ABSTRACT
This chapter is based in large part on earlier reviews [1-3] and other contributions to the scientific literature [4, 5], but the text has been amended and expanded to include additional information.
The language of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) seems rather unequivocal whenever acts of adulteration by filth are mentioned [6-8]. One paragraph, 301(k), prohibits any act done to a food after shipment in interstate commerce that results in the food being adulterated. Another, 402(a)(1), declares “a food shall be
1. Cockroaches ..........................................................................................................................................74-8 2. Flies ......................................................................................................................................................74-8 3. Ants ......................................................................................................................................................74-9
I. Role of Pest Habits in Mechanical Transmission ........................................................................................74-9 1. Houseflies and Microbes ......................................................................................................................74-9 2. Larval Nutrition ....................................................................................................................................74-9 3. Behavior of Adult Houseflies..............................................................................................................74-10 4. Other Filth Flies ..................................................................................................................................74-10
J. Correlation of Pest Populations and Disease Incidence ............................................................................74-10 1. Flies and Outbreaks ............................................................................................................................74-10 2. Cockroaches and Outbreaks................................................................................................................74-10
K. Sampling Pathogens from Foods and Pests ..............................................................................................74-11 L. Role of Vectors in Mechanical Transmission ............................................................................................74-11
M. Role of Pantry Pests in Mechanical Transmission ....................................................................................74-11 1. Indianmeal Moth Larvae ....................................................................................................................74-11 2. Beetles ................................................................................................................................................74-11 3. Weevils ................................................................................................................................................74-12
N. New Policies to Meet New Risks ..............................................................................................................74-12 1. Risks: Old and New ............................................................................................................................74-12 2. Mechanical Transmission (Again) ......................................................................................................74-13 3. Insects and Mites in Food ..................................................................................................................74-13 4. FDA Policy on Filth in Food ..............................................................................................................74-13 5. A New Enforcement Strategy ............................................................................................................74-14 6. End of an Era ......................................................................................................................................74-14
VI. Hard and Sharp Foreign Objects in Food ..........................................................................................................74-14 A. Consumer Experience ................................................................................................................................74-14 B. Literature on Hard Objects in Food ..........................................................................................................74-15 C. Product Tampering ....................................................................................................................................74-15 D. Filth ............................................................................................................................................................74-15 E. Hard Objects Absent from the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act ..................................................................74-15 F. Defect Action Levels ................................................................................................................................74-15 G. The Processor’s Goal ................................................................................................................................74-16 H. Quality Assurance Procedures and Devices ..............................................................................................74-16 I. Ingestion and Inhalation of Foreign Objects ............................................................................................74-16
1. Food-Related Items ............................................................................................................................74-17 2. Hard and Sharp Foreign Objects in Food ..........................................................................................74-17 3. Review of Case Reports ....................................................................................................................74-18 4. The Food and Drug Administration Complaint Reporting System ..................................................74-19
J. HACCP, DALs and Hard Foreign Objects ................................................................................................74-19 VII. Conclusion: HACCP, SSOPs, Research ............................................................................................................74-19
A. HACCP ......................................................................................................................................................74-19 B. SSOPs ........................................................................................................................................................74-19 C. Foodborne Diseases ..................................................................................................................................74-19 D. Research ....................................................................................................................................................74-20
References ....................................................................................................................................................................74-20
sonous or deleterious substance which may render it injurious to health.” Still another, 402(a)(3), states that a food shall be deemed adulterated if it consists in whole or in part of any filthy, putrid, or decomposed substance or if it otherwise is unfit for food. The final example, from paragraph 402(a)(4), states that a food shall be deemed to be adulterated if it has been prepared, packed, or held under unsanitary conditions by which it may have been contaminated with filth, or by which it may have been rendered injurious to health [9].
