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Feeding the Community- SAFELY!
Feeding the Community Safely was developed by the
Maryland Cooperative Extension, University of Maryland,
College Park and Eastern Shore and the Purdue Extension
Service, Purdue University.
The program has been endorsed by the Maryland Department
of Health and Mental Hygiene.
MODULE 1
FOODBORNE ILLNESS
Foodborne illness:
It’s in the news.
A look at the numbers...
Every year diseases caused by
pathogens in food results in an
estimated:
 325,000 serious illnesses resulting
in hospitalization
 76 million cases of gastrointestinal
disease
>5,000 foodborne associated deaths
Foodborne illness
“... when a person becomes ill after
ingesting a contaminated food...”
Foodborne illness can be caused by:
Biological hazards (bacteria, viruses)
Chemical hazards (cleaning agents,
toxins)
Physical hazards (bone, glass,
metal)
Symptoms of foodborne
illness
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Fever
Headache
Who is most at risk?
At-risk populations:
Infants
Elderly
Pregnant women
Immunocompromised
population
Where does
contamination occur?
In the home
15%
Other
40%
Food processor
5%
Food retail
40%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Causative agents implicated
in foodborne illness
Viruses 6%
Chemical 2%
Parasites 1%
Bacteria
90%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Sources of
contamination
Food handler
Food contact surfaces
(cutting board, grinder)
Animals, insects, rodents
Water, air, soil
Food!! (raw)
Contributing factors
of foodborne illness
Improper
reheating 8%
Raw food
cont. 7%
Cross cont. 5%
Cleaning 5%
Leftovers 3%
Improper
hot-holding
10%
Improper
Improper
cooling
26%
cooking
10%
Infected
person 13%
Time lapse
14%
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Causes of
foodborne illness
Temperature abuse
Poor personal hygiene
Cross-Contamination
Prevention of
foodborne illness
Practice good personal hygiene
Prevent cross contamination
Avoid temperature abuse
–
–
–
–
–
–
Proper cold storage
Proper thawing
Proper cooking
Proper cooling
Proper reheating
Proper hot holding
Potentially
hazardous foods
“...foods that can support the growth of
harmful bacteria...”
Foods high in protein
Foods low in acid
Foods high in moisture
Examples of potentially
hazardous foods
Beef, pork, and poultry
Seafood
Eggs
Cooked Rice and pasta
Fruits and vegetables
Beans and potatoes
Milk and dairy products
Bacterial growth
At time = 0 minutes:
1 bacterial cell
At time = 15 minutes:
2 bacterial cells
At time = 30 minutes:
4 bacterial cells
MODULE 2
GOOD PERSONAL
HYGIENE
It is all about you!
What you cannot see can
cause foodborne illness.
Common foodborne diseases
spread by poor hygiene
 Hepatitis A
 Norwalk virus
 Shigella
 E coli O157:H7
 Salmonella typhi
 Staphylococcus aureus
Handwashing steps
 Warm water
 Soap
 Lather
 Friction for 20 seconds
 Rinse
 Dry with paper towel
A Survey of
Handwashing Behavior
Prepared for:
American Society for Microbiology
September 2000
Conducted by:
Wirthin Worldwide
• Wirthlin Worldwide observed the behavior of
7,836 individuals in public restrooms and recorded
whether or not they washed their hands after using
the facilities. The research was conducted in 5
different cities:
City & Site
Date(s)
Males
Females
Total
Chicago, Navy Pier
8-26
1061
1536
2597
New Orleans, Treasure Chest Casino
8-24, 8-27
847
666
1513
San Francisco, Golden Gate Park
8-24, 9-2
259
294
553
Atlanta, Braves Baseball Game
8-27
365
525
890
New York City, Grand Central Station & Penn Station
8-24, 8-28
1057
1226
2283
Actual handwashing behavior after using
public restrooms is lower than reported!
