4.1.4

Bacterial Contamination

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Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is the process by which bacteria pass from one food to other foods. Cross-contamination can happen through:

Food that's already contaminated

Food that's already contaminated

  • Contaminated high risk foods contaminating other foods.
  • Raw foods leaking onto cooked foods.
People

People

  • Cooking with unwashed hands.
  • Sneezing without using a tissue.
  • Coughing without covering your mouth.
Cooking utensils and surfaces

Cooking utensils and surfaces

  • Not cleaning equipment properly before or after use.
  • Preparing raw and cooked foods on the same surface.
Pests

Pests

  • May plant eggs or excrete onto cooking surfaces.
  • May also contaminate food by landing on it or eating it.

Controlling Bacteria

Untreated eggs and milk are both highly susceptible to contamination. To make these foods safe, we can:

Pasteurise milk

Pasteurise milk

  • The process involves heating milk to 72°C for approximately 15 seconds.
  • This should destroy pathogenic bacteria before the milk is chilled.
  • All milk must be pasteurised before being sold in UK supermarkets.
Vaccinate hens

Vaccinate hens

  • Many years ago, the UK introduced a programme for vaccinating hens against salmonella.
  • Eggs and boxes of eggs that have come from vaccinated hens are stamped with the British Lion Quality mark.
Jump to other topics
1

Food Preparation Skills

1.1

Food Preparation Skills

1.1.1General Practical Skills1.1.2Knife Skills1.1.3Preparing Fruit, Vegetables & Using Equipment1.1.4Cooking Methods: Prepare, Shape & Combine1.1.5Sauce Making, Tenderising & Marinating1.1.6Dough & Pastry1.1.7Shaping & Finishing Dough1.1.8Raising Agents & Mixtures1.1.9End of Topic Test - Food Preparation Skills 1
2

Food, Nutrition & Health

2.1

Macronutrients

2.1.1Proteins2.1.2Proteins 22.1.3Fats2.1.4Carbohydrates2.1.5Carbohydrates 2
2.2

Micronutrients

2.2.1Fat-Soluble Vitamins2.2.2Water-Soluble Vitamins2.2.3Minerals & Water2.2.4Minerals & Water 22.2.5End of Topic Test - Macro & Micronutrients
2.3

Nutritional Needs & Health

2.3.1Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet2.3.2Informed Choices for a Balanced Diet 22.3.3Energy Needs2.3.4Nutritional Analysis2.3.5Diet Modifications2.3.6Diet-Related Problems2.3.7Diet-Related Problems 22.3.8End of Topic Test - Nutritional Needs & Health
3

Food Science

3.1

Cooking of Food & Heat Transfer

3.1.1Reasons for Cooking & Heat Transfer3.1.2Water-Based Cooking Methods3.1.3Fat-Based Cooking Methods3.1.4Dry Cooking Methods3.1.5Dry Cooking Methods 2
3.2

Functional & Chemical Properties of Food

3.2.1Proteins & Carbohydrates3.2.2Fats & Oils3.2.3Raising Agents3.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Science
4

Food Safety

4.1

Food Spoilage & Contamination

4.1.1Microorganisms & Signs of Food Spoilage4.1.2Enzymes & Signs of Food Spoilage4.1.3Food Poisoning4.1.4Bacterial Contamination4.1.5Microorganisms in Food Production
4.2

Principles of Food Safety

4.2.1Temperature Control4.2.2Ambient Foods & Food Labels4.2.3Preparing, Cooking & Serving Food4.2.4End of Topic Test - Food Safety
5

Food Choice

5.1

Factors Affecting Food Choice

5.1.1Factors Which Influence Food Choice5.1.2Food Choices5.1.3Religious Food Choices5.1.4Food Labels5.1.5Mandatory Food Labels5.1.6Optional Food Labels5.1.7Marketing Influences5.1.8End of Topic Test - Food Choice
5.2

British & International Cuisines

5.2.1British Cuisine5.2.2Japanese Cuisine5.2.3Japanese Ingredients & Dishes5.2.4Spanish Cuisine5.2.5Spanish Ingredients & Dishes
5.3

Sensory Evaluation

5.3.1Taste Receptors & Olfactory Systems5.3.2Sensory Testing Methods5.3.3Sensory Testing Methods 25.3.4End of Topic Test - Cuisines & Senses
6

Food Provenance

6.1

Environmental Impact & Sustainability of Food

6.1.1Food Sources - Intensive & Organic Farming6.1.2Food Sources - Genetically Modified Crops6.1.3Food Sources - Reared Food6.1.4Food Sources - Caught Food6.1.5Food & The Environment6.1.6Food & The Environment 26.1.7Sustainability of Food6.1.8Sustainability of Food 26.1.9End of Topic Test - Environmental Impacts
6.2

Food Processing & Production

6.2.1Primary Food Processing6.2.2Primary Food Processing 26.2.3Secondary Food Processing6.2.4Fortification6.2.5Additives6.2.6End of Topic Test - Food Processing & Production

Practice questions on Bacterial Contamination

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What do we call the process by which bacteria pass from one food to other foods?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    How can people cause cross-contamination of food?Fill in the list
  3. 3
    Which of the following practices could cause cross-contamination of foods?True / false
  4. 4
    What are eggs that have come from vaccinated hens stamped with in the UK?Multiple choice
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Food Poisoning

Microorganisms in Food Production