A L A B A M A A & M A N D A U B U R N U N I V E R S I T I E S Food Service Sanitation HE-651 In 1989 there were an estimated 90 million cases of foodborne illnesses Although many of these were not reported, according to records from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) approximately 80 percent of the reported cases have been traced to some part of the food service industry. This may have great implications for the industry as people are eating out more and more every day. It is important for food service managers to understand the importance of a good sanitation program to reduce the possibility of an outbreak of food poisoning and to improve the quality and shelf life of perishable foods. The goal of good food service management is to maintain all products in an environment that will reduce the possibility of food poisoning and maximize the shelf life of the product. Food service workers must be constantly reminded of the importance of serving high quality, safe food to their customers. The number one priority of food service workers should be to avoid selling a product contaminated with microorganisms, generally bacteria, that could cause food infection or food intoxication. Food infection is the result of consuming a large amount of bacteria in food that can make someone ill, while food intoxication is an illness caused by consuming a toxin produced by bacteria growing on the food. Because most food infections are caused by bacteria, it is important to understand the factors that cause bacterial growth and know what practices can be implemented to avoid it. Bacterial Growth All bacteria have a similar pattern of growth that includes four phases. Lag phase before active growth begins. Log phase when bacteria multiply rapidly. Stationary phase numbers remain essentially the same. Death phase bacterial numbers decrease rapidly. The rate of bacterial reproduction and growth depends on many factors and environmental conditions in which the growth occurs. The following are some of the more important factors affecting www.aces.edu bacterial growth. Water Bacteria require moisture to survive, grow, and reproduce. Oxygen Some bacteria are aerobic and require oxygen to grow and multiply. Others are anaerobic and can grow only in the absence of oxygen. Nutrients All bacteria need an energy source that will supply them with the nutrients they need, such as nitrogen, vitamins, and minerals. ph (acidity) Most bacteria grow best at a more neutral ph such as 6.6 to 7.5.
Start 1 2 hour 1 hour 1 1 2 hours 2 hours 15 hours 536,000,000 bacteria Figure 1. Typical bacteria growth. Therefore, always keep cooked foods away from raw food products, especially meats. After using utensils such as knives, forks, or cutting boards with raw food products, wash them carefully before use with cooked foods (figure 4). Proper Cleaning of Facilities and Equipment It is of utmost importance to keep the entire food service area clean. Improperly cleaned walls, floors, ceilings, etc. can contribute bacteria to the environment and result in food contamination. Dirty equipment can directly contaminate the food surface and consequently lead to a potential problem. Critical control points for facilities and equipment: Floors should be swept often to keep dirt and dust to a minimum. Floors should be mopped as needed using proper cleaning detergents. Walls collect dust, dirt, and grease and should be cleaned and sanitized daily. Floors and walls should not be cleaned while food is being prepared. Ceilings, air vents, air filters, etc. should be cleaned weekly. All equipment should be spot cleaned immediately after use and cleaned thoroughly as needed. Stainless steel surfaces should be cleaned and sanitized after each meal preparation period. Regular ovens, range hoods, and convection ovens should be lightly cleaned daily and thoroughly cleaned weekly. Grease filters should be changed or thoroughly cleaned weekly. Hot food tables (steam tables) should be cleaned inside and outside daily using hot water and detergent as recommended. Rinse and wipe dry. Cutting boards, meat slicers, vegetable slicers, and food mixers should be thoroughly washed in a detergent solution, sanitized, and allowed to air dry after each extended use. Can openers should be washed and sanitized after each use. Food carts should be washed and sanitized daily. Microwave ovens should be cleaned daily. The removable tray may be washed in the dishwasher. Clean air vents and spatter shields by the manufacturer s directions. Clean all cleaning equipment thoroughly after each use. When using cleaning and sanitizing products, be sure to follow directions carefully. Inspection Daily inspection of all facilities, equipment, and personnel is an important part of maintaining a clean, sanitary, and healthy environment for your employees and customers. Keep in mind that your local health inspector is available to help you maintain a quality business. He or she should be called on to develop a good sanitation program for your establishment.
Temperature Bacteria can be grouped into several categories according to the temperatures at which they grow best. - Psychrophilic: Cold-loving bacteria that grow best in the temperature range of 50 to 70 degrees F but can grow in temperatures as low as 32 degrees F. - Mesophilic: Bacteria that grow best between 86 to 104 degrees F but can grow well between 70 to 115 degrees F. - Thermophilic: Heat-loving bacteria that grow well above 115 degrees F, especially between 130 to 150 degrees F. - Thermoduric: Heat resistant bacteria they are able to withstand pasteurization. Bacterial growth is known as logarithmic growth: one cell divides to become two, two cells divide to become four, four to become eight, eight to sixteen and so on. The amount of time it takes for the cell to divide is known as the generation time. Under optimum conditions, such as available food and moisture and proper ph and temperature, the generation time can be only 15 minutes. Under these conditions food spoilage or a foodborne illness situation can occur in a very short period of time (see figure 2). Maintaining Product Quality and Avoiding Foodborne Illness The safety and wholesomeness of foods does not occur by chance. It requires undivided attention to maintain an establishment that is free from the possibility of food poisoning. Sanitary handling practices and good personal hygiene are the keys to serving safe food. It is important that only safe and wholesome foods reach your customers. Contaminated foods may cause food poisoning and disaster. The following is a list of critical control points that if left unattended can lead to hazardous public health conditions. Incoming Product Inspection The foods you serve to your customers must be safe and therefore supplied by a reputable vendor with standards that equal or exceed government standards. Although most vendors are of reputable standing, it is important that you let them know from the beginning of your association what quality of product you are willing to accept. Critical points for incoming products: Conditions in the delivery vehicle should be sanitary and free from dirt, flies, trash, etc. If they are not, reject the product delivery. The incident should be reported to the vendor and health authorities. Refrigerated foods must arrive below 40 degrees F. Frozen foods should arrive frozen and show no signs of leakage or package deterioration. Meat products should be properly wrapped and show no signs of spoilage (off odor, discoloration, etc.). Open boxes or packages should not be accepted. Loading docks should be maintained in a neat and orderly fashion. Keep garbage and trash containers well away from the food receiving area. Delivered products should be properly stored immediately upon arrival. Never leave perishable products out of refrigeration. Employees should wash and sanitize their hands prior to and following receiving products. Personal Hygiene The principles and guidelines designed to promote personal health and cleanliness are known as personal hygiene. Employees unaware of this concept of cleanliness can unknowingly become a major source of bacterial contamination. Although many customers may not notice employees with good personal hygiene, they will certainly notice servers with poor personal hygiene, and this will portray a negative image of your establishment. Customers expect better standards of hygiene when eating out than they practice at home. Important practices for employees: All employees should be required to take and pass a health physical before being hired. Employees should not be allowed to work when they are sick. Employees with open cuts or boils should not be allowed to work in the food preparation area or come in contact with foods. Clean clothing should be worn by employees at all times. Soiled clothing and aprons should be changed as needed. Hair restraints should be worn in food preparation areas. Beard covers should be worn by personnel while in the food preparation area. All employees should be trained in proper hand washing Figure 2. Bacteria s characteristic growth rate.
