Introduction to food safety What is foodborne illness? An illness caused by eating contaminated foods or beverages. Foodborne illness outbreak If 2 or more people get sick after eating same food or beverage. Sources of contamination Biological: Bacteria Viruses Parasites Fungi (Mushrooms, Mold and Yeast). Physical: Natural objects such as Seaweed in a Shell fish or Bone in a boneless chicken breast or fish fillet Dirt, nails, nail-polish, metal shavings, broken glass, etc. Chemical: Pesticides, sanitizers, detergent, Storing acidic food in brass, copper or zinc containers. Risk factors of foodborne illness: Risk factors of foodborne illness are listed below. This list is defined by CDC (Center for Disease Control). 1. Purchasing food from unapproved or unsafe sources. Food safety begins at "Purchasing" 2. Failing to cook food to required minimum temperature and time 3. Improper holding time and temperature of food 4. Cross contamination/Using contaminated equipment/utensils 5. Poor personal hygiene: Unwashed hands and working while sick TCS Food: What is TCS stands for: Time & Temperature Control for Safety. Food that requires time and temperature control to prevent the growth of bacteria is called TCS food. TCS food characteristics: Low acid, Moisture and Protein TCS food examples: Dairy products, eggs, meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, tuna salad, cooked potatoes, steamed rice, bean sprouts, cut tomatoes, sliced melons. High Risk Persons: Following population is considered high risk population because of their weaker immune system. • Infants preschool age children (4 years and younger) • Pregnant women • Elderly - 65 years and older • People with compromised immune system All of the above could get food borne illness easily than general population. Food that high-risk population should avoid eating: • Undercooked animal products: E.g. Made to order hamburger or medium to rare hamburger will not be good for a high-risk population. However fully cooked hamburger will be ok to eat. • Eating soft, French- style cheeses, pates • Sprouts and sliced melon: Avoid plant TCS food • Unpasteurized juice & eggs: When serving high risk population only use pasteurized juice and eggs. • Raw seafood: High-risk population should avoid raw seafood such as raw oysters, sushi The foodservice manager is responsible for the safety of the food in a foodservice establishment. Manager responsibilities: • Train employees • Make employees understand importance of reporting illness • Report employee illness and food borne illness outbreaks to regulatory authorities • Cooperate and answer the inspector questions correctly during facility inspection. • Monitor food handling practices in the operation to make sure food remains safe all the time. Government agencies dealing with food safety The Food & Drug Administration (FDA): FDA developed US food code. US food code is a guiding document for local regulatory authorities for developing laws on how they govern the food establishments. FDA regulates food when transported across state-lines. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Inspects meat, poultry, dairy, produce, eggs and egg products State and local regulatory authorities: Make laws that govern the food establishments. We only communicate or report to local authorities. Notify local authorities of food illness outbreak, employee sickness, making any changes in your operation such as layout changes, equipment changes. Biological Food Contamination: Biological/Microbial Hazards Microorganism: Small, living organisms that are either naturally present in the food or get introduced through poor food handling practices. Pathogen: Pathogens produce toxins (poison) and cause disease when infected food is consumed. Pathogens that contaminate food and cause foodborne illness are: • Bacteria, Viruses • Parasites • Fungi: Yeast, Mold, Mushrooms • Symptoms of foodborne illness: • Diarrhea, • Vomiting, • Abdominal cramps, • Fever, • Sore throat with fever • Jaundice Onset times (how much time it takes to show up the symptoms): It will depend on what kind of contamination is in the food and personal immune system. It can anywhere from 30 minutes to six weeks. Bacteria: Bactria is everywhere and it is present in most of the meat. Bacteria grows well under FAT TOM conditions. Food: Bacteria gets it’s nutrients from the food Acidity: Bacteria grow best in food that contains little or no acid ((pH value 4.6 to 7.5) Temperature: Bacteria grow rapidly between 41°F & 135°F also known as temperature danger zone Time: Bacteria needs time to grow, usually 4 hours in temperature danger zone Oxygen: Some bacteria needs oxygen to grow Moisture: Bacteria grow well in food with high levels of moisture. Moisture meaning water content in a food and it is measured as vapor pressure. To control the growth of bacteria in TCS food requires controlling time and temperature of the food. Keep TCS food under refrigeration (below 41°F) or keep it hot above 135°F. Virus: Virus does not need food for its growth. it uses food as a medium to go from one place to another. So it does not matter if the food is acidic, non-acidic, protein or no protein. Sources: Food, water, or any contaminated surface and it typically enters your body through fecal-oral