What is physical contamination in food and how to prevent it?

Having to manage contamination in food can be any food related businesses the worst nightmare. Lawsuits, facilities suspension and supply backlog are only the major penalties for failing to manage a food contamination event.

However, it can be easily avoided with the proper measures, when it comes to your capabilities as a business owner. Before we get into the whole talk of physical contamination and ways to prevent it, you need to know the types of contamination you need to look out for.

Along with that, we’ll be looking at the technologies and best practices ensuring safe food hygiene standards. Food regulations are strictly maintained all across the UK and other countries in the west. If you’re looking to get facts on contamination in food and how to prevent it then we’ve got you covered.

What is contamination?

The term contamination has been thrown around in so many contexts it’s hard to fathom actually how broad it actually is. Scientific labs consider anything more than a spec as contamination and industrial production facilities are no different. However, food safety regulations are strictly enforced, so it demands active measures for food related businesses.
With regard to food, any element that decreases the nutritional value of food and increases risk of causing adverse effects to consumers is considered a contaminant. When food comes into proximity or in contact with such elements the food is a contamination event. Based on the source and type of these elements’ contamination is classified into many types. Physical contamination is only one of the types that we will discuss.

Types of contamination

When it comes to food item contamination there can be a lot of misconceptions. To efficiently manage a contamination scenario, you and your employees need to be aware of the types of contamination there are. This can help in early identification of contaminants and active prevention of possible contamination.

The 4 types of food contaminations are:

All types of food are at risk of contamination with any of these types of compounds. Hence, food handlers have a both moral and legal responsibility to ensure that food items are safe and hygienic for consumption.

Food contamination can lead to terrible predicaments that no one wants to be dealing with. The consequences of consuming contaminated food can range from mild sickness all the way to death.

It’s critical that you understand what the four types of contamination are, so you can prevent the potential harm contaminated food can cause.

1. Physical contamination of food

Physical contamination refers to contamination by a foreign object. It can occur at any stage from collection, preparation and delivery. Apart from the typical contamination hazards physical contamination has the added consequence of causing serious harm to consumers, i.e. broken teeth or choking.

Typical physical contaminants found in food include jewellery, plastic, bones, stones, hair, pest remains, and fabrics. Along with that, problems with the food premises or equipment, such as flaking paint or loose screws can be a source of physical contamination. Physical contaminants may even carry harmful pathogens or toxic compounds, posing an even greater threat by cross-contamination in food.

How to avoid physical contamination in food

The first step in managing physical contaminants of food is to ensure a safety culture across the entire food processing chain. Food producers must take necessary actions to ensure a production facility with minimum contamination risk.

Taking proactive actions can reduce contamination risks and limit the number of contamination cases significantly, compared to preventive actions with complete negligence of safety culture. The most common measures are as follows,

2. Microbial contamination of food

Microbial contamination means contamination by microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and other pathogens. Because microbes are all around us, there’s literally no way we can control microbes from being anywhere. However, there are certain types of microbes that need to be specifically dealt with to keep food fresh and safe.

How to avoid microbial contamination in food

A good example is undercooking chicken can give rise to campylobacter, a type of bacteria. So you need to make sure chicken is cooked at the right temperature for the recommended amount of time. Similarly, Salmonella an animal gut microbe can transfer onto farm and dairy products.
Other ways of avoiding microbial contamination include,

Storing and preparing high-risk raw foods near instant food items.
Many types of fish are host to microbes that are toxic to humans.
Maintaining impeccable personal hygiene
Taking time off from work when you are ill.
Always wash raw fruits and vegetables.
Pest control

3. Chemical contamination of food

As the name suggests, chemical contamination occurs when food comes in contact with any kind of non-food grade chemical substance. A bunch of chemicals are used regularly in the kitchen for cleaning and disinfection. So it’s not a surprise for food items to come in contact with these items.

For instance, contamination may occur from a food preparation station that still has chemical residue on it. Another way is if someone sprays cleaning chemicals near uncovered food.

Food can also be contaminated even before it reaches the kitchen. For example, fertilisers and pesticides are complex chemical compounds that are used in the cultivation of many food crops. These compounds would have been sprayed near farm products when growing and may even end up on the hands of kitchen staff.

