BASIC FOOD SAFETY
SAFETY TOOLS OF AND EQUIPMENT
The safety of tools and equipment is not only the concern of the
management, but of the workers who use the equipment as well.
Proper maintenance and safety of tools and equipment are
important for the following reasons:
→ Good quality of service
→ Sanitation
→ Fire prevention
→ Safety
→ Less cost of production
Safety measures in the use of tools and equipment:
- Store knives, choppers and cutting blades in designated
places. Label them.
- Repair broken tools and equipment immediately.
- Check wiring of electrical equipment regularly
- Report kitchen equipment that are not functioning.
- Handle fragile tools or those tools made of glass with care.
Those with breaks should be discarded
- Store tools and equipment in a clean dry place. Do not
keep them when wet.
FOOD POISONING
- Also called foodborne illness.
- Illness caused by eating contaminated food.
COMMON CAUSES OF FOOD POISONING
- Infectious organisms including bacteria, viruses and
parasites or their toxins.
- Infectious organisms or their toxins can contaminate food
at any point of processing or production. Contamination
can also occur at home if food is incorrectly handled or
cooked.
FOOD POISONING SYMPTOMS
- It can start within hours of eating contaminated food. Most
often, food poisoning is mild and resolves without
treatment. But some people need to go to the hospital.
- It can start within hours of eating contaminated food. Most
often, food poisoning is mild and resolves without
treatment. But some people need to go to the hospital.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Watery or bloody diarrhea »Abdominal pain and cramps
- Fever
WHEN TO SEE A DOCTOR
If you experience any of the following signs or symptoms, seek
medical attention.
- Frequent episodes of vomiting and inability to keep liquids
down
- Bloody vomit or stools
- Diarrhea for more than three days
- Extreme pain or severe abdominal cramping
- An oral temperature higher than 100.4 F (38 C)
- Signs or symptoms of dehydration — excessive thirst, dry
mouth, little or no urination, severe weakness, dizziness, or
lightheadedness
- Neurological symptoms such as blurry vision, muscle
weakness and tingling in the arms
CAUSES OF FOOD CONTAMINATION
- Contamination of food can happen at any point of
production:
→ Growing
→ Harvesting
→ Processing
→ Storing
→ Shipping
→ Preparing
CROSS-CONTAMINATION
- the transfer of harmful organisms from one surface to
another — is often the cause.
- This is especially troublesome for raw, ready-to-eat foods,
such as salads or other produce.
RISK FACTOR
Whether you become ill after eating contaminated food
depends on the organism, the amount of exposure, your age and your
health.
HIGH-RISK GROUPS include:
- Older adults. As you get older, your immune system may
not respond as quickly and as effectively to infectious
organisms as when you were younger.
- Pregnant women. During pregnancy, changes in
metabolism and circulation may increase the risk of food
poisoning. Your reaction may be more severe during
pregnancy. Rarely, your baby may get sick, too.
- Infants and young children. Their immune systems
haven't fully developed.
- People with chronic disease. Having a chronic condition
— such as diabetes, liver disease or AIDS – or receiving
chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer reduces your
immune response.
COMPLICATIONS
Some types of food poisoning have potentially serious complications
for certain people. These include:
o LISTERIA INFECTION
- Complications of a listeria food poisoning may
be most severe for an unborn baby.
- Early in pregnancy, a listeria infection may lead
to miscarriage.
- Later in pregnancy, a listeria infection may lead
to stillbirth, premature birth or a potentially fatal
infection in the baby after birth — even if the
mother was only mildly ill.
- Infants who survive a listeria infection may
experience long-term neurological damage and
delayed development
o ESCHERICHIA COLI (E. COLI).
- Certain E. coli strains can cause a serious
complication called HEMOLYTIC UREMIC
SYNDROME.
- This syndrome damages the lining of the tiny
blood vessels in the kidneys, sometimes leading
to kidney failure.
- Older adults, children younger than 5 and people
with weakened immune systems have a higher
risk of developing this complication. If you're in
one of these risk categories, see your doctor at
the first sign of profuse or bloody diarrhea.
C L E A N
TO PREVENT FOOD POISONING AT HOME
– wash your hands, utensils and food surfaces often.
Wash your hands well with warm, soapy water before and
after handling or preparing food. Use hot, soapy water to
wash utensils, cutting boards and other surfaces you use.
HOW DO YOU PREVENT FOOD POISONING?
Wash your hands often, especially during these key times when
germs can spread:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- After handling raw meat, poultry, seafood, or their juices, or
uncooked eggs
- Before eating
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used
the toilet
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing –After
handling pet food or pet treats.