routes. Destruction: Normal cooking temperatures do not destroy virus. Prevention methods: Good personal hygiene must be practiced when handling food and food-contact surfaces. Always wash your hands before handling the food. Do not allow sick person to handle the food or work in the food preparation areas. If there are any contaminated surfaces such as if someone vomits or sneezes in the food preparation areas, clean it as soon as possible. Common Foodborne Viruses Hepatitis A & Noro-virus: Both come from human feces. Linked food is Shell-fish, ready eat food & beverages. Noro-virus causes most food borne illness cases. Parasites: Parasites require a host to live and reproduce. Sources: • Seafood • Game animals (Venice, Rabbit, Turkey etc.) • Food processed with contaminated water like produce Prevention: To avoid parasitic contamination the supplier must freeze fish that will be served raw or undercooked correctly. Game animals used in commercial establishment should be free of parasites such as ticks & fleas. Mushrooms: Mushrooms produce toxins. Buy them from approved suppliers. Mold: Mold grows in high acid, low moisture food such as cheese, sliced tomato. How to control biological hazards: • Purchase raw materials from safe and approved vendors. Vendors that are inspected licensed and follow FDA guidelines. • Good personal hygiene: Only healthy workers should be allowed to handle the food or prepare the food. All workers should wash their hands properly and frequently. • Prevent cross-contamination: Store foods properly. Use clean, sanitized utensils and work surfaces. Cooked and ready to eat food should not come in contact with raw materials. • Time-temperature control: Cook foods to required minimum temperatures. Keep TCS foods at proper temperatures. Keep TCS food either below 41°F or above 135°F. Between 41°F to 135°F, spend less than 4 hours. Personal Hygiene Workers can introduce bacteria, viruses and parasites into food and beverages by doing following: • Working while sick • Touching pimples or sores • Touching hair • Not wearing a band-aid and single-use gloves over cuts and wounds • Not washing hands properly Basics of Hand washing Every establishment should have designated hand-washing sink. It should be conveniently located near food preparation areas so that food handlers can wash hands quickly and easily. For proper hand washing provide soap, (liquid soap is preferred). ways to dry hands such as disposable towels, hot air dryer. Steps of hand washing: • First step in hand washing is to wet your hands with warm water. • Take the soap • Scrub hands for at least 10 to15 seconds • Total time you spend on hand washing is about 20 seconds • Water temperature should be at least 1OO°F When washing hand pay special attention to nails and fingers, clean them thoroughly. Instant hand sanitizer: Use of hand sanitizer is optional. However use sanitizers only after proper hand washing and drying. Only use FDA approved hand sanitizers. When to wash your hands: • Before you start handling the food and utensils • If you take a break, wash hands when you are back from the break. • After using the bathroom, coughing, smoking, eating, drinking, scratching • Switching between raw and ready-to-eat food • During food preparation • After handling credit card or money, shaking hands with customers • After answering phone • Before putting on gloves • After any work that contaminates your hands Fingernails, nail polish & artificial nails: Fingernails, nail polish & artificial nails can be a physical hazard so keep your nails trimmed and filed. Workers cannot wear fingernail polish or artificial fingernails unless they wear intact single-use gloves. If the worker has infected cut or wound on the hands, e.g. wound contains pus, restrict the food handler from working with the food and clean utensils. If cut or wound is not infected, then use double protection. Cover affected area with a bandage or a finger cot. Then also wear single-use glove. After wearing double protection food handler should be ok to work in all areas. Always wear single use gloves when handling ready to eat food. Change your gloves: • When gloves get dirty or tear • Before beginning of a new task • Every 4 hours, when in continuous use. This 4 hours rule also applies to utensils, change, replace or sanitize utensils after 4 hours of continuous use. Food handlers working in the food preparation areas or preparing food should wear hair restraint. They should also wear clean right fit clothes. Workers are not allowed to wear anything on their hands except plain metal band or ring. Even medical information bracelets or watch should be removed when you are preparing the food or working in the food preparation areas. Reporting foodborne illness If a worker is diagnosed with one of the following foodborne illnesses, the Manager must report it to the local health department: • Hepatitis A: Virus that causes jaundice (yellow skin & fever): Needs to be report within 30 days • Norovirus: Should be reported in 48 hours • E. coli 0157:H7 • Salmonella Typhi • Shigella spp. Once notified, your local health department will try to reach out to your customers and advice them what prevention measures can be taken by customers to avoid illness. When an employee gets sick, you need