1. Microorganisms,
Food Safety &
HACCP

2. What is a Microorganism?
• Microorganisms
(microbes) are
viruses, bacteria and
fungi
• They are too small to
be seen with the
naked eye, but can be
Image Credit: USDA
seen with a
microscope Photo by: Scott Bauer
• They are single celled
organisms

3. Where Do Microbes Live?
• Microbes live in the water you drink, the
food you eat, and the air you breathe.
• Right now, billions of microbes are
swimming in your belly and mouth, and
crawling on your skin!

4. Are Microbes Harmful?
• 95% of all microbes are
harmless
• Some are very beneficial to
humans
• Bacteria in people’s intestines
help to digest food
• Some harmless microbes
protect people by competing
with harmful microbes for Image Credit:
space www.microorganisms.com

5. How do Microbes Multiply?
• They multiply QUICKLY!
• Scientists often use scientific notation to
express their large numbers
Number Scientific
Notation
1 1x100
100 1x102
10,000 1x104
1,000,000 1x106

6. Some Common Harmful
Bacteria in Food
Name Where is it Disease/Result
found?
Salmonella Raw meats, Nausea,
poultry, dairy vomiting,
products,
diarrhea, fever
vegetables and
fruits
E.Coli 0157:H7 Raw and undercooked Abdominal pain,
ground beef, other red cramps, nausea,
meat, unpasteurized
milk, soft cheese,
vomiting, diarrhea,
fresh fruit and occasional fever
vegetables

7. Salmonella & E.Coli 0157:H7
Salmonella
E.Coli 0157:H7
Image Credit: EHA Consulting Group Inc.

8. Why are Space Scientists
Concerned about Microbes?
• Seven astronauts (each with
their own microbes) will be
living in small, air-tight space
for months or years
• Harmful microbes can
spread and make the crew
sick
• Aspects of spaceflight are
known to weaken the human
immune system
• Certain microbes can attack Image Credit: USDA
the materials and hardware
of the Station

9. What is NASA Doing to Eliminate
Harmful Microbes in Space?
• Testing each crewmate for infection
before launch
• Only healthy crew members are
allowed to fly in space

10. What About the Water and Air?
• Air, water and surfaces with
which crew members interact
must be kept clean
• All air in the space station
will pass through filters-High
Efficiency Particle Air
(HEPA) filters
• Water will be disinfected by a
machine called a Catalytic
Oxidator

11. Protecting Space Station
Materials
• Some harmful microbes can thrive on the
Space Station
• Eventually, they could eat away at the
Space Station material
Image Credit: NASA

12. Protection of the Space
Station Materials
• Humidity of the air will be kept low
• Astronauts will clean materials
• Paint with a fungus-killing chemical will be
used
Image Credit: NASA

13. How can we control microbial
growth here on Earth?

14. NASA Spin-offs
• Dozens of NASA Spin-offs have improved
our lives here on Earth
• In order to prevent bacterial contamination
in space, NASA hired Pillsbury to develop
a preventative food safety program
• Pillsbury developed the Hazard Analysis
and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
program

15. HACCP
• HACCP is designed to prevent food safety
problems rather than catch then after they
occur
• It includes seven principles
• It was adopted by the FDA in the1990’s

16. HACCP’s Seven Principles for
Food Safety
1. Analyze Hazards
2. Identify Critical Control Points

17. Principles 3 & 4
1. Establish Critical Limits for each Critical
Control Point
2. Establish Monitoring Procedures

18. Principles 5, 6 & 7
1. Establish Corrective
Actions
2. Establish Verification
Activities
3. Establish Records and
Documentation

19. What are some ways your could
implement HACCP Principles in
your home kitchen?