TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgements         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Contents  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     Food Contamination        –         –         –         –         –         –         3

2.1     Food Safety –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         6

2.2     Management of Food Borne Diseases  –         –         –         –         7

2.3     Therapeutic Management of Food Diseases   –         –         –         9

2.4     Common Causes of Food Borne Diseases      –         –         –         12

2.4.1  Staphylococcus aureus    –         –         –         –         –         –         12

2.4.2  Salmonella   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         13

2.4.3  Clostridium perfringens   –         –         –         –         –         –         15

2.4.4  Campylobacter jejuni      –         –         –         –         –         –         15

2.4.5  Shigella sonnei      –         –         –         –         –         –         –         16

2.4.6  E. coli          -­­         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         17

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     Prevention of Foodborne Diseases       –         –         –         –         20

3.1     Food Storage         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         20

3.2     Food Cooking        –         –         –         –         –         –         –         22

3.3     Cross- Contamination      –         –         –         –         –         –         24

3.4     Hand-washing       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         25

3.5     Waste Management         –         –         –         –         –         –         26

3.6     Pets    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         27

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     Summary and Conclusion

4.1     Summary     –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         28

4.2     Conclusion  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         28

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

Generally, the environment is considered safer indoors than outdoors. Many European data show that people feel safe in their homes. Therefore, the perception of risk in these cases in underestimated (European Commission, 2006).

Currently, domestic injuries and infectious diseases show high levels of morbidity in this setting. In particular, gastrointestinal and skin infections, due to new pathogens and the increase of immune- compromised subjects have a significant impact on industrialized countries in terms of incidence (Montagna et al., 2006) and indirect costs (e.g. need of emergency social care, absence from work) (Scott et al., 2010). In addition, several national and international studies show alarming levels of contamination in domestic water that can lead to serious respiratory infections (Borella et al., 2004).

The task towards prevention is fundamental; the international Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH) has shown that many diseases, especially those related to the consumption of contaminated or poorly preserved food, can be significantly reduced if proper hygiene practices are followed (Bloomfield et al., 2008). During the last few years, the Ministry of Health has promoted many campaigns in Italy. However, violations of these procedures have been reported not only because of lack of knowledge, but also for lack of motivation to correct their own behaviours.

Indeed, knowing certain rules does not necessarily lead to proper behavior (e.g. proper handling of food, frequent hand-washing, proper disposal of waste) because at home there are often the elderly and the children, who are less careful and more exposed to risk. This paper analyze the main risks related to household food consumption and highlights some recommendations, which although reported in nutrition- related programs carried out in the last decades, are still widely disregarded.