Objective Outline food safety issues.

 Recognize the importance of food safety  Recognize the risks associated with high-risk populations  Avoid potential hazards to food safety  Understand how food becomes unsafe  Understand important prevention measures for keeping food safe

 Foodborne illness: disease 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. A foodborne illness is confirmed when lab analysis shows that specific food is the source of the illness.

 Time and money: training money and time, lack of financial support for safe food environment, pressure to work quickly can make it hard to follow safety practices.  Language and culture: staff may speak a different language, culture influences how we view food.  Literacy and education: employees often have different levels of edu making it hard to teach food safety.

 Pathogens: illness-causing microorganisms are more frequently found on food once considered safe  Unapproved suppliers: food received from suppliers that do not follow food safety  High-risk customers: the number of customers at high risk for getting foodborne illness is increasing.

 Staff turnover: training new staff leaves less time for food safety training.

 Costs the United States billions of dollars each year. ◦ Loss of customers ◦ Loss of reputation ◦ Negative media exposure ◦ Lowered staff morale ◦ Lawsuits and legal fees ◦ Staff missing work ◦ Increased insurance premiums ◦ Staff retraining

 Most important are the human costs.  Victims may experience ◦ Lost work ◦ Medical costs ◦ Long-term disability ◦ death

 Elderly: immune system weakens with age.  Infants and preschool-age children: very young children have not built up immune system.  Pregnant women: immune system’s are compromised during pregnancy.  People with cancer or on chemotherapy, people with HIV/AIDS, transplant recipients.

 Unsafe food is usually the result of contamination, which is the presence of harmful substances in the food, can be caused by humans, environment, or naturally.  Divided into 3 categories ◦ Biological: pathogens are the greatest threat to food safety. ◦ Chemical: foodservice chemicals can contaminate food if used incorrectly. ◦ Physical: foreign objects like hair, dirt, bandages, metal staples, or broken glass.

 Purchasing food from unsafe sources  Failing to cook food adequately  Holding food at incorrect temperatures  Using contaminated equipment  Practicing poor personal hygiene

 Time-temperature abuse: ◦ Food is not held or stored at the right temperature. ◦ Food is not cooked or reheated enough to kill pathogens. ◦ Food is not cooled right away.

 TCS food is food that requires time- temperature control to prevent the growth of microorganisms and the production of toxins.  This food contains moisture and protein and has a neutral or slightly acidic pH.  Most bacteria need nutrients such as carbohydrates or proteins to survive.  Common TCS foods: ◦ Baked potatoes, pizza, fish, tofu, beans, shell eggs, dairy products, sprouts, poultry, meat, sliced melons, tomatoes, leafy greens

 Cross-contamination: ◦ Contaminated ingredients are added to food that receives no further cooking. ◦ Ready to eat food touches contaminated surfaces. ◦ Contaminated food touches or drips fluids onto cooked or ready to eat food ◦ Food handler touches contaminated food, then touches ready to eat food. ◦ Contaminated cleaning towels touch food-contact surfaces.

 Poor personal hygiene: ◦ Fail to wash hands the right way after using the restroom or any time their hands get dirty ◦ Come to work sick ◦ Cough or sneeze on food ◦ Touch or scratch wounds and then touch food

 Poor Cleaning and Sanitizing: ◦ Equipment and utensils are not washed, rinsed, and sanitized between uses. ◦ Food-contact surfaces are wiped clean rather than being washed, rinsed, and sanitized. ◦ Wiping cloths are not stored in sanitizer solution between uses. ◦ Sanitizing solutions are not at the required levels to sanitize objects.

 Controlling time and temperature  Preventing cross-contamination  Practicing personal hygiene  Purchasing from approved, reputable suppliers