Chapter 7Sanitation Hazards

Importance of Safe Food Handling Foodborne Illness

1. A sickness caused by eating unsafe food2. An outbreak is when two or more people eat

the same food and get the same sickness3. Not only do outbreaks harm the customer,

they can result in employees being fired or demoted, businesses getting sued, and reputations being ruined

4. The bad publicity caused by an outbreak can lead to the establishment going out of business

Contamination1. The presence of unsafe substances or

levels of dangerous microorganisms in food

2. Can result from biological, chemical, or physical hazards

3. Other hazards that cause allergic reactions for some individuals may either naturally occur in foods or be introduced

Sanitation The creation and practice of clean and

healthy food-handling habits

Biological Hazards Biological hazards are harmful organisms that

cause foodborne illness1. This source of contamination is troublesome for

foodservice2. The illness that results can range from mild

discomfort to life threatening3. Most are too small to see with the naked eye4. These pathogens include harmful bacteria,

viruses, fungi, parasites, and fish toxins5. A pathogen is an organism that causes illness in

humans

Bacteria1. Type of pathogen responsible for many

foodborne illness outbreaks is bacteria2. Single-celled organisms that reproduce

by dividing

How Bacteria Grow1. Need water, food, and favorable

temperatures to thrive2. PHF or potentially hazardous foods are any

foods that require time and temperature control for safety to limit the growth of pathogens or the formation of their dangerous by-products

3. Controlling the time these foods are exposed to unsafe temperatures helps to limit bacterial growth

How Bacteria Grow, Continued4. Aerobic bacteria are bacteria that require oxygen to live and grow5. Anaerobic bacteria are bacteria that thrive without oxygen6. Facultative bacteria are bacteria that can grow either with or without oxygen7. If conditions are ideal, they can divide every 20 minutes8. Some bacteria have an added survival mechanism- a spore is a thick-walled “supersurvival unit”

Pathogenic bacteria cause foodborne illness in one of the following way

Infection Results from live bacteria Must be ingested to be a threat

Intoxication Resulting from ingestion of toxins left behind by

bacteria May succeed at killing the bacteria without affecting

the toxins Toxin mediated infection

Bacteria are ingested and then produce harmful toxins while in the human digestive tract

Controlling Growth of Bacteria Food source

High protein & other hazardous food must be handled carefully

Protein in particular is favored pH

Bacteria remain active 4.6-7 Most function best in neutral pH Acids can help preserve food

Controlling Growth of Bacteria, continued Time

The amount of time in the danger zone must be limited

Shouldn’t be kept in danger zone for longer than 4 hours total

Temperature Danger zone 41-135 degrees Above bacteria dies Below bacteria reproduce at a slower rate

Controlling Growth of Bacteria, continued Atmosphere

Removing oxygen from their atmosphere stops most growth

Water/Moisture Removing water from food stops bacterial

growth Way to remember the 6 things needed

for bacteria to grow is FAT TOM

Viruses A very small organism that invades

another cell and causes it to reproduce the virus

1. Without a cell host, viruses can survive but can’t reproduce

2. Two viruses that concern foodservice are hepatitis A and Norwalk virus

3. Hepatitis A causes liver damage

Norwalk caused 5,461,731 illnesses in 2011 Individuals become sick when they

consume contaminated water or foods The foods most often causing the

outbreaks are raw or undercooked shellfish and raw salad ingredients

These viruses can be destroyed by heat

Viral contamination can be avoided by Practicing excellent personal hygiene Washing raw vegetables before

preparation and eating Avoiding shellfish harvested from

polluted waters Purchasing food only from the most

reputable suppliers

Fungi Yeast

A microscopic fungus that consumes sugar and expels alcohol and carbon dioxide gas

A yeast contamination is characterized by slime, discoloration, bubbles, and an alcoholic or “off” smell

Yeast is easily killed when heated above 136

Mold Name for a large family of single-cell

fungi Most molds are not poisonous but can

make food unappealing Temperatures above 140 kills molds but

their toxins may not be affected

Parasites An organism that lives in and feeds on

the body of another live creature Parasites can be found in meat and fish When humans eat food infested with

live parasites, the parasites may be transmitted to the human host

Trichinella spiralis Illness marked by fatigue, extreme

digestive discomfort, and in rare instances, death

Illness a result of eating undercooked pork, now it is more often improperly cooked game meat

To prevent cook pork to 145, game should be cook to 160

Fish also harbor parasites Such as anisakis May be present in some raw fish The only way to kill these parasites is

cooking fish to an internal temperature of 140

Or freezing for 15 hours or seven days

Fish Toxins Are poisons within the fish’s flesh Ciguatera

Results when small fish eat a certain algae, large fish eat them, and humans eat large fish

Fish commonly associated red snapper, grouper, and barracuda

Scombroid Occurs when fish are left in danger zone for

too long Fish commonly associated yellowfin tuna,

skipjack, bonito, and mackerel Unfortunately, there is no easy way to

detect if a fish is contaminated The best line of defense is to buy fish from

reputable sources

Chemical Hazards Any chemical that contaminates food Metals

Copper from cookware can leach into food To avoid this pans are lined with another

metal that doesn’t react with food Tin can be damaged or wear off Galvanized steel should never be used

because it contains zinc and zinc can leach into foods

Fish from polluted waters can contain heavy metals such as mercury

The only was to avoid the danger is to purchase fish from reputable sources

Agricultural Chemicals Insecticides, pesticides, and herbicides

may be found on the exterior of fruits and vegetables

The best prevention is washing and peeling produce

Kitchen Chemicals Chemicals such as cleaning supplies,

bleach, grease cutters, and polishes Most chemical contamination results

from employee carelessness or improper working habits

To prevent chemical contaminations do:

Store chemicals in clearly marked containers Don’t store food in containers that previously held

chemicals Only use chemicals according to manufacture’s

instructions Store chemical in an area separate from food

preparation or storage Never randomly mix chemicals Dispose of chemicals in accordance with

manufacturer’s directions If uncertain about how to use a chemical product, ask

supervisor If ingested, call poison control, refer to MSDS, and

notify a supervisor

Physical Hazards Solid materials that pose a danger to

the consumer when present in food Physical contamination is the result of

carelessness

Common Physical Hazards Glass

Not easily seen Staples

Be careful when removing food from boxes & when breaking boxes down

Metal Shards Commercial can openers can tear pieces

of metal Toothpicks

Often used for hors d’oeuvres or sandwiches; make sure easily seen

Food Allergens A misinterpreted protein, the body’s

immune system reacts against the allergen When a customer alerts a restaurant server

to an allergy, the kitchen staff must analyze everything that is served to the customer

When an allergen is transferred form its food of origin to a food that does not contain the allergen, it is called cross-contact