Student Exercise, Lesson 1

Name Britany Brancheau______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

Food Safety: Everyone’s Responsibility

MIND SWEEP

Complete the following:
1.       Do you think the food you eat is free from food safety hazards and always safe for you to eat? Why or why not?
I think the food we eat is not free because a lot of people eat fast food at least once a week if not more where in the food prep and the packaging and processing there are so many things wrong with the way it is served and all of the chemicals and fats and grease in it.  Also meat found in a market is going to have a lot of processed chemicals in it to make it look better and seem better.  All of the fruits and veggies in the market will also be pumped with chemicals to make it look generic and all the same when in reality if one bought organic food it wouldn’t look like the best thing, but would taste amazingly different
2. Definitions of substances associated with food or food safety follow. Match them with these terms:

         (a) additives 3          (b) animal drugs 5          (c) environmental contaminants 4          (d) microbial contaminants 2          (e) pesticides 1

   (1)  Chemicals used to control insects, diseases, weeds, fungi

(molds), and other pests on plants, vegetables, fruits, and animals.

   (2)  Specific bacteria or viruses that cause food poisoning.

   (3)  Substances added directly to food for a specific purpose or

indirectly to food due to packaging, storing, or handling.

   (4)  Toxic chemicals that either occur in nature or are

industrial chemical wastes that have been absorbed by soil, water,

plants, or animals.

   (5)  Chemicals given to animals to cure or prevent disease, to

reduce pain and suffering, or to help them grow faster or to

produce more food.

 

FOOD FACTS

There are about 250,000,000 people in the United States. On the average, each person consumes over 126 pounds of potatoes, 95 pounds of other vegetables, 92 pounds of fresh fruit, 112 pounds of red meat, and 233 pounds of milk and cream each year. By doing a little multiplication, you can begin to get an idea of the nation’s food consumption each year. Realizing just how much food must be produced, shipped, processed, packaged, stored, and prepared can help you appreciate what a remarkable accomplishment it is that the United States has the safest food supply in the world. There are many places where food may be contaminated during its trip from farm or feedlot to consumer, yet almost always the food you finally buy is safe.
Two government agencies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), employ many people whose main job is helping to keep our food supply safe. For example, the FDA conducts tests, sets standards, and enforces laws regulating food quality and processing. FDA inspectors make regular inspections to see that the laws are being followed. When manufacturers make a request to put food additives or color additives in foods, the FDA reviews the chemicals’ safety before deciding whether to approve the request. It also reviews, approves, and regulates animal drugs. The USDA regulates and inspects meats and poultry during slaughter and processing.
We rely heavily on the FDA, the USDA, and other government agencies to protect our food supply. Food safety is a big part of their job, but it is everyone’s responsibility. Food producers, processors, sellers, and individual consumers, like you, also have an important part to play. The greatest threats to food safety - bacteria and viruses - are the hazards over which you as a consumer have the greatest control. Don’t let yourself down. Accept your share of the responsibility for keeping your food supply safe. Learn about food safety hazards and what you can do to protect yourself. Then put your knowledge into action.

Student Exercise, Lesson 2

Name ______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

Should We Risk It?

MIND SWEEP

A benefit is something good or helpful. A risk is the possibility of harm. Much of everyday life holds the potential for both benefit and risk, and you must decide, case by case, whether the benefit is worth the risk. Read each of the risk/benefit situations that follow and rate the risks and benefits as being “high” or “low.”
1. Sam is really hungry and it is two hours before dinner. He finds a bowl of thick, greenish liquid in the refrigerator. Probably soup, thinks Sam.

• Risk of eating soup- high _______________________
• Benefit of eating soup- low____________________

2. Lucy and her brother are hiking in a remote area. Her brother is seriously injured and needs help quickly. Lucy can reach help in thirty minutes if she takes an abandoned, rotting rope bridge. The only other way will take over two hours.

• Risk of taking bridge- high ______________________
• Benefit of taking bridge- high___________________

3. Whitney read an ad stating that it is safer to eat fruits and vegetables grown without the use of pesticides. The neighborhood stores sell only commercially grown produce. Whitney has stopped eating fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Risk of eating fresh produce-high________________
• Benefit of eating fresh produce-high_____________

FOOD SAFETY RISKS AND BENEFITS

Like most other things in life, some substances associated with food have, or are thought by some people to have, potential risks as well as benefits. The following chart summarizes the benefits and potential or perceived risks of some of these substances. Also included is biotechnology, which, in part, means the use of living organisms or their byproducts to make or change products or to improve plants or animals. Study the chart and discuss whether the benefits of each item outweigh its potential risks.

