Food Handling Issues

What is cross-contamination?

Cross contamination occurs when microorganisms are transferred from a contaminated source (ex. food, people, pests, equipment) to uncontaminated food. Some examples of cross contamination are:

• Cutting raw chicken that could have Salmonella and then cutting vegetables on the same cutting board without washing the cutting board or knife.

• Raw meat dripping onto a cheesecake which is below it in the refrigerator.

• A food handler not properly washing their hands after going to the bathroom and then going to prepare food.

• Flies walking in garbage outside then coming into a kitchen and walking on the food.


Cross contamination can be avoided by:

• Properly separating food
• Raw and ready to eat (RTE) food separated from cooked food
• Ex. Sprouts and lasagna
• Different types of raw animal meat
• Prepared at separate times, with separate equipment, in separate areas.
• Ex. Beef and chicken
• Ensuring that equipment is properly cleaned and sanitized
• Ex. Dishes, countertops
• Storing food in protective packages
• Ex. In closed containers, covered in plastic wrap, in its original wrapper
• Rinsing cans before opening them
• Ensuring that packages are not cut into and damaged when being opened
• Food handlers washing their hands between touching different foods
• Ex. From touching raw meat to cooked meat, from touching meat to touching vegetables
• Ensuring all food handlers are following proper hand washing procedures after going to the washroom
• Having a pest control program in place

_________________________________________________________________________________
Thermometers

Taking the temperature of food is important, but in order for these temperatures to be accurate the thermometers must be properly used and be properly calibrated. While there are many types of thermometers, the ones that are easiest to use in B&B’s are Thermistor pocket thermometers. Bimetallic coil thermometers may also be used but require frequent calibration so are not recommended.


Thermistor Pocket Thermometer

 

When taking temperatures with a Thermistor pocket thermometer, the thermometer only has to be inserted ½” into the food to get an accurate reading. This thermometer is not calibrated the way the bimetallic thermometer is, but instead you use an ice bath and a boiling water bath (prepared via directions below) to check the temperature that the thermometer reads. The thermometer should read 0°C (-18°F) in the ice bath and 100°C (212°F) in the boiling water bath. The thermometer must read between -5°C and 5°C in the ice bath and between 95°C and 105°C in the boiling water. If it does not read within that range, you must replace your thermometer.

Bimetallic Coil Thermometer

When you measure temperatures with a bimetallic coil thermometer, you must make sure to insert the thermometer into the food at least as deep as the dimple so that the bimetallic temperature sensor is completely in the food. To calibrate this kind of thermometer, you can use an ice water bath or boiling water. If the food you’re measuring will be on the higher end of the temperature range (ex. soups, roasts), use the boiling water method and if the food you’re measuring is on the cooler end of the temperature range (ex. salads, refrigerated meat) use the ice water bath. You should calibrate the bimetallic coil thermometer at least once a week.

_________________________________________________________________________________

How do I calibrate my thermometer?

Ice Water Bath Method

Fill a container with ice and then add water. Put the thermometer in the ice water bath so that the stem is immersed at least from the dimple to the tip. Use a wrench to adjust the screw under the dial until the thermometer reads 0°C (32°F).

Boiling Water Method

Fill a container with boiling water. Put the thermometer in the boiling water so that the stem is immersed at least from the dimple to the tip. Use a wrench to adjust the screw under the dial until the thermometer reads 100°C (212°F).

Note: Altitude affects the boiling temperature of water. Therefore, you must first determine the boiling temperature of water before doing this method.

