Chapter 1 - Microbial Foodborne Diseases

Abstract

Nutrients are necessary to maintain healthy life. The main causes of many diseases are associated with nutritional imbalances; therefore, the daily intake of nutrients is important. Besides foodborne diseases caused by nutritional deficiencies, excessive amounts of nutrients can also lead to side effects and toxicity. Foodborne diseases may result from the consumption of natural food toxins or contaminants, such as pathogenic microorganisms, bacterial and nonbacterial toxins, chemicals, or other substances. Several foods contain potentially harmful, naturally acquired plant and animal toxins. Some plants contain toxic substances: cyanogens, hydrazines, glucosinolates, coumarins, alkaloids, biogenic amines, oxalates, mushroom toxins, and grayanotoxin. The animal toxins include ciguatoxin, shellfish toxin, scombrotoxin, and tetrodotoxin. Many chemical contaminants, such as toxic chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers, as well as food additives and preservatives that are potentially toxic to humans, can be transferred to foods at many stages from production to consumption. These toxic substances are partly removed by technological processes. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the geriatric population, and immunocompromised persons are at high risk for foodborne diseases. While many diseases may be self-limiting, some of them can be very serious and even result in death.