Food Safety and Sanitation Refresher for a Healthy Kitchen

Food Safety and Sanitation Refresher Taylor Aarns, MS, RDN, LD

Why Should We Care? Anyone can get food poisoning, but some individuals are at a higher risk: Adults 65 years and older Children under 5 years Those with weakened immune systems (clients with cancer, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, HIV/AIDS) Pregnant Women

Most Common Unsafe Food-handling Risk Factors 1. Purchasing food from unsafe sources 2. Failing to cook food correctly 3. Holding food at incorrect temperatures 4. Using contaminated equipment 5. Practicing poor personal hygiene

Types of Contamination Unsafe food usually happens due to contamination of harmful substances in food. There are 3 main categories. Physical Chemical Biological / Microbial

Physical Contamination Presence of physical object in food (glass, hair, jewelry, bones, fruit pit etc.) Possible choking hazard May introduce biological contaminants Prevention: Wear a hair net or beard guard in the kitchen Keep nails short Avoid wearing jewelry

Chemical Contamination Happens when food comes into contact with chemicals Prevention Label all chemicals Store chemicals away from food

Biological Contamination Food that becomes contaminated by bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Prevention Follow food safety protocols Clean Separate Cook Chill

We all play a role in making our food safe for our clients. Flow of Food is a term that describes various points where contamination may occur. It s the path food takes from purchasing serving Purchasing receiving storing preparing cooking holding cooling reheating serving

Milk High Risk Foods = Time/Temp Control for Safety TCS Foods Meat and Fish Baked Potatoes Tofu Sliced melons, cut tomatoes or leafy greens Cooked rice, beans, and vegetables Ready to eat foods Fruits, vegetables, deli meat, baked goods, spices

We can prevent foodborne illness by following these steps.

Clean Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for 20 seconds Sing a song Truth Hurts by Lizzo, I want it that way by Backstreet Boys, Love Shack by the B-52s Thoroughly wash all surfaces that come in contact with raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs with hot, soap water Countertops, cutting boards, utensils etc. Wash fresh produce, do NOT wash raw meat

Separate to Avoid Cross-Contamination Separate raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs from foods ready to eat. Use different cutting boards and utensils when preparing foods The utensil you cook raw meat with should be swapped for a clean utensil when serving the food Do not reuse marinades/sauces/dressings that have previously been used on raw meat Change gloves and wash hands in-between prep of raw food and ready-to-eat food Wash hands if touching face, hair, or cellphone!

Cook and Temp!

Chill Avoid the temperature DANGER ZONE between 40 140 F, where bacteria is living its best life. Keep cold foods cold ( 40 F) Keep hot foods hot ( 140 F)

Additional Resources 1. https://www.foodsafety.gov/ 2. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/