Most of these compounds are either toxic or carcinogenic so avoiding contamination from chemicals is a serious matter.

How to avoid chemical contamination in food

Store chemicals away from food storage and processing areas
Follow the company protocols when using chemical compounds.
Ensure all food items are covered during cleaning and maintenance.
Only engage with approved suppliers who can guarantee the safety of their products.
Minimise and control the chemical products used in the cleaning.

4. Allergenic Contamination of Food

Allergenic contamination occurs when allergenic food items come into contact with other food. Take for example, if the same knife is used to cut gluten-free bread after normal bread, or pasta is stored in a peanut jar without washing.

There are 14 food items that are considered to be common allergens. They represent the majority of food allergies in people. The list includes everyday items like gluten, peanuts, eggs, mustard, soy, and fish.

For someone allergic to a certain type of food, being exposed to even a tiny amount can cause a fatal reaction. Hence, it’s crucial that you prevent allergenic contamination and be vigilant about it.

How to avoid allergenic contamination in food

Only engage with approved suppliers who take allergenic contamination seriously.
Separate preparation areas, equipment, utensils, and cloths for normal and known allergenic food items.
Separate allergenic products from other food products in storage.
Clean and disinfect your kitchen thoroughly after preparing food that contains one of the fourteen allergens.

Tools to detect physical contamination of food

Since this blog is mainly focused on physical contamination we will feature some technologies to prevent it accurately. Many technologies are readily available that detect physical contamination to ensure quality control in industrial facilities. The ideal solution depends on the scale of your operations. Three of the most widely used tools available on the market today are:

Magnetic separators

Available with tons of variety in design and functionality, modern-day plate, bar, trap, grate, and suspended magnets are capable of finding and removing fine, high-purity metal contaminants during food processing.

Metal detectors

These systems are usually used in identifying metallic foreign bodies in food during the processing stage. This ensures no unwanted materials can reach your customers.

X-ray machines

Traditionally a part of the medical field, FDA-compliant X-ray inspection systems are available. These machines are specially designed to safely and effectively find physical contaminants. These advanced machines can literally “see” and make metal and non-metal debris like glass, plastic and stones visible.

A thorough survey and review of your facility and safety protocols will help you choose which detection system (or systems) is best suited to your operation.

How to prevent physical contamination

In a contamination event, instead of grinding your operations to a standstill implementing the preventive measures could save your company’s production time and expenses. Integrating a detection system in your production line or working with a third-party inspection company can help you detect physical contamination in your food product with ease. However, there are other ways to reduce the chances of a physical contaminant ending up there in the production process in the first place.

1. Routine audits

Audits are indispensable for quality and hygiene control as regulations become tighter. Relying on a trusted third-party service to thoroughly inspect your facility will help you locate gaps in your systems. Auditors are highly trained professionals who are fast, efficient and skilled at finding possible issues that could cause contamination, especially the ones you didn’t even know you had.

2. Employee safety and compliance programs

Your staff is one of your greatest assets, period. However, if employees aren’t trained to maintain industry standards they can quickly become your biggest liability. Which is why educating your staff is essential.

By training your employees on crucial safety and compliance strategies, you’re arming them with the knowledge needed to help prevent any type of contaminants from entering your production line. Establishing an in-house safety and compliance program can seem costly and time-consuming. However, if you choose to invest in this, your personnel will be your first — and foremost — line of defence.

3. Detailed reports

Comprehensive reporting is a crucial part of today’s heavily mechanised and regulated industry. These include standard quality assurance reports or an auditor’s post-inspection assessment.

Data-driven reports offer a quantitative snapshot of your plant’s conditions. Supporting evaluation can also provide a qualitative viewpoint. Put together, this information allows for complete documentation of your facilities operational conditions. Inconsistencies in these reports lead to problems being detected, giving you the chance to avoid possible contamination events.

Ending Notes

Food contamination entails serious consequences for both consumers and food businesses. It can cause severe harm to consumer health and safety and can tarnish the reputation of any brand in the field.

Although some contaminations are more serious than others they can still have similar consequences in the court of law. UK food safety regulations are very strict and to not adhere to them completely is a gamble you don’t want to take up.

Putting the profit margin aside, maintaining food quality is an ethical choice that you as a business owner need to recognise. This way you can protect both your business and your customers interests.