to either “exclude” the worker or “restrict” the worker. Excluding a worker: Excluding a worker meaning send home or ask worker to not to come to work. When to exclude a worker: If serving the general population and if the worker has following symptoms: • Vomiting or diarrhea • Jaundice • Has been diagnosed with Salmonella Typhi, Shigella, Shiga-toxin producing E. coil, Hepatitis A virus, or Norovirus. If serving high risk population such as kindergarten, nursing homes: • Food handler with sore throat with fever When can an excluded person come back to work? • For vomiting & Diarrhea: 24 hours of symptom free. • All other things get a letter from doctor or approval from local regulatory authority. Restrict a worker: Restricting a workers means, worker can come to work or continue to work in a restricted manner. Restricted person cannot handle food, clean utensils, unwrapped single service or single use items. However restricted person can handle packaged food, wrapped single service or single use items, soiled food equipment or utensils, cleanups etc. Restricted person can also work as cashier, office work etc. When to restrict a worker: If serving the general population worker with a sore throat with fever can come to work in a restricted manner. Other Policies for workers: No one should be allowed to: • Smoke • Chew gum • Eat food In the food preparation areas. Why? Because saliva can be transferred to hands and it could contaminate food. Workers can drink from a container that has spill proof lead and a straw. Drinking from soda can, coffee mugs, water bottles is not allowed. Purchasing, Receiving and Storage Food safety begins at purchasing. Always purchase raw materials from safe and approved vendors that are properly licensed. Home-prepared food cannot be used or served in a food establishment. When receiving deliveries check the transportation vehicles for cleanliness and proper temperature control. Most important thing when you receive TCS food, e.g. raw meat, poultry, eggs, fish, dairy and milk is the temperature of the food. So you should check the temperature of the TCS food upon delivery with a properly calibrated (accurate to +/-2°F) thermometer. Inspect all produce boxes for insects and quality. If you see any infestation reject it. Packaged food should be received in undamaged conditions. Check expiry date, torn packages, water stains, rusty cans should be rejected. Receiving temperatures: • Shellfish/Shell Eggs/Milk: 45°F or below • Raw fish/meat/chicken 41°F or below • Ready to eat cold TCS 41°F or below • Hot TCS food 135°F or above Frozen food should be received frozen without any sign of time temperature abuse. Meaning it should not be thawed and re-frozen. If you see ice crystals inside the frozen food packaging it indicates product has been thawed and refrozen. Reject it Meat, fish, and poultry: Must have USDA inspection stamp on the package. Milk: Only Grade A pasteurized milk should be used. Shellstock Tags: • Do not accept shellfish without the proper identification tags • Shellfish can be received at 45°F, cool it down to 41°F or less within 4 hours • Keep shellfish tags on file for 90 calendar days from the date the container was emptied. • Tags should contain harvesting date. • Write the date on the tag when last fish in the container was sold. Storage: There are 3 kinds of storage • Refrigeration • Freezer • Dry storage: We store following items in dry storage area: o Food o Cleaned & equipment o Chemicals Food and chemicals should be stored away from each other to avoid chemical contamination. Date marking or labeling: If food is prepared or cooked in the establishment and if it is held for more than 24 hours, they must be date marked or labeled with • Date of preparation • Use by date: Use by date will be 7 days from the day it is prepared. Counting begins on the day food is prepared. E.g. if prepared on May 10th, use it by May 16th. If prepared on May 1st, use by May 7th. Any onsite-packaged food should be labeled with all the ingredients in descending orders. Label should also include last day of use. Ready to eat cold TCS food temperatures: • Maintain 41°F or below. • If not maintaining 41°F use it or throw it within 6 hours or when food exceeds 70°F. Hot TCS food temperatures: • Maintain 135°F or above. • If not maintaining 135°F use it or throw it within 4 hours. Preparation Many times we need to thaw frozen food. Following are the safe thawing methods: • in the refrigerator (best way, because food is always in safe temperature zone, stays below 41°F during thaw) • as a part of cooking process • in the microwave oven followed by cooking • Under cold, running water. Water temperature should be 70°F or less. Washing Produce: You can wash the produce and fruits with bare hands. Wash raw fruits and vegetables in warm water before using them. Cooking Temperatures: FOOD TEMP TIME Poultry, stuffed foods & casseroles 165°F 15 seconds Ground meats and injected meats 155°F 15 seconds Whole pieces: pork, beef, veal, lamb, fish 145°F 15 seconds Plant foods and commercially processed food 135°F 15 seconds Scrambled eggs for immediate service 145°F 15 seconds Scrambled eggs for hold holding or steam tables 155°F 15 seconds Animal food cooked in Microwave 165°F 15 seconds Reheating food for steam tables/buffet stations 165°F 15 seconds Microwave Cooking If you cook raw animal foods in microwave follow the guidelines below: * Rotated or stirred during cooking; * Covered to retain surface moisture; * Heated to at least 165°F * Allowed to stand covered for two minutes after cooking. Cooling Potentially Hazardous Foods Cooling happens in 2 stages. Do not put hot food in refrigerators, it will increase temperature inside the refrigerator. First bring food to room temperature and then put it in refrigerators. Cooling happens in 2 stages. Total cooling time 6 hours First 2 hours: From 135°F to 70°F Next four hours: From 70°F to 41°F There is one alternate to 2 stage cooling is to use a blast chiller. You can put hot food in blast chiller to cool faster. Safe Cooling Methods • Place food in shallow pans • Cut in to small portions • Divide in to smaller containers • Put food in metallic container and an Ice water bath and stir it • Add ice as an ingredient. • Use ice paddles to stir Reheating food for hot holding stations • Reheat food to 165°F for 15 sec. • If reheating in microwave: 165°F for 15 sec. Total reheat time should not be more than 2 hours. Cleaning and Sanitizing Cleaning Cleaning is the process of removing food and other soils. All non-food-contact surfaces should be just cleaned, no need to sanitize them. Examples of non food contact surface: Kitchen floor, Trash cans, Mops, Buckets Sanitizing Sanitizing is the process of reducing the number of microorganisms to a safe level. Sanitizing is done only after cleaning the object. All food-contact surfaces should be first cleaned and then sanitized Examples of non-food contact surfaces: Utensils, cutting boards, slicers, countertops. There are 2 ways to sanitize equipment and utensils. Heat: Such as Hot water or Steam Chemicals: Chemical Concentration Contact time Chlorine 50 to 99 PPM ≥ 7 Sec Iodine 12.5 to 25 PPM ≥ 30 Sec Quats (Quaternary ammonia) As per the manufacturers recommendation ≥ 30 Sec Sanitizer concentration is measured using a test kit and expressed in PPM (Parts Per Million). Storing chemicals Keep all chemicals away from the food, direct heat or on an empty shelf below food or utensils. In between use, store sanitizing cloth in the sanitizing bucket/solution. Chemicals taken from bulk containers and transferred to individual containers such as spray bottles must be labeled with the common name. OSHA requires a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for all chemicals stored on premises. Dish washing machines High temperature machines Final sanitizing rinse must be 180 oF or hotter. Measure water temperature at the manifold. Chemical sanitizing machines Wash water 120 oF or hotter. Rinse water 75 oF to 120 oF. Three-compartment sink Sinks must be equipped with correctly sized drain boards. Wash: Water temperature at least 110 oF Rinse: Water temperature at least 110 oF Sanitize: Hot water temperature at least 171 oF or properly prepared chemical solution Air-dry: Do not use wipes to make them dry. Measuring Sanitizer Strength Frequently check concentration of the chemical sanitizer using test kit (strips). Effectiveness of the chemical sanitizer depends on water hardness and pH value. Hard water will not remove detergents from the utensils making sanitizer solution less effective. Storing Cleaned and Sanitized Items Store clean sanitized utensils in clean, dry location, not exposed to splash, dust, or other contamination. At least 6 inches above the floor, in a self-draining position, covered or inverted. Facilities and equipment Kitchen equipment Floor mounted equipment should have 6 inches legs at the bottom Table top equipment, either seal it to the table or should have 4 inches legs. Food prep equipment and utensils must be designed and constructed to be durable. All food service equipment should be certified by: • NSF – National Sanitary Foundation • UL – Underwriters Laboratories • ANSI - American National Standards Institute Before cleaning and sanitizing electrical appliances unplug and disassemble them. Scratch out the food particles or any other contaminants from equipment. Spray the sanitizing solution and let it air dry. Ventilation Ventilation in a food prep area should remove heat, fumes and moisture. Maintain ventilation system to avoid dust build-up, grease build-up in your kitchen. Kitchen floor Kitchen floor should be smooth, nonabsorbent, easy to clean and durable. Floor should use coving (avoid sharp corners) so it is easy to clean. Utilities and Building Systems Water and plumbing Always use safe drinkable water for everything you do such as washing hands, making ice, washing utensils and during food preparation. When water is safe to drink it is called potable. Rain water is NOT potable so cannot be used. Buy commercially bottled water if water supply is interrupted. Electrical power loss: Electrical power loss for longer periods is imminent health hazard. If you lose electrical power for very long time, approval from regulatory authority is needed to reopen. Cross connection & backflow Cross-connection: Cross connection is a physical link between safe water and dirty water. Cross connection will contaminate drinkable water supply. Backflow: Backflow is the reverse flow of contaminants into a drinkable water