Graduate Interview Research Project

Jessica Simmons Breland

Graduate Interview Research Project

Analysis of a Food Safety Management Plan
Jessica Simmons Breland
12/4/15

Graduate Interview Research Project

Jessica Simmons Breland

I. Introduction
Food safety, a critical component of the foodservice system model, is essential in public
establishments as a means to ensure the safety of both employees and customers. The provision
of a food safety management plan is mandatory in order to prevent the outbreak and reduce the
severity of potential foodborne illnesses and prevent handling errors in food production
(Gregoire, 2010). The implementation of a food safety program is a necessary step towards
reaching the goals and objectives of the foodservice establishment. The primary goal of public
foodservice establishments is to serve their customers high quality, safe foods free of microbial,
physical, or chemical contaminants. Adhering to a food safety management plan that emphasizes
the identification of potential food safety hazards allows managers within foodservice
establishments to monitor and control the occurrence and severity of food safety risks. The
utilization of a food safety management plan based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
(HACCP) principles is imperative in public establishments to ensure that these facilities adhere
to the legal requirements of federal and state agencies that require the serving of safe foods to
consumers (National Food Service Management Institute, 2010; U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, 2005). In reference to the National Food Service Management Institute, the
implementation of a food safety program based on HACCP principles is important because these
programs have the potential to reduce product loss, improve control over product inventory,
ensure consistency in product preparation, and increase product quality, profit, and employee
awareness of proper food safety (2010). Proper application and pursuance of a food safety
management plan by foodservice establishments assures quality during the food production
process. Public establishments that follow a food safety management plan based on hazard
control guidelines prepare themselves for successful health inspections and protect themselves,
employees, and customers from food safety hazards and risks.

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Jessica Simmons Breland

A proper food safety program includes many essential components, such as the
establishment and documentation of standard operating procedures (SOPs), the identification of
critical control points (CCPs), as well as the selection and implementation of a HACCP model
(Gregoire, 2010; National Food Service Management Institute, 2010). A food safety program
evaluates all activities in the foodservice establishment that involve food production, monitors
for mishandling in these areas, and takes corrective action to eliminate any mishandling. SOPs
are written, step-by-step procedures for routine tasks that are implemented within the foodservice
establishment (Gregoire, 2010). The SOPs are to be documented before the HACCP plan can be
implemented within the facility. CCPs are steps within the food production process in which loss
of control would pose a risk to employee and customer safety. The identification of CCPs within
the production areas of the foodservice establishment can result in the prevention, elimination,
and reduction of food safety hazards if proper control is taken following mishandling in any of
these areas. The HAACP plan was a model initially created for the assurance of quality control
for foodservice establishments. This model particularly emphasizes microbial control. The seven
principles of a HACCP plan include: conducting a hazard analysis, determining the critical
control points (CCPs), establishing critical limits, establishing monitoring procedures,
establishing corrective actions, establishing verification procedures, and establishing
recordkeeping and documentation procedures (2010). The National Food Service Management
Institute (2010) states that in addition to the inclusion of a HAACP model and its prerequisite
programs, essential components of a food safety program also include the following: the
utilization of recipe cards that list specific steps and critical limits involved in the food
production of menu items, purchase specifications, equipment maintenance and sanitation,
employee health policies, regular manager and employee training on food safety, specific goal-

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Jessica Simmons Breland

oriented plans for controlling foodborne illness outbreaks, as well as the promotion of ServSafe
certification for managers, chefs, and kitchen staff.
II. Demographics
The implementation of proper food safety policies within the foodservice environment is
essential, especially in public establishments. The child nutrition facilities within the Petal
School District are public establishments that utilize food safety management plans to serve safe,
high quality meals to their customers. Petal Upper Elementary is the school foodservice
establishment I evaluated for my research on food safety management plan implementation. The
Petal Upper Elementary School cafeteria serves 2 meals, breakfast and lunch. On an average day,
the facility serves 250-275 participants at breakfast and 475-500 participants at lunch. Breakfast
is served from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. and lunch is served from 10:20 to 12:00 p.m. The facility
currently utilizes two serving lines during breakfast and lunch service to students. The Petal
Upper Elementary cafeteria employs a total of nine employees, which includes eight foodservice
workers plus the nutrition program director. According to the school nutrition program director,
the facility has undergone one food safety inspection in the past year. The cafeteria received a
grade of an A from this inspection. The next focus of this paper is to discuss the existing food
safety policy for the Petal Upper Elementary School cafeteria that contributed to their high food
safety inspection score.
III. Application of the Food Safety Management Program
The Petal Upper Elementary cafeterias current food safety management program
emphasizes five components, which include the establishment and implementation of standard
operating procedures (SOPs), a food preparation action plan, monitoring, a corrective action
plan, and record keeping. In reference to the facilitys child nutrition manager who oversees food

