The following information comes directly from the U.S.D.A. website on the differences between inspection & grading of meat items: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/production-and-inspection/inspection-and-grading-of-meat-and-poultry-what-are-the-differences_/inspection-and-grading-differences

Inspection & Grading of Meat and Poultry: What Are the Differences?

The inspection and grading of meat and poultry are two separate programs within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Inspection for wholesomeness is mandatory and is paid for with public funds. Grading for quality is voluntary, and the service is requested and paid for by meat and poultry producers/processors.

Mandatory Federal Inspection

American consumers can be confident that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the public health agency in the USDA, ensures that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act , FSIS inspects all raw meat and poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce, including imported products. The Agency monitors meat and poultry products after they leave federally inspected plants.

In addition, FSIS monitors State inspection programs , which inspect meat and poultry products sold only within the State in which they were produced. The 1967 Wholesome Meat Act and the 1968 Wholesome Poultry Products Act require State inspection programs to be “at least equal to” the Federal inspection program. In states that choose to end their inspection program or cannot maintain this standard, FSIS must assume responsibility for inspection within that State.

FSIS does allow under a final rule State-inspected establishments with 25 or fewer employees to ship meat and poultry products in interstate commerce because of a new voluntary cooperative agreement program. Meat and poultry products produced under the program that have been inspected and passed by designated State personnel will bear an official Federal mark of inspection and will be permitted to be distributed in interstate commerce. FSIS will provide oversight and enforcement of the program.

In these efforts to protect the safety and integrity of meat and poultry products, FSIS works with many other agencies, including other agencies within the USDA, State inspection programs, the Food and Drug Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Since the Federal inspection program began at the turn of the twentieth century, the meat and poultry industries have grown and changed significantly. In the early 1900’s, most meat came from local slaughter plants and was used locally. Further processing was limited to simple products such as sausages. Today, however, a wide variety of meat and poultry products are on the market. Animals are slaughtered and meat is processed in sophisticated, high-volume plants. The meat is often shipped great distances to reach consumers.

As the industry changed, FSIS began changing inspection. In earlier days, the primary concern of the inspectors was animal diseases, and they relied almost exclusively on visual inspection of animals, products, and plant operations. However, refinements in animal production reduced disease and created a more homogeneous animal population. Thus, the concerns of today’s inspectors are broader and include unseen hazards such as microbiological and chemical contamination.

The requirements in the “Pathogen Reduction; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Systems” final rule are designed to minimize the likelihood of harmful bacteria contaminating raw meat and poultry products. However, some bacteria could be present and might become a problem if meat and poultry are not handled safely. To assist food handlers, the USDA requires that safe handling instructions be put on all packages of raw and not fully cooked meat and poultry.

FSIS’s HACCP Systems mandate measures to target and reduce the presence of pathogenic organisms in meat and poultry products. These measures include FSIS testing to verify pathogen reduction performance standards are being met; plant microbial testing to verify process control for fecal contamination; written sanitation standard operating procedures (SOPs); and a mandatory HACCP system in all meat and poultry plants. The implementation of HACCP by FSIS helps ensure the safety of the meat, poultry, and egg products supply. To learn more, visit FSIS’s Web page on HACCP.

Every establishment is required to reassess the adequacy of its HACCP plan at least annually and whenever any changes occur that could affect its hazard analysis or alter its HACCP plan. The establishment may reassess its HACCP plan, or plans, any time during the calendar year to meet the annual reassessment requirement.

Meat that has been federally inspected and passed for wholesomeness is stamped with a round purple mark. The dye used to stamp the grade and inspection marks onto a meat carcass is made from a food-grade vegetable dye and is not harmful. (The exact formula is proprietary/owned by the maker of the dye.) The mark is put on carcasses and major cuts. After trimming, the mark might not appear on retail cuts such as roasts and steaks. However, meat that is packaged in an inspected facility will have an inspection mark which identifies the plant on the label.

	Inspection mark on raw meat
	Inspection mark on raw poultry
	Inspection mark on processed products

Voluntary Federal inspection for animals not covered under mandatory inspection (i.e., buffalo, rabbit, reindeer, elk, deer, antelope) is handled under the Agricultural Marketing Act. This Act gives the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to take whatever steps are necessary to make the product marketable. The FSIS inspector must have knowledge about that particular species and the carcass must fit available equipment in the plant. Businesses that request voluntary inspection must pay an hourly fee for the service whereas mandatory inspection is funded by tax dollars.

