Food Cert

Lesson $1$ – Introduction

• Highly Susceptible Populations (HSPs)

  • The very young

  • The elderly

  • The chronically ill

  • Those with immune problems

• $5$ Most Common Risk Factors

  • Purchasing food from unsafe sources

  • Failing to cook food adequately

  • Holding food at improper temperatures

  • Using contaminated equipment

  • Practicing poor personal hygiene

• Agencies Regulating Food And Food Service

  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Regulates meat, poultry, eggs, food crossing state boundaries or involves more than one state

  • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Regulates all food other than meat, poultry, and eggs.

  • Publishes the Food Code

  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

  • Conducts research into causes of illnesses and assists in investigations

  • Public Health Service (PHS)

  • Conducts research into causes of illness and assists in investigations

  • State and Local Health Jurisdictions

• Your Role As A Manager

  • Ensure safety of customers

  • Ensure food safety from delivery until service

  • Ensure rules are in place and followed

  • Ensure staff knows their roles

  • Be prepared for inspections

• Active Managerial Controls

  • Create a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

  • Ensure SOPs are followed

  • Train staff

  • Evaluate and revise as necessary

Lesson $2$ – Foodborne Illness Overview

• Foods Most Likely to Become Unsafe

  • Time and Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS):

  • Milk, chicken, cooked rice, melons, sprouts, vacuum-packaged foods, eggs, meats, fish, and cooked potatoes

  • Ready-to-eat:

  • Vegetables, fruits, deli, and bakery items

• Microorganisms:

  • Small living organisms visible only through a microscope.

• The $3$ Food Contaminants

  • Biological (Pathogens):

  • Include bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi

  • Chemical:

  • Includes cleaners, sanitizers, poisons

  • Physical:

  • Includes glass, bandages, dirt, fake fingernails, jewelry

• FATTOM: A mnemonic to describe the conditions affecting bacterial growth.

  • Food

  • Acidity

  • Temperature

  • Time

  • Oxygen

  • Moisture

• Consumer Advisory

  • Statements related to the increased risk of eating raw or undercooked animal-derived foods must be present on menus, menu boards, placards, or other accessible materials.

Lesson $3$ - Foodborne Illnesses and Allergies

• Bacteria/Virus Characteristics, Food Most at Risk, Prevention

  • Shigella spp.:

  • Found in human feces; can remain in feces for weeks after symptoms end.

  • Illness occurs from eating/drinking contaminated food/water, transferred by flies.

  • Prevention: Exclude food workers with diarrhea and diagnosed illness; employ proper handwashing techniques; control fly population.

  • Salmonella Typhi:

  • Found in human blood and feces; can remain in feces for weeks.

  • Can cause severe illness depending on the infected individual’s health.

  • Prevention: Exclude food workers with diarrhea and diagnosed illness; proper handwashing; cook foods to minimum internal temperatures.

  • Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS):

  • Found in farm animals; only a small amount needed for illness.

  • Prevention: Cooking poultry/eggs to minimum internal temperatures; prevent cross-contamination; exclude food workers vomiting or with diarrhea.

  • Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), (E. coli):

  • Found in cattle intestines; contamination during slaughter.

  • Prevention: Cook food, especially ground beef, to minimum internal temperatures; purchase produce from reputable sources; prevent cross-contamination.

  • Hepatitis A:

  • Virus found in humans; can contaminate food/water and transferred through contact.

  • Prevention: Proper handwashing; avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods; exclude food workers diagnosed with Hepatitis A.

  • Norovirus:

  • Transferred through contaminated hands or water; highly contagious.

  • Prevention: Proper handwashing; exclude food workers with symptoms.

  • Biological Toxins:

  • Poisons created by plants, animals, mushrooms, and bacteria; not killed by cooking/freezing.

  • Prevention: Purchase reputable fish/shellfish; control time/temp when handling raw fish.