Wash surfaces and utensils after each use:
- Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils, and countertops with
hot, soapy water, especially after they’ve held raw meat,
poultry, seafood, or eggs.
- Wash dish cloths often in the hot cycle of your washing
machine.
Wash fruits and vegetables, but not meat, poultry, or eggs:
- Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water without
soap, bleach, or commercial produce washes.
- Rinse fruits and vegetables before peeling, removing skin,
or cutting away any damaged or bruised areas.
- Scrub firm produce like melons or cucumbers with a clean
produce brush.
- Dry produce with a paper towel or clean cloth towel.
- Don’t wash meat, poultry, eggs, or seafood to avoid
spreading harmful germs around your kitchen.
- Produce labeled as “pre-washed” does not need to be
washed again.
S E P A R A T E
Keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat foods.
- When shopping, preparing food or storing food, keep raw
meat, poultry, fish and shellfish away from other foods. This
prevents cross-contamination.
Use separate cutting boards and plates for produce, meat,
poultry, seafood, and eggs:
- Use one cutting board for fresh produce or other foods that
won’t be cooked before they’re eaten.
- Use separate plates and utensils for cooked and raw foods.
- Use hot, soapy water to thoroughly wash plates, utensils,
and cutting boards that touched raw meat, poultry, seafood,
eggs, or flour
Keep certain types of food separate:
- Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other
foods and place packages of raw meat, poultry, and
seafood in plastic bags if available. When you check out,
place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in separate bags from
other foods.
- At home, place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in
containers or sealed, leakproof plastic bags. Freeze them if
you’re not planning to use them within a few days.
- In the fridge, keep eggs in their original carton and store
them in the main compartment—not in the door.
- Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs from other
foods and place packages of raw meat, poultry, and
seafood in plastic bags if available. When you check out,
place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in separate bags from
other foods.
- At home, place raw meat, poultry, and seafood in
containers or sealed, leakproof plastic bags. Freeze them if
you’re not planning to use them within a few days.
- In the fridge, keep eggs in their original carton and store
them in the main compartment—not in the door.
C O O K
Food is safely cooked when the internal temperature is high
enough to kill germs that can make you sick:
- Use a food thermometer to be sure your food is safe. When
you think your food is done, place the food thermometer in
the thickest part of the food, making sure not to touch bone,
fat, or gristle.
Cook foods to a safe temperature.
- The best way to tell if foods are cooked to a safe
temperature is to use a food thermometer. You can kill
harmful organisms in most foods by cooking them to the
right temperature.
Keep food hot (140˚F or above) after cooking:
- If you’re not serving food right after cooking, keep it out of
the temperature danger zone (between 40°F - 140°F)
where germs grow rapidly by using a heat source like a
chafing dish, warming tray, or slow cooker.
C H I L L
Refrigerate perishable foods within 2 hours:
- Bacteria that cause food poisoning multiply quickest
between 40°F and 140°F.
- Your refrigerator should be set to 40°F or below and your
freezer to 0°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to
be sure.
- Never leave perishable foods out of refrigeration for more
than 2 hours. If the food is exposed to temperatures above
90°F (like a hot car or summer picnic), refrigerate it within 1
hour.
- Leftovers should be placed in shallow containers and
refrigerated promptly to allow quick cooling.
- Never thaw or marinate foods on the counter. The
safest way to thaw or marinate meat, poultry, and seafood
is in the refrigerator.
- Freezing does not destroy harmful germs, but it does keep
food safe until you can cook it.
- Know when to throw out food by checking our Storage
Times chart. Be sure you throw food out before harmful
bacteria grow.
Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods promptly
- within two hours of purchasing or preparing them. If the
room temperature is above 90 F (32.2 C), refrigerate
perishable foods within one hour.
Defrost food safely
- Don't thaw food at room temperature. The safest way to
thaw food is to defrost it in the refrigerator. If you microwave
frozen food using the "defrost" or "50% power" setting, be
sure to cook it immediately.
Throw it out when in doubt.
- If you aren't sure if a food has been prepared, served or
stored safely, discard it. Food left at room temperature too
long may contain bacteria or toxins that can't be destroyed
by cooking. Don't taste food that you're unsure about — just
throw it out. Even if it looks and smells fine, it may not be
safe to eat.
Food poisoning is especially serious and potentially life-threatening
for young children, pregnant women and their fetuses, older adults,
and people with weakened immune systems. These individuals
should take extra precautions by avoiding the following foods:
WHAT TO AVOID?
