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The contamination of food or water supplies with radioactive materials centers the attack on the ingestion pathway, where the aims may be to: expose the public who consume the contaminated food or drink the contaminated water; stop the provision of food or water supplies to the public; and cause widespread panic and public alarm. The radiological consequences may include: contamination of water treatment plants, service reservoirs, header tanks and water supply systems; contamination of food products, wholesale food markets, supermarkets or food processing facilities; and the loss or disruption of the water and/or food supply chain. The occurrence of immediate fatalities or casualties suffering from the effects of radiation exposure via the ingestion pathway is very unlikely since extremely large amounts of radioactive material would be required to achieve sufficiently high concentrations and, even if this occurs, it is very unlikely that it would affect a large number of people. The radionuclides that can be used or released during a radiological emergency, where a significant radiation dose could be received as a result of consumption of contaminated food, could be: Nuclear reactors (I-131; Cs-134 + Cs-l37; Ru-l03 + Ru-106) Nuclear fuel reprocessing plants (Sr-90; Cs-137; Pu-239 + Am-241) Nuclear waste storage facilities (Sr-90; Cs-137; Pu-239 + Am-241) Nuclear weapons (i.e., dispersal of nuclear material without nuclear detonation) (Pu-239) Radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) and radioisotope heater units (RHUs) used in space vehicles (Pu-238) The radionuclides listed above are expected to be the predominant contributors to radiation dose through ingestion in the most of the scenarios. When more than one radionuclide is released, the relative contribution that a radionuclide makes to radiation dose from ingestion of subsequently contaminated food depends on the specifics of the accident and the mode of release. In unique circumstances other radionuclides (like Po-210) may contribute radiation doses through the food ingestion pathway. Although the deliberate act to contaminate food or water supplies with radioactive materials it is unlikely (though not impossible), there is a need to co-operate with radiological experts and media specialists to quickly assess the potential medical impact of such acts and provide public information to alleviate fears in the potentially affected public. There is also a need to develop a plan, at the national level, to monitor a representative sample of the potentially affected population to confirm the health risk assessment and reassure the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the reasons behind kidney failures in pets. It states tat the melamine, a cheap protein substitute, had been used in place of wheat glutten and it was produced in China and exported to several countries. This was used in food for pets. It mentions that 5,300 different pet food products were recalled during the crisis, and it was a crisis in U.S. Many pet owners decided that tit was safer to prepare their own food for their dogs.

An encyclopedia entry for "testing methods" is presented. The monitoring of potential bacterial contamination is an essential element of the food manufacturing industry. It entails the sampling of particular foods on a regular basis as part of a sampling programme, the growing of organisms from these samples under laboratory conditions and eventual assessment of the bacterial status of the samples. A number of physical, biological, immunological and biochemical testing techniques are used, including radiometry, microcalorimetry and phage typing.

An encyclopedia entry for food hazard is presented. It refers to any physical, chemical or biological contamination of food that could harm the consumer. Common hazards associated with food and food products include moulds in meat and meat products, ropiness in bread caused by a specific bacillus which produces a moist slimy mass in the bread, and bacterial contamination in seafoods.

The article provides information and scientific evidence on the susceptibility of children to environmental risk factors and the effects of the factors on children's health. One of the reasons of the susceptibility of children to environmental risk factors is the tendency of children to absorb more chemicals in the intestines than adults. It says that gastrointestinal and other infectious foodborne diseases are the main risk for children's health from biological food contamination.

Chapter 5 of the book "HAACP & Sanitation in Restaurants and Food Service Operations: A Practical Guide Based on the FDA Food Code With Companion CD-ROM," by Lora Arduser and Douglas Robert Brown is presented. It explores various processes on how to prepare, hold, serve, and reheat food. It outlines guidelines during food preparation such as sanitized utensils and clean hands. It also provides tips on how to protect food from cross-contamination.

Chapter 2 of the book "HAACP & Sanitation in Restaurants and Food Service Operations: A Practical Guide Based on the FDA Food Code With Companion CD-ROM," by Lora Arduser and Douglas Robert Brown is presented. It explores several factors that affect food-borne diseases which include inadequate cooking, inappropriate hot storage, and cross-contamination. It outlines tips on how to control the growth and replication of bacteria in food. It cites various temperature control and monitoring devices.

Chapter 10 of the book "How to Open a Financially Successful Coffee, Espresso & Tea Shop" is presented. It discusses the basic methods and procedures that should be practiced for the control of food and beverage contamination, the avoidance of infectious disease proliferation, and the personal safety practices in the U.S. It suggests tearoom management to provide their employees with proper training, knowledge, and tools for teh establishment and practice of raw material handling.

Chapter 2 of the book "Food & Health in Europe" is presented. It discusses factors associated with the safety and control of food supplies. It highlights the causes of foodborne diseases, including chemical and biological contaminants and natural toxins. The chapter also explores the prevalence of and trends in foodborne disease in Europe.

Chapter 1 of the book "Helminth Control in School-Age Children" is presented. It notes that more than 2000 million have been affected worldwide by soil-transmitted helminth (STH) and schistosome. STH and schistosome can affect the nutritional status, cognitive processes, cause complications that need surgical intervention and induce reactions in the tissues. Humans can be infected by ingesting inefective eggs on contaminated food and penetration of infective larva in skin.

This report discusses the health implications of acrylamide in food. It evaluates the various methods of analysis to test for acrylamide in foodstuffs and food ingredients, including extraction, gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. It discusses the formation and fate of acrylamide in food as well as the absorption, metabolism, distribution, and excretion of acrylamide in the human body. The toxicology of acrylamide is also discussed.

Chapter 3 of the technical report "Evaluation of Certain Mycotoxins in Food" is presented. It discusses the metabolism and toxicity of several mycotoxins including aflatoxins, fumonisins and ochratoxin A, as well as the potential risks associated with their intake. It also discusses the methods for analyzing mycotoxins and the methods for the prevention and control of mycotoxin formation.

Chapter 2 of the technical report "Evaluation of Certain Mycotoxins in Food" is presented. It mentions the international organizations that are involved in the validation of analytical methods used in collaborative studies. It discusses the importance of collecting representative samples in studies about mycotoxin contamination in food and the main approaches for the prevention and control of mycotoxin formation.

Chapter 5 of the book "Evaluation of Certain Food Additives & Contaminants" is presented. It discusses various food contaminants. It provides information on the substances 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol and 1,3-dichloro-2-propanol that were evaluated by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives. It also presents a summary of toxicological studies concerning the intake of 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol.

Chapter 2 of the report "Evaluation of Certain Food Additives & Contaminants" is presented. It discusses the general considerations made at the fifty-sixth Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives meeting. It discusses the tasks of the committee that were set on the basis of a recommendation made at its fifty-fifth meeting. It also mentions the principles for the safety evaluation of chemicals in food.

An encyclopedia entry for "high risk foods" is presented. These are foods, typically with a high moisture and protein content, that are at particular risk of contamination by bacterial spoilage or the action of pathogens. These foods will, under favourable conditions, support the growth of pathogenic bacteria. High risk foods include meat, fish, eggs and prepared products, as well as soft cheeses, smoked and cured fish, and prepared vegetable salads.

An encyclopedia entry for "food contamination" is presented. The possibility food contamination can arise at any stage of the food manufacturing process, such as contaminated raw materials or inadequate levels of personal hygiene. The classification of sources of food contamination include physical, chemical and biological sources. Particular focus is given to microbiological contamination.

An encyclopedia entry on a range of diseases and ill-health conditions that can be transmitted by food as a result of contamination is presented. The three classification such as physical contamination, chemical contamination and biological contamination are explained. The acute and chronic ill-health symptoms experienced by people exposed to the contamination are listed.

An encyclopedia entry for "Provisions applicable to foodstuffs" is presented. It refers to Chapter IX of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. The provisions applicable to foodstuffs have something to do with the storage of raw materials and all ingredients stored in a food business in appropriate conditions designed to prevent harmful deterioration and protect them from being contaminated.