  • Chemical Contamination:

  • Includes pesticides and cleaning supplies.

  • Symptoms: Vomiting, diarrhea.

  • Prevention: Use approved chemical; keep chemicals away from food prep.

  • Physical Contamination:

  • Includes hair, nails, glass, etc.

  • Prevention: Watch for items that can spill into food; limit jewelry usage.

• Food Adulteration:

  • Contamination from low-quality ingredients, misbranding, or improper labeling.

• Intentional Contamination:

  • Contamination for dishonest reasons at any point in the food chain.

• Steps For Reporting An Outbreak:

  1. Identify the food involved.

  2. Stop selling the suspected food and isolate it.

  3. Collect information about the complaint.

  4. Notify the local regulatory authority.

  5. Gather information on food, including source and lot numbers.

  6. Prevent suspected employees from handling food.

  7. Cooperate with health authorities.

  8. Correct the problem.

• Food Defense System:

  • A - Assure

  • L - Look

  • E - Employees

  • R - Reports

  • T - Threat

• $9$ Most Common Food Allergens (Big $9$):

  • Milk

  • Eggs

  • Fin Fish

  • Shellfish

  • Peanuts

  • Tree nuts

  • Wheat

  • Sesame

  • Soy

  • Employees must be aware of food allergen symptoms; written information must be provided to consumers regarding allergens.

Lesson $4$ – Personal Hygiene

• Good Basic Personal Hygiene Habits:

  • Bathe daily with soap and water.

  • Arrive at work clean.

  • Change into work clothes at work if possible.

  • Keep fingernails short, clean, and well-trimmed.

  • Avoid fake nails and nail polish.

  • Restrain hair and avoid unnecessary hair accessories.

  • Remove most jewelry; cover wounds or boils.

  • Do not wipe hands on aprons or clothing.

• Wash Hands After:

  • Using the restroom

  • Touching body or clothing

  • Coughing, sneezing, blowing nose

  • Eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum or tobacco

  • Handling soiled items

  • Taking out garbage

  • Touching anything potentially contaminated

• Proper Hand Washing:

  • Use warm water (at least $85^{\circ}F / 29^{\circ}C$).

  • Wet hands and arms to elbow.

  • Apply approved hand soap.

  • Rub hands/forearms for at least $10$ to $15$ seconds, focusing on between fingers and under nails.

  • Rinse using warm water.

  • Dry hands/arms with paper towels or air drying machines; use paper towels to turn off faucet and open restroom doors.

• Avoid bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, especially when working with HSPs.

• Using Single Use Gloves:

  • Use gloves in conjunction with hand washing.

  • Discard after use; especially when handling ready-to-eat foods not cooked again.

  • Change gloves: if dirty/torn, starting a new task, after touching contaminated items, or after handling raw meat.

• Food Worker Illnesses:

  • Vomiting or Diarrhea: Exclude from operation; cannot return until symptom-free for $24$ hours or medically cleared.

  • Jaundice: Exclude, report to regulatory agency; cannot return until medically cleared.

  • Sore Throat with Fever: Restrict, exclude if working with HSP; return allowed only with medical clearance.

• CDC’s Big $6$: Includes major pathogens requiring exclusion and reporting until symptom-free.

Lesson $5$ – Keeping Food Safe

• TCS Danger Zone:

  • The danger zone is between $41^{\circ}F - 135^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C - 57^{\circ}C$) where bacteria survive and grow.

  • Bacteria grow most rapidly between $70^{\circ}F$ and $125^{\circ}F$ ($21^{\circ}C$ and $52^{\circ}C$).

  • Above $135^{\circ}F$ ($57^{\circ}C$) and below $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$), bacteria grow more slowly or die.

  • Thermometers for food storage equipment must be accurate to within $+/- 3^{\circ}F$ ($1.5^{\circ}C$).

• Types of Thermometers:

  • Bimetallic Stemmed Thermometer:

  • Measures temperature through a metal probe; suitable for large/thick foods.