supply. Air gap and Vacuum breakers prevent backflow. Air gap: Air gap is a guaranteed method to prevent backflow into system. There should be two air-gaps in a system. One between flood rim of the sink and second between drain pipe and floor drain. Lighting Lighting requirements are usually measured in units called footcandles or lux. All lights should have shatter-resistant lightbulbs or protective covers. These products prevent broken glass from contaminating food or food-contact surfaces Garbage Keep garbage containers away from prep or food-storage areas. Indoor containers-leak proof, waterproof, and pest proof. Liners for containers-Line with plastic or wet-strength paper bags. Outdoor containers-place on a smooth, nonabsorbent surface with tight-fitting lids covered at all times. Maintaining the Facility Clean the operation on a regular basis. Create master cleaning schedule and keep record. Review master cleaning and maintenance schedule and make changes if necessary. Revise cleaning schedule after a new piece of food-prep equipment is installed or state adopts the most current model FDA Food Code Facility cleaning • Dispose of mop water only in Service Sink or Utility Sink • Clean tools after use • Hang mop on the hook to dry Pest control Always use licensed Pest Control Operator (PCO). Restricted use pesticides should be only applied by PCO. Store pesticides in it’s original containers and keep MSDS for all on site. Things you can do to control pest: • Keep facility clean • Deny entry • Deny food • Deny shelter • Check all deliveries routinely to control entry of pest into the operation • Install screens on windows and doors • Install air-curtains on the doors • Cover pipe surroundings with concrete Food safety plan As a Food Safety Manager your biggest goal is that no one should get foodborne illness after eating or drinking at your establishment. To achieve this goal use managerial control. Elements of Active Managerial Control: Written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Plans for monitoring and keeping records Worker training Intentional food contamination Food contamination could be natural, lack of knowledge or intentional. There could be unhappy employee, competitor or terrorist who can contaminate food. Stay ALERT to avoid intentional food contamination. A Assure: Make sure deliveries are safe L Look: Monitor kitchen & Storage E Employees: Know your staff R Reports: Keep information T Threats: Response to emergency Do not allow any unauthorized person to enter in to kitchen and food storage areas. Person could intentionally contaminate food. It is called food tampering. Create food defense plan to avoid any intentional contamination to the food. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) This system is a process that uses a combination of proper food handling procedures, monitoring techniques, and record keeping to help ensure that the food you serve is safe. Hazards are biological, chemical, or physical agents likely to cause illness or injury if they are not controlled. You need a HACCP plan if you: • Vacuum package food / Reduce oxygen packaging (R.O.P) • Service of raw meats • Package fresh squeezed orange juice • Serve shellfish directly from a tank • Curing or smoking food for preservation. In addition to HACCP plan, obtain variance from health department for curing and smoking of meats and serving shellfish from the tank. Smoking used for flavoring of meats does NOT require HACCP or Variance. 7 HACCP Principles 1. Conduct a hazard analysis In simple words think of what could go wrong in the entire process, right from purchasing to serving the food to the customer. Look at your menu and identify items that are TCS foods. then, determine where food safety hazards are likely to occur for each TCS food. 2: Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs) Find the points in the process where the identified hazards can be prevented, eliminated, and/or reduced to safe levels. Examples of CCP: Receiving, Storage, Cooking 3: Establish critical limits For each CCP, establish minimum or max limits. these limits must be met to prevent or eliminate the hazard, or to reduce it to a safe level Examples: Maximum critical limit to receive raw chicken is 41°F Minimum critical limit to cook chicken is 165°F 4: Establish monitoring procedures Determine the best way for your operation to check the critical limits. MAKE SURE the limits are CONSTANTLY met. Examples: Check temperature at buffet (hot holding) stations every 2 hours. It should be 135°F or above 5: Establish corrective actions Identify steps that MUST be taken when the a critical limit is not met. Example: Raw chicken received at temperature greater than 41°F should be rejected. “Rejecting the delivery” is corrective action. 6: Establish verification procedures Verify That the System Works Make sure the plan is working as intended. Evaluate on a regular basis. Correct the training and operating procedures as required. 7: Establish record keeping Establish Procedures for Record Keeping and Documentation. Maintain your HACCP plan and keep all documentation created when making it. Keep records of all the following actions: • monitoring activities • taking corrective action • validating equipment (check for good working conditions)