For voluntary inspection, the mark of inspection (as referenced in 9 CFR 352.7-Marking Inspected Products) illustrates the mark to be the shape of a triangle for exotic species.

For application to exotic animal carcasses, primal parts and cuts therefrom, exotic animal livers, exotic animal tongues, and exotic animal hearts.

The establishment number of the official exotic animal establishment where the product is prepared shall be used in lieu thereof.

For the inspection of rabbits, as per 9 CFR 354.63 the mark of inspection is the same as the inspection mark for raw poultry.

Grading

After meat and poultry are inspected for wholesomeness, producers and processors may request that they have products graded for quality by a licensed Federal grader. The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (http://www.ams.usda.gov) is the agency responsible for grading meat and poultry. Those who request grading must pay for the service. Grading for quality means the evaluation of traits related to tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of meat; and, for poultry, a normal shape that is fully fleshed and meaty and free of defects.

USDA grades are based on nationally uniform Federal standards of quality. No matter where or when a consumer purchases graded meat or poultry, it must have met the same grade criteria. The grade is stamped on the carcass or side of beef and is usually not visible on retail cuts. However, retail packages of beef, as well as poultry, will show the U.S. grade mark if they have been officially graded.

The grade symbol and wording are no longer copyrighted; however, according to the Truth in Labeling Law, it is illegal to mislead or misrepresent the shield or wording.

USDA Grades for Meat and Poultry

Beef

Beef is graded as whole carcasses in two ways:

• quality grades – for tenderness, juiciness, and flavor; and
• yield grades – for the amount of usable lean meat on the carcass. There are eight quality grades for beef. Quality grades are based on the amount of marbling (flecks of fat within the lean), color, and maturity.

Quality Grades:

• Prime gradeis produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling).
• Choice gradeis high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat if not overcooked. Such cuts will be most tender if “braised” — roasted, or simmered with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.
• Select gradeis very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin) should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor.
• Standard and Commercial grades are frequently sold as ungraded or as “store brand” meat.
• Utility, Cutter, and Canner grades are seldom, if ever, sold at retail but are used instead to make ground beef and processed products.

Note: Grades such as Prime, Choice and Select are not acceptable terms for raw cuts of pork or poultry.

Yield grades

range from “1” to “5” and indicate the amount of usable meat from a carcass. Yield grade 1 is the highest grade and denotes the greatest ratio of lean to fat; yield grade 5 is the lowest yield ratio. Though yield grades are not something consumers normally see, they are most useful when purchasing a side or carcass of beef for the freezer.

Veal/Calf

There are five grades for Veal/Calf: prime, choice, good, standard, and utility.

• Prime and choice grades are juicier and more flavorful than the lower grades. Because of the young age of the animals, the meat will be a light grayish-pink to light pink, fairly firm, and velvety. The bones are small, soft, and quite red. Cuts such as chops can be cooked by the dry-heat methods of roasting, grilling or broiling.

Lamb

There are five grades for lamb. Normally only two grades are found at the retail level — prime and choice. Lower grades of lamb and mutton (meat from older sheep) — good, utility, and cull — are seldom marked with the grade. Lamb is produced from animals less than a year old. Since the quality of lamb varies according to the age of the animal, it is advisable to buy lamb that has been USDA graded.

• Prime grade is very high in tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Its marbling enhances both flavor and juiciness.
• Choice grade has slightly less marbling than prime, but still is of very high quality. Most cuts of prime and choice grade lamb (chops, roasts, shoulder cuts, and leg) are tender and can be cooked by the dry-heat methods (broiling, roasting, or grilling). The less tender cuts — breast, riblets, neck, and shank — can be braised to make them more tender.

Pork

Pork is not graded with USDA quality grades as it is generally produced from young animals that have been bred and fed to produce more uniformly tender meat. Appearance is an important guide in buying fresh pork. Look for cuts with a relatively small amount of fat over the outside and with meat that is firm and grayish pink in color. For best flavor and tenderness, meat should have a small amount of marbling.