  • Digital Thermometers:

  • Measures surface temperatures.

  • Thermocouples and Thermistors:

  • Instantaneous readout, no deep insertion required.

  • Surface Probes:

  • Used for flat cooking surfaces.

  • Air Probe:

  • Measures internal temperature of ovens and refrigerators.

  • Immersion Probes:

  • For measuring liquid temperatures.

  • Penetration Probe:

  • Measures internal food temperature.

  • Time and Temperature Indicator (TTI):

  • Attaches to packaged food to show temperature abuse.

  • Maximum Registering Tapes:

  • Indicate the highest temperature within shipping containers.

• Cross-Contamination:

  • Occurs when contaminants transfer from unwashed hands, clothing, surfaces, or equipment to food.

  • Separate raw meats, poultry, and seafood from ready-to-eat foods during all operations.

• Steps During a Food Recall:

  1. Check stock for recalled items immediately.

  2. Remove the recalled item and store in a secured location.

  3. Mark products clearly to prevent mishandling.

  4. Follow manufacturer or vendor's recommendations for returns or disposal.

Lesson $6$ - Purchasing and Receiving

• Flow of Food:

  • Purchasing

  • Receiving

  • Storage

  • Thawing

  • Preparation

  • Cooking

  • Holding

  • Cooling

  • Reheating

  • Service

• Purchasing:

  • Only purchase food from trusted sources; manufacturers must comply with regulations.

  • Reject deliveries with:

  • Ice crystals

  • Stained, damaged, or bloated packaging

  • Bad odors, slimy, sticky, moldy items

  • Only trained employees should receive food deliveries; inspect starting with the truck for time/temp issues.

  • Key Drop Deliveries: Performed after hours; vendors store food properly until removed.

  • Shell stock tags: Must be kept for $90$ days; track harvest information.

• Receiving Temperatures:

  • Most chilled TCS food: At or below $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$)

  • Hot Foods: At or above $135^{\circ}F$ ($57^{\circ}C$)

  • ROP packaged items: $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$)

  • Live shellfish/shell eggs: Internal $50^{\circ}F$ ($10^{\circ}C$), air $45^{\circ}F$ ($7^{\circ}C$)

  • Shucked shellfish: At $45^{\circ}F$ ($7^{\circ}C$) or lower

  • Fresh fish: At or below $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$)

  • Produce exceptions: Tomatoes, sliced melons, pre-cut produce ($33^{\circ}F$ to $41^{\circ}F$).

  • Frozen foods must be hard frozen.

Lesson $7$ - Storing Food

• How to Store Food:

  • Store food at least $6$ inches above the floor; improves air circulation and eases cleaning.

  • Refrigerators must maintain temperatures at $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$); include thermometers.

  • Ultra-high pasteurized items can be at room temperature until opened then stored at $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$).

  • Storage order in refrigerator (top to bottom):

  1. Ready-to-eat foods and produce

  2. Seafood

  3. Whole cuts of beef and pork

  4. Ground meats, raw eggs, ground fish

  5. Whole and ground poultry

  • Dry storage: At $50^{\circ}F$ ($10^{\circ}C$), well-ventilated with low humidity.

  • FIFO method: First In, First Out; minimizes spoilage.

  • Never mix new food with old in storage bins; clean and sanitize between uses.

• Storing Non-Food Items:

  • Away from food to minimize contamination; store toxic substances separately.

  • Discard problematic food immediately to prevent cross-contamination.

Lesson $8$ - Thawing, Preparing, Cooking, Cooling, Reheating

• Holding Cold TCS Ready to Eat Food Without Temperature Control (WTC):

  • For $6$ Hours

  • Held at $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$) before removal from temp control, discard after $6$ hours.

  • For $4$ Hours

  • Discard if above $70^{\circ}F$ ($21^{\circ}C$).

