Understanding Water Contamination

The world’s population is said to reach 9.8 billion by 2050. This growth will create a higher demand in crops and livestock, thus increasing the importance of food safety procedures in the food and beveragem industry. Therefore, not only is it crucial for farms, food processing companies, warehouses, and even groceries to understand how and where contamination occurs, but also how to detect and limit contaminants. Sources of contamination can vary greatly ; from an employee’s hygiene to contaminated soil or even sick animals.

One of the most important and often overlooked sources of contamination can be water.

Water is used in multiple forms at many steps of food processing, which makes it likely to contaminate food products. The agriculture industry is the principal consumer of freshwater. In 2013, it was estimated that 1,600 million cubic metres of water were usedfor agriculture in Canada alone. This is about 80% of the water withdrawn from Canadian water sources. Water containing foreign matter can carry and transmit diseases with undesirable symptoms. If this water was ingested through produce or livestock, consumers could potentially be at risk. Every year, approximately 485,000 deaths worldwide are due to diarrhoeal disease caused by impure drinking water. This stresses the importance of testing water in farms, processing plants, warehouses, etc.

Important contaminants include heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), phthalates, nitrogen, pesticides, organic compounds and even pathogens. Pathogens are microorganisms that can cause diseases with dreadful symptoms. The main types of pathogenic microorganisms associated with foodborne illnesses are bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Bacteria that proliferate in water include common pathogens such as E. Coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Shigella spp. As for protozoa, common species associated with waterborne diseases in Canada are Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts can survive for extended periods of time even in water with high concentrations of salt. They are also known to withstand diverse environmental stresses, includingfreezing temperatures.

« Water can contaminate produce at any stage of the agricultural and food processes. »

Water can come from different sources such as municipal water supplies, open sources (e.g. lakes) or underground sources, each presenting unique factors that may influence water quality. For instance, local water may become contaminated due to pipe breakage or by compound precipitation (e.g. calcium carbonate which may favor microorganism growth conditions). Open sources are possibly the most subjected to changes due to environmental events (e.g. heavy rainfalls). Therefore, monitoring changes more frequently, especially following such events, becomes essential. As for underground water, quality may also be impacted by surface water that could pick up contaminants in soil and end up in the facility, or worst, in the end product. Understanding the source of water used and the possible adverse events that may compromise water quality is fundamental in order to plan adequate sampling an analysis programmes.

Water can contaminate produce at any stage of the agricultural and food processes. It is found in conspicuous places, such as part of the product, as an ingredient, but also at inconspicuous places, such as in the fire sprinkler system. Contamination can occur before harvesting, through irrigation water, dwells, dugouts or runoffs ; that can contaminate sources of water near the farm. Water is further used to dilute herbicides, pesticides, and chemicals applied to spray produce or to clean and sanitize equipment. In addition, contamination can occur post-harvesting, for instance during storage, washing, packing, chilling or even heating of the product, if contaminated water or ice is used. It may also occur during the manufacturing process, at any step where contaminated water could have affected handwashing stations and therefore jeopardize employees’ hygiene. Water can affect livestock, not only produce. Animals may drink contaminated water and get infected themselves. Although animals usually have a better tolerance to pathogens than humans, high enough concentrations can affect them just as well. Introduction of a new pathogen can also spread rapidly through the herd and cause serious diseases. While most contaminants will not be fatal to the animal, they could affect their growth, induce lactation or provoke reproductive problems.

These are all reasons why water quality is a critical aspect of the food industry. A risk assessment approach and a preventative control plan (PCP) are the best ways to prevent waterborne contaminations from occurring. These approaches require controlled measures and routine monitoring forcontaminants as stated by the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR)1. PCPs are important in order to monitor, maintain and verify the efficiency of operations and always keep abreast of any changes or risks. As mentioned above, depending on the source and the use of the water (e.g. whether it is used for washing, fluming or sanitation) testing frequency and locations may differ. Sampling is important for classification of water and to assess any fluctuation in its quality. For example, following CFIA guidelines2, water that comes in direct contact with foods should be monitored and analysed no less than once a month. In food facilities, testing different locations is equally important, since buildings may have different entry points and sources of water. Additionally, if water treatment is required, then testing should be performed before and after treatment. Testing should also be done to verify that water is changed frequently during processing, washing, and to control concentrations of sanitizers.

Sampling is a big part of making sure that not only contaminated products are discovered and intercepted before their release, but to prevent contamination from ever happening, consequently saving millions of dollars in casualties. That is why choosing the best sampling products is of great importance. When selecting them, characteristics of the samples should be taken into consideration. In water, chlorine is the most common disinfectant used for potable water in order to reduce or eliminate microorganisms that could be harmful to human consumption. This is very desirable in potable water but could have adverse results on microbial testing, since this could create false negatives, thus the importance of neutralising chlorine at the sampling site using for instance thiosulfate.

Labplas is committed to provide the best sampling solutions to professionals and manufacturers in order to meet the highest industry standards. That is why, Labplas is proud to introduce the new Twirl’em Ecolo Water Sampling Kit made of biodegradable plastic. They are simple to use in different settings and can be found in different sizes for different volume requirements. Their protective barrier guarantees sterility and their active sodium thiosulfate ensures precise and accurate results. This new product not only helps you protect people’s health but also the environment.

1 Refer to timelines and business types:
https://www.inspection.gc.ca/food-safety-for-industry/
timelineseng/1528199762125/1528199763186

2 To see the CFIA Guidelines, please visit:
https://www.inspection.gc.ca/preventivecontrols/
preventive-control-plans/water-for-use-in-thepreparation-
of-food/eng/1511377944601/151137794508