High Risk Populations are those individuals who 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.

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.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

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

Risk factors are the situations that cause food to become unsafe. 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.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

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

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 (link opens a .pdf from NASA titled ““From Farm to Fork”: How Space Food Standards Impacted the Food industry and Changed Food Safety Standards“

H.A.C.C.P. plan

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.

The Principles

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, 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.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

Tomorrows lesson: How foods become unsafe.

Kitchen Thermometers are a major tool for providing safe food. Choosing the right thermometer to check the temperature of your food, as there are several different types to choose from. 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.

Kitchen Thermometers: Types

Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometer

The most popular type of thermometer, is the bimetallic stemmed thermometer (left side of picture). 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.

Thermocouples & Thermistors

Another type of thermometers are thermocouples and thermistors (shown middle in picture). 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 Thermometers

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

Time-temperature indicators (see below image) 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.

Kitchen Thermometers: Things to consider

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.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

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

Employees

Personal hygiene for food safety includes proper handwashing (which I discussed in a previous lesson), and 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. Depending on local health regulations, a beard net may be required, otherwise, a beard must be kept neat and tidy, such as mine is when I work as a food server (see picture above).

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.

Personal Hygiene: Illnesses

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.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

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.

Glove use in restaurants can be a very touchy subject. 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.

Food Safety requirements

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.

Glove use and handwashing?

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.

Glove Use: Keep in mind

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 .

When should they be changed?

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 is presented in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

Tomorrows lesson: Proper personal hygiene practices for food safety.

FAT TOM is the acronym used within the foodservice industry, which describes what contaminants, also known as pathogens, need in order to grow. I will now break down the acronym and explain how each item works to help the pathogens survive. The acronym stands for Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, & Moisture.

FAT TOM broken down

1. Food: Like all organisms, the pathogenic microorganisms need food to survive. The food that they need are the food items that we are trying to protect from these microorganisms.

2. Acidity: Pathogens need a specific acidity level in order to grow. pathogens require a slightly acidic pH level of 4.6-7.5, while they thrive in conditions with a pH of 6.6-7.5.

3. Time: As listed in previous lessons, food items should not be allowed to remain in the temperature danger zone for more than 4 hours. This is the time portion.

4. Temperature: Pathogens grow best in the temperature danger zone (41 F to 135 F).

5. Oxygen: The majority of foodborne pathogens are aerobic, in that they need oxygen to survive and multiply. The microorganism Clostridium botulinum, the source of botulism, however, is anaerobic and does not require oxygen to grow and multiply.

6. Moisture: Water is essential for pathogens to grow. The less moisture available, the more difficult it is for the pathogens to survive. The water activity level of food (notated as the letter ‘a’ with a sub ‘w’) can range from 0.0 to 1.0, with water being 1.0.

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

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

Tomorrows lesson: Proper glove use in practicing food safety.

Proper cooking temperatures is the temperature endpoint for cooking certain food items. This ensures the food is cooked to a temperature that will destroy possible bacterial contamination.

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 in a restaurant. 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.

Minimum internal cooking temps

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.

Beef and Pork Roasts

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

Ground and Injected Meats

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 is presented in these lessons, or have a question about anything regarding food safety, please feel free to contact me.

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

Tomorrows lesson: What foodborne contaminants need to grow.

Reheating properly cooled foods is very important. Just as cooking and cooling foods can be dangerous, so can reheating incorrectly. I am sure that there are a lot of people that are wondering why I chose this topic to discuss today, as most people may feel that they already know how to properly reheat food. Unfortunately, there are food safety issues to contend with when reheating foods, just like there are when foods are first cooked.

Luckily, this is a very simple food safety issue that is very easy to explain and implement, and is considered a requirement for professional food service establishments.

The basics of reheating foods properly is that foods which have been properly cooked and then properly cooled can be served at any temperature, provided it is being served immediately. An example of this is the beef in a roast beef sandwich. At home, a lot of people (I will admit I do this myself), will grab something from the fridge and eat it cold or throw it into the microwave for a couple of seconds to add a little bit of heat to it, which is perfectly acceptable, again, provided it is served and eaten immediately.

The situation with properly reheating foods occurs when you are reheating foods for hot holding on a buffet or for later table service. At that point, all reheated items must be moved through the temperature danger zone as quickly as possible. The food service requirement is that the food must be heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74C) and hold that temperature for at least 15 seconds. This reheating must be completed within two (2) hours.

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

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

Tomorrows lesson: Proper cooking temperature endpoints for food safety.

Cooling cooked foods, is a process to get the temperature through the temperature danger zone as quickly as possible to minimize the chance of bacteria growing on the food.

I am sure many of us remember, and have done ourselves, the leaving of food out on the counter to cool before being placed in the refrigerator. This is mainly done, however incorrectly, to keep the temperature of the fridge from rising by placing hot or warm food inside. A refrigerator is the perfect place to keep cold food cold, but it is not very efficient at rapidly cooling foods.

As previously stated, the object of cooling cooked foods, is to get the items through the temperature danger zone quickly enough to keep bacteria from growing to unsafe levels. According to the FDA, this can be done by cooling the items from above 135 degrees F (57C) down to 70 degrees F (21C) within the first two (2) hours, then cooling the item to below 41 degrees F (5C) in the next four (4) hours. As a side note, if the food cannot be cooled to 70 degrees within two (2) hours, it must either be discarded or reheated and cooled again.

To aid in getting the food items to cool properly within the allotted time periods, there are several ways to assist in reaching the desired goals. Some are designed for the food service industry, however others can easily be adapted for home use.

1. First, reduce the size of the food for quicker cooling. This can be done by dividing the items into smaller containers for faster cooling.

2. Place item in an ice water bath. As far as I know, everyone that boils eggs uses an ice water bath to rapidly cool the eggs after they are done cooking. The same principle applies to other items as well. For items that are liquid (or semi liquid) and can be stirred (frequently), placing the pan in an ice water bath in the sink and stirring will help speed up the cooling process of the item.

3. Stir food with an Ice Paddle. In some food service establishments, you can find a plastic paddle, that was filled with water and frozen. For large amounts of liquid items, the paddle can be used the cool the center portion of the item by stirring with the paddle. In a home, this can be accomplished by purchasing a smaller paddle, or simply using a plastic bottle filled with water and frozen and using it as a paddle to stir the food item.

4. Placing food in a blast or tumble chiller. This is mainly for food service operations, as these devices are not currently designed for home use. The object of this item is as it sounds, it is like a super powered fridge that will super cool food items very quickly.

5. Adding ice or cold water as an ingredient. This cooling technique works for liquid items that require more liquid to be added at the end of the cooking process. Instead of adding hot water (or even a hot broth), use very cold water or ice to speed the cooling process. If you add broth as a final ingredient, it is possible to chill the broth or freeze it into cubes just like you would regular water to speed the cooling process of the food item.

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

Check Dr. Mc Keown’s blog daily to see what information we have to share during September, the #National #Foodsafety #Education Month, #NFSM.

Tomorrows lesson: Proper reheating of previously cooked & properly cooled foods.