2. Instructor Notes
Play the Overview of Foodborne Microorganisms and Allergens DVD.
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3. Additional Content Instructor Notes
Teach the additional content not included in the DVD using the next several slides.
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4. How Contamination Happens
Contaminants come from a variety of places:
Animals used for food
Air, contaminated water, and dirt
Chemicals used in the operation
Natural contaminants (e.g., bones in fish)
People
Deliberately
Accidentally
Instructor Notes
Contamination comes from a variety of places.
Contaminants are found in air, water, dirt, and the animals we use for food, and they occur naturally in food, such as bones in fish.
Food can be contaminated on purpose.
Most food is contaminated accidently.
Examples of accidental contamination include food handlers who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom and then contaminate food and surfaces with feces from their fingers, and food handlers who pass contaminants through illness.
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5. How Contamination Happens
Contaminants come from a variety of places:
Fecal–oral route of contamination
Failure to wash hands after using restroom
Feces on fingers gets on food
Food with feces is then eaten
Instructor Notes
Contamination can occur through the fecal–oral route of contamination. For example, food handlers who do not wash their hands after using the restroom may contaminate food and surfaces with feces from their fingers. Once the food that the food handler touched is eaten, a foodborne illness may result. This is called the fecal–oral route of contamination.
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6. How Contamination Happens
Contaminants come from a variety of places:
Contact with a person who is sick
From person to person
Sneezing or vomiting onto food or food-contact surfaces
Touching dirty surfaces/equipment and then touching food
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7. Biological Contamination
The “Big Six” pathogens:
Shigella spp.
Salmonella Typhi
Nontyphoidal Salmonella
Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)
Hepatitis A
Norovirus
Instructor Notes
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there are over 40 kinds of bacteria, viruses, parasites, and molds that can occur in food and cause a foodborne illness. Of these, six have been singled out by the FDA. These have been dubbed the “Big Six” because they are highly contagious and can cause severe illness. The “Big Six” are listed on the slide.
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8. What Do You Think? Bacteria grow best in food with which pH? A. 0 B. 7
Bacteria grow best in food that is neutral to slightly acidic.
Instructor Notes
The answer is B. Bacteria grow best in food that contains little or no acid. pH is the measure of acidity. The pH scale ranges from 0 to A value of 0 is highly acidic, while a value of 14 is highly alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral. Bacteria grow best in food that is neutral to slightly acidic.
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9. What Do You Think? At what temperatures do bacteria grow most rapidly?
A. 41ºF to 135ºF (5ºC to 57ºC)
B. 70ºF to 125ºF (21ºC to 52ºC)
Instructor Notes
The answer is B. Bacteria grow rapidly between 41°F and 135°F (5°C and 57°C). This range is known as the temperature danger zone. Bacteria grow even more rapidly from 70°F to 125°F (21°C to 52°C). Bacteria growth is limited when food is held above or below the temperature danger zone.
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10. Conditions for Bacteria to Grow
Moisture:
Water activity (aw) = Moisture available in food for bacteria growth
Aw scale ranges from 0 to 1.0
The higher the value the more available moisture
Water has an aw of 1.0
Instructor Notes
Bacteria grow well in food with high levels of moisture. The amount of moisture available in food for this growth is called water activity (aw). The aw scale ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. The higher the value, the more available moisture in the food. For example, water has a water activity of 1.0.
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11. What Do You Think?
Does this food need time and temperature control to keep it safe?
A. Yes
B. No
Instructor Notes
The answer is A. The cut lettuce is a TCS food. All cut leafy greens are TCS foods.
Cut lettuce
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12. Teach the Bug Activity Instructor Notes
Do the Teach the Bug activity. This activity can be downloaded from ServSafe.com. Directions for using the activity are included with it.
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13. Who Am I? Norovirus 1. _____________________
1. _____________________
I can be transferred to food or equipment by food handlers with feces on their fingers.
People become contagious within a few hours of eating me.
I am often linked with ready-to-eat food.
Excluding staff with diarrhea and vomiting can prevent me from causing further illness.
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14. Who Am I? Salmonella Typhi 2. ________________________
2. ________________________
I live in a person’s bloodstream and intestines.
I am commonly linked with ready-to-eat food and beverages.
I am in a person’s feces for weeks after symptoms have ended.
Washing hands and cooking food to required minimum internal temperatures can prevent me.
I only live in humans.
Salmonella Typhi
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15. Who Am I? Shigella spp. 3. _____________________
3. _____________________
I am found in the feces of people I have infected.
Flies can transfer me.
I am linked with food easily contaminated by hands.
Washing hands can prevent me.
Shigella spp.
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16. Who Am I? Hepatitis A 4. _____________________
4. _____________________
I am often linked with ready-to-eat food.
I’m often transferred to food by food handlers who have feces on their fingers.
Excluding staff with jaundice can prevent me from causing illness.
Normal cooking temperatures do not destroy me.
I may not show symptoms for weeks but may still be infectious.
Hepatitis A
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17. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
Who Am I?
5. _____________________________________________
I can be found in the intestines of cattle.
I produce toxins in a person’s intestines, which cause illness.