An encyclopedia entry for "Refuse storage and disposal" is presented. One of the main cause of food contamination and infestation by animals such as rodents and birds is low standards of refuse storage and disposal. It is asserted that refuse storage areas should have permanent water supply as well as access to a drainage system.

A definition of the term "Pesticides" is presented. It refers to several groups of chemical compounds designed to kill pests such as crawling and flying insects, birds, rodents, weeds in growing crop, mites, moulds and fungi. Pesticides may also be present in foods due to contamination of natural water supplies and soil after their use on growing crops.

An encyclopedia entry for "personal hygiene" is presented. Requirements with respect to personal hygiene are included in Chapter VIII of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004. These requirements include the need for persons working in a food handling area to maintain a high degree of personal cleanliness and should wear suitable, clean and, when necessary, protective clothing and no person suffering from, or being a carrier of a disease, is to be permitted to handle food or enter any food handling area if there is any likelihood of contamination.

An encyclopedia entry for "Meat" is presented. Meat includes beef, pork, mutton, lamb and poultry. They have high protein content, but are classified as high risk foods because of possible bacterial contamination. It is advised that raw meat be separately stored in a refrigerator prior to cooking to prevent cross-contamination. Signs that meat is contaminated include abnormal color and odor, phosphorescence and surface slime.

An encyclopedia entry about foreign bodies is presented. It refers to a form of physical contamination commonly seen in a broad range of both raw and processed foods. Examples of typical foreign bodies are raw materials, food ingredients, packaging materials, infestation, returnable food containers, structural elements and cleaning materials.

An encyclopedia entry about food waste is presented. According to Chapter VI of Annex II to Regulation No. 852/2004 on hygiene of foodstuffs, food waste, non-edible by-products and other refuse should be removed from rooms where food is located in order to avoid their accumulation. Following the Community legislation, all waste is to be eliminated in a hygienic and environmentally friendly way.

An encyclopedia entry for food poisoning or food-borne illnesses is presented. The World Health Organisation defines food-borne illnesses as diseases, usually either infectious or toxic in nature, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion of food. Food poisoning is an acute illness of sudden onset that results from the ingestion of contaminated food or food which may contain some form of poisonous agent.

A definition of the term "extrinsic contamination" is presented. It refers to the contamination arising from sources other than the raw food itself, namely external sources of contamination, such as foreign bodies. Food can be exposed to extrinsic contamination from items such as glass particles, wood splinters, hairs, small personal items, rodent droppings, dead insects, cigarette ends, plastic items and metal objects falling from badly-contaminated plant and equipment during manufacturing and catering processes.

An encyclopedia entry for "Clostridium perfringens" is presented. It refers to an anaerobic bacterium commonly associated with meat and meat dishes, including rolled joints of beef, stews and other meat dishes which have gone through a long slow cooking and storage process. Bacterial contamination may be acquired from excreta, raw meat and poultry, and from soil.

A definition of the term "Contamination" is presented. It refers to presence in food of contaminants or the process of contaminating food. The also refers to the presence or introduction of a hazard.

An encyclopedia entry for "cold holding/service" is presented. Cold food should be contained in shallow cold holding containers that can keep cold foods at 5°Centigrade (C) or lower when it is being held for service. A calibrated thermometer can be used to measure internal food temperatures. Covers or food shields protect cold food from contamination.

An encyclopedia entry about "Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Risk Categorisation of Food Premises" is presented. The British institute assesses five major food premises: preparation premises, retail premises, manufacturing premises, storage premises and packers. Those with high risk level are hotels, restaurants, cafes and market stalls. Those with medium or low risk level are agricultural enterprises, fish vans and milk processing facilities.

A definition of the term "chemical contamination of food" is presented. It refers to chemicals that can cause contamination of food resulting in chemical food poisoning. Chemicals can be carefully control in several ways including the provision of information, instruction and training, in particular, to cleaners and pest control staff. Ensure that any process involving chemicals follows the procedures outlined by the manufacturers in their safety data, including the correct dilution of cleaning agents and their application to surfaces.