• Hot foods must be above 135F or above at all times

• Acceptable Methods for Thawing TCS Foods:

  • At or below $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$)

  • As part of cooking process

  • Under cold running water at or below $70^{\circ}F$ ($21^{\circ}C$)

  • In a microwave if cooked immediately after thawing

• Thawing ROP Fish:

  • Keep frozen until use; remove packaging before thawing.

• Cooling Food:

  • Two-Step Process:

  1. From $135^{\circ}F$ to $70^{\circ}F$ ($57^{\circ}C$ to $21^{\circ}C$) within $2$ hours.

  2. From $70^{\circ}F$ to $41^{\circ}F$ ($21^{\circ}C$ to $5^{\circ}C$) in the next $4$ hours.

• Cooling Methods:

  • Ice-water bath

  • Blast chiller

  • Stirring with an ice paddle

Lesson $9$ – Serving Food Safely

• Handling Dishware:

  • Do not touch eating/drinking surfaces.

  • Hold plates by bottom or edges, glasses by stem or bottom.

  • Use tongs for serving; store glasses upside down to prevent contamination.

• Bare Hand Contact: Avoid with ready-to-eat foods; wash hands after touching dirty items.

• Time on Self-Serve Bars:

  • Hot food: hold without temp control up to $4$ hours at $135^{\circ}F$ ($57^{\circ}C$).

  • Cold food: hold without temp control up to $6$ hours at $41^{\circ}F$ ($5^{\circ}C$).

Lesson $10$ – Equipment and Utensils

• Dishwashing Machines: Must have a minimum of $180^{\circ}F$ ($82^{\circ}C$) for final sanitizing rinse.

• Storage Practices:

  • Glassware: $6$ inches off the floor on a non-absorbent surface.

  • Pots/pans must be stored upside down.

  • Store flatware with handles up.

Lesson $11$ – Facilities and Equipment

• Flooring: Smooth, slip-resistant, non-absorbent; sealed corners for cleaning.

• Walls & Ceilings: Easy to clean, properly maintained.

• Water Potability: Prevent cross connection with waste water; use backflow measures.

• Lighting Standards:

  • $50$ foot-candles in prep areas

  • $20$ foot-candles in non-food storage, restrooms

  • $10$ foot-candles in dry storage, dining areas, etc.

Lesson $12$ – Cleaning and Sanitizing

• $5$ Steps for Cleaning and Sanitizing:

  1. Remove food

  2. Wash

  3. Rinse

  4. Sanitize

  5. Air dry

• Using a Three-Compartment Sink:

  • Clean and sanitize all sinks/drain boards; wash with detergent at $110^{\circ}F$ ($43^{\circ}C$).

• Sanitizer Effectiveness: Influenced by concentration, temperature, surface contact time, water hardness, and pH levels.

  • Chemical Sanitizer Use Parameters:

  • Chlorine: $50-99$ ppm; at $75^{\circ}F-100^{\circ}F$ ($24^{\circ}C-38^{\circ}C$); Minimum $7$ seconds contact time.

  • Iodine: $12.5-25$ ppm; Minimum $68^{\circ}F$ ($20^{\circ}C$); Minimum $30$ seconds contact time.

  • Quats: Varies by manufacturer; minimum $75^{\circ}F$ ($24^{\circ}C$); contact time varies.

Lesson $13$ – Pest Control

• Working with Pest Control Operators (PCO): Follow basic pest control rules:

  • Exclusion

  • Eliminate food and water sources

  • Deny shelter

• Garbage containers must have tight-fitting lids.

Lesson $14$ – Active Managerial & HACCP Systems

• FDA Public Health Interventions:

  • Demonstration of knowledge

  • Employee health controls

  • Controlling contamination through hands

  • Parameters for pathogens

  • Consumer advisories

• HACCP Plan Steps:

  1. Identify hazards and assess risks

  2. Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs)

  3