Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Intro:
If you work with food, you are responsible for ensuring that you do not endanger the safety of the food.
This is a legal and moral responsibility. Here at the Pub, we expect you to uphold the following:
• Keeping yourself and your workplace clean.
• Protecting food from anything that could cause harm.
• Following good habits, such as washing your hands before handling food.
• Staying alert to food safety hazards.
• Following the rules for food safety in your workplace and working with care.
• Be proactive with correcting possible hazards that may occur in your work environment.
Food safety protects everyone. Poor food safety threatens health, reputations, profits and jobs.
Everyone who works with food has a responsibility to safeguard food so that it does not cause illness
or harm.
The following icons were published in 2005 by the international Association for food Protection
(IAFP). The purpose for the icons is to provide an easily recognizable symbol that conveys a specific
food safety message to food handlers of all nationalities.
FOODBORNE ILLNESSES:
Food makes people ill when it is contaminated. Food is contaminated when it contains or carries
something that is harmful to human health. There are three main types of food contamination:
Biological
Chemical
Physical
Biological contamination is cause by very small life forms, such as bacteria, which is known as
microorganisms. Bacteria are responsible for most biological contamination and they cause more cases of
foodborne illnesses than any other contaminant. Out of the thousands of bacteria throughout the world,
most bacteria do not harm humans. But a few types, referred to as pathogenic bacteria, can cause disease.
They include Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureua, Listeria, and, Clostridium botulinum.
There are other biological contaminants apart from bacteria. They include:
Viruses- microorganisms that multiply in living calls, causing illnesses such as colds, ‘flu
and the foodborne disease Hepatitis A
Mold- some types can produce toxins(poisons) on foods such as nuts
Parasites- microorganisms that live on and inn people, animals and other organisms; they
are a particular problem in hogs and can cause tichinosis in pork
Naturally poisonous plants, fish and shellfish- these include some types of mushroom, as
well as some marine fish and shellfish (such as mackerel, snapper, mussels, and clams)
that cause ciguatera poisoning in humans because they have eaten poisonous plankton
(marine microorganisms).
WORDS TO KNOW:
Bacteria- microorganisms responsible for most foodborne illnesses.
Contaminated food- food that contains something (a contaminant) that is harmful to health.
Contamination- the presence in food of something harmful to health.
Foodborne illness- all the illnesses caused by eating contaminated food. Foodborne infection and
foodborne intoxication come under this heading.
Foodborne infection- an illness caused by pathogenic microorganisms that live and multiply in
your body after you have eaten contaminated food. (ex. Sammonella)
Foodborne intoxication- an illness caused by toxins in food. (ex. Staphylococcus aureus)
Microorganism or Microbe- a very small (micro) life form (organism), including bacteria,
viruses, molds, yeasts, fungi and some parasites.
Multiplying, multiplication- the way bacteria reproduce and increase their numbers. This is
sometimes referred to as bacterial growth in numbers.
Onset or incubation period- the time it takes for the systems of a foodborne illness to start after
contaminated food has been eaten.
Parasite- an organism that lives on another life form.
Pathogen- an organism that causes disease. Pathogenic bacteria cause disease.
Symptoms- the signs of an illness.
Toxin- a poison produced by some living organisms, such as bacteria and mold.
When your body detects that you have eaten something harmful, it usually tries to get rid of the food by the
quickest method. The most common symptoms of a foodborne illness are as follows:
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Other signs may be fever and headache
• Other severe symptoms include paralysis and kidney failure
Foodborne illnesses affect people whom are very young, very old, pregnant, ill or recovering
from an illness or who have a weak immune system.
It is important to know if your guests have any food allergies, so that we may be able to avoid
sickness.
The Big 7 food Allergens are:
• Peanuts
• Soybeans
• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish (includes crustaceans)
• Tree nuts
• Wheat
WORDS TO KNOW
FOOD: like all living things, bacteria need nutrients to grow. Bacteria can grow on anything, but prefers
to grow on something that is high in protein and moist.
ACIDITY: Levels of acidity also effect bacteria. Lemon juice, vinegar, and other acidic products make it
difficult for most bacteria to multiply and therefore are useful for preserving food- for example: pickles
TEMPERATURE: Most pathogenic bacteria multiply rapidly at temperatures between 41 degrees and 135
degrees. This range of temperatures is therefore called the temperature danger zone. The ideal temperature
for bacteria to grow is about 98.6 degrees, which is the average human body temperature. Most bacteria can
survive cold temperatures and resume multiplication later when conditions are more suitable.
TIME: Bacteria do not need long to multiply to levels that cause foodborne illness. They reproduce by
dividing. One bacterium splits in two, then two become four and four become eight, and so on. In just a few
hours it is possible for one bacterium to multiply to millions of bacteria. Bacteria only needs 10-20 minutes
to multiply to harmful numbers.
OXYGEN: Some bacteria, referred to as ‘aerobes’ need oxygen to reproduce. Others referred to as
‘anaerobes’ thrive without.
MOISTURE: Pathogenic bacteria need moisture to stay alive. They cannot multiply in dried foods.
However, as soon as liquid is added to foods (ex. Dried eggs, dried milk) the reconstructed products
provide ideal conditions for bacterial growth. Salt is known to absorb moisture in foods such as crackers &
bacon. Sugar does the same for candy, jelly and jam.
DANGER ZONE:
41-135 Degrees
Foods that are in the temperature danger zone are most likely left on work surfaces, left in sunlight, heated
slowly, cooled slowly. Food is also likely to be in the danger zone when something hot and cold is
combined. (ex. Pouring hot gravy on top of cold food or hot soup added to cold soup.)
WORDS TO KNOW:
Potentially Hazardous (time/temperature control for safety) foods- Foods that need temperature
control because they support the rapid growth of pathogenic microorganisms or the formation of
toxins.
Ready-to-eat Foods- Foods which are edible without preparation or treatment, such as washing or
cooking, immediately before they are eaten.
Toxigenic- Toxin-producing
Contaminant- any substance or object in food that makes the food harmful or objectionable
Contamination- The presence in food of any harmful or objectionable substance
Cross Contamination- The transfer of pathogenic bacteria from one food to another. (ex. Raw food to
ready to eat food)
Food contact surface- Any surface that touches food and therefore creates a risk of contamination.
Hazard- Anything that could cause harm to the consumer.
Risk- the likelihood of harm.
Vehicle of contamination- hands, utensils, or tools that carry microorganisms onto food, causing
contamination.
Prevention checklist:
WORDS TO KNOW:
Ambient Temperature- ordinary room temp.
Core Temperature- the temp. at the center or the thickest part of food.
Danger zone- the temp. range (41-135) most suitable for bacterial multiplication
Pasteurization- a form of rapid heat treatment that kills pathogenic bacteria but not all spoilage bacteria
Pathogen- an organism that causes disease.
Sanitizing- the process of reducing microorganisms and their spores to generally safe levels
Preventive- any action to reduce the risk of harm. Sometimes called preventative.
Temperature control- Keeping food at a safe temperature, or using heat to destroy pathogenic
microorganisms
Core temperature- the temperature at the center or the thickest part of food.
Words to know:
Code Date- a date on packaging indicating the period when the food is safe and in the best
condition to eat.
Dehydration- the removal of moisture, drying
Perishable- foods that spoil easily
Preservation- the safe treatment of food to delay spoilage
Shelf Life- the safe storage period
Spoilage- the process by which food becomes unacceptable. Also called decomposition, rotting,
perishing, deterioration and decaying
Stored product pests- insects, such as weevils, beetles, moths and their larvae, that contaminate
the foods and ingredients you would expect to find in dry goods storage including flour, cereals,
nuts, and other products
Dormant- a period when microorganisms are inactive and do not multiply
Freezer Burn- dehydration damage to food caused by ice crystals during freezing
Carrier- a person who carries pathogenic microorganisms without suffering symptoms
Follow FIFO also known as First in First Out! Rotation is key to preventing food from
spoiling, and preventing foodborne illnesses.
Always check dates on food to make sure it is not past the “use by” date.
ESSENTIAL HANDWASHING:
Your hands are the #1 cause of foodborne illnesses, because your hands touch so many things
throughout the day. ex. People, equipment, food, plates and glassware.
Wash your hands frequently throughout the day! Always wash you hands when the following
occurs:
BEFORE:
starting work
touching raw food or potentially hazardous foods
touching ready to eat foods
BETWEEN:
handling raw and cooked food
handling raw and ready to eat foods
changing from one task to the next
AFTER:
handling raw food
visiting the bathroom
handling raw eggs in their shells
coughing or sneezing, or blowing your nose
touching your hair or face, or any other part of your body or clothing
cleaning or sanitizing, or touching containers of cleaning chemicals
dealing with trash and containers
taking a break
eating, drinking, or smoking
wearing protective gloves
handling money
Never test food with your fingers or lick your finger tip to make it easier to pick up something
(ex. Counting money)
You must tell the person in charge at work if you have, or recently had, a foodborne illness or one with
similar symptoms. You must report you have one of the following:
Norovirus
Salmonella Typhi
Shigella species
Enterphemorrhagic or Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli
Hepatitis A virus
Or if you have one of the following symptoms:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Jaundice
Sore throat with fever
Open lesions
Employees must also report:
Certain previous illness
Exposure to a suspected source of a confirmed foodborne illness outbreak
If he/she is suspected as the source of such an outbreak
Exposure to others involved in a confirmed outbreak
Words to Know
Clean- free from dirt and soil; to wash and rinse
Clean as you go- cleaning procedures carried out as you work
Contact time- the period that a sanitizer must be left so that it will work properly
Detergent- a chemical that helps dissolve grease and remove dirt
Food contact surface- any surface that is touched by food
Hand contact surface- any surface that is touched by hands
Risk- the likelihood of harm
Sanitizing- the process of reducing pathogenic microorganisms, reducing them to safe levels
Sanitizer- a chemical that destroys many pathogenic microorganisms, reducing them to safe levels
Scheduled cleaning- cleaning carried out by specified people at specified intervals and times. A
cleaning schedule sets out the details.
Sterilization- the process of killing all microorganisms
Infestation- the presence of pests
Integrated pest management- a comprehensive system of pest prevention and control
Pest- an animal or insect that contaminates or damages food
Pet- tamed, domestic animal
Harbor- provide a shelter or hiding place
Impervious- does not let water through
Workflow- the route through food premises for food, employees and equipment during all the stages
from delivery of raw food and ingredients to dispatch, sale or service of finished product
Control or Control measure- an action designed to eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable
level
Food hazard- anything that could make food unsafe to eat
HACCP- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, a formal system of Hazard Analysis
Hazard Analysis- a method for assessing the food hazards in any food activity
Legislation- Laws and regulations
REHS and RS- Registered Environmental Health Specialist and Registered Sanitarian, professional
who usually enforce food safety legislation in the United States. They also offer advice and education
to food establishments to help them prevent food safety problems.
HACCP
Whatever your work involves, you will play an important part in food safety control by:
Following the rules at your workplace
Protecting food from contamination
Following the basic rules of time and temperature control
Watching out for any food hazards
Reporting a breakdown, problems or possible food hazards to your manager