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.

Junior’s Smokehouse Processing Plant, an El Campo, Texas establishment, is recalling approximately 690 pounds of ready-to-eat teriyaki beef jerky products that may be contaminated with extraneous materials, specifically pieces of hard metal

Junior’s Smokehouse Processing Plant Recalls Beef Jerky Products due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

Zweigle’s Inc., a Rochester, N.Y., establishment, is recalling approximately 6,082 pounds of ready-to-eat olive loaf pork products due to sodium nitrite levels in excess of the regulatory limit

Zweigle’s Inc. Recalls Olive Loaf Pork Products due to Sodium Nitrite Levels in Excess of Regulatory Limit

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.

Cargill Meat Solutions, a Fort Morgan, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 132,606 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the carcass that may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O26,

Cargill Meat Solutions Recalls Ground Beef Products Due To Possible E. Coli O26 Contamination

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.

When it comes to cooking food safely, there are several factors to take into consideration. First, what type of item is being cooked, how is it being served, what is the flavor profile I am wishing to impart to my guests…the list can go on. Suffice to say, food service establishments are required to adhere to certain temperature requirements when cooking foods for the public.

Depending on the regulations for the area in which the food is being prepared, the temperature danger zone is either set at a high temperature of either 135 degrees F (57C) or 140 degrees F (60C) (Illinois is 135, Minnesota is 140, as an example). This sets the absolute minimum that food can be held at for service. If the food item drops below this temperature, it must be reheated (per proper reheating standards) up to 165 degrees F, if you wish to continue serving the product; however, that will be a topic for a later date.

For the minimum internal cooking temperature of most items, the temperature is fairly straightforward. These are:

Poultry (whole or ground: duck, turkey, or chicken): 165 degrees F (74C) for 15 seconds.

Stuffing and stuffed meat, fish, poultry, and pasta: 165 degrees for 15 seconds. This means that the stuffing and the meat that was stuffed both must have the temperature checked and both must register 165 degrees F (74C) for 15 seconds.

Items that are considered Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS) foods that are cooked in a Microwave, whether it be eggs, poultry, fish, and meat: 165 degrees F (74C).

Ground Meat (beef, pork, and other meats): 155 degrees F (68C) for 15 seconds

Injected meats (including brined ham and flavor injected roasts) 155 degrees F (68C) for 15 seconds.

Pork, beef, veal, & Lamb:

Steaks & Chops: 145 degrees F (63C) for 15 seconds

Roasts: 145 degrees F (63C) for 4 minutes; this means the temperature must be checked and it must hold at or above 145 for four minutes.

Seafood (including fish, shellfish, and crustaceans): 145 degrees F (63C) for 15 seconds.

Shell eggs for immediate service: 145 degrees F (63C) for 15 seconds.

Commercially processed, ready-to-eat food: (hot held for service): 135 degrees F (57C). Examples include cheese sticks, deep fried vegetables, etc.

While the above mentioned temperatures are the requirements for the different food items, there are also “alternative” minimum internal cooking temperatures that can be utilized for certain food items.

For example, beef and pork roasts have an alternate cooking endpoint that allows for slow roasting of the product. The following temperatures and time periods represent the minimum internal temperatures and the amount of time that the item must maintain at or above that temperature to be considered safe for human consumption.

130 F (54C) – 112 minutes

131 F (55C) – 89 minutes

133 F (56C) – 56 minutes

135 F (57C) – 36 minutes

136 F (58C) – 28 minutes

138 F (59C) – 18 minutes

140 F (60C) – 12 minutes

142 F (61C) – 8 minutes

144 F (62C) – 5 minutes

145 F (63C) – 4 minutes

Additionally, there are alternative minimum internal temperatures for ground and injected meats. This is the best way to ensure that your hamburger is safe and can still enjoy it when cooked medium rare. These times and temperatures are:

145 F (63C) – 3 minutes

150 F (66C) – 1 minute

155 F (68C) – 15 seconds

158 F (70C) – < 1 second

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: What foodborne contaminants need to grow.