Physical Food Hazards 101

Food hazards are anything that can contaminate food and make it usafe.

Physical food hazards are one of the three main types of food hazards, the others being biological and chemical.

This article explains everything you need to know about physical food hazards, including what they are and they occur and spread.

What are physical food hazards?

A physical food hazard is any foreign object in food that can cause an illness or injury.

Examples of physical food hazards include:

• hair
• bandages
• jewelry
• staples
• metal shavings and other pieces of food equipment

Bones — while naturally occuring — are also a type of physical food hazard.

These items can cut, choke, or otherwise physically injure someone.

Insects and other pests are another example of a physical food hazards, but because they often carry disease-causing organisms known as pathogens, they can also represent a biological food hazards.

How physical food hazards occur spread

There are several ways through which physical food hazards occur and spread.

One of the most common way is through poor personal hygiene.

Follow these good personal hygiene practices to prevent physical food hazards:

• keep you fingernails trimmed, filed, and maintained so the edges are smooth
• avoid fingernail polish and artificial nails, unless you wear single-use gloves at all times
• avoid certain pieces of jewelry such as bracelets, watches, and rings, unless the ring is a plain wedding band
• wear clean outer clothing, and if possible, change into your work clothes at work
• remove your apron when leaving food preparation areas
• avoid chewing gum while in the kitchen
• wear a hair restraint, such as hat, hair covering or net, or beard restraint
• cover bandages on your wrist, hand, or finger with a single-use glove

Cooking equipment can also be a form of physical food contamination, so always monitor the condition and replace when worn, chipped, or cracked.

A good pest control program and other pest prevention methods like air curtains, and keeping the outside garbage area clean and the lid closed, will deter pests, another common type of physical food hazard.

Other types of food hazards

As with physical food hazards, it’s important to be aware of the other types of food hazards and how to prevent them.

Biological food hazards

Biological food hazards relate to disease-causing organisms called pathogens.

The four main types of biological food hazards or pathogens include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Of these, bacteria and viruses are responsible for most foodborne illnesses cases and outbreaks.

Here are things you can do to prevent biological food hazards:

• properly wash your hands often
• cook food to the proper internal temperature
• label and store foods safely
• clean and sanitize food contact surfaces between uses
• avoid bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food
• cool foods safely
• hold food at the proper temperature
• let your manager know when you’re sick

Chemical food hazards

Chemical food hazards are any chemical agent that can contaminate food like cleaning agents or pest control products.

Food allergens, toxins produced by certain species of fish, shellfish, and mushrooms, as well as heavy metals like copper, lead, and mercury that leach into foods are other examples of chemical food hazards.

Here are the best ways to prevent chemical food hazards:

• Store cleaning agents away from food and make sure the bottle is properly labeled according to its contents.
• Ideally, store pest control applications offsite and only use a qualified professional to apply them.
• Avoid cross-contact when preparing an allergen-free order.
• Purchase fish, shellfish, and mushrooms from approved sources.
• Avoid storing or cooking high acid foods like tomato sauce in copper cookware.
• Avoid serving highly susceptible populations, namely pregnant women and young children, fish that contain high levels of mercury, like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.

The bottom line

A physical food hazard is any foreign object that gets into food, such as hair, bandages, jewelry, pieces of cooking equipment, pests, and bones.

Understanding the various ways through which physical food hazards occur and spread allows you to establish and take preventative actions.

Knowing how to prevent the spread and developing of biological and chemical food hazards is also crucial for keeping your customers safe from foodborne illnesses.