- Raw or rare meat and poultry
- Raw or undercooked fish or shellfish, including oysters,
clams, mussels and scallops
- Raw or undercooked eggs or foods that may contain them,
such as cookie dough and homemade ice cream
- Raw sprouts, such as alfalfa, bean, clover and radish
sprouts
- Unpasteurized juices and ciders
- Unpasteurized milk and milk products
- Soft cheeses and unpasteurized cheese
- Refrigerated pates and meat spreads
- Uncooked hot dogs, luncheon meats and deli meats
CLEANING
- It is done with a cleaning agent that removes food, soil, or
other substances.
- The right cleaning agent must be selected because not all
cleaning agents can be used on food-contact surfaces
FUNDAMENTAL CLEANING PROCEDURES
o SCRAPE AND PRE-RINSE
- soiled equipment surfaces are scraped and
rinsed with warm water to remove loose food
soils.
o CLEANING CYCLE
- the removal of residual food soils from equipment
surfaces is based on the manipulation of the four
basic cleaning factors and the method of
cleaning. Typically, alkaline chemical solutions
are used for the cleaning cycle.
o RINSE
- rinse all the surfaces with cold to hot water,
depending on the temperature of the cleaning
cycle, to thoroughly remove all remaining chemical
solution and food soil residues.
o ACID RINSE
- a mild acid rinse of the equipment neutralizes any
alkaline residues left and removes any mineral soil
present.
o SANITIZE
- all equipment surfaces are rinsed or flooded with a
sanitizing agent. Both time and chemical
concentration are critical for optimum results.
SANITIZING
– It is done using heat, radiation, or chemicals.
– Heat and chemicals are commonly used as a method for
sanitizing in a restaurant than radiation.
– The item to be sanitized must first be washed properly
before it can be properly sanitized.
– Some chemical sanitizers, such as chlorine and iodine,
react with food and soil and so will be less effective on
surface that has not been properly cleaned.
METHODS OF SANITIZING
1. THERMAL SANITIZING.
- It involves the use of hot water or steam. There are
three methods of using heat to sanitize surfaces-
steam, hot water and hot air. Hot water is the most
common method used in restaurants.
2. CHEMICALS.
- Approved chemical sanitizers are:
o chlorine
o iodine, and
o quaternary ammonium
PROPER STORAGE OF KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
Proper storage and handling of cleaned and sanitized
equipment and utensils are very important to prevent recontamination
prior to use.
Cleaned and sanitized equipment and utensils must be:
o Stored in clean storage areas, and
o Handled properly to minimize contamination of food contact
surface.
FOOD SAFETY
- Never taste food that might be spoiled.
- Wipe or wash lids, caps, and the outside of bottles and jars
before putting them back in the refrigerator.
- Use separate cutting boards – one for meats, chicken, and
fish and the other for everything else – to avoid possible
cross-contamination.
- Wash fruits and vegetables in cold water before you peel or
chop them.
- Keep raw meats, chicken and seafood in separate grocery
bags away from other groceries.
KITCHEN SAFETY
(BURNING/FIRE PREVENTION)
- Use dry potholders when handling hot items.
- Turn handles of pans so they don’t stick out over the edge
of the range or over other burners.
- Always lift the lids of saucepans away from you so the
steam will not burn you.
- Do not reach across hot burners or lit gas burners.
- When you have finished cooking, make sure all oven and
range buttons or dials are turned off.
AVOIDING FALLS
- Wipe up spills immediately.
- Use a sturdy step stool or ladder to reach high places.
- Be sure all floor mats and rugs have non-skid backs.
PREVENTING CUTS
- Always pick up a knife by its handle.
- Always slice, chop, cut or dice foods on a cutting board.
- Never put your fingers near the moving parts of an electric
mixer, food processor, or blender.
- Be careful when you discard broken glass. Do not pick up
pieces with your bare hands. Sweep the larger pieces into
a dustpan. Use a wet paper towel to pick up smaller pieces.
CHEMICAL PREVENTIONS
- Read the labels. Chemical labels provide proper handling
and mixing instructions.
- Label cleaning bottles.
- Store liquid chemicals on lower shelves to avoid the risk of
spills.
AVOIDING ALLERGIES
- Only use utensils, cutting boards and pans that have been
thoroughly washed with soap and water.
- Consider using separate utensils and dishes for making and
serving safe foods.
- Wash your hands with soap and water before touching
anything else if you have handled a food allergen.
- Scrub down counters and tables with soap and water after
making meals.
Food Safety Basics
 Safe steps in food handling, cooking, and storage are
essential in preventing foodborne illness. You can't see, smell, or taste
harmful bacteria that may cause illness. In every step of food
preparation, follow the four guidelines to keep food safe:
- Clean—Wash hands and surfaces often.
- Separate—Don't cross-contaminate.
- Cook—Cook to proper temperatures, checking with a food
thermometer.
- Chill—Refrigerate promptly.