Articles
Use of Chlorin in the Food Industry
Chlorine compounds are widely used in the food industry to kill bacteria and
disinfect. Examples include treating pasteurizer cooling water, washing
fruit and vegetables and disinfecting food contact surfaces.
Chlorine is usually combined with inorganic compounds, such as sodium or
calcium, to produce hypochlorites, which are effective disinfectants.
Chlorine mixed with sodium is a liquid bleach1 known as sodium
hypochlorite NaOCl. Chlorine mixed with calcium is usually in granular or
tablet form and is called calcium hypochlorite - Ca(OCL)2.
Chlorine may also be available as chlorine dioxide (ClO2).
However, hypochlorites are the most active of the chlorine compounds.
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GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT
AND HEALTH SURVEILLANCE OF FOOD HANDLERS
As in the rest of the
world, the debate continues in the RSA amongst health professionals and
public health authorities on the relative merits, costs and benefits of
health surveillance of food handling personnel by means of routine medical
examinations. There is no uniformity in the procedures adopted by
authorities requiring surveillance. Universally there is still uncertainty
as to whether, and under what circumstances, routine medical examinations
are cost effective in preventing or at least minimizing food contamination.
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Are foodstuffs derived from genetically
modified organisms safe?
Is present legislation
adequate to ensure safety? These are legitimate concerns in the minds of
many consumers. The
Directorate: Food Control of the Department of Health, as member of the
Executive Council for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in terms of the
GMO Act, 1997 (Act No. 15 of 1997) has a specific responsibility to ensure
food safety. The Directorate feels confident that foodstuffs developed from
genetically modified crops (GM-foods) approved in
South Africa
(maize, cotton, soybeans) are as safe as their conventional counterparts.
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Is TB increasing in the
workplace?
Yes, TB is increasing globally and more specifically in developing
countries. The Western Cape was dubbed as the TB capital prior to the advent
of HIV. Now with the era of HIV, TB is out of control. The World Health
Organization has stated that HIV as the biggest activator of TB and declared
TB as a Global Public Health Emergency in 1993, followed by the Western Cape
which declared TB as a Provincial Emergency in 1996. The other provinces in
South Africa are not far behind. These are all clear indicators that TB is
on the increase and the workplace is no exception, especially among the
unskilled and semi-skilled workers, which in many cases are food handlers.
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ISO 22000 for
safe food supply chains
ISO 22000, published during September 2005, is a new International Standard
designed to ensure safe food supply chains worldwide.
ISO 22000:2005, Food safety management systems – Requirements for any
organization in the food chain, provides a framework of
internationally harmonized requirements for the global approach that is
needed. The standard has been developed within ISO by experts from the food
industry, along with representatives of specialized international
organizations and in close cooperation with the Codex Alimentarius
Commission, the body jointly established by the United Nations’ Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to
develop food standards.
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