Food Safety

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Food Safety

• Carol S. Mitchell, PhD, RD, LDN
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension
• Wake County Center

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• Strengthen Food Safety Knowledge
• Provide Safe food from a clean sanitary
  environment

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• Foodborne Illness
• Illness carried or transmitted to people by food
• Foodborne-Illness Outbreak
• Incident in which two or more people experience
  the same illness after eating the same food

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The Costs of a Foodborne Illness

• Each year --- in the United States
• 76,000,000 sick
• 300,000 hospitalized
• 5,000 die
• Many people contract a foodborne illness and
• do not know it . therefore many go unreported

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• People at High Risk for Foodborne Illness
• Infants and preschool-age children
• Pregnant women
• Elderly people
• People taking certain medications
• People who are ill

1-5
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Potentially Hazardous Food

• Food Favoring the Rapid Growth of
  Microorganisms

Meat Beef, Pork, Lamb
Fish
Cooked Rice, Beans, or Other Heat-Treated Plant
Food
Milk and Milk Products
Eggs (except those treated to eliminate Salmonella
spp.)
Poultry
Shellfish and Crustacean
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Potentially Hazardous Food

• Foods Favoring Rapid Growth of Microorganisms

Baked Potatoes
Raw Sprouts and Sprout Seeds
Synthetic Ingredients, Such as Textured
Soy Protein in Meat Alternatives
Untreated Garlic-and-Oil Mixtures
Tofu or Other Soy-Protein Food
Sliced Melons
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Potentially Hazardous Foods

• Characteristics
• High Moisture content
• High in Protein
• Neutral or slightly acidic pH
• Examples
• Sandwiches/Salads
• Hot Food
• Sliced Melons
• Dairy Products-Milk Cheeses/Eggs
• Raw Meats Poultry
• Many foods that are handled and prepared
• (cook, chill, reheated)

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Potential Hazards to Food Safety

• Biological Hazards
• Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi
• Toxins
• Chemical Hazards
• Pesticides, food additives, cleaning supplies,
  toxic metals
• Physical Hazards
• Hair, dirt, metal staples, etc.

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How Food Becomes Unsafe

• Time-Temperature Abuse
• Cross-Contamination
• Poor Personal Hygiene

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Time-Temperature Abuse

• Any time food has been allowed to remain too
  long at temperatures favorable to the growth of
  foodborne microorganisms

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Cross-Contamination

• Microorganisms are transferred from one food or
  surface to another

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Center for Disease Control has Identified 5
common risk factors associated with foodborne
illness

• 1. Purchasing food from unsafe sources
• 2. Failing to cook food adequately
• 3. Holding food at improper temperatures
• 4. Using contaminated equipment
• 5. Poor personal hygiene

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Prevent Time and Temperature Abuse

• Transport /Storage of the Food
• Always use the freezer blanket when transporting
  food from the Food Bank
• Load food into refrigerators and freezers quickly
  upon arrival
• Do not leave PHF out of refrigeration.
• ( 30 minute rule a maximum of four hours total)
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed

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Prevent Time and Temperature Abuse

• Preparation of the Food
• Keep coolers set at 39F, and freezers at 0F.
• Check product temperatures regularly
• Cook hot foods properly before serving them

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Avoid Cross Contamination

• Wash hands prior to handling food.
• Store raw meats on the bottom shelves.
• Clean and sanitize utensils.
• Separate raw meats from ready-to-eat foods when
  bagging groceries. Do not allow meat to contact
  other foods.