FOOD SUBSTANCES RISKS AND BENEFITS

Possible Benefits	Potential Risks	Restrictions taken to RISKS
Animal  Drugs
Helps keep free from suffering and disease	-Small amount of the drug may remain in the animal meat, eggs or milk. (There are no documented cases of serious cases   by animal-drug however)	Safe limits for drug residue are set by the FDA. The USDA tests samples for drugs residue when animals are slaughtered. If residues are above legal limits the FDA investigates
-Keeps the cost  cases of serious of food low by  illness caused producing more  by animal-drug producing more  by animal-drug
Biotechnology
Improves nutrient content	No new or unique risks have been found	Products are sampled and inspected along with regular food. These products aren’t similar to substances traditionally found in food or have a safety history
Pesticides
Ensures an adequate affordable food supply	Some present in environment for many years. If used improperly excessive amounts could remain in food or water possibly causing illness	EPA regulates the manufacturing, use and labeling and monitoring their presence
Helps prevent molds that might harm consumer

                 Some            Some                Restrictions

                 Possible        Potential           Taken to

Item             Benefits        Risks               Risks

Animal Drugs   -helps keep     -Small amounts of   -Safe limits for

                food animals    the drug may        drug residues are

                free from       remain in the       set by the FDA.

                suffering and   animal meat, eggs,  The USDA tests

                disease.        or milk. (There     samples for drug

                                are no documented   residues when

               -Keeps the cost  cases of serious    animals are

                of food low by  cases of serious      slaughtered. If

                producing more  by animal-drug      residues are above

                producing more  by animal-drug.    residues,           legal limits, the

                                however.)           FDA investigates.

Biotechnology  -Improves       -No new or unique   -Products are

                nutrition       risks have been     sampled and

                content.        found.              inspected along

                                                    with regular foods.

                                                    Biotechnology

                                                    products that

                                                    aren't similar

                                                    to substances

                                                    traditionally

                                                    found in food or

                                                    that have no

                                                    history of safe

                                                    use in food may

                                                    require premarket

                                                    approval from FDA.

Pesticides     -Ensures an     -Some persist in    -The EPA regulates

                adequate,       environment for     the manufacture,

                affordable      many years.  If     use, and labeling

                food supply.    used improperly,    of pesticides,

                                excessive amounts   and monitors their

               -Helps prevent   could remain on     presence in the

                the growth of   food or in water,   environment. The

                molds that      possibly causing    FDA and USDA

                might be        illness.            sample and test

                harmful to                          foods for residues.

                consumers.

 

Student Exercise, Lesson 3

Name____________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

What is the Sum of Food Additives?

MIND SWEEP

Read each statement and check “true” or “false.”
1. Food additives may be nice, but they are never really necessary.

               True                     False

2. All additives are by-products of twentieth century technology and know-how.

               True                     False

3. The term “additive” means artificial.

               True                     False

4. Foods were generally more risk-free in earlier times.

               True                     False

5. Chemical-free foods are available.

               True                     False

6. If you think you had a bad reaction to an additive, the only one who really needs to be informed is your doctor.

               True                     False

Read the next column for evidence to prove your answers. Underline the evidence. You may decide to change your answers.

A LITTLE OF THIS, A PINCH OF THAT

When you hear or read the word “additive,” what do you think of? Many people tend to think of food additives as complex manufactured chemical compounds. In truth, the list of over 2800 food additives used today includes natural substances, such as beet powder (used as food coloring), salt, and vanilla. Such substances may be produced from plants or animals; they may be mined from the earth or taken from the sea. Other additives, such as polysorbate 60 (which is added to salad dressing and other foods to keep the ingredients blended), and aspartame are not found in nature - they are chemically manufactured. Both types of additives, natural and artificial, are chemicals. All foods, whether picked from your garden or from the supermarket shelf, are made up of chemicals. Whether an additive is taken from nature or is chemically manufactured has no bearing on its safety.
So what are additives and why are they used? Additives are substances added directly to food for a specific purpose or indirectly to food due to packaging, storing, or handling. Generally, additives can be grouped by their intended function:
1.       Some additives maintain or improve the nutritional value of food. Added vitamins and minerals serve this function.
2.     Some additives maintain freshness. Mold and bacteria can spoil food. Additives that are preservatives help slow the spoiling process.
3.     Some additives help in processing and preparing food. Yeast, for example, is necessary for cakes and breads to rise. Lecithin keeps oil and water mixtures, such as mayonnaise, from separating.
4.     Some additives make food more appealing. For example, spices add flavor and caramel adds color.
Additives are not a new idea. Preservatives that we call “sulfites” were used by the ancient Romans and spices have been added to foods since biblical times. Previously, there were few safeguards over additives. Today, however, federal regulations require scientific evidence that each substance is safe in the amounts intended for use before it can be added to foods. Still, a small percentage of people are sensitive to a few additives, such as sulfites. If you feel you have had a bad reaction to an additive, contact your doctor. Then call your local FDA office. They can’t help if they don’t know.

