Ptomaine poisoning

Ptomaines are chemical compounds of an alkaloidal nature formed in protein substances during the process of putrefaction. Putrefaction is the biochemical process by which all protein matter is reduce to the inorganic state from whence it came, thus completing the life cycle.

Ptomaine poisoning, which occurs only rarely, is caused by compounds that are formed in advance stages of spoilage (the food is putrid), whereas most food poisonings are cause either by bacteria disease or by toxins produced in foods through bacterial growth. In many cases, foods that can cause illness have no outward signs of spoilage.

Most ptomaines are not poisonous, and it is unlikely that many people would eat foods decomposed to this extent. It is probable, therefore that ptomaine poisoning rarely occurs.

The term “ptomaine poisoning” was coined in 1870 to indicate poisoning by a class of chemicals found in totting food.
Ptomaine poisoning

Toxin spoilage

It was not until 1960, when the famous ‘Turkey X’ disease killed 100,000 turkey poults in Great Britain and various other disasters followed in rapid succession, that the Western world became aware that common spoilage moulds could produce significant toxins.

Food poisoning micro-organisms are called pathogens or pathogenic organisms. These produce toxins which are released into the food the organisms grow on.

The toxin can be either exotoxins, which are toxins, released into food by microorganisms during growth and before the food is eaten or endotoxins which are released by microorganisms eaten with contaminated food.’

In processing of food, there is possibility that the food may carry low numbers of pathogens, which could be insufficient to cause clinical symptoms but which could multiply at some later stage in the product life-cycle, especially under uncontrolled conditions in the home and cause food poising.

Ingestion of contaminated food due to the presence of poisons or toxicants causes food poisoning. Food poisonings may be classified onto four types depending on the type of poison contaminating the food:
 *Bacterial
*Fungal
*Biological
*Chemical

Botulism, the most serious form of bacterial food poisoning, is caused by neurotoxins produced by Clostridium botulinum. The toxins are absorbed from intestinal tract and transported via the circulatory system to motor nerve synapses, where their action blocks normal neural transmissions.
Toxin spoilage

The appearance of food spoilage

During storage and distribution, foods are exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions. Food spoilage occurs when products develop undesirable odors, flavors and appearances due to microbial growth.

Quite often, the evidence of microbial growth is easily visible as in the case of slime formation, cotton-like network of mold growth, iridescence greening in cold cuts and in cooked sausage, and even discrete large colonies of bacteria. Food spoilage also produces undesirable aromas and color defects.  

In liquid such as juice, microbial spoilage is often manifest by the development a cloudy appearance or curd formation.

Spoiled food, such as moldy bread, soured milk or bad fish may not cause any harm or illness if consumed.

On the other hand, if food is contaminated with pathogenic bacteria then a potentially dangerous food poisoning may occur.
The appearance of food spoilage