I am found in raw ground beef and contaminated produce.
Cooking ground beef to required minimum internal temperatures can prevent me.
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli
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18. Nontyphoidal Salmonella
Who Am I?
6. ___________________________________
Many farm animals carry me naturally.
The severity of a person’s symptoms depends on how much of me is eaten.
I’ve been found in tomatoes, peppers, and cantaloupes.
Cooking poultry or eggs to the right temperature can prevent me from causing illness.
Nontyphoidal Salmonella
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19. Who Am I? Histamine 7. _____________________ I am a seafood toxin.
7. _____________________
I am a seafood toxin.
I am produced by pathogens found on certain fish.
You can find me on tuna, bonito, and mahi-mahi.
I am produced when fish is time-temperature abused.
Histamine
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20. Who Am I? Ciguatera toxin 8. _____________________
8. _____________________
I am a seafood toxin.
I occur in certain fish that eat smaller fish that have consumed the toxin.
You can find me in barracuda, snapper, grouper, and amberjack.
Ciguatera toxin
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21. What Do You Think?
What is the onset time for an illness from a biological toxin?
A. Within a few minutes
B. Within a few hours
C. 6–12 hours
D. 24 hours
Instructor Notes
The answer is A. Many types of illnesses can occur from eating seafood toxins. Each of these has specific symptoms and onset times. In general, however, people will experience an illness within minutes of eating the toxin.
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22. What Do You Think?
What symptoms are associated with a biological toxin?
A. Vomiting and diarrhea
B. Neurological symptoms
C. Flushing, hives, and difficulty breathing
D. Heart palpitations
Instructor Notes
The answer is all of them. Many types of illnesses can occur from eating seafood toxins. Each of these has specific symptoms and onset times. In general, however, people will experience an illness within minutes of eating the toxin.
Depending upon the illness, symptoms can include diarrhea or vomiting. Neurological symptoms may also appear, such as tingling in the extremities and the reversal of hot and cold sensations. People may also experience flushing of the face, difficulty breathing, burning in the mouth, heart palpitations, and hives.
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23. Chemical Contaminants
To prevent chemicals from contaminating food:
Make sure the manufacturer’s labels on original chemical containers are readable
Follow directions and local regulatory requirements when throwing out chemicals
Use chemicals for their intended use
Separate chemicals from food and food-contact surfaces by spacing and partitioning
Instructor Notes
The chemicals you use must be approved for use in a foodservice operation. They must also be necessary for the maintenance of the facility. In addition to the guidelines shown in the video, the slide shows additional measures to prevent chemicals from contaminating food.
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24. Physical Contaminants
Symptoms:
Cuts
Dental damage
Choking
Bleeding and pain
To prevent contamination:
Purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers
Inspect food upon receipt
Practice good personal hygiene
Instructor Notes
Mild to fatal injuries are possible. This could include cuts, dental damage, and choking. Bleeding and pain may be the most outward symptoms.
Purchase food from approved, reputable suppliers to prevent physical contamination. Closely inspect the food you receive. Take steps to make sure no physical contaminants can get into it. This includes making sure that food handlers practice good personal hygiene.
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25. Deliberate Contamination of Food
Groups who may attempt to contaminate food:
Terrorists or activists
Disgruntled current or former staff
Vendors
Competitors
FDA defense tool:
A.L.E.R.T.
Instructor Notes
So far, you have learned about methods to prevent the accidental contamination of food. But you also must take steps to stop people who are actually trying to contaminate it. This may include the groups listed on the slide.
These people may try to tamper with your food using biological, chemical, or physical contaminants. They may even use radioactive materials. Attacks might occur anywhere in the food supply chain. But they are usually focused on a specific food item, process, or business.
The best way to protect food is to make it as difficult as possible for someone to tamper with it. For this reason, a food defense program should deal with the points in your operation where food is at risk.
The FDA has created a tool that can be used to develop a food defense program. It is based on the acronym A.L.E.R.T. It can be used to help you identify the points in your operation where food is at risk.
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26. Deliberate Contamination of Food
Assure Make sure products received are from safe sources. Look Monitor the security of products in the facility. Employees Know who is in your facility. Reports Keep information related to food defense accessible. Threat Develop a plan for responding to suspicious activity or a threat to the operation.
Instructor Notes
Assure: Make sure that products you receive are from safe sources. Supervise product deliveries. Use approved suppliers who practice food defense. Request that delivery vehicles are locked or sealed.
Look: Monitor the security of products in the facility. Limit access to prep and storage areas. Locking storage areas is one way to do this. Create a system for handling damaged products. Store chemicals in a secure location. Train staff to spot food defense threats.
Employees: Know who is in your facility. Limit access to prep and storage areas. Identify all visitors, and verify credentials. Conduct background checks on staff.
Reports: Keep information related to food defense accessible: receiving logs, office files and documents, staff files, and random food defense self-inspections.
Threat: Identify what you will do and whom you will contact if there is suspicious activity or a threat at your operation. Hold any product you suspect to be contaminated. Contact your regulatory authority immediately. Maintain an emergency contact list.