Student Exercise, Lesson 4

Name ______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

Is Food Poisoning Really Such a Big Deal?

MIND SWEEP

Read each statement and check “true” or “false”.
1. Food poisoning never results in more than minor discomfort. It’s really no big deal.

               True                     False

2. Food that is contaminated enough to cause serious illness may or may not have a different odor or flavor than usual.

               True                     False

3. Food poisoning is caused by organisms from the environment, many of which occur naturally in foods.

               True                     False

4. If food is contaminated before you buy it there, isn’t much you can do to protect yourself.

               True                     False

5. What do the driver of a car and a cook have in common?

 Read the next column for evidence to prove your answers. Underline the evidence. You may decide to change your answers. 

FOOD POISONING ANTIDOTE

The safety of everyone in a car depends on the driver’s actions. Sloppy driving can cause an accident. Similarly, the health of everyone eating a meal depends on the cook’s actions. Sloppy food preparation can result in food poisoning.
If you learn that someone has a cold, you usually assume he or she is coughing and sneezing. Similarly, food poisoning is usually associated with diarrhea and vomiting. Both conditions are uncomfortable, to be sure, but is food poisoning really worth worrying about? Yes! The estimated 21 million to 81 million cases of diarrhea a year caused by food poisoning are just one of the minor results of this food safety hazard. In some people, particularly in children, the elderly, alcoholics, and those already ill with certain diseases, food poisoning may develop into a serious long-term illness. Certain types of food poisoning can even kill.
Food poisoning results from contaminated (impure) food. Most food contamination is caused by organisms that occur naturally in foods. The organisms responsible for the most contamination are bacteria. Bacteria are everywhere, even in the human body. Fortunately, only a few types of bacteria are harmful. Viruses are also responsible for some food-borne illnesses. Shellfish and salads are especially “friendly” to viruses. Still another source of contamination is mold. Molds vary in their ability to cause illness, but some are deadly.
Some contamination, such as spoiled fruit, is easy to see and smell. Contamination, however, is not always easy to detect. For example, the bacteria that cause botulism (a deadly type of food poisoning) may cause no noticeable change in food.
It’s true that you may buy food that contains bacteria or viruses or molds and not even know it. The good news is that you can take simple steps when handling and preparing food to protect yourself from food poisoning.
Is food poisoning a big deal? You bet, and you have the power to prevent a lot of it. If you learn how to reduce your risk of eating contaminated food and act responsibly when handling and preparing food, you may prevent a case of serious illness. You might even save a life. It’s in your hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Exercise, Lesson 5

Name ______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

Food Poisoning: What’s My Best Defense?

MIND SWEEP

The student committee is putting on a dinner party. Suppose that it’s your job to make sure the food served is safe to eat. “Listen” to the conversations of the party committee below and write down potential food safety problems.

Committee Member 1

“I’m a great shopper. I know our budget is tight, so I stretched our dollars by buying from the dented and slightly damaged canned food selection in the supermarket.”

Committee Member 2

“You’re not the only smart shopper. I got six cartons of eggs at half price just because several eggs in each carton were cracked. It doesn’t matter to us because I’m going to use them right away to make eggnog.”

Committee Member 3

“Space is a definite problem in this kitchen, but Donna and I have figured out a solution. After the dinner at six, we will just leave the leftovers on the table until the midnight supper. We bought four big paper tablecloths for covering the food to keep it clean.”

Committee Member 4

“I know some of you are wondering, since I’ve been sneezing and coughing constantly for the past three days, if I’m going to be able to serve the food tonight. I want you all to know that

GET ON THE OFFENSE

The best defense against food poisoning is to take the offensive–to work actively to prevent it. Health officials enforce safe practices in restaurants, but only you can enforce these practices at home. As you read the following list of preventative tips, check the ones that you do regularly. Study unchecked ones and put them into action when you buy, store, or prepare foods.

TIPS FOR PREVENTING FOOD POISONING

SENSE

Use good sense when you shop. __ Don’t buy foods in dented, rusty, bulging, or leaky cans or in cracked jars or jars with loose or bulging lids. If you have such items at home, throw them out. __ Never buy cracked eggs. __ On your shopping trip, pick up frozen and perishable foods last and get them into your refrigerator and freezer at home as soon as possible.