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Jessica Simmons Breland

safety, areas in which potential food safety hazards could occur include: delivery, preparation,
holding, cooling, reheating, sanitation, as well as employees participation within these 6 areas.
Important activities in relationship to out-of-control risk factors that exist within the areas of
receiving, cooling, preparation, and hot-holding are focused on the cafeterias adherence to
SOPs and additional food safety controls. Upon the receiving of food, the facilitys employees
are responsible for inspecting food at the time of the delivery by observing the food items and
checking and documenting the temperatures of the food. Food received by the facility is only
accepted from safe sources and once received, the food items are stored properly according to
SOP guidelines. Cafeteria employees are trained to follow SOP procedures as well as federal and
state requirements when cooling food. Thermometers are calibrated regularly to ensure proper
temperature readings, which is essential in preventing potential food risks. Monitoring food
temperatures with properly calibrated temperatures allows for accurate food temperatures to be
taken and documented as a means to successfully adhere to food safety policies and guidelines.
During production, food is prepared within the facility using SOP guidelines. All equipment and
utensils utilized by foodservice employees during the preparation and production process are to
be cleaned and sanitized properly according to the facilitys SOP standards. The child nutrition
manager also requires cafeteria staff to take the temperature of foods at least two times during
cooking. Essential activities in preventing food safety hazards during hot-holding is the
requirement that all hot food be held at 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Cold food, on the other hand, is
to be held at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Employees are also required to take and record the
temperature of foods at least twice during holding time.
In addition to the activities that relate to food safety risks that are regularly implemented by
cafeteria staff, the facility also has several processes in place to control contamination of food

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Jessica Simmons Breland

and bacterial growth. Petal Upper Elementary Schools cafeteria employees are required to wash
hands properly according to NSF guidelines. SOP guidelines are also to be followed within the
facility as a food safety control. One essential area identified by the facilitys child nutrition
manager with several food safety processes in place is the handling, storing, and preparation of
raw food items. Foodservice employees are required to wear gloves when touching ready-to-eat
foods and to separate raw foods from ready-to-eat foods. Raw foods and food that require the
highest cooking temperatures are to be stored on the bottom shelf of coolers. Color-coded cutting
boards are utilized during preparation to prevent cross-contamination, which serves as a control
to prevent food allergy outbreaks and food-borne illness occurrences. Washed fruits and
vegetables are to be stored away from unwashed fruits and vegetables to protect against crosscontamination. The facility also has a designated spot for the cooling of foods. As a means to
prevent bacterial growth, foods are to be kept uncovered during the cool-down phase and cooled
foods are to be covered and stored in coolers at appropriate temperatures. Foodservice staff are
also advised to use only dry, clean, and sanitized equipment and utensils.
The standard operating procedures (SOPs) utilized by the foodservice staff are a heavily
emphasized component of the facilitys food safety management plan. The Petal Upper
Elementary School cafeteria staff currently follow a total of twenty-one SOPs as a means to
ensure the safe production of food. The child nutrition manager noted in our interview that the
facility uses six written SOPs. These written SOPs include guidelines on procedures that include
maintaining temperature logs on both food and equipment, marking dates on opened food items,
the displaying of hand washing procedure signs at all sinks, the implementation of weekly safety
check lists, the posting of cleaning and sanitizing charts throughout the facility, as well as the
establishment of HACCP guidelines for all SOP charts posted in the facility. The establishment