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How Foodhandlers Contaminate Food

• When sick with foodborne illness
• When have symptoms of gastrointestinal illness
• Through infected wounds or cuts
• By touching anything that may contaminate their
  hands and then touching food

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• Behaviors That Can Contaminate Food

A
B
Touching a pimple or open sore Wearing a dirty
uniform Coughing or sneezing into the hand
Spitting in the establishment
E
Scratching the scalp Running fingersthrough
hair Wiping or touching the nose


Rubbing an ear
A
C
D
B
E
F
G
C
F
H
D
G
H
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Components of a Good Personal Hygiene Program

• Maintaining personal cleanliness
• Wearing proper work attire
• Following hygienic hand practices
• Avoiding unsanitary habits and actions
• Maintaining good health
• Reporting illnesses

4-5
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Handwashing

• Crucial to prevent foodborne illness
• Helps Prevents Cross contamination
• Helps prevent foodborne illness

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Foodhandlers must wash their hands after

• Handling chemicals that might affect food safety
• Taking out garbage
• Clearing tables or bussing dirty dishes
• Touching clothing or aprons
• Touching anything else that may contaminate
  hands, such as unsanitized equipment, work
  surfaces, or washcloths

4-9
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Hand Wash Sinks in Prep Areas and Restrooms

• Must have hot and cold running water
• Must have soap
• Must have paper towels or air dryer
• Must have a waste container
• Management must set the example
• Restrooms must be kept clean

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• Foodhandlers must not
• Smoke
• Chew gum or tobacco
• Eat or drink
• When
• Preparing or serving food
• Working in food-preparation areas
• Working in areas used to clean utensils and
  equipment

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Hand Sanitizers

• Must comply with Food and Drug Administration
  standards
• Should be used after handwashing (if used in the
  establishment)
• Must never be used in place of handwashing

4-7
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• IF
• The foodhandler has one of the following
  symptoms
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Sore throat with fever
• Jaundice

• THEN
• Restrict them from working
• with or around food
• Exclude them from the
• establishment if you primarily
• serve a high-risk population

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Managers Must Report to Health Department illness

• Salmonella typhi
• Shigella sp.
• Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
• Hepatitis A virus
• Norovirus

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Time / Temperature Abuse

• Not Cooking Food to its required minimum internal
  temperature
• Not Cooling food properly
• Failing to reheat food to 165 F for 15 seconds
  within two hours
• Failing to hold food at a minimum internal
  temperature of 135 F or higher or 41 F or lower

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In The Danger Zone

• Pick up the food at Food Bank without coolers or
  freezer blanket drive back to agency
  1 hour.
• Unload food at agency into refrigerators and
  freezers ½ hour.
• Pre-pack food bags for distribution with frozen
  refrigerated items before distribution
  ½
  hour.
• Agency distributes food
  1 hour.
• Final food recipient to get the food home
  ½ hour.
• Product is off refrigeration.
  3 and ½ hours

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The Flow of Food

• To keep food safe as food is transported
• Prevent cross-contamination
• Prevent time-temperature abuse

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Prevent Cross-Contamination

• Create physical barriers between food products
• Assign specific equipment to each type of food
• Clean and sanitize work surfaces, equipment, and
  utensils after each task

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Prevent Cross-Contamination

• Create process barriers between food products
• Prepare raw meat, fish, and poultry and
  ready-to-eat food at different times (when using
  the same prep table)
• Purchase ingredients that require minimal
  preparation

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Prevent Time-Temperature Abuse
The TemperatureDanger Zone

• Minimize the time food spends in the temperature
  danger zone
• Determine the best way to monitor time and
  temperature
• Make thermometers available
• Monitor by recording temperatures and time taken

Bacteria Survive and Grow
Bacteria Grow Rapidly

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Temperature-Measuring Devices

• Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometer

Indicator Head
Calibration Nut
Holding Clip
Stem
Sensing Area
Dimple

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Temperature-Measuring Devices

• Thermocouples and Thermistors
• Measure temperature through a metal probe or
  sensing area
• Display results on a digital readout
• Come with interchangeable probes

Immersion Probe
Surface Probe
Penetration Probe
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Photos courtesy of Cooper-Atkins Corporation
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Temperature-Measuring Devices

• Infrared Thermometers
• Used to measure the surface temperature of food
  and equipment
• Must be held as close to the product as possible
• Remove barriers between thermometer and product
• Follow manufacturers guidelines

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Photos courtesy of Cooper-Atkins Corporation
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Calibrating Thermometers

• Calibration
• Adjusting a thermometer in order to get an
  accurate reading
• Two methods
• Boiling-point method
• Ice-point method

