Foodborne Illness
Foodborne Illness & Hazards
What causes foodborne illness and the major hazards.
Three Types of Hazards
Food hazards fall into three categories: • BIOLOGICAL — bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi (the greatest threat). • CHEMICAL — cleaners, sanitizers, toxic metals, pesticides. • PHYSICAL — foreign objects (glass, metal, hair, bone).
Biological hazards cause most foodborne illness. Controlling them is the core of food safety.
The Big Six Pathogens
The 'BIG SIX' are highly contagious pathogens that must be reported and can require excluding sick staff: • Norovirus • Hepatitis A • Shigella • Salmonella Typhi • Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) • Nontyphoidal Salmonella.
Foodborne illness often spreads from sick food handlers — proper hygiene and exclusion of ill workers is critical.
FAT TOM & High-Risk Foods
Bacteria grow under conditions remembered as FAT TOM: Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, Moisture.
TCS foods (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) support rapid bacterial growth: meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, cooked rice/pasta, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes, cut melons. These need strict temperature control. High-risk populations (young, elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised) are most vulnerable.
📖 Key Terms
- TCS food
- Time/Temperature Control for Safety food that supports rapid bacterial growth.
- Big Six
- Six highly contagious pathogens requiring reporting/exclusion of sick staff.
- FAT TOM
- Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, Moisture — bacterial growth conditions.
- Biological hazard
- Bacteria, viruses, parasites — the greatest food-safety threat.
💡 Exam Tips
- ▸The three hazard types are biological, chemical, and physical.
- ▸Bacteria grow under FAT TOM conditions.
- ▸TCS foods need strict time/temperature control.
- ▸The Big Six pathogens require reporting and excluding sick staff.