_________________________________________________________________________________
What is the danger zone?

The danger zone is between 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F). This temperature range is where microorganisms will grow most rapidly, therefore proper procedures for thawing, cooking, hot holding, cooling, reheating, refrigeration and freezing must be followed. Click here for a printable Danger Zone poster.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Thawing

Food should be thawed in the refrigerator, under cold running water or in the microwave. The temperature of the food should not be greater than 4°C (40°F) while it is thawing. It should never be left out on the counter to thaw because it would be in the danger zone for too long and could result in microorganism growth.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Cooking

Foods must be cooked to an internal temperature of 74°C or higher in order to ensure that all harmful microorganisms have been killed. This temperature should be measured with a properly calibrated thermometer.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Hot Holding

Food that is in hot holding must be kept at 60°C (140°F) or above. A calibrated thermometer should be used to check the food at regular intervals – at least every hour. If the temperature is found to be below 60°C, turn the temperature up and check that it has reached 60°C (140°F) in 30 minutes.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Cooling

Did you know that improper cooling is the number one cause of food poisoning related to food handling (Bryan, 1988)?

As a food handler, you must ensure that the food you’ve prepared is cooled to 4°C (40°F) or less in 6 hours. This minimizes the opportunity for microorganisms to grow in the food and make people sick. This 6 hour period is broken down into two parts:


• Cool the food from 60°C to 20°C (140°F to 68°F) in 4 hours

• Cool the food from 20°C to 4°C (68°F to 40°F) in 2 hours


It’s simple to cool food quickly and efficiently once you learn some easy tricks:

• Use shallow and wide containers

• Cut food item into smaller pieces to cool separately (ex. ham can be sliced, separated, and cooled)

• Have adequate spacing of shelves in the refrigerator to allow for air circulation to cool the food down quickly.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Reheating

Food that has been cooled must be reheated to a minimum of 74°C (165°F) prior to serving. Food that is being reheated should reach 74°C (165°F) in no more than 2 hours. The reason why 74°C (165°F) is required is because it heats the food to a temperature that will kill most microorganisms that are present. Food should be reheated only once and then thrown away if not eaten. This is to minimize the amount of time that food spends in the danger zone.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Refrigeration

All refrigerators must be kept at a temperature of 4°C (40°F) or lower. Though your refrigerator might have a thermometer, you should put another thermometer of your own in there to monitor the temperature. Use a chart to record the temperature of the refrigerator every morning and night; this will help you ensure that your refrigerated foods are being held at a safe storage temperature. If the temperature is not at or below 4°C (40°F), adjust the temperature setting in the refrigerator and check the temperature again in one hour.

_________________________________________________________________________________
Freezing

All freezers must be kept at a temperature of 0°C (-18°F) or lower. The freezer temperature should also be measured and recorded in the morning and at night as the refrigerator temperature is. If the temperature is not below 0°C (-18°F), adjust the temperature setting in the freezer and check the temperature again in one hour. If food has had the opportunity to defrost you should ensure the temperature has not climbed above 4°C. If it has, you should not re-freeze these food items. They should be moved to the refrigerator and used as soon as possible.

An easy way to keep track of refrigerator and freezer temperatures is to put a sheet on your refrigerator door. Click here to download a sample temperature log that you can print and use.

How This Applies to You and Your Bed and Breakfast:


• Keep in mind that the rest of your house may not follow the same standards that your kitchen should, so try to minimize entering and exiting the kitchens to other rooms of the house when you’re preparing food.

• If you have pets, try to keep them out of the kitchen and off the counters as much as possible to avoid cross contamination and fur in the food.

• If you have kids, try to keep them out of the kitchen when you’re preparing food to avoid cross contamination.

POP QUIZ:

Food Handling Issues » Quiz Maker

References:

Picture 1: http://organic.kysu.edu/food%20handling.jpg
Picture 2: http://www.cdn-timeandtemp.com/_img/products/dt302-big.jpg
Picture 3: http://www.hi-tm.com/PDG/Tech-Sect-5B.html
Picture 4: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/images/KC/danger_zone_hi.jpg

Bryan, F. (1988). The "Top Ten" Food Handling Practices That Cause Food Poisoning. Journal of Food Protection.

[CFISIG] Canadian Food Inspection System Implementation Group. (2004). Food Retail and Food Services Code. Retrieved April 26, 2010, from http://www.cfis.agr.ca/english/regcode/frfsrc-amendmts/codeang-2004.pdf