SHIVER

Low temperatures may make you shiver, but they are ideal for foods. As the temperature of food goes down, so does the risk of organisms growing in it. __ Keep your refrigerator no higher than 40 degree F and your freezer 0 degree F or below. __ Don’t let cooked or refrigerated foods, such as salads, sit at room temperature for more than two hours.

SANITIZE

Keep food free from organisms that cause food poisoning by keeping the food, the preparation equipment, and yourself clean. __ Wash your hands with soap and warm water before you start preparing food, before you handle a different food (for example, if you just handled raw chicken, wash your hands before preparing a salad), and after using the bathroom. __ Don’t sneeze or cough on food. __ Thoroughly rinse fruits and vegetables with water before eating or preparing. __ Organisms can “travel” from raw to cooked food, so never let raw food touch cooked food. Wash utensils, including the cutting board, with soap and warm water between each preparation step.

SIZZLE

Get food hot enough to sizzle. High food temperatures (165 degree F to 212 degree F) reached by boiling, baking, frying, and roasting kill most food poisoning organisms. __ Cook foods thoroughly at a high enough heat to kill organisms. Never eat raw eggs; they might contain harmful organisms. __ When cooking in the microwave, stir or turn the food and turn the dish several times. __ Once cooked, keep hot foods hot until eaten.

SUSPICION

Be suspicious. __ If you notice mold, cut off a large section of the food around the mold and throw it out. __ If you’re not absolutely certain about a food, throw it out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Exercise, Lesson 6

Name ______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

What Can I Do? How Can I Remember?

MIND SWEEP

You have been reading about some food safety facts and about a lot of ways to protect yourself from real food hazards. The information isn’t going to do you much good unless you put it into regular practice. One way to help you remember safe practices is to summarize the information into a slogan. A slogan is a short, snappy phrase that contains a key idea. Slogans can rhyme, use several words starting with the same letter, or be a pun or a play on words.
Two food safety slogans you might find helpful are:

WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT

DON’T HESITATE, REFRIGERATE

Now it’s your turn. Review the information and hints below and “Food Poisoning: What’s My Best Defense?” Choose three practices that you would like to make a habit of and develop a slogan for each. Take a slogan to lunch!

Once your food is cut the fridge should be shut
If you see mold, you should no longer hold
If damaged at the store, take it home no ore

HELPFUL HINTS

Additives

The FDA tests all food additives for safety before they are allowed in foods and food products. If there are additives that you wish to avoid, check the label before buying. If you are in a restaurant, ask the food server if the additive you wish to avoid has been added to the food during preparation.

Environmental Contaminants

Environmental contaminants are toxic chemicals that either occur in nature or are industrial chemical wastes that have been absorbed by soil, water, plants, or animals. Fish and other seafood are especially susceptible to these contaminants. The FDA inspects seafood to make sure it is safe before it can be sold. Be wary of vendors who are not licensed; their seafood may have come from contaminated waters.

Microbial Contaminants

• Review the tips for preventing food poisoning presented in the previous lesson.
• Do not eat foods that are moldy.
• Any uncooked food from an animal (meat, fish, eggs) is potentially hazardous. Raw fish (such as sushi) should be commercially frozen to kill worm parasites (freezing at home isn’t enough).
• Eating raw oysters, clams, or mussels is especially risky.
• Kill bacteria and viruses in meat, fish, poultry, and eggs by thorough cooking. Eggs–including the yolk–should be firm, not runny.

Residues

The FDA, USDA, and EPA make sure that any pesticide or animal drug residues that might remain in foods are at safe levels. If you wish, you can reduce and often eliminate residues that might be present–and clean off dirt as well–by following these tips:

• Wash fresh fruits and vegetables with water and scrub with a brush when appropriate.
• Throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage.
• When appropriate, peel fruits and vegetables before cooking; however, some nutrients and fiber are lost when produce is peeled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Student Exercise, Lesson 7

Name ______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

Food Labels: How Can They Help?

