Introduction
For a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan to work well, it is important to first identify and understand all possible food safety risks. To help with this key step, we have created several detailed hazard analysis tables that cover a wide range of contaminants.
The information below focuses specifically on zoonoses (biological hazards). A zoonosis is an infectious disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans. These pathogens can enter the food supply, posing a risk to consumer health through ingestion, or they can present an occupational hazard, infecting staff who handle live animals or raw animal products.
The hazard table provided gives a complete overview of this category, showing potential zoonotic agents, their transmission routes (foodborne vs. direct contact), effective prevention strategies, and listing the critical control points and checks needed for their management.
Because the table contains a lot of detailed information spread across many columns, it is best to download the file to see it properly.
What are Zoonoses?
A zoonosis is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. This category includes bacteria (like Salmonella), parasites (such as Trichinella), and viruses (like Hepatitis E).
These pathogens can impact safety in two distinct ways:
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Foodborne transmission: The consumer ingests the pathogen via contaminated meat, milk, eggs, or produce fertilized with manure.
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Occupational transmission: Staff working in abattoirs, farms, or processing plants may become infected through direct contact with infected animals, hides, or blood (e.g., Brucellosis, Q-fever).
To protect both consumers and workers, the food industry employs strict control measures. These include veterinary health checks at the farm level, strict abattoir hygiene, thermal processing (cooking/pasteurization), and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff. Government agencies set strict safety limits, such as Microbiological Criteria, to ensure products are safe. Through these diligent controls and comprehensive regulations, the health risk from zoonotic hazards is managed effectively.
iMIS Food - Biological Hazards - Food-Related Zoonoses Table
| Disease | Microorganism | Origin + Food Products |
Health Effects | Infection Dose | Incidence (NL) | Prevention & Control | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bovine Tuberculosis | Mycobacterium bovis | Origin: Infected cattle (lungs, udder). Route: Ingestion, aerosols. Food: Unpasteurised (raw) milk. |
Tuberculosis: Chronic systemic disease, affecting lungs, lymph nodes, bones, or GI tract. | Low | Rare (Officially TB Free). | ∙ Pasteurisation of milk. ∙ Test-and-slaughter programs for cattle. |
Historic driver for milk safety. |
| Brucellosis | Brucella spp. | Origin: Sheep, goats, cattle. Route: Ingestion. Food: Imported unpasteurised milk/cheese. |
Brucellosis: Undulant fever, night sweats, joint pain, chronic fatigue. | Low | Rare (Imported cases). | ∙ Pasteurisation of milk. ∙ Import controls. ∙ Testing herds. |
Major occupational risk in endemic regions. |
| Campylobacteriosis | Campylobacter spp. | Origin: Poultry, cattle, pigs. Route: Fecal-oral. Food: Undercooked poultry, raw milk. |
Gastroenteritis: Fever, bloody diarrhoea. Risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). | Low | High (Endemic). | ∙ Thorough cooking of poultry. ∙ Strict kitchen hygiene. ∙ Farm biosecurity. |
Most common bacterial foodborne infection. |
| Hepatitis E | Hepatitis E Virus | Origin: Pigs, wild boar. Route: Ingestion. Food: Raw/undercooked pork liver, sausages. |
Hepatitis: Liver inflammation, jaundice, fatigue. Chronic in immunocompromised. | Low | Increasing (Emerging). | ∙ Heat treatment of liver products. ∙ General hygiene. |
Virus survives curing and drying. |
| Listeriosis | Listeria monocytogenes | Origin: Environment, livestock. Route: Ingestion. Food: RTE foods (fish, cheese, meats). |
Invasive: Meningitis, sepsis. Pregnancy: Miscarriage, stillbirth. | Variable | Low (High severity). | ∙ Factory hygiene (biofilm control). ∙ Shelf-life management. ∙ Vulnerable groups avoiding risk foods. |
Grows at refrigeration temperatures. |
| Q-Fever | Coxiella burnetii | Origin: Goats, sheep. Route: Aerosols, milk. Food: Raw milk, raw milk cheese. |
Q-Fever: Flu-like, pneumonia, hepatitis. Chronic endocarditis. | Very Low | Low (Post-epidemic). | ∙ Pasteurisation of milk. ∙ Animal vaccination. |
Highly heat-resistant. |
| Salmonellosis | Salmonella spp. | Origin: Livestock, reptiles. Route: Fecal-oral. Food: Eggs, poultry, meat, chocolate. |
Gastroenteritis: Fever, cramps, diarrhoea. Sepsis in vulnerable groups. | Low/Moderate | Moderate (Endemic). | ∙ Pasteurisation of egg products. ∙ Cooking meat. ∙ Kitchen hygiene. |
Persists in dry environments. |
| STEC Infection | E. coli (STEC/VTEC) | Origin: Cattle. Route: Fecal contamination. Food: Undercooked beef, raw milk, sprouts. |
Haemorrhagic colitis: Bloody diarrhoea. HUS: Acute kidney failure. | Very Low | Low (High severity). | ∙ Thorough cooking of beef. ∙ Pasteurisation of milk. ∙ Testing of risk crops. |
Acid-tolerant. |
| Yersiniosis | Yersinia enterocolitica | Origin: Pigs. Route: Fecal-oral. Food: Raw/undercooked pork. |
Gastroenteritis: Fever, right-sided abdominal pain. Sequelae: Arthritis. | High | Moderate (Declining). | ∙ Hygienic slaughter. ∙ Thorough cooking of pork. |
Psychrotrophic (grows in fridge). |
Comprehensive compliance with iMIS Food
Please note that the hazard tables provided here are for informational purposes and serve as a general guide. iMIS Food Compliance offers significantly more detailed and robust hazard analyses that are essential for full regulatory compliance. For more information on our complete food safety solutions or to request a consultation, please get in touch via email or visit the following page
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