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27. Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak
Gather information
Ask the person for general contact information
Ask the person to identify the food eaten
Ask for a description of symptoms
Ask when the person first got sick
Notify authorities
Contact the local regulatory authority if an outbreak is suspected
Instructor Notes
Ask the person making the complaint for general contact information and to identify the food that was eaten. Also ask for a description of symptoms and when the person first got sick.
Contact the local regulatory authority if you suspect an outbreak.
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28. Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak
Segregate product
Set the suspected product aside if any remains
Include a label with “Do Not Use” and “Do Not Discard” on it
Document the information
Log information about the suspected product
Include a product description, product date, lot number, sell-by date, and pack size
Instructor Notes
Set the suspected product aside if any remains. Include a label with “Do Not Use” and “Do Not Discard” on it, as shown in the photo on the slide.
Log information about the suspected product. This might include a product description, production date, and lot number. The sell-by date and pack size should also be recorded.
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29. Responding to a Foodborne-Illness Outbreak
Identify staff
Keep a list of food handlers scheduled during the incident
Interview staff immediately
Cooperate with authorities
Provide appropriate documentation
Review procedures
Determine if standards are being met
Identify if standards are not working
Instructor Notes
Maintain a list of food handlers scheduled at the time of the suspected contamination. These staff members may be subject to an interview and sampling by investigators. They should also be interviewed immediately by management about their health status.
Cooperate with regulatory authorities in the investigation. Provide appropriate documentation. You may be asked to provide temperature logs, HACCP documents, staff files, etc.
Review food-handling procedures to identify if standards are not being met or procedures are not working.
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30. Food Allergens
A food allergen is a protein in a food or ingredient to which some people are sensitive.
These proteins occur naturally
When enough are eaten, an allergic reaction can occur
The immune system mistakenly considers the protein harmful
The immune system attacks the food protein
Instructor Notes
A food allergen is a protein in a food or ingredient that some people are sensitive to. These proteins occur naturally.
When enough of an allergen is eaten, an allergic reaction can occur. This is when the immune system mistakenly considers the allergen to be harmful and attacks the food protein.
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31. Food Allergens Allergic reaction Initially, symptoms may be mild
In severe cases, death can occur
Anaphylaxis—a severe allergic reaction— can occur
Anaphylaxis can lead to death
Call the emergency number when this occurs
Instructor Notes
There are specific signs that a customer is having an allergic reaction. To protect your customers, you should be able to recognize these signs and know what to do. You also should know the types of food that most often cause allergic reactions to help prevent them from happening.
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32. Food Allergens Food labels
“Big Eight” allergens must be clearly identified on labels of manufactured food by one of these methods:
Including it in the common name of the food
Showing it in parentheses after the ingredient
Showing it in a “contains” statement
Instructor Notes
Food labels are an important tool used to identify allergens in the products that you purchase.
Federal law requires manufactured products containing one or more of the “Big Eight” allergens to clearly identify them on the ingredient label.
The allergen may be included in the common name of the food, such as “buttermilk,” or it may be shown in parentheses after the ingredient. Often, allergens will be shown in a “contains” statement .
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33. Food Allergens
Service staff should help prevent allergic reactions by:
Describing dishes
Tell customers how the item is prepared
Identifying ingredients
Tell customers if the food they are allergic to is in the item
Identify secret ingredients
Suggesting items
Suggest items that do not contain the allergen
Instructor Notes
Your staff should be able to tell customers about menu items that contain potential allergens. At minimum, have one person available per shift to answer customers’ questions about menu items. When customers say they have a food allergy, your staff should take it seriously.
Tell customers how the item is prepared. Sauces, marinades, and garnishes often contain allergens. For example, peanut butter is sometimes used as a thickener in sauces or marinades. This information is critical to a customer with a peanut allergy.
Tell customers if the food they are allergic to is in the menu item. Identify any “secret” ingredients. For example, your operation may have a house specialty that includes an allergen.
Suggest menu items that do not contain the food that the customer is allergic to.
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34. Food Allergens
Service staff should help prevent allergic reactions by:
Identifying the allergen special order
Clearly mark the order
This is done to inform kitchen staff of the allergy
Delivering food
Confirm order with kitchen staff
Make sure no allergens touch the plate
Hand deliver food separately from other food
Instructor Notes
Clearly mark or otherwise indicate the order for the guest with the identified food allergy. This is done to inform the kitchen staff of the guest’s food allergy.
Confirm the allergen special order with the kitchen staff when picking up the food. Make sure no garnishes or other items containing the allergen touch the plate. Food should be hand delivered to guests with allergies.
Delivering food separately from the other food delivered to a table will help prevent contact with food allergens.
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35. Food Allergens Kitchen staff can avoid cross-contact by:
Checking recipes and ingredient labels to confirm allergens are not present
Making sure the allergen does not touch anything for customers with food allergies
Includes food, beverages, utensils, and equipment
Using separate fryers and cooking oils when frying food for customers with food allergies
Labeling food packaged on-site for retail sale
Name all major allergens on the label and follow any additional labeling requirements
Instructor Notes
In addition to the guidelines identified in the video, kitchen staff can prevent cross-contact by following the information presented in the slide.
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