antibiotics, growth promoters, fungicides and disinfectants are used, or antibiotics used in the breeding of livestock, poultry, fish and other animals are synthesized into antibacterial drugs. These chemicals may do harm to food. Countries all over the world have strict restrictions on the varieties, application scope and residues of pesticides. For example, the EU stipulates that chloramphenicol residues in honey exported from China to Europe should not exceed 0. 1 ng/ml.
4. Cleaning agent
Detergent is a food safety hazard that is often overlooked. The causes of the problems are: (65,438+0) the use of non-food decontaminants causes pollution to food and utensils; (2) Unscientific use of detergents will lead to residues of detergents in food and utensils. For example, some restaurants use washing powder to clean tableware, vegetables or fruits, resulting in toxic and harmful substances such as whitening agents in washing powder, which pollutes food and tableware.
5. Other chemical hazards
Chemical hazards are complex, and pollution modes are varied. The above are some common and major chemical hazards, as well as other chemical hazards such as the abuse of food additives and mechanical lubricating oil.
Third, physical hazards.
Compared with chemical hazards and biological hazards, physical hazards have their own characteristics, which consumers often see. So it is also the reason why consumers often express their dissatisfaction and complaints. Physical hazards include broken bones, gravel, iron filings, sawdust, insect residues such as hair and cockroaches, and visible foreign bodies such as broken glass. Physical hazards not only pollute food, but also often damage the health of consumers.
Fourth, the harm of genetically modified food.
Since 1973, Professor Cohen of Stanford University in the United States has successfully developed transgenic technology and gradually applied it to the production of agricultural products. However, whether genetically modified food is safe or not, no one can give a definite answer. 1In March, 1999, Nature published a paper by Losey et al. of Cornell University, arguing that genetically modified crops were toxic and shocked the world. The report that monarch butterfly larvae were poisoned by genetically modified Bt corn is an example of short-term adverse reactions of genetically modified crops. It is speculated that the discovery of long-term side effects will take some time, just like the side effects of HCH, DDT, PPA and other drugs. In June 2000, EU countries decided to suspend the cultivation and circulation of genetically modified products. Japan once believed in the safety of genetically modified food, but after the publication of Losey et al.' s paper, it will further study the safety of genetically modified food. On the one hand, the application of transgenic technology has brought unprecedented opportunities to the development of food industry, on the other hand, the uncertainty of genetically modified food safety has also brought unprecedented challenges to food safety.
Now with the progress of science and technology, the food safety detector on the market can adapt to many situations, and can accurately analyze whether it meets the safety and hygiene standards, whether there are bad additives or toxic and harmful substances. No matter the working environment or ingredients.
Guanyu Instruments adheres to the business philosophy of "honoring contracts, keeping promises, providing high-quality services and mutual benefit and win-win", and takes product technology innovation as its own responsibility to ensure the safety of food, medicine, environment and water quality. At the same time, it provides professional testing instruments, advanced technical support and efficient overall solutions for food and drug supervision system, agricultural system, animal husbandry system, fishery system and food enterprises.