Figure 3. Safe storage and cooking temperatures.
Utensils: Wash and sanitize after every use. Cutting Boards: Wash and sanitize after every use. Equipment: Clean and sanitize after every use. Hands: Wash frequently and thoroughly. Figure 4. Prevent cross-contamination. Table 1. Cooking Meat and Poultry. Meat and poultry cooked to these temperatures are generally safe to eat. Fresh Beef Celsius Fahrenheit Rare 60 140* Medium 71 160 Well Done 77 170 Ground Beef 77 170 Fresh Veal 77 170 Fresh Lamb Medium 77 170 Well Done 82 180 Fresh Pork 77 180 Poultry Chicken 82-85 180-185 Turkey 82-85 180-185 Boneless Turkey Roasts 77-80 170-175 Stuffing (inside or outside the bird) 74 165 Cured Pork Ham, Raw (cooked before eating) 71 160 Ham, Fully Cooked (heated before eating) 60 140 Shoulder (cooked before eating) 77 170 Game Deer 71-77 160-170 Rabbit 82-85 180-185 Duck 82-85 180-185 Goose 82-85 180-185 *Rare beef is popular, but cooking it to only 140 degrees F means some food poisoning organisms may survive.
and sanitation procedures. Hands should be washed each time an employee leaves and reenters the food preparation area. Hands should also be washed after handling raw products and prior to handling cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Smoking and smokeless tobacco products should not be allowed in the food preparation area. Utensils should be touched only by their handles. Plates and glasses should not be handled where the food will come in contact with them. Foods should never be tasted by employees except when necessary and then only with a clean utensil. Employees should attempt to cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing and wash their hands immediately. Maintaining Proper Food Temperature As mentioned previously, different bacteria grow best at different temperatures. Therefore it is important to follow the policy of keeping hot foods hot (above 140 degrees F) and cold foods cold (below 40 degrees F) to avoid undesirable bacterial growth. Critical points for proper refrigeration and freezing: All refrigerators or coolers should have a thermometer. All refrigerators and coolers should be maintained below 40 degrees F. Products should be properly separated within the refrigerator. Cooked products should not be stored in the same refrigerator as fresh products. If fresh and cooked foods must be stored in the same refrigerator, cooked foods should be tightly covered and stored above fresh foods. Air circulation is important do not overload the coolers. Large quantities of cooked foods must be first divided into smaller portions before being stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Shallow pans cool quicker than deep pans. Cooler and refrigerator doors should be opened as little as possible. All freezers should be held at 0 degrees F or lower. Frozen foods should be placed in the freezer immediately. Frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator or under cold running water in their original containers. Never thaw foods at room temperature. Critical control points for cooked foods: All meat and poultry products should be cooked to proper temperatures and maintained above 140 degrees F or below 40 degrees F (See table 1 for proper cooking temperatures.) Stuffing for poultry products should be cooked separately to assure that it reaches the proper temperature. When the stuffing is cooked inside the poultry, it may remain in the danger zone for most of the cooking period. This provides an excellent environment for potentially hazardous bacteria to grow. Breading and batters should not be used for more than one item. Never reuse breading and batters. Cook custards and puddings containing eggs to at least 140 degrees F. Steam tables on buffet lines should be maintained at 140 degrees F or above. Sandwiches should be prepared as quickly as possible and should not be allowed to remain at room temperature any longer than necessary. All vegetables and fruits should be washed thoroughly to remove dirt and pesticide residues. Serve all leftovers within 24 hours. A good, accurate thermometer is a necessity and should be used constantly in the food preparation area. Food thermometers should be cleaned after each use. (See figure 3 for proper temperature control.) Preventing Cross-Contamination Cross-contamination refers to contaminating a cooked, ready-to-eat product with a raw food. This allows bacteria to transfer from one food product to another. William R. Jones, Extension Animal Scientist, Professor, Animal Sciences, Auburn University For more information, call your county Extension office. Look in your telephone directory under your county s name to find the number. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) 10M??, Revised July 2003, HE-651 HE-651 2003 by Alabama Cooperative Extension System. All rights reserved.