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Jessica Simmons Breland

currently has SOPs that cover the areas of receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling,
holding, and reheating, all in which include the incorporation of HACCP principles.
The establishments primary means of training employees to use SOPs is the requirement that
employees undergo ServSafe certification. Other means of training employees to regularly
utilize SOP guidelines include displaying visual signs throughout the facility that remind
cafeteria staff of proper food safety procedures. The facilitys child nutrition manager also noted
that a HACCP book is readily available to employees for any potential questions that they may
have regarding SOPs and critical control point issues or concerns that may occur within the
facility. To ensure that employees are knowledgeable of food safety controls regarding proper
food temperatures, cooking and holding temperatures are recorded daily. Employees are trained
to adhere to SOPs regarding safe food storage by checking expiration dates for all foods stored
within the facility. Managers also undergo monthly safety training so that they can then train
employees on proper, up-to-date food safety SOPs. Employees are also trained on sanitation
techniques that relate to SOP guidelines.
Personal hygiene is the standard operating procedure (SOP) that was selected by the facilitys
child nutrition manager for an in-depth analysis of its components. The instructions for this SOP
include eight essential steps. Step one being that employees are trained in proper SOP procedures
regarding hand washing techniques and guidelines. Step two of the instructions is that employees
report to work in good health. The requirement for employees to wash hands properly and
regularly throughout food preparation is step three of the personal hygiene SOP instructions.
Step four is that employees keep fingernails trimmed, maintained, and cleaned. Step five is that
no jewelry, with the exception of a plain wedding band, be worn by employees while at work.
The sixth step of the SOP instructions for personal hygiene is that any bandages on hands must

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Jessica Simmons Breland

be covered by gloves as a means to prevent physical contaminants from coming into contact with
food. Step seven is that suitable hair restraints be worn by employees. The last step that pertains
to the SOP of personal hygiene is that employees be trained to taste food properly. Personal
hygiene is monitored through manager inspections. The manager is responsible for inspecting
employees when they report to work to ensure that they are in compliance with personal hygiene
SOPs. Food service workers are also advised to report any personal hygiene suspicions that may
occur throughout the work day to the manager. If this SOP is not followed properly by
employees, corrective action taken by the establishment is that the employee(s) be retrained on
personal hygiene guidelines and procedures. Additional corrective action taken if a SOP
regarding personal hygiene is not properly followed is that any contaminated food is discarded.
Verification and recordkeeping requirements for personal hygiene standard operating procedures
include verification that foodservice employees are following the procedure through visual
observation conducted by the foodservice manager. The manager then completes a food safety
checklist. Records are also kept that document any discarded or damaged food for a minimum of
one year.
In regards to potential foodborne illnesses that may occur from food served by the
establishment, documentation procedures in place for this food safety risk include making a daily
sample tray of menu items and keeping this tray for a ten day period. The child nutrition manager
stated in our interview that the facility has never had any complaints regarding suspected food
borne illnesses caused by food served from the Petal Upper Elementary School cafeteria. While
the foodservice manager has no knowledge of any Foodborne Illness Complaint Forms that exist
for the establishment, she does note that her immediate supervisor would be contacted if there
ever were an outbreak of foodborne illness.

Graduate Interview Research Project

Jessica Simmons Breland

IV. Commendations and Recommendations

Analysis of the Petal Upper Elementary Schools current food safety management plan
demonstrates several strengths and weaknesses regarding the facilitys food safety controls and
standard operating procedures (SOPs). It is in my opinion that the facilitys food safety
management strengths outweigh areas of weakness. The cafeterias food safety policy strengths
include: the adherence to proper food temperature controls, sufficient employee training on SOP
guidelines that relate to ensuring food safety and quality, as well as the implementation of
multiple food safety techniques to control food contamination and bacterial growth. The facilitys
food safety management plan acknowledges the temperature danger zone of 41-135 degrees
Fahrenheit. The establishment currently requires employees to follow food safety controls as a
means to prevent foods from entering this temperature zone in order to eliminate food safety
risks. For instance, all cold food is to be held at 41 degrees or below and all hot foods are to be
held at 135 degrees or above. The facility aims to further control food safety by ensuring that
employees take and record the temperature of foods at least two times during holding time.
Another strength of the facilitys food safety management plan is that employees are sufficiently
trained on techniques for successfully implementing SOP guidelines. One SOP guideline that the
facility strongly promotes is the proper monitoring of food safety controls. For example,
employees are trained to regularly document and keep records of food temperature logs. In
accordance with the National Food Service Management Institutes (2010) recommendation to
promote ServSafe certification for kitchen staff, the Petal Upper Elementary School cafeteria
staff are ServSafe certified. The facility also utilizes multiple food safety controls and processes
to prevent food contamination and the growth of pathogens. For instance, employees are required
to separate raw form ready-to-eat foods during storage and preparation. Color-coded cutting
boards are used within the facility to prevent employees from cross-contaminating food items.