Pork’s consistency makes it suitable for a variety of cooking styles. Chops can be prepared by pan broiling, grilling, baking, braising, or sautéing. Ribs can be braised, roasted, or grilled. Slow cooking yields the most tender and flavorful results. Tenderloins are considered to be the most tender and tasty cut of pork.

Poultry

The USDA grades for poultry are A, B, and C.

• Grade Ais the highest quality and the only grade that is likely to be seen at the retail level. This grade indicates that the poultry products are virtually free from defects such as bruises, discolorations, and feathers. Bone-in products have no broken bones. For whole birds and parts with the skin on, there are no tears in the skin or exposed flesh that could dry out during cooking, and a good covering of fat under the skin. Also, whole birds and parts will be fully fleshed and meaty.
  
  The U.S. grade shield for poultry may be found on the following chilled or frozen ready-to-cook poultry products: whole carcasses and parts, as well as roasts, tenderloins, and other boneless and/or skinless poultry products that are being marketed. There are no grade standards for necks, wing tips, tails, giblets, or ground poultry.
• Grades B and C poultry are usually used in further-processed products where the poultry meat is cut up, chopped, or ground. If sold at retail, they are usually not grade identified.

When it comes to cleaning in a foodservice establishment, we hear a lot about sanitizing, but not much is known about what constitutes an approved sanitizer or how they work.

In a foodservice establishment, there are three approved sanitizers, they are Chlorine, Iodine, and Quats (also referred to as Quaternary Ammonium). Each of these sanitizers work to reduce pathogens on surfaces to safe levels, and must be used properly to avoid the possibility of a chemical contamination.

All sanitizers should be used according to the manufacturers instructions but here are a few basics of each one.

Chlorine sanitizer: Works well in warm water or hot water if the water is more alkaline. Should be at a concentration of 50 – 99 ppm and must maintain contact with the area for at least 7 seconds or longer.

Iodine: Works well in a water temperature of about 68 degrees F (20 degrees C), should be at a concentration of 12.5 to 25 ppm, and must maintain contact with the area for at least 30 seconds or longer.

Quats: Works well in a water temperature of 75 degrees F, ppm is dictated by the type and manufacturer of the sanitizer, and must maintain contact with the area for at least 30 seconds or longer.

In the industry it is fairly rare to find chlorine or iodine as a sanitizer, as they are generally a bit more expensive and harder to work work. Quats are generally used by all foodservice establishments for their ease of use.

There are several factors that relate to the effectiveness of chemical sanitizers. The most critical are the sanitizers concentration, temperature of the water, contact time, and the hardness and pH of the water.

For concentration, too much sanitizer can corrode metal, cause chemical burns on hands, and will leave a residue that could result in a chemical contamination in food if the food touches the area affected. Too little sanitizer and you are basically just wiping with water.

Water temperature too hot or too cold impacts the effectiveness by increasing or decreasing the ppm of the product. Some chemicals do not work well under very hot or very cold conditions and thus break down easily.

The contact time that the sanitizer has with the surface impacts its effectiveness. Too little time in the sanitizer water makes the process useless.

Finally, it should be noted that you should avoid, at all costs, getting detergent in the sanitizing solution. When detergent comes in contact with most chemical sanitizers, the detergent deactivates the sanitizing chemicals, rendering them useless.

Tomorrows Lesson: The difference between USDA inspections and USDA grading of meat items.

Cleaning in a three-compartment sink is actually very simple, as long as you know which way to move through the sink stations. It doesn’t matter if you go left to right or right to left, just as long as you are consistent to ensure that the clean dishes are not contaminated after drying.

The first of thee sinks will be for washing, and should be filled with detergent and water at least 110 degrees F (43 degrees C).

The second sink is for rinsing and should be filled with clean water. Some jurisdictions allow for the use of running water for rinsing, check your local health code or department.

The third sink is designed for sanitizing and should be filled with water and an approved sanitizer.

Here are the steps involved with using a three-compartment sink for dish washing.

• Step 1: Scrape items before washing them.If necessary, items can be rinsed or soaked.
• Step 2: Wash items in the first sink. Use a brush, cloth towel, or nylon scrub pad to loosen dirt. Change the water and detergent when the suds are gone or the water is dirty.
• Step 3: Rinse items in the second sink. Spray the items with water or dip them in it. Make sure you remove all traces of food and detergent from the items being rinsed. If dipping the items, change the rinse water when it becomes dirty or full of suds.
• Step 4: Sanitize items in the third sink. Change the sanitizing solution when the temperature of the water or the sanitizer concentration falls below requirements. Never rinse items after sanitizing them. This could contaminate their surfaces.
• Step 5: Air-dry items on a clean and sanitized surface. Place items upside down so they will drain.NEVERuse a towel to dry items, as it could contaminate them.

