Food Handlers Card Study Guide

FOODBORNE ILLNESS RISK FACTORS

Poor Personal Hygiene
Food From Unsafe Sources
Improper Cooking Temperatures/Methods
Improper Holding, Time and Temperature
Food Contamination

Poor Personal Hygiene

• Improper hand washing

• Bare hand contact with ready-to-eat (RTE) foods

• Food handlers working while ill with the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat with a fever, infected cuts on the hands, and jaundice

Food From Unsafe Sources

• Food from an unapproved source and/or prepared in unpermitted locations

• Receiving adulterated food

Improper Cooking Temperatures/Methods

• Cooking

• Reheating

• Freezing (kill step to eliminate parasites in fish)

Improper Holding, Time and Temperature

• Improper hot and cold holding of time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods

• Improper use of time as a control

• Improper cooling of TCS foods

Food Contamination

• Use of contaminated/improperly constructed equipment

• Poor employee practices

• Improper food storage/preparation

• Exposure to chemicals

FOOD HAZARDS

Biological

Chemical

Physical

Biological Food Hazard

• Microorganisms that can cause foodborne illness

• Bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi

Chemical Food Hazard

• Chemicals not meant to be consumed

• Sanitizers, cleaning agents, or pest control products must be separated from food

Physical Food Hazard

• Foreign objects that can cause injury

• Glass, metal, or bone