Keeping food safe – it’s your responsibility

Data reported indicate that annually people tend to get sick or may even die from foodborne illnesses associated with tainted food. Persons might get sick after consuming foods prepared at home, carry-out, etc, or food not properly prepared and stored eg meat and poultry not fully cooked, as well as from contaminated food (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Hence, practicing food safety and sanitation can aid in maintaining health and preventing foodborne illnesses. Symptoms such as fever, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and in some instances blurred vision, and difficulty swallowing and breathing are associated with foodborne illnesses caused by pathogens such as Botulism, Clostridium perfringens, E. Coli (Escherichia coliform), Listerosis, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Campylobacter (Keller, 2006).

From this brief review, you should keep in mind that food safety is an essential component of meal management which cannot be overlooked. As the meal manager, the main points in food preparation are as follows: (a) to ensure food is prepared and served in a clean environment including work areas, and cooking and serving equipment; (b) proper handling of food from the time of purchasing to preparation and storage; (c) prevent food contamination – encourage personal hygiene practices which include, but may not be limited to proper hand washing prior to food preparation, and after eating, drinking, smoking, and using the restroom, wearing hair restraints; and (d) cooking food, storing perishables, and leftovers at the appropriate temperatures (McWilliams, 2005).

Therefore, as you celebrate the season, preparing your favourite dishes for Christmas dinner and New Year’s Eve, as well as purchasing food, and storing leftovers; it is critical to implement measures at home, or in any foodservice establishment which can probably minimise the potential for foodborne illnesses.

Note: Good sanitation, personal hygiene, and pests control will aid in producing safe food.

Taking a look at some food safety principles The goal is to address hazards which probably can contribute to contaminating food. These hazards briefly looked at are chemical, physical, and biological.

The hazard analysis critical control points (referred to as HACCP) comprises of seven principles.

Step 1: conduct a hazard analysis – simply meaning to identify and evaluate all types of hazards such as biological (e.g. bacteria), chemical (e.g. sanitiser, paint, disinfectant), and physical (e.g.

glass, stone, rubber, etc.) which negatively impact food safety.

Therefore, the meal manager or cook should examine the flow of food through all food handling and preparation processes, and implement preventive measures.

Step 2: identify the critical control points (at this stage you are looking at preventing or reducing the probable potential of a hazard), taking into consideration cooking food to recommended temperatures that will aid in destroying harmful bacteria, cooling food at the right temperatures, etc.

Step 3: determine critical limits for each critical control points – boundaries of safety to ensure that food is safe to eat eg cooking food thoroughly and maintaining the appropriate temperature.

Step 4: develop monitoring procedures – you can simply make observations and implement measures which will aid in ensuring the critical control points are under control.

Step 5: establish corrective actions – these are procedures you can follow if failure to meet the critical limit is discovered.

Step 6: develop an effective record keeping system – keeping records of the established procedures, any food safety problems which occurred, and documentation of compliance with HACCP plan.

Step 7: perform verification procedures – this include observing monitoring procedures, calibrating monitoring equipment such as thermometers, and reviewing the records (Keller, 2006).

So, what can you do? Households and foodservice operations in communities working together to keep food safe may wish to consider the following points: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before preparing food, and after the use of restrooms, eating, drinking, etc.

Wear hair restraints, and clean aprons.

Use separate cutting boards for meats, and fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables; this may help to minimise and/or prevent cross contamination.

Wash utensils, cutting boards and equipment thoroughly before and after use.

Purchase fresh meat, poultry, and seafood free from odours.

Buy fruits and veggies that are fresh, and not spoiled, wilted and free from cuts.

When purchasing milk and milk products check for the expiry or use by date.

Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood and their juices from ready-to-eat foods to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Clean and sanitise countertops and equipment before and after food preparation.

Proper storage and disposal of garbage Line garbage containers with plastic bags Clean and sanitise garbage containers to prevent infestations of insects and rodents; wash hands thoroughly after handling or removing garbage.

Use only the approved chemicals for cleaning in the foodservice establishments; store the chemicals in a separate storage area.

Keep floors clean by removing garbage and waste quickly.

Wipe up spills immediately References 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Food Safety. www.cdc.gov/ HealthyHomes/ByTopic/ FoodSafety.html 2. JJ Keller and Associates, Inc. Foodservice Employee Safety Handbook, 2006 3. McWilliams Margaret.

Fundamentals of Meal Management.

4th ed. 2005. Pearson Prentice Hall