Tomorrows lesson: What are the approved sanitizers and how does sanitizing work?

Starting off with the easy part of the question, what does TCS stand for? TCS in relations to food safety stands for Time & Temperature Control for Safety. This designation is given to foods that are considered more susceptible to foodborne illness cause bacteria and thus must be carefully monitored to ensure that they remain safe. This designation has replaced the previous designation of PHF, which stands for Potentially Hazardous Foods. (personally, I still use and prefer the designation PHF).

There are 12 food groups that are considered TCS foods, and are listed as thus:

Milk & Dairy products

Shell Eggs (except those treated to eliminate nontyphodial Salmonella)

Meat: such as beef, pork, and lamb

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish & crustaceans

Baked potatoes

Heat-treated plant foods, such as cooked rice, beans, and vegatables

Tofu or other soy protein & synthetic ingredients such as textured soy protein in meat alternatives

Sprouts and sprout seeds

Sliced melons, cut tomatoes, & cut leafy greans

Untreated garlic-and-oil mixtures

The main commonality of these items is that pathogens grow well in each of them. Controlling the time – temperatures of each will help reduce the chance of harmful pathogens growing on each of these.

Tomorrows lesson: How to set up a three-compartment dish washing station.

When it comes to foodborne illnesses, some individuals are more susceptible to harmful bacteria than other individuals. The following is a list of individuals that are considered “High Risk populations” for foodborne illnesses.

Elderly people      As we age, our immune systems begin to weaken. In this weakened state, we become more susceptible to foodborne illnesses.

Preschool-age children      Immune systems in the very young may not have strengthened to a point where they can successfully fight a foodborne illness.

People with compromised immune systems      These can include people on certain medications and people that are dealing with certain medical conditions, which can weaken an individuals immune system. Some of these conditions include but are not limited to: individuals with cancer or having chemotherapy, individuals with HIV or AIDS, and transplant patients.

Special care should be taken for each of these types of individuals, and especially if you are dealing specifically with these populations as a whole, such as at retirement homes, preschools, and hospitals or hospices.

Tomorrows lesson: What are TCS foods and what does TCS stand for?

After yesterdays advanced food safety lesson, I decided to give everyone a break and provide you a more simpler lesson for today.

There have been identified five (5) of the most common risk factors that cause foodborne illnesses. They are:

1. Purchasing food from unsafe sources

2. Failing to cook food adequately

3. Holding food at incorrect temperatures

4. Using contaminated equipment

5. Poor Personal hygiene

Lets break each of these down on how they impact food safety.

1. Purchasing food from unsafe sources

Since food can become contaminated at any point within the food supply chain, it is important that food be purchased from approved reputable suppliers. An approved supplier is one that has been inspected and meets all applicable local, state, and federal laws.

2. Failing to cook food adequately

By not cooking foods to their required minimal internal temperatures, it is impossible to know if any contaminates have been destroyed in the cooking process. Back in 1993, this was the cause of the E.coli outbreak within the Jack-in-the-Box restaurants. The employees felt that cooking to the required temperature dried out the burgers too much, so they cooked to a lower temperature, which did not destroy the E.coli bacteria. This resulted in numerous illnesses and approximately 171 hospitalizations, and four children died. (more information available on this outbreak at:http://www.marlerclark.com/case_news/view/jack-in-the-box-e-coli-outbreak-western-states 3. Holding food at incorrect temperatures

This gets back to the conversation about the temperature danger zone. If you don’t hold the product above 135 degrees or below 41 degrees bacteria will grow and result in foodborne illnesses from the products.

4. Using contaminated equipment

Making sure that the equipment you use to prepare food is washed, rinsed, and sanitized before using it will help prevent cross contamination of equipment. Ensuring that you use a new/clean knife or cutting board for each item, will also reduce the chance of cross contamination.

