Food Safety
Carol S. Mitchell, PhD, RD, LDN
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
Wake County Center
• Strengthen Food Safety Knowledge
• Provide Safe food from a clean &
sanitary environment
• 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
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
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
Potentially Hazardous Food
Food Favoring the Rapid Growth of Microorganisms:
Meat: Beef, Pork,
Fish
Lamb
Cooked Rice,
Beans, or Other
Milk and Milk
Heat-Treated
Products
Plant Food
Eggs (except those
treated to eliminate
Salmonella spp.) Poultry Shellfish and
Crustacean
Potentially Hazardous Food
Foods Favoring Rapid Growth of Microorganisms
Baked
Potatoes Raw Sprouts and
Sprout Seeds
Synthetic Ingredients,
Such as Textured Soy
Untreated Garlic-and-Oil
Protein in
Mixtures
Meat Alternatives
Tofu or Other
Soy-Protein Food
Sliced Melons
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)
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.
How Food Becomes Unsafe
• Time-Temperature Abuse
• Cross-Contamination
• Poor Personal Hygiene
Time-Temperature Abuse
Any time food has been allowed
to remain too long at
temperatures favorable to the
growth of foodborne
microorganisms
Cross-Contamination
Microorganisms are transferred
from one food or surface to
another
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
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
Prevent Time and Temperature
Abuse
Preparation of the Food
• Keep coolers set at 39°F, and freezers at 0°F.
• Check product temperatures regularly
• Cook hot foods properly before serving them
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.
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
4-3
Behaviors That Can Contaminate Food
A
B
A Scratching the scalp C E Touching a pimple or
D
open sore
B Running fingers E
through hair F Wearing a dirty uniform
C Wiping or touching G Coughing or sneezing into
the nose the hand
F
D Rubbing an ear H Spitting in the establishment
G
H
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
Handwashing
• Crucial to prevent
foodborne illness
• Helps Prevents
Cross contamination
• Helps prevent
foodborne illness
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
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
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
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
IF THEN
The foodhandler has one of the
following symptoms:
• Restrict them from working
Fever with or around food
Diarrhea
• Exclude them from the
Vomiting establishment if you primarily
serve a high-risk population
Sore throat with fever
Jaundice
Managers Must Report to
Health Department illness
• Salmonella typhi
• Shigella sp.
• Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
• Hepatitis A virus
• Norovirus
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
“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
The Flow of Food
To keep food safe as food is transported
– Prevent cross-contamination
– Prevent time-temperature
abuse
5-3
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
5-4
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
5-5
Prevent Time-Temperature Abuse
The
Temperature
Danger Zone
– Minimize the time food spends in
the temperature danger zone
Bacteria Survive and
– Determine the best way to monitor
time and temperature
Grow
– Make thermometers available
– Monitor by recording temperatures and time
taken
5-6
Temperature-Measuring
Devices
Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometer
Indicator Head
Calibration Nut
Holding Clip
Stem
Sensing Area
Dimple
5-7
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
Photos courtesy of Cooper-Atkins Corporation 5-8
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
Photos courtesy of Cooper-Atkins Corporation 5-9
Calibrating Thermometers
• Calibration
– Adjusting a thermometer in order
to get an accurate reading
• Two methods
– Boiling-point method
– Ice-point method
5-11
Calibration of Thermometers
Ice-Point Method
1. Fill a large 2. Submerge the 3. Hold the calibration
container thermometer nut and rotate the
with crushed ice stem or probe in thermometer head
and water the water for thirty until it reads 32˚F
seconds (0˚C)
5-13
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
5-14
Refrigeration Storage
• Hold Potentially Hazardous foods at
41°F(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
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
(41°F - 135ºF).
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
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
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
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
Integrated Pest Management
1. Deny pests access to the facility
(doors, pipes, walls)
2. Deny pests food, water, and hiding or
nesting place.
3. Work with licensed PCO to eliminate
pests.
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.
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.
Food Safety Basics
at 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.