MIND SWEEP

Match the food label parts below with the following descriptions by writing the number of the description on the corresponding label part. Check your work by reading the material below.
1.       Ingredients
2.     Storage directions
3.     Sell by date
4.     Expiration date
5.     Lot number

INSIDE INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Food labels and packaging are excellent sources of information about food and guides for food safety. If you don’t take time to read them, you are not taking full advantage of this food information resource. Look for the following on food labels and packaging:
1.       Exactly what is in the package. This may include
§         The quantity by weight or volume or count.
§         The ingredients, listed in decreasing order. In other words, the ingredient present in the greatest amount is listed first.
§         The form of the food, such as sliced, whole, or chunk.
2.     How nutritious the food is. This may include the number of calories per serving, amount of fat, and percentage of vitamins.
3.     If the food is graded or inspected. Eggs and fresh meat have a grade shield or inspection mark on the package to signify their safety and quality.
4.     How the food should be stored or prepared.
5.     The food’s shelf-life dates. These may include
§         The date product was manufactured, processed, or packaged.
§         The “sell by” date. This is the last day the product can be sold. It allows time for the product to be stored and used at home.
§         The “best if used by” date. This is the freshness date; product may be safe after this date but will probably not be at peak quality.
§         The “do not use after” date. This is the expiration date; the last date the product should be used.
6.     The lot number of the package. Manufacturers place batch identification numbers on food packages. If there is a problem with a batch of food, news reports will advise people to return products with a certain number.
7.     Anti-tampering devices. These will reveal whether the container’s original closing has been broken. It could be a plastic seal around the outside of a container or a safety button on the lid of a jar. If the seal is broken or the button is up, don’t buy and don’t use the product.
8.     The name and address of the manufacturer or packer of the food.
 

 

 

Student Exercise, Lesson 8

Name ______________________________________

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

How Can I Sort This All Out?

MIND SWEEP

Television, radio, newspaper, and magazine reports that advise people about food and food safety are available daily.
Read each of the situations below and tell how you would react.
1.       You receive a free booklet from a distributor of organic vegetables. The booklet includes a list of health problems that are claimed to result from eating vegetables grown with pesticides.  I would start buying organic grown food
2.     You read in the newspaper that new and more sensitive technology has revealed that a pesticide was once considered safe is now known to cause cancer.  Check and see if I came into contact with it
3.     A local radio announcer interrupts the program you are listening to and announces a recall of Shrimpo canned fish. He also gives the lot number. You have several cans of Shrimpo on the shelf, but you remember that your family has eaten some twice in the last week and no one got ill. I’d stop eating it
4.     You see on the national television news that a great number of people in a town in another part of the country have become ill from drinking milk. You just bought a quart on your way from home.

ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?

We get all kinds of messages about food and food safety everyday. Sometimes the messages are warnings. Sometimes they conflict with the information in a previous report. You might feel confused. Following are a few hints to help you sort through the message maze. After reading the points below, reread the situations in the Mind Sweep section. Do you still agree with your original answers?

Points to Consider About Food and Food Safety Messages

1.       Consider the source.
Where does the message come from? Is the source reliable? Be skeptical of sources that have something personal to gain by convincing you to believe the information. Reliable sources use scientific expertise to back up their claims. Often reliable resources, like the FDA, have authority. Information from reliable sources is usually backed up quickly by other reliable sources.
2.     Consider the scope and the specifics.
Who is affected by the problem or information? Are only people of a certain age, such as newborn babies, affected? What about the amount consumed? Are you likely to consume close to that amount? Certain potent substances–like pesticides–can be used to help produce foods without harming consumers as long as dangerous amounts of the chemicals don’t remain on the food. The FDA helps make sure safe limits are maintained. Is the problem confined to a certain area of the country? Is it possible that you have food shipped from that area? Is there a problem with only a specific batch of a product? If so, you need to throw out or return only those items with the affected lot number.
3.     Consider the nature of science.
Most research questions take years to investigate. Before something is taken as fact, the results of an investigation must be repeated by others. Science controversies do exist. Different scientists interpret data differently. Food safety messages based on research can change as scientists discover new information. Researchers draw broad conclusions from studies of large groups of people. Their conclusions about the risk of eating or not eating something are guidelines to individuals, not guarantees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOOD RISKS: PERCEPTION VS. REALITY

Student Quiz

Name______________________________________________

Check-Out Quiz

Read each statement and check “true” or “false”.
1. The United States has the third safest food supply in the world.

               True                     False

2. Keeping the food supply safe is the sole responsibility of government agencies.

               True                     False

3. There are regulations to make sure that the amount of pesticide residues that may remain on foods is safe for consumers.

               True                     False

4. You can’t accurately weigh risks and benefits if you have incorrect information.

               True                     False

5. Contaminated food is always easy to spot if you take the time to look.

               True                     False

6. Food poisoning is the food safety hazard over which individual consumers have the most control.

               True                     False

7. Once scientists conduct a test and facts are established, they cannot change.

               True                    false 

Complete each sentence by inserting the correct government agency from the following list: EPA, USDA, FDA
8. The _, FDA _____ inspects meat and poultry for quality and safety.
9. The __ USDA ____ samples and tests all other foods for safety.
10. The __ EPA ____ sets safe levels for pesticides and monitors their presence in the environment.