Health Tips
Contaminated Food/Ingredients
Cross Contamination
Food from Unsafe Source
Improper Cooling/Holding
Inadequate Cooking/Heating
Infected Person Handling Food
Sanitizers
Thawing Properly
Contaminated Food/Ingredients:
Certain RAW foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, milk, and eggs may be contaminated with bacteria or viruses.
Remember:
Always buy foods from an approved source.
Always cook foods to the proper temperatures and keep cold foods properly refrigerated
Obtaining food from an unsafe source
In a retail food establishment, all food received must be from an approved and inspected source and no foods processed at home may be offered to the public. Some additional tips to follow for home and retail use include:
Severely dented, rusted, or swollen cans of food must not be used.
When in doubt, throw it out!
Infected person handling foods or ingredients
People with poor food handling habits are the biggest contributors to food borne illness outbreaks! Here’s what you can do:
Food handlers must not handle food if they have illnesses such as colds, diarrhea, the flu, or Hepatitis A. They should also not handle food if they have infected cuts, burns, or lesions on the hands or lower arms.
Wash hands with warm soapy water before and after handling food, and after any potential contamination such as using the toilet, smoking, blowing nose, etc. Good hand washing practices are essential when handling ready-to-eat foods with bare hands!
Food handlers must not eat, drink, or smoke while preparing foods. Hand-mouth contact can transfer bacteria from the mouth to the hands and then to the food, which may result in contamination and a food borne illness!!
Hands and utensils should not be wiped on aprons or clothes.
Avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods by using utensils.
Inadequate cooking or heating
All potentially hazardous foods must be cooked to a SAFE internal temperature before they are served. Internal cooking temperature standards are:
165 oF Poultry, stuffing and dressing
155 oF Ground beef
155 oF Pork and pork products
145 oF Whole beef cuts and other foods
Inadequate reheatingLeftover foods that have been refrigerated must be rapidly reheated to 165 oF before serving or hot holding.
Handy sanitizer: An easy solution for use in sanitizing food preparation surfaces such as cutting boards and tables can be made using one tablespoon of household bleach (scented bleach cannot be used) in a gallon of water.
Cross-contamination: This happens when bacteria are transferred from one surface to another by contaminated food or utensils.
Do not use the same cutting board or utensils for raw and cooked meats unless they are adequately sanitized between uses.
Thaw food safely: Thawing food items at room temperature is dangerous. The time at room temperature may allow hazardous bacteria or pathogens to reproduce and cause food borne illness. For safe ways to thaw foods do:
Refrigerator: At 41 oF allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing juices do not drip on to other foods.
Cold water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge in cold running tap water.
Microwave: Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.
Refreezing food: Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before OR after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing
This happens when bacteria is transferred from one surface to another by contaminated food or utensils.
Do not use the same cutting board or utensils for raw and cooked meats unless they are adequately sanitized between uses.
In a retail food establishment, all food received must be from an approved and inspected source and no foods processed at home may be offered to the public. Some additional tips to follow for home and retail use include:
Severely dented, rusted, or swollen cans of food must not be used.
When in doubt, throw it out!
Cooling food too slowly is the major cause of food borne illness. Potentially hazardous foods such as meats, seafood and dairy products MUST be cooled rapidly from 140° F within 2 hours, then from 70° F to 41° F within 4 hours.
Foods that are prepared far in advance before serving must be handled very carefully. Such foods must be properly cooled and then stored at the proper temperature of 41° F or below. Reheat these foods to an internal temperature if 165° F or above within 2 hours.
3. Contaminated raw foods or ingredients
Certain RAW foods, such as meat, fish, poultry, shellfish, milk, and eggs may be contaminated with bacteria or viruses.
Remember:
-
Always buy foods from an approved source.
-
Always cook foods to the proper temperatures and keep cold foods properly refrigerated
-
Thoroughly wash all raw fruits and vegetables.
4. Obtaining food from an unsafe source
In a retail food establishment, all food received must be from an approved and inspected source and no foods processed at home may be offered to the public. Some additional tips to follow for home and retail use include:
-
Severely dented, rusted, or swollen cans of food must not be used.
-
When in doubt, throw it out!
5. Infected person handling foods or ingredients
People with poor food handling habits are the biggest contributors to food borne illness outbreaks! Here’s what you can do:
-
Food handlers must not handle food if they have illnesses such as colds, diarrhea, the flu, or Hepatitis A. They should also not handle food if they have infected cuts, burns, or lesions on the hands or lower arms.
-
Wash hands with warm soapy water before and after handling food, and after any potential contamination such as using the toilet, smoking, blowing nose, etc. Good hand washing practices are essential when handling ready-to-eat foods with bare hands!
-
Food handlers must not eat, drink, or smoke while preparing foods. Hand-mouth contact can transfer bacteria from the mouth to the hands and then to the food, which may result in contamination and a food borne illness!!
-
Hands and utensils should not be wiped on aprons or clothes.
-
Avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods by using utensils.
6. Inadequate cooking or heating
All potentially hazardous foods must be cooked to a SAFE internal temperature before they are served. Internal cooking temperature standards are:
-
165 oF Poultry, stuffing and dressing
-
155 oF Ground beef
-
155 oF Pork and pork products
-
145 oF Whole beef cuts and other foods
7. Inadequate reheating
Leftover foods that have been refrigerated must be rapidly reheated to 165 oF before serving or hot holding.
Handy sanitizer: An easy solution for use in sanitizing food preparation surfaces such as cutting boards and tables can be made using one tablespoon of household bleach (scented bleach cannot be used) in a gallon of water.
Cross-contamination: This happens when bacteria are transferred from one surface to another by contaminated food or utensils.
Do not use the same cutting board or utensils for raw and cooked meats unless they are adequately sanitized between uses.
Thaw food safely: Thawing food items at room temperature is dangerous. The time at room temperature may allow hazardous bacteria or pathogens to reproduce and cause food borne illness. For safe ways to thaw foods do:
Refrigerator: At 41 oF allows slow, safe thawing. Make sure thawing juices do not drip on to other foods.
Cold water: For faster thawing, place food in a leak-proof plastic bag and submerge in cold running tap water.
Microwave: Cook meat and poultry immediately after microwave thawing.
Refreezing food: Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before OR after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing