PODCAST 19: PREVENTING BACTERIAL TOXINS IN FOOD PRODUCTS

When consumers shop for food, food safety is rarely at the top of their mind, because they see it as a ‘given’. Clearly, all food on the market must be safe and it is up to producers to ensure this.

 But the risk of contamination runs through the entire food production chain: from raw materials and ingredients, to formulation and processing, and on to the finished product. Some microbial contaminants are pathogenic and cause foodborne infection.

Others produce toxins in foods – which can be just as dangerous as a food manufacturer, preventing outbreaks of food-borne illness is key: a health issue linked to your product can have serious repercussions for your company, your reputation and your brand.

Marjon Wells-Bennik, NIZO’s Principal Scientist Food Safety, with over 20 years academic and industrial experience in food safety and microbiology, explains the dangers of bacterial toxins in food, and what food producers can do to minimize the risks.