Graduate Interview Research Project

Jessica Simmons Breland

Weaknesses identified for the facility relate to the absence of a Foodborne Illness
Complaint Form, an inadequate focus on equipment sanitation, and the failure to identify critical
limits during the production of standardized recipes. In regards to the lack of a Foodborne Illness
Complaint Form, I recommend for the child nutrition manager to discuss this form with her
immediate supervisor and inquire about establishing a form for the facilities within the school
district if no such form currently exists. Although the facility does have a plan in place if a
foodborne illness outbreak were to occur, which is to contact the immediate supervisor, a
physical copy of a Foodborne Illness Complaint Form should be on file at the facility in order to
be in compliance with HACCP food safety procedures. The foodservice manager didnt mention
equipment sanitation when discussing the facilitys corrective action plan that is implemented if
an SOP is not properly followed by an employee. The manager does state that employees are
only to use equipment that is cleaned and sanitized; however, from the interview I feel that less
emphasis is placed on equipment sanitation when compared to other food safety hazards. I
recommend that managers and employees be trained regularly on equipment sanitation and that
equipment sanitation be included in the corrective action plan for when personal hygiene SOPs
are not implemented properly. I also recommend that any equipment that comes in contact with
the employee who didnt implement proper personal hygiene standards be cleaned and sanitized
properly. The facility neglecting to identify critical limits that exist during the production of
menu items is another weakness of their current food safety management plan. I recommend
establishing recipe cards for standardized recipes that list in detail areas during the food
production process that involve critical limits. These recipe cards, advised by the National Food
Service Management Institute (2010), should also list proper procedures for these critical limits.

Graduate Interview Research Project

Jessica Simmons Breland

The creation of step-by-step recipe cards for recipes that involve critical control points would
ensure additional food safety controls so that the facility can avoid potential food hazards.
V. Summary/Conclusions
The production of high-quality, safe foods is a primary goal of public establishments.
Public foodservice entities, therefore, should implement proper food safety controls as a means
to serve safe foods of superior quality to customers (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 2005). The establishment of a food safety management plan based on HACCP
guidelines and standard operating procedures (SOPs) is crucial for foodservice establishments,
especially establishments that serve food to individuals considered at-risk. In reference to the
U.S.D.As Food and Nutrition Service (2005), sanitation, temperature control, and SOPs are the
three essential points of food safety programs needed in school food associations. The Petal
Upper Elementary School cafeteria is one such establishment that currently utilizes a food safety
management plan that successfully follows HACCP and SOP procedures. The utilization of food
from unsafe sources, inadequate cooking of raw foods, improper food holding temperatures, the
use of contaminated equipment as well as poor personal hygiene are all foodborne illness risk
factors. The facilitys adherence to standard operating procedures in the areas of receiving,
storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, holding, and reheating enable the cafeteria staff to
monitor for foodborne illness risk factors and provide nutritious, high-quality, and safe school
meals to students and teachers. The foodservice manager of the cafeteria claims that, Food
should be monitored from point A to point Z. You should never have to worry about getting sick
when eating at any facility. Employees serve as a crucial component of a successful food safety
management plan. Petal Upper Elementary School staff are trained on proper implementation of
SOP guidelines. Staff members also undergo training on how to monitor for food safety controls,

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Jessica Simmons Breland

such as regular food temperature recordings and documentation. The Petal Upper Elementary
Schools child nutrition manager stated at the end of our interview, I have a very good crew.
They all take their job very seriously and do a super good job. Most of them have been here quite
a long time. They are very particular about the cleanliness and quality of our food. They are very
good at training new comers on our SOPs and they follow them closely themselves. I am very
proud of our facility.

VI. References

Graduate Interview Research Project

Jessica Simmons Breland

Gregoire, M. (2010). Chapter 8: Safety, Sanitation, and Maintenance. In Foodservice

organizations: A managerial and systems approach (7th ed., pp. 251-306). Boston:
Prentice.
National Food Service Management Institute (2010). Implementation of food safety programs
based on HACCP principles in school nutrition programs. Retrieved November 19, 2015,
from http://www.theicn.org/documentlibraryfiles/PDF/20131104045458.pdf.
U.S.D.A. Food and Nutrition Service (2005). Guidance for school food authorities: Developing a
school food safety program based on the process approach to HACCP principles.
Retrieved November 11, 2015, from http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files
/Food_Safety_HACCPGuidance.pdf.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2005). Managing food safety: A manual for the
voluntary use of HACCP principles for operators of food service and retail
establishments. Retrieved November 19, 2015, from http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/
ndockets/98fr/05d-0274-gdl0002.pdf.