Rule 3 – Protect Food from Contamination

Contamination is the presence of something

harmful or dangerous on or in food. If a food
contains anything that can cause an injury,
illness or disease it is considered contaminated.

Cross contamination is the transfer of harmful

bacteria from one food to another by means of
utensils, equipment, human hands or through
food not being stored properly. The food could
be raw to cooked or ready to eat or raw to raw or
any other combination.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following
important work practices in mind at all times:
1. Prevent the spread of bacteria from raw
food to cooked & ready to eat food.

 Raw foods such as meat, poultry, fish, seafood

& other PHF can be heavily contaminated with
large amounts of bacteria.
 Cooking food properly will destroy most
bacteria. Once an item is cooked, it must not
be re-contaminated by harmful bacteria again.
 Cross contamination can be food to food,
hand to food or equipment to food.
Color Coded Cutting Boards
Color coded cutting boards are used in the galley to prevent cross
contamination from raw food to cooked or ready-to-eat food, from
dairy products to poultry, from meat to fish, and any other kind of
combination that would give a free transfer of harmful bacteria.

Blue – uncooked seafood

Green – fruits & vegetables
Brown – cooked food
Yellow – uncooked poultry
Red – uncooked meat
White – dairy products, bread, all other
types of food not mentioned previously
Surfaces such as cutting boards that are subject to
scratching and cuts shall be shaved if they no
longer can be effectively cleaned and sanitized or
discarded if they are not capable of being
resurfaced by the carpenters.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following important
work practices in mind at all times:
1. All equipment & utensils used in preparation
of raw food must be properly cleaned and
sanitized before being used in the preparation
of cooked food.

 Washing, rinsing, and sanitizing will destroy

the harmful bacteria left on the utensils and
equipment used to prepare raw food.

 When using your hands to handle raw product,

do not forget to thoroughly wash them after
handling raw meat, poultry, or fish.
 Utensil Cross Contamination
Equipment food-contact surfaces such as meat slicers,
mixers, cutters and food containers, display mirrors, and
utensils shall be cleaned and sanitized:

1. Before each use with a different type of raw animal food

such as beef, fish, lamb, pork, or poultry
2. Each time there is a change from working with raw foods
to working with ready-to-eat foods
3. Between uses with raw fruits and vegetables and with
potentially hazardous food (dairy, meats, fish, etc.)
4. At any time during the operation when contamination
might have occurred
5. If used with potentially hazardous food on a continuing
basis throughout the day utensils and equipment shall be
cleaned at least every 4 hours
Utensil Cross Contamination
 A food-dispensing utensil such as a tong or serving spoon
shall be available for each container/Bon Chef insert at all
of the lido buffets.

 Ensure that the utensils never rest with the handle on top
of food or inside the food container. If a utensil is placed
on top of food by you or a guest, you should discard the
food, wash-rinse-sanitize the utensil and make sure you’ve
washed your hands once you touch the dirty utensil!!
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following
important work practices in mind at all times:
2. Disposable plastic gloves must be worn when
handling cooked or ready to serve food items.
 Clean disposable plastic (or vinyl) gloves protect food from
the bacteria on your hands. They should be worn only one
time and changed immediately if they become
contaminated.

 Gloves can become contaminated once you touch your face,

your hair, a dirty uniform, a dirty box, a garbage can, dirty
utensils, or dirty equipment.

 Single-use gloves shall be used for only one task such as

working with ready-to-eat food or with raw animal food,
used for no other purpose, and discarded when damaged or
soiled or when interruptions occur in the operation.
How to correctly put on gloves
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following important
work practices in mind at all times:
3. Carefully read the labels on all containers of
items used in the preparation of food.
 Engineers making repairs in the kitchen may
accidentally leave an open container of a chemical
around your work station or you may find a spray
bottle filled with chemicals left on your worktable
by accident. Always check the label on a container
before adding the contents to food. Chemical
poisoning can be very serious and even cause
death in some cases.

 Always label your bottles of water, bleach, etc. and

your containers of seasonings, spices, flour, sugar,
salt and other cooking additives and store them
accordingly.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following important
work practices in mind at all times:
4. Follow the rules of personal hygiene at all times
when working in the kitchen.

 People are the single most common source of

food contamination. Do not be the one to
contaminate food with an unguarded cough,
sneeze, or a cut on your finger.
5. Do not pre-cook food items such as hamburgers
or ribs, hold at room temperature, then finish
off the cooking process when the items are
ordered.
 This is a dangerous procedure and indicates
poor planning and organization.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following important
work practices in mind at all times:

6. Use a clean and sanitized spoon or testing dish

when sampling or tasting each food item.
 DO NOT taste or sample with your finger or with
any utensil used to mix or stir the food. This bad
habit gives bacteria a free ride into the food.
Use of Ice Scoops
Ice must be protected against
contamination. Place the ice
in a clean container & always
handle it with a clean scoop or
tongs. Do not store the scoop
or tongs in the ice bin.

Scooping up ice with a

glass is a dangerous work
habit. Small pieces of
glass can break off and fall
into the ice causing
Physical
Contamination.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following
important work practices in mind at all times:
7. Follow the rules and guidelines mentioned
previously regarding proper cooking
temperatures, hot holding, thawing, rapid
cooling, and refrigerated and frozen food
storage.
 Failure to properly thaw, cook, hold, and rapid
cool potentially hazardous food is one of the
largest causes for food-borne illness. Knowledge
and adherence to the proper procedures
mentioned in the previous chapter is the key to
prevent cross contamination whilst preparing
meals.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Food employees should keep the following important work
practices in mind at all times:
8. Keep all food from raw product to ready-to-eat, covered
at all times while stored in containers inside fridges,
dry-stores, freezers, stored on trolleys in the galley and
during transportation

 Open food containers must be covered to prevent cross-

contamination from air-borne bacteria (such as Clostridium
Perfringens) or other possible contamination by carelessness,
accidents, etc. The only exceptions are whole uncut, raw
fruits and vegetables and nuts in the shell, that require peeling
before consumptions.
Sneeze Guards
 Food on display shall
be protected from
contamination by the
use of packaging,
display cases, or sneeze
guards, or other
effective means.
 Ensure that all food
and utensils on display
are protected by the
sneeze guards and not
exposed by being
extended from under
the protective shield
Rule 4 – Personal Hygiene and Cleanliness
Personal hygiene is the routine practice that will keep
you clean and healthy plus protect the food you prepare.
In other words, personal hygiene practices help stop the
spread of harmful bacteria from foodservice employees to
the food they prepare and serve.

People are the single most common source of food

contamination. Everyone carries many types of harmful
bacteria and viruses on and in their bodies. These harmful
germs can cause a food-borne illness if they are given the
chance to contaminate the food
Harmful Bacteria in Employees
Harmful bacteria & viruses are found in healthy employees
 on the skin & hair
 in the mouth, throat & nose
 under dirty fingernails
 on dirty uniforms and soiled clothes
 in a pimple, boil or other infection
 in body wastes
In sick employees, the number of bacteria or viruses in the
body is much greater. This increases the danger of these germs
being spread to food. Some signs that your body is infected
with large amounts of harmful germs/bacteria are a sore throat,
skin infection, fever, nagging cough, runny nose, upset
stomach, or diarrhea.
If you have any of these signs, go to the ship’s doctor and
report your health problem. Do not wait until it is too
late. Report any sign of an infection or illness early!
Employee Health / Reporting Injuries
Food employees who have
conditions or symptoms of boils,
open sores, infected wounds,
diarrhea, jaundice, fever,
vomiting, sore throat with fever,
upset stomach or persistent
sneezing, coughing or a runny
nose that causes discharges from
the eyes, nose, or mouth shall
report these conditions or symptoms
to the crew doctor immediately and
shall be restricted from working with
exposed food, ware washing, clean
equipment, utensils, and linens, etc.
The ships crew doctor will email the
employee’s department head that
the individual is not permitted to
work.
Reporting Injuries
Food employees who injure
themselves such as cuts, falls,
dropped items on feet, etc. shall
report these accidents to the crew
doctor immediately and may be
restricted from working with
exposed food, ware washing, clean
equipment, utensils, and linens,
etc. depending on the injury. The
ships crew doctor will email the
employee’s department head that
the individual is not permitted to
work.
Cuts & sores on your hand must be
cleaned, bandaged & covered with
a waterproof protector In Emergency dial 911 from
any ship’s phone