Say they always wash their hands (survey of 1,021 adults)
Observed washing their hands (7,836 adults observed)
95%
Total
67%
92%
Males
58%
97%
Females
75%
Cuts and abrasions
 Clean the wound
 Cover with clean dry bandage
 Wash hands
 Cover with disposable glove
 Change gloves at appropriate
handwashing intervals
Tobacco use
 Never while preparing or
serving food
 Never around equipment or
dishwashing areas
 ONLY in designated break
areas
 Wash hands after smoking
Hair restraints
 Acceptable: Hats, nets, and
hair coverings
 Wear restraints
consistently
 Restrain beards
Secure long hair under
restraints
Non - acceptable practices






Coming to work when ill
Poor personal hygiene
Un-clean work clothes
False fingernails and nail polish
Jewelry
Uncovered cuts, scrapes, and burns
MODULE 3
PREVENTING
CROSS-CONTAMINATION
Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is the
transfer of harmful substances or
micro-organisms to food by:
human hands
 food contact surfaces
 cleaning cloths, equipment, utensils,
directly from a raw food to a ready-toeat food.

How does it happen?
 Improper
storage practices
 Contact with food workers
 Food and/or ingredient contamination
 Contact with food contact surfaces of
equipment, utensils, and wiping cloths
 Contamination from ice
 Contamination by consumers
Protecting stored food
 Keep
food storage areas clean and
sanitary
 Use “F.I.F.O.”
 Properly store foods away from toxic
items such as cleaning agents
Protecting stored food
 Store
foods on shelves at least six
inches above the floor
 Prevent insect and rodent infestation
 Prevent leakage from overhead pipes
Cold storage
 Use
refrigerator to keep foods at an
internal product temperature of <41°F
 Top to Bottom storage
 Avoid overloading the refrigerator
 Never line the shelves
 Use freezer to store already chilled or
frozen foods at a temperature of <0° F
Code of Maryland regulations
Contamination by food
handlers
Inadequate
handwashing
Untrimmed fingernails
Soiled clothing
Eating, drinking, or using
tobacco
Improper use of hair restraints
Contamination by food
handlers
Food
handlers working while ill
Discharges from eyes, nose and
mouth
Cuts, scrapes and bruises
Contamination from
food contact surfaces
 Improperly
washed or sanitized equipment
Knives
Cutting boards
Grinders
Slicers
 Improper
can openers
storage of in-use utensils
Spoons
Tongs
Food scoops
Frozen dippers
 Store
ice scoop
equipment in a clean, protected
location
Contamination from
wiping cloths
 Store
wiping cloths in sanitizer when
not in use
 DO
NOT store cloths on equipment
or preparation surfaces
Wash, rinse and sanitize
 Three
compartment sink
 Separate handwashing sink
Wash, rinse,
sanitize
Contamination from ice
 Ice
used for cooling food in storage
must not be used or sold for human
consumption
 Metal scoops should be used to
serve ice
Cross - contamination
from consumers
 Provide
clean tableware for second
portions and refills
 Make policies for use of personal
refillable take-out beverage containers
 Have provisions for condiment
protection
MODULE 4
AVOIDING
TEMPERATURE
ABUSE
The temperature “danger zone”
135
°
41
°
Code of Maryland
Regulations
Three rules for
temperature control
Keep potentially hazardous foods out
of the temperature danger zone
Pass potentially hazardous foods
through the danger zone as quickly as
possible
Pass potentially hazardous foods
through the danger zone as few times
as possible
Proper methods
for thawing, cooking,
cooling, and reheating foods
Thawing
 In the refrigerator: less than 41o F
 Under potable running water: 70o F
or below
 In the microwave oven: cook foods
immediately after thawing
NEVER thaw at room temperature!
Code of MD
Regulations
Cooking
Cook all potentially hazardous foods
to minimum required temperatures
Measure the temperature at the
thickest part of the food product
(usually the center) with an accurate
thermometer
Final cooking
temperatures
Poultry and stuffed meats:
165o F for at least 15 seconds
Ground beef and pork:
155o F for at least 15 seconds
Pork, ham, sausage and bacon:
155o F for at least 15 seconds
All other potentially hazardous foods:
145o F for at least 15 seconds Code of MD
Regulations, FDA
Final cooking
temperatures
Rare Beef Roasts:
140 ° F for at least 12
minutes
or
130 ° F for at least 121
minutes
Code of MD
Regulations, FDA
Microwave cooking
Rotate and stir during cooking
Cover food to retain moisture
Allow to stand covered for 2 minutes
to evenly distribute the temperature
Cooling foods rapidly
Smaller portions: break larger food
products down to smaller sizes
Shallow pans: no more than 2 inches
deep for thick foods and no more than
3 inches deep for thinner foods
Cooling foods rapidly
Ice bath: place containers of hot food
into a sink or other container filled
with ice
Stir food frequently to accelerate
cooling
Remove lids of containers in coolers
or on ice ONLY during cooling
Cooling rates for chili:
ice bath vs. walk-in cooler
200
180
160
ice bath
walk-in
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
12:00 1:00 1:30 2:00 2:30 3:00 4:00 4:30 5:00 5:30 6:30 7:00 8:00 9:00
Proper methods for
reheating foods
Potentially hazardous foods must be
re-heated to 165o F in 2 hours or less
Conventional stoves, ovens, steamers,
and microwave ovens are approved
for re-heating use
Crockpots and steam tables are NOT
approved because they do not rapidly
heat foods.