5. Poor Personal hygiene

Ensuring that the employees follow proper hygiene procedures is very important in keeping food safe. This includes washing hands properly and at the proper times. Not coming to work sick, and ensuring that other personal hygiene requirements are followed.

If you have any questions about anything that I present in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Tomorrows lesson: Who are more at risk of getting foodborne illnesses?

Todays lesson will be a little bit more advanced, but will help many of you understand the principles behind food safety and how to determine the best way to control the food to ensure that the food is being prepared safely.

H.A.C.C.P. (pronounced as Hassip), stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, and is designed to allow the food service establishment to study the flow of food through the operation and determine where and how to make corrective actions to ensure that proper food safety procedures are being followed. H.A.C.C.P. was was originally designed when NASA asked the Pillsbury company to manufacture food for space flights.

A H.A.C.C.P. plan is designed around seven principles:

1. Conduct a hazard analysis

2. Determine critical control points (CCPs)

3. Establish critical limits

4. Establish monitoring procedures

5. Identify corrective actions

6. Verify that the system works

7. Establish procedures for record keeping and documentation

Lets take an example and run through these seven principles to better understand how they work.

Step 1. Conduct a hazard analysis

When looking at your menu items, look for how the items are processed within the facility. The most popular processes are: Preparing and serving without cooking (salads, cold sandwiches, etc), preparing and cooking for the same-day service (grilled chicken sandwiches, steaks, hamburgers, etc), and preparing, cooking, holding, cooling, reheating, and serving (chili, soups, some pasta dishes, etc). Next, it is important to determine which foods are considered Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods, and determine where food safety hazards are likely to appear for each food item, and determine what type of hazard could occur (physical, chemical, biological).

For example, At the Merou Grotto, I do my Dr. Ed’s Insane Chicken Sandwich, where I get the chicken delivered the same day as I will be cooking it. I have determined that bacteria (biological) is the most likely hazard that I would be dealing with.

Step 2. Determine critical control points (CCPs)

Now that we have the menu items separated by process and potential hazard, It is time to find the locations in the process where the hazards can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced to safe levels. Depending on the process involved with preparing a certain food item, there may be more than one CCP.

In my chicken sandwich example, I have identified that it must be handled safely throughout the process of removing excess fat and marinating; however, cooking is the only time in which bacteria would be “prevented, eliminated, or reduced to safe levels”, So cooking will be my CCP.

Step 3. Establish critical limits

For each CCP that is determined for each item, you must establish a minimum or maximum limit that must be met in order to “prevented, eliminate, or reduced to safe levels”.

In my example of the chicken sandwich, and as stated in one of the previous lessons, chicken needs to be cooked to a minimum 165 degrees F (74C) for 15 seconds. As this is the standard for food safety, I have adopted it as my critical limit for cooking my chicken sandwiches.

Step 4. Establish monitoring procedures

Once the critical limit has been established, you must then determine how that critical limit will be measured, when it will be measured, and how often it will be measured.

For my chicken sandwich, when I cook each chicken breast on the grill, I will check the internal temperature with a bimetallic stemmed thermometer (I would love a thermocouple or thermistor, but the Merou Grotto is a non-profit and they are rather pricey). I would insert the stem of the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast to determine the current temperature.

Step 5. Identify corrective actions

After you establish a monitoring procedure, you must then have a procedure in place that determines what you need to do if the critical limit is not met.

Again, as we discuss my insane chicken sandwiches, if the thermometer reveals that the breast is not above 165 degrees F, then I am to continue cooking the breast until it has reached the required temperature. A log is kept to notate this and all other corrective actions that are taken on the different food items.

Step 6. Verify that the system works

By using a temperature log to record that the critical limits are either being met or not, is how to determine if you are successfully “preventing, eliminating, or reducing to safe levels”, the possibility of foodborne contaminants.

These logs can help determine if, as with some suppliers, changes are being made to the products without your knowledge. An example of this would be a review of the temperature log and determining that more corrective actions are needed on certain days versus others. As with one company, it was found that on certain days they were receiving chicken breasts that were 6 ounces versus the standard 4 ounces that they normally received. This caused more corrective actions to be listed based on a thicker chicken breast.

Step 7. Establish procedures for record keeping and documentation

The entire H.A.C.C.P. plan works as long as you keep records of: monitoring activities, taking corrective actions, validating equipment to ensure proper working conditions), and working with suppliers (shelf life studies, invoices, specifications, etc).

