MODULE 1: The Need for Food Safety Training

What is a foodborne illness?

a sickness/injury that is a direct result of eating contaminated food

• more than 50% of the food consumed today is prepared by the food industry, when safety rules are not followed, the potential for illness escalates

According to to the CDC how many Americans will get sick from foodborne illness?

1:6 Americans

• 48 million instances

• 128k hospitalizations

• 3k deaths

How much money is loss from foodborne illness? What causes this much loss?

about 15.6 billion in the US economy

• loss of sales

• negative media

• lawsuits

• increased insurance costs

• loss of reputation

• drop in staff morale

• steps taken to fix problems and train staff

What are four highly susceptible populations (HSP) when it comes to getting sick from a foodborne illness?

1. the very young

2. the elderly

3. the chronically ill

4. those with immune problems

What are the five most common risks factors that can lead to foodborne illness?

1. purchasing food from unsafe sources

2. failing to cook food adequately

3. holding food at improper temperatures

4. using contaminated equipment

5. practicing poor personal hygiene

What are the different agencies involved in food safety?

1. USDA

2. FDA

3. CDC

4. PHS

What is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in charge of?

regulates meat, poultry, eggs, and food crossing state boundaries or involves more than one state

What is the Food and Drug Administration in charge of?

regulates all food other than meat, poultry, and eggs

• publishes food code: science based set of safety guidelines for state and local health jurisdiction to use to set their food regulations

What does the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) & the Public Health Service (PHS) do?

assists USDA and FDA by conducting research on causes of illness and assists in investigations

Do laws and regulations from state and local health jurisdiction differ from the FDA guidelines?

Yes

• typically more particular to your area of country or certain local food types/operations

What are the five different roles that managers hold?

1. ensure safety of customer

2. ensure food is safe from the time it is delivered until food service

3. ensure protocols are in place and followed

4. ensure staff knows their role

5. be prepared for inspection

What are three challenges faced by managers?

1. push for faster service/avoiding short cuts

2. increased rate of pathogens coming into operation/want to make sure that it is handled properly

3. staff issues

What are three examples of staff issues that make it more difficult to carry out food safety protocols?

1. language/cultural differences

2. literacy of staff

3. turnover

The process used to manage the CDC risk factors is?

active managerial control

What are four active managerial controls?

1. create a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

2. Ensure SOPs are followed

3. Train or re-train staff

4. evaluate and revise SOPs

What are SOPs?

a written method of controlling a practice in accordane with pre-determined specifications to obtain a desired outcome

What factors are relevant when it comes to setting up SOPs?

• facility setup

• hygiene

• purchasing and receiving

• handling

• serving food