Temperature measurement
Thermometers: digital or dial type
with metal stem
Thermocouple: separate probe
handle
Liquid-filled thermometers (alcohol
or mercury) are NOT to be used
Thermometer accuracy
and calibration
All thermometers that are used to
check food temperatures must be
calibrated regularly to ensure
accuracy
Only thermometers that are accurate
and can be calibrated should be used
Proper use of
thermometers
The sensing portion of the thermometer
must be clean and sanitized
The sensing portion of the thermometer
must be positioned in the center-most
region of the food product or container
Make certain the thermometer
temperature has stabilized before taking
a reading
Preventing
cross - contamination
Clean the probe of the thermometer with a
single-service towel or alcohol swab, or
rinse in a sanitizing solution when
transferring to different foods
Thermometers can also be sanitized by
submerging in hot water (> 180o F)
Clean and sanitize the probe when moving
from raw to cooked or ready-to-eat foods
Don’t wipe probes on a soiled cloth or
apron!
!
Food Safety Team- Dianne
Miiller, Cassandra Corridon,
Sharon Gandy, Madeleine
Greene, Mark Kantor
Adapted from “Food Safety
Day, Richard Linton, Purdue
University
Audits International Food
Safety Survey
Acceptable
26%
Unacceptable
74%
Most Frequently Observed Critical Violations
Cooking temps
too low
19%
Cross
Contamination
31%
Cross Contamination
Improper
chemical storage
20%
Improper leftover cooling
Neglected handwashing
Improper food preparation
techiques
Improper chemical storage
Improper food
preparation
techiques
21%
Improper leftover
cooling
29%
Neglected
handwashing
29%
Cooking temps too low
Cold storage
 Use
refrigerator to keep foods at an
internal product temperature of <40°F
 Top to Bottom storage
 Avoid overloading the refrigerator
 Never line the shelves
 Use freezer to store already chilled or
frozen foods at a temperature of <0° F
USDA
Cold storage
 Use
refrigerator to keep foods at an
internal product temperature of <41°F
 Top to Bottom storage
 Avoid overloading the refrigerator
 Never line the shelves
 Use freezer to store already chilled or
frozen foods at a temperature of <0° F
FDA
The “temperature danger
zone”
USDA
The temperature “danger zone”
135
°
41
°
FDA
Thawing
In the refrigerator: less than 40o F
In the sink with room temperature
water
In the microwave oven: cook
foods immediately after thawing
NEVER thaw at room temperature!
USDA
Thawing
 In the refrigerator: less than 41o F
 Under potable running water: 70o F
or below
 In the microwave oven: cook foods
immediately after thawing
NEVER thaw at room temperature!
FDA
Final cooking
temperatures
Poultry and stuffed meats:
180o F
Ground beef and pork:
160o F
Pork, ham, sausage and bacon: 160o F
All other potentially hazardous foods: 160o
F
USDA
Final cooking
temperatures
Beef Roasts:
Medium rare- 145°
Medium- 160°
Well done- 170°
USDA
HACCP
A Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
food safety system
 Identify
the foods and procedures
that are most likely to cause
foodborne illness
 Build in procedures that reduce the
risks of foodborne outbreaks
 Monitor all procedures to ensure
food safety
FIGHT BAC!
Clean
 Wash
hands and surfaces often.
Separate
 Don’t
cross-contaminate.
Cook
 Cook
to proper temperatures.
Chill
 Refrigerate
promptly.