At the Merou Grotto, I keep my temperature logs for three months and my invoices are electronic, so they are kept until I delete them (I used to keep paper copies for 60 days).

While the steps of the H.A.C.C.P. plan appears to be daunting, the procedures actually happen very quickly when you are working the system. Understanding where it is possible for food to become contaminated allows you to be better able to “prevent, eliminate, or reduce to safe levels” the possibility of causing a foodborne illness outbreaks.

If you have any questions about anything that I present in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Tomorrows lesson: How foods become unsafe.

When choosing the right thermometer to check the temperature of your food, there are several different types to choose from, depending on how often you plan to use them, what temperature zone you are looking to check (hot or cold), whether you want internal temperature, air temperature, surface temperature, etc.

The basic type of thermometer, is the bimetallic stemmed thermometer. It has an indicator head, calibration nut, stem, and then a sensing area that would be just below a dimple in the stem. The standard scale for this type is from 0 degrees F (-18C) to 220 degrees F (104C). This allows for a wide range of temperature measures. To calibrate this thermometer, the easiest option is to place the thermometer in a glass of ice water. After at least 30 seconds, if the thermometer does not measure 32 degrees F (0C), then you just turn the calibration nut until it reads 32 degrees F.

Another type of thermometers are thermocouples and thermistors. These are generally described as digital thermometers that come in a wide range or styles and sizes. These thermometers can have interchangeable probes to check the temperatures through immersion, surface, penetration, and air. Because these thermometers are digital and have different probes that can be used, calibrations on this type usually needs to be done by a service company; however, some may have an internal reset button, and others may have a calibrate button that is pushed when you place the probe in ice water the same way you would calibrate a bimetallic stemmed thermometer.

Infrared (Laser) Thermometers are used to get accurate temperatures of food and equipment surfaces. Since the thermometer doesn’t need to come in contact with the food or equipment, it helps reduce the possibility of contamination. Calibration of this type of thermometer is completed by a service company.

Time-temperature indicators are single use items that help determine if a food item has entered the temperature danger zone and will register how long it has been in the danger zone. Food suppliers have attached these thermometers to food being shipped, in case there is an issue with delivery trucks. These time-temperature indicators change color and it provides an irreversible record of any incidents that may occur.

when it comes to taking the temperature of food, the following information should be taken into account:

1. Keep thermometers and their storage containers clean.

2. Calibrate thermometers regularly to ensure accuracy.

3. Never use a glass thermometer to monitor the temperature of food.

4. Measure internal temperatures of food by inserting the thermometer stem or prove into the thickest part of the product.

5. Wait for the thermometer reading to steady before recording the temperature of a food item.

If you have any questions about anything that I present in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Tomorrows lesson: Understanding H.A.C.C.P. for food safety.

When it comes to practicing proper personal hygiene for food safety, proper handwashing (which I discussed in a previous lesson), is only part of the program. A good personal hygiene program would also take into account: Maintaining personal cleanliness, wearing clean and appropriate uniforms and following dress codes, avoiding certain habits and actions, maintaining good health, and reporting illnesses.

Food handlers should keep their fingernails short, clean, and free from polish or false nails (as these could chip or fall into food being prepared). In addition, wounds and cuts should be covered with a bandage and then covered with either a finger cot (small finger only cover) or a glove.

When working with or around food, it is imperative that the food handler wear proper attire. This includes a clean hat or other hair restraint such as a hair net and clean clothing. The food handler, if wearing an apron, should remove and properly store the apron when leaving the food preparation area. All jewelry must be removed from the hands and arms when working with or around food, as the jewelry may contain microorganisms (a plain wedding band is the only exception to this). In addition to food safety, jewelry can also pose a safety hazard if worn while working with certain equipment in the kitchen.

Food handlers should not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum or tobacco while working in or around food preparation areas. During these activities, it is possible for saliva to pass to the food handlers hands and directly to the food that the employee is working with. It must be pointed out that some health departments DO allow drinking in the food area, provided that the drink is covered and a straw is used. Doing taste tests of the foods being prepared requires the product be placed in a container for tasting, and then the utensil and container be removed from the area.

