As a nation of foodies, it may come as a surprise that not many of us know about the processes in place to ensure our food is safe.
Food safety seems like a guarantee, and is something that we are likely to take for granted. What many may not realise, however, is that food safety is closely intertwined with food security.
After all, it is not enough to ensure a continuous supply of food – the food must also be safe for consumption.
As a food microbiologist in SFA, Salwah Rashid is involved in running microbiological tests for a range of food samples. This includes imported raw meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables, processed food and food sold and manufactured by local food establishments.
What this entails is a series of tests on food samples to test for the presence of bacteria and viruses such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Norovirus in food. All this, to ensure that the food meets our food safety standards and are safe for consumption.
TOOL #1: Sterile techniques
As bacteria are ubiquitous in our environment, the aseptic technique is an essential skill set in the field of microbiology.
This involves disinfecting work surfaces regularly, wearing gloves and sterilising tools that come into contact with samples to prevent cross-contamination.
These may seem like simple tasks, but are crucial to minimise the risk of contamination that can compromise the accuracy of test results.
Processing the samples
As the bacteria present in a sample may not be at a level that is easily detected, special culture media such as enrichment broth and selective agar are used to prepare the samples.
The enrichment broth provides various nutrients to culture the bacteria to detectable levels, while the selective agar allows the target bacteria to grow while inhibiting the growth of other bacteria.
Once the selected bacteria have grown to detectable levels, further molecular or biochemical tests are done to ascertain their identities.
TOOL #2: Time management
Just like plants and animals, different bacteria survive in varying conditions. Some bacteria require high temperatures for incubation, and some take a longer duration to grow.
For a microbiologist like Salwah, this means she has to plan when and how to run the tests to allow the team to deliver accurate results in a timely manner.
Apart from running microbiological tests, Salwah also spends her time working on a surveillance and risk assessment programme of antimicrobial resistance in the food chain, such as running tests to determine the level of antibiotic resistance of bacteria in food. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria becomes resistant to antibiotics, rendering the treatment of diseases with these antibiotics ineffective.
Through these tests and the monitoring of antimicrobial resistance profile in common foodborne pathogens, we gain insight on the development of antibiotic resistance locally and develop the necessary measures to take to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Driven by passion
For Salwah, her decision to take on the role of a food microbiologist has largely been fuelled by her interest in food and science.
“I’ve always been passionate about food and science – from the biological, chemical and physical nature of food, it’s a cross-disciplinary area that covers all aspects of the food chain.
My past internships and research experiences through laboratory practical sessions have also allowed me to gain deeper insights into the food industry and played a part in shaping my interest in food science and technology.
With these experiences and knowledge that I’ve gained over the years, they’ve also given me a more concrete idea of what to expect from this field and the type of career I want.”
Keeping food safe
As new food safety risks emerge, it’s important that we continue to grow and strengthen our food science and technology capabilities.
“For example, in the context of microbiology, food science helps us to understand the nature of bacteria and viruses in food, and how we can prevent their growth using technology.
Through food science and technology, we can apply the knowledge from multiple disciplines to advance our food safety system, and ensure that the food we have is safe for consumption.”
For those who are keen to hone their skills in food safety like Salwah, a variety of contract work-and-train opportunities are available for fresh graduates and mid-career job seekers under the new
Work and Skills Immersion Programme. These are typically offered on a two-year basis, in key capability areas in the public sector.
For example, participants placed in SFA can hone their skills in food safety and business contingency planning, as well as food risk assessment and diagnostics.
Meaningful contributions
Having been with SFA for close to a year, the 24 year-old shares that she has had to manage her time with the high volume of samples that the laboratory has to test daily.
What motivates her is knowing that the work she does contributes towards ensuring food safety in Singapore.
The enjoyable part of what she does? “Running lab tests on various food samples because you never know what you may find!
Through my work, I also get to be exposed to different types of food every day. It could be popular food like bubble tea, essential food like infant formula, or even wild game meat like crocodile.”
The evolving nature of science also means that no one day is mundane for Salwah.
“Apart from learning new testing techniques, I also get to try my hand at various advanced technologies to test food samples. So, it’s always a continuous learning process for me.”