Food Poisoning From Coffee

 

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 By Kimberly Schaub

 

 

Kimberly Schaub is a nutritionist, writer, and cook whose passions have led from serving in the United States Air Force (2005-2006), to R&D for Day by Day Gourmet (2009) and into professional writing for publications since 2006. She has been published in Pepperdine's "Graphic," "That's Natural in Pueblo," and "Pike Place Market News." Schaub earned her Bachelor of Science in nutrition at Pepperdine.

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit coffee and coffee-beans image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com

Food safety is an important issue, but coffee is an unusual source of food poisoning. However, while most food professionals are more concerned with meat, dairy and cooked foods, coffee can become contaminated with ochratoxin and mold. Milk and creamers used to flavor coffee drinks can also transmit food-borne illnesses.

Sources

ServSafe, FDA's food safety guidelines, states that foods that contain carbohydrates or protein, such as meat, poultry, dairy and eggs are at risk for causing illnesses. However, ServSafe emphasizes that any food can be contaminated and be a carrier for bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi that will cause illness. Foods previously not considered sources of food illness include sliced melons, cut tomatoes, sprouts and untreated flavored oil mixes. In addition, corn, peanuts, cottonseed, milk, treenuts and coffee beans are potential sources for fungi contamination.

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Toxins and Molds

According to ServSafe, fungi mostly spoil food without causing illness, and they can be found in air, soil, plants, water and some foods. Some molds produce aflatoxin, which can cause liver disease. According to Food Safety Watch, toxicity of aflatoxin results in necrosis and cirrhosis of the liver. Coffee is a potential host for aflatoxin-producing molds because it is grown in tropical climates, where there is higher humidity and more rainfall. Coffee can also be a source of ochratoxin, another toxin produced by fungi, that can cause severe illness or even death. Our Food states that this dangerous toxin cannot be destroyed by cooking, and mortality is high if a person consumes the toxin.

Considerations

The incidence of mold developing in food is increased when food is improperly harvested and dried. This is particularly the case with coffee, because the humid climate in which coffee naturally grows can slow adequate drying. In humans, toxicity is rare, but there have been documented cases of people becoming ill due to consuming contaminated food, according to Food Safety Watch. Our Food suggests that low level contamination is fairly common, but the levels found have been below the legal limits.

Dairy-related Food Poisoning

Bacterial contamination is the most typical cause of dairy-related food-borne illnesses. According to ServSafe, bacteria can cause gastroenteritis, listeriosis and salmonellosis. When the bacteria infect the food, they rapidly reproduce when the environmental conditions are ideal. They thrive in room temperature foods and in contaminated, unpasteurized dairy products. They can also be transferred to other foods that would not naturally host the bacteria. People can be at risk if contaminated milk is used to make coffee drinks.

Safe Handling and Storing

Carefully handling coffee and milk products can keep food safe and prevent food-borne illness. ServSafe, which complies with state regulations, recommends keeping milk at 41 degrees F or colder. When heating milk and coffee, the beverage should be heated to above 140 degrees F. Make sure to adhere to the expiration dates and discard expired milk. The FDA states that the shelf-life for coffee in unopened containers is up to one year, and once opened can last two to three months at room temperature. If you refrigerate your coffee, you shorten the shelf-life, and it will last only two or three weeks, but frozen coffee can last up to four months.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/157213-food-poisoning-from-coffee/#ixzz2VuCclHNk