Which type of food safety hazard involves living organisms?

Biological hazards are classified as food safety hazards that involve living organisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. These pathogens can contaminate food and, when ingested, can cause foodborne illnesses in humans. Common examples include Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes, which can lead to severe health problems if food safety practices are not properly implemented.

While chemical hazards refer to harmful substances that may contaminate food products, such as pesticides or cleaning agents, and physical hazards involve foreign objects like metal shavings or glass fragments that can cause injury, these do not involve living organisms. Environmental hazards pertain to factors like pollutants in the environment that could affect food but also do not deal with living microorganisms. Thus, biological hazards are uniquely focused on the risk posed by living organisms in food products, highlighting their significant role in food safety.