Foodhandlers must be encouraged to report health problems to the manager. There are several instances when a foodhandler must either be restricted from working with or around food or if they must be excluded from working within the facility. For instance:

1. If the foodhandler has a sore throat with fever:

Restrict them from working with or around food, or

Exclude them from the operation if you serve a high-risk population (elderly, pregnant women, children, immunocompromised)

2. If the foodhandler has one of the following: vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice:

Exclude them from the operation, and before returning to work, the foodhandler with vomiting &/or diarrhea must either have been symptom free for at least 24 hours or have a written release from a medical practitioner. IF the foodhandler has jaundice, then the written release is required before they may return to the facility.

3. If the food handler has been diagnosed with an illness caused by one of the following pathogens: Salmonella Typhi, Shigella spp., Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, Hepatitis A, or Norovirus:

Exclude the foodhandler from the operation and notify the local regulatory agency.

The local regulatory agency and the foodhanders medical practitioner will decide when the foodhandler is able to go back to work.

Ultimately, it is the managements responsibility to ensure that proper personal hygiene is implemented and followed by all employees.

If you have any questions about anything that I present in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Tomorrows lesson: Choosing the right thermometer and how to ensure they are calibrated properly.

When I go to restaurants, I always look at what the employees are doing, especially if I can see the kitchen. For some places (fast food) it is easy, for others (sit down restaurants), it is a bit more difficult or impossible. I always wonder why restaurants don’t want their customers to see the food being prepared. Some may say it is because of trade secrets, others may say it is because they don’t want the employees to get nervous about people watching them. Personally, I think it may have more to do with possible health violations, but then, that may just be my expertise in food safety making me a bit paranoid on the subject.

I will admit that I go to fast food locations more than I should, being a chef and able to cook just about anything I want; however, sometimes I just want something quick and easy. I have begun to notice that a lot more of the fast food locations have started having their employees wear gloves when preparing the foods for service. In the case of food safety requirements, some locations require that the establishment either require gloves for handling foods that will not undergo any further cooking, or to have a strict handwashing schedule to ensure that the hands are continually cleaned. Seeing an employee that is wearing gloves, touch their face, hair, or dirty apron and then go immediately back to working with food, is not appropriate behavior weather the employees is wearing gloves or not.

For example, when I managed Burger King in Las Vegas, Nevada, we had a very specific requirement for handwashing, which allowed our employees to use bare hand contact with the food. We were required to have our employees wash their hands ever 30 minutes, and this was strictly adhered to at all locations. A timer would go off every 30 minutes as a reminder to wash your hands.

Those without strict handwashing procedures like ours were given the option to wear gloves when preparing food. If you have been to a Subway shop, you may have noticed, as I have, that the employees will wash their hands and then put on gloves to make sandwiches. Again, either way is allowable (check your location on the actual health codes regarding glove usage); however, you must use the gloves properly, otherwise it could be just as bad as not washing your hands. For today’s lesson, I will discuss the proper ways you use gloves to ensure that you are practicing proper food safety.

The main thing to remember when using gloves for food safety, is that they are NOT foolproof, and gloves are not a substitute for washing hands. As a customer, you should not automatically assume that because a person is wearing gloves while making your food, that they are using them correctly. In other words, don’t let gloves lead you into a false sense of security just because you see them being used.

When using gloves in food service, keep the following items in mind:

1. Gloves should be disposable: the gloves should be single use, never washed and reused

2. Have gloves for different tasks: Long gloves for mixing items such as coleslaw, short gloves for other tasks. You can even get color coded gloves such as red for meats, green for vegetables, etc.

3. Provide different glove sizes: you don’t want gloves that are too small or too large for your employees. Too large and they won’t stay on the hands, too small and they can rip & tear more easily.

4. Consider latex alternative gloves: in case an employee has a sensitivity to latex.

5. Focus on safety, durability, and cleanliness: gloves for food service should be labeled with the NSF international mark .

Food handlers should change their gloves whenever:

1. They become soiled or torn.

2. Before beginning a different task

3. At least every four hours during continual use, and more often when necessary.

4. After handling raw meat and before handling ready to eat foods.

When changing or getting a new pair of gloves, it is important to remember that your hands MUST be washed properly before putting on a new pair of gloves.

If you have any questions about anything that I present in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Tomorrows lesson: Proper personal hygiene practices for food safety.