An encyclopedia entry about dressing rooms in food production premises is presented. Food production premises should have adequate space where employees could change clothes to wear special clothing for the purposes of work. Changing facilities should be near workrooms and eating facilities. It should also have adequate seats and shower rooms.

An encyclopedia entry for the term "Canned goods" is presented. The room temperature at which canned foods should be stored should be kept between 10 to 15 °C. Can leakages can be a source of contamination, particularly if the water used to cool the can after processing sucked in. Storing canned goods in moist atmosphere should be avoided, as it may cause rust to develop.

An entry for "salmonellosis" is presented. It is a gastroenteric infection caused by consumption of inadequately heated contaminated food. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps.

Further information on food additives and contaminants that were discussed in the report "Evaluation of Certain Food Additives and Contaminants" is presented.

Chapter 7 of the report "Evaluation of Certain Food Additives & Contaminants" is presented. It offers information on the recommendations that the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives has agreed upon. It mentions that the committee acknowledged the need to hold a meeting annually to assess food additives and contaminants. It states that a clear definition of "flavoring agent" has not been elaborated by the committee.

Chapter 6 of the report "Evaluation of Certain Food Additives & Contaminants" is presented. It offers information on the tasks that the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Food Additives has agreed to pursue in its future meetings. It mentions that the committee will discuss the risks arising from the proposed maximum limits for food contaminants. The chapter also discusses other recommendations made by the committee.

An encyclopedia entry for zoonoses, a group of diseases that are transmissible from animal to man, is presented. Humans can be infected by zoonoses through direct contact with infected animals and rodents. Zoones can also be transmitted through water and food contamination or through products of infected animals.

An encyclopedia entry for windows provisions in food service and handling businesses based on Regulation (EC) No. 582/2004 in Great Britain is presented. The regulation requires that windows and other openings are to be constructed for the purpose of preventing dirt accumulation. Windows that can be opened to the outside environment should be fitted with insect-proof screens and windows that would result in food contamination must remain closed during production.

A definition of the term "vehicle of contamination" is presented. It refers to any person, animal, bird, insect, substance or object that transmits contamination indirectly to food. According to the entry, some of the vehicles of contamination in food premises include dish cloths, wipers, the hands and clothing of food handlers, rodents, crawling and flying insects.

An encyclopedia entry for "smoking hazards" is presented. Under Great Britain's food safety laws, it is an offence for a food handler to smoke while handling food or when inside a food room. Hand-to-mouth contamination being passed to high risk foods is the principal hygiene risk during food preparation.

An encyclopedia entry for the term "Separation" is presented. In food safety, separation is considered as one of the basic principles of food protection. Physical separation of food protects it from bacterial and other forms of contamination. It includes separation of raw food from processed or cooked food and separation of dirty areas from clean areas where the final food product is assembled and packed.

An encyclopedia entry for "Safer Food Better Business" is presented. It refers to a program by the Food Standards Agency in Great Britain that created food safety management packs which will assist businesses to conform with regulations. Small retail businesses, including convenience stores and confectioners, that sell food are provided specific guidance. The packs focus on various issues including chilling, cross-contamination and management.

A definition of the term "Physical contamination" is presented. It refers to most forms of foreign body found in food, such as metal staples, nuts, bolts, screws, string and plastic items. This represents inadequate control of certain operations including unpacking of containers and housekeeping procedures and waste storage. There may also be evidence of malicious tampering with food.

An encyclopedia entry for "perfumes and toiletries" is presented. Food handlers should be prohibited from using perfumes and strong-smelling toiletries like an after-shave, because it could contaminate certain products, such as milk and milk products. Many products are susceptible to this form of chemical contamination.

An encyclopedia entry for "Onset period" is presented. It is the period of time in between consumption of a contaminated food and the initial symptoms of illness. It is also known as incubation period.