What designates a foodborne illness?
- 2+ people have the same symptoms after eating the same food
- State and local investigation conducted by regulatory authorities
- Outbreak confirmed by lab analysis
Costs of a foodborne illness to an operation
- Loss of customers/sales
- Loss of reputation
- Negative media exposure
- Lowered staff morale
- Lawsuits/legal fees
- Staff missing work
- Increased insurance premiums
- Staff retraining
What are the three means of contamination?
- Biological
- Chemical
- Physical
Biological contaminants include (4)
- Bacteria
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Fungi
Chemical contaminants include (3)
- Cleaners
- Sanitizers
- Polishes
Physical hazards include (6)
- Metal shavings
- Staples
- Bandages
- Glass
- Dirt
- Natural objects (ex. fish bones, fingernails)
Five risk factors for foodborne illness
- Purchasing food from unsafe sources
- Failing to cook food correctly
- Holding food at incorrect temps
- Using contaminated equipment
- Practicing poor personal hygiene
How does food become unsafe? (4)
- Time-temperature abuse
- Cross-contamination
- Poor personal hygiene
- Poor cleaning and sanitizing
What is time-temperature abuse?
When food has stayed too long at temperatures good for pathogen growth
Three examples of when food has been time-temperature abused
- It has not been held/stored at correct temps
- It is not cooked/reheated enough to kill pathogens
- It is not cooled correctly
What is cross-contamination?
When pathogens are transferred from one surface or food to another
Examples of how cross-contamination occurs
- Contaminated ingredients added to ready-to-eat food
- Ready-to-eat food touches contaminated surfaces
- Contaminated food touches/drips on ready-to-eat food
- Food handler touches contaminated food then ready-to-eat food
- Contaminated wiping cloths touch food-contact surfaces
Examples of poor personal hygiene
- Fail to wash hands correctly especially after using bathroom
- Cough/sneeze on food
- Touch/scratch wounds and then touch food
- Work while sick
Examples of poor cleaning/sanitizing
- Equipment/utensils not washed, rinsed, sanitized between uses
- Food-contact surfaces wiped clean instead of being washed, rinsed, sanitized
- Wiping cloths are not stored in a sanitizer solution between uses
- Sanitizer solutions not at required levels to sanitize objects
TCS Foods
- Milk/dairy products
- Shell eggs
- Meat (beef, pork, lamb)
- Poultry
- Fish
- Shellfish/crustaceans
- Baked potatoes
- Heat-treated plant food (cooked rice, beans, vegetables)
- Tofu/soy proteins
- Sprouts, sprout seeds
- Sliced melons, cut tomatoes, cut leafy greens
- Untreated garlic/oil mixtures
What qualifies food as ready-to-eat?
Can be eaten without further preparation, washing, cooking
Ready-to-eat food examples
- Cooked food
- Washed fruit/vegetables (whole and cut)
- Deli meat
- Bakery items
- Sugar, spices, seasonings
High risk populations for foodborne illness
- Preschool-age children
- Elderly
- People with compromised immune systems
Most important measures for keeping food safe (5)
- Purchase from approved/reputable suppliers
- Controlling time/temperature
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Practice personal hygiene
- Cleaning/sanitizing