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Calibration of Thermometers
Ice-Point Method
1. Fill a large container
with crushed ice and water
2. Submerge the thermometer stem or probe in the
water for thirty seconds
3. Hold the calibration nut and rotate the
thermometer head until it reads 32F (0C)
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General Thermometer Guidelines

• Keep thermometers and their storage cases clean
  and sanitized
• Calibrate them regularly to ensure accuracy
• Never use glass thermometers to monitor food
  temperature
• Insert the thermometer stem or probe into
  thickest part of product (usually the center)
• Wait for the thermometer reading to steady before
  recording the temperature of a food item

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Refrigeration Storage

• Hold Potentially Hazardous foods at 41F(45 F)
  or below.
• Refrigerators must maintain an air temp of 39ºF,
  to maintain food at 41ºF or below.
• Monitor food temperature regularly
• Do not overload the refrigerator / use open
  shelving.
• Never place hot food in a small refrigerator.
  Keep door closed

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Re-heating Foods

• Potentially hazardous foods must be re-heated to
  a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF for 15
  seconds within two hours.
• Discard food that spends more than four hours
  total in the temperature danger zone (41F -
  135ºF).

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Service

• Practice good personal hygiene
• Store serving utensils properly. Do not cross
  use.
• Use clean and sanitized utensils with long
  handles.
• Minimize bare hand contact, use gloves when
  handling ready-to-eat foods
• Keep raw foods separated from cooked and ready to
  eat foods.
• Hold utensils and plates by the handles

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Cleaning and Sanitizing

• Cleaning is the process of removing food other
  soils from a surface
• Sanitizing destroys or reduces the number of
  microorganisms to safe levels.
• Food Contact Surfaces must be cleaned and
  sanitized (wash, rinse, sanitize) after each use

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Sanitizing

• Heat Sanitizing
• Use heat to destroy microorganisms
• The higher the heat, the shorter the time
  required
• Chemical - Sanitizing
• Immerse a clean object in solution
• Chlorine, Iodine, Quaternary Ammonium compounds

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Storing Utensils, Tableware, and Equipment

• At least six inches off the floor protected
• Clean Sanitize drawers and shelves
• Clean Sanitize carts and trays daily
• Store glasses cups upside down
• Flatware utensils with handles up
• Clean in place equipment with food surfaces
  covered

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Integrated Pest Management

• Deny pests access to the facility
• (doors, pipes, walls)
• Deny pests food, water, and hiding or nesting
  place.
• 3. Work with licensed PCO to eliminate pests.

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Food Safety Basics at the Food Bank
refrigerated perishables

• Mayonnaise-based Refrigerated foods (ex. Slaw,
  Chicken Tuna salads, Potato Salad) should not
  be consumed past the date stamped on the
  container.
• Orange juice is generally safe to consume up to
  14 days past date stamped on container.
• Yogurt Buttermilk is generally safe to consume
  7-14 days past the date stamped on the container.
• Soft cheeses like crème cheese, bleu cheese,
  cottage cheese brie should be consumed by the
  date stamped on the container.
• Eggs should be consumed no later than 14 days
  past the date stamped by the food bank on the
  carton. Eggs should be fully cooked before
  consumption.

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Food Safety Basics at the Food Bank frozen
perishables

• Retail recovery meats (raw and prepared) should
  be Consumed ON DATE OF THAW. Please inform
  everyone to which you distribute. Ask the
  shopping attendant if you have any question about
  which frozen foods are the retail recovery meats.
• Generally, foods including meats frozen by their
  use by date, are safe to consume. As always, it
  is best to assume the food was frozen near their
  out by date and should be prepared and eaten on
  the date they are thawed.

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Food Safety Basicsat The Food Bank - produce

• Processed fruits and veggies (ex. Party trays,
  cut fruit, cut celery) should be consumed by the
  date stamped on the package.
• Sprouts, parsley, cilantro should be washed
  thoroughly - can be contaminated with Salmonella.
• All produce should be washed thoroughly. For
  products such as bananas and melons, if the
  outside peel is contaminated with harmful
  bacteria, it is possible that when cutting the
  product bacteria on the outside will be
  transported to the edible portion.