An Introduction to Food Safety

Foodborne illness• Defined as a disease or illness transmitted to people by food

• When 2 or more people get sick with the same illness after

eating the same food it is called a foodborne illness

outbreak

Foodborne illness• While the foodservice industry does well to

provide safe food to its customers, foodborne illness happens.

• Foodborne Illness cost the US billions of dollars each year and according to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) just one outbreak can cost an individual restaurant thousands of dollars.

Cost of Foodborne Illness

• Foodborne Illness can come at a huge cost to a restaurant including:– Losing customers and sales

– Negative news coverage

– Lawsuits and associated legal fees

– Increased insurance cost

– Loss of good reputation

– Lowered employee morale

– Staff retraining

– Employee absenteeism

The Human Cost• According to the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention (CDC) there are approximately 76 million cases of foodborne illness each year.

• Of the 76 million cases more than 300,000 will need to be hospitalizedand 5,000 of these individuals will die.

• Thankfully with proper training and adherence you can do your part to prevent foodborne illness.

High-Risk Populations• Some people are at higher

risk for contracting a foodborne illness. These groups are considered high-risk.

• High-risk groups have weakened immune systems, therefore operations that serve these individuals must follow special rules.

• Because you never know who you may be serving food safety is of upmost importance!

High-Risk Populations• High-risk populations include people who:

– Are elderly

– Infants and pre-school age children

– People with cancer, receiving chemotherapy, those with HIV/AIDS, transplant recipients, or other general immune deficiency

Even if a high-risk individual survives the illness; the effect can be lasting

Forms of contamination

• In order to protect food you must be aware of the things that can make food unsafe. These are referred to as hazards.

• Food becomes contaminated when these hazardous materials are present in food.

• Food can become unsafe in a variety of ways.

HOW FOOD BECOMES UNSAFE

• Poor personal hygiene transfers pathogens from your body to food.

• Time-temperature abuse allows foods to stay at temperatures that allows pathogens to grow

• Cross-contamination transfers pathogens from one surface or food to another

• NOTE: pathogens are

microorganisms that

cause illness (think “germs”)

Biological Contamination

• Pathogens are the biggest threat to food safety.

• There are 4 types of pathogens that can contaminate food. They include:

– Viruses

– Bacteria

– Parasites

– Fungi

HOW FOOD BECOMES UNSAFE

• Poor cleaning and sanitizing can allow contaminated surfaces to have contact with food

• Purchasing food from unapproved suppliers can allow unsafe foods into the operation.

Biological Contamination

• While they often cannot be seen, viruses, present in food can cause illness.

• Some fungi though, like mold, can change the appearance of food, but may not cause illness.

There are many ways to fight contamination!

FAT TOM• Pathogens need special conditions to grow.

• These conditions can be made easy to remember by using the acronym FAT TOM.

• Foodhandlers can keep food safe by controlling FAT TOM conditions which include:– FOOD -- TIME

– ACIDITY -- OXYGEN

– TEMPERATURE -- MOISTURE

FAT…• FOOD: Pathogens need an

energy source; food provides this.

• ACIDITY: Pathogens grow best in food that have little or no acid. Acid levels between 4.6-7.5 are most ideal for pathogen growth.

• TEMPERATURE: Temperatures between 41*F and 135*F allow pathogens to grow at rapid rates. This temperature range is referred to as the temperature danger zone (TDZ).

TOM• Time: Pathogens need time to

grow. When food is in the TDZ, pathogens grow rapidly. It takes about 4 hours for pathogen growth to reach levels that can make someone sick.

• Oxygen: Some pathogens need oxygen to grow. Other can grow without it.

• Moisture: Pathogens need moisture in food to grow. Therefore, foods like tomatoes and melons easily support pathogen growth.

TCS FOODS• Some foods are more vulnerable to

pathogen growth than others. These foods require greater control of time and temperature when handling and are referred to as TCS or Time-Temperature for Safety foods.

TCS FOODS• Foods most likely to become unsafe or TCS foods

include:– Milk and Dairy Products

– Meat; beef, pork, lab

– Eggs

– Poultry

– Fish

– Shellfish

TCS FOODS• Other TCS foods include:

– Baked Potatoes

– Cooked Rice, Beans, Vegetables

– Tofu and Soy Products

– Sprouts and Seeds

– Sliced Melons and Cut Tomatoes

– Untreated Garlic and Oil Mixtures

CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION

• Restaurants use lots of chemicals to keep things clean. Unfortunately these cleaners, sanitizers, polishes, and machine lubricants can contaminate food and cause foodborne illness.

• For this reason it is important that chemicals are stored separately from foodand that you follow manufacturers guidelines for use at all times.

Physical Contamination

• When objects get into food it is called physical contamination. These objects can be naturally occurring (like fish bones) or result from an accident.

• Other examples include:– Metal shavings from cans

– Glass from broken lightbulbs

– Fingernails, hair, and bandages

– Jewelry

– Fruit Pits

Thankfully, most physical contamination can be prevented by close inspection of food.

Keep It SAFE!• As you can see, there are many potential hazards

to food safety. As a foodhandler it is your responsibility to be aware of these hazards and follow proper protocol to avoid them.

• The cost of serving and/or eating unsafe food is too great to risk it. Anytime you have a question or are unsure of the safety of something you are preparing or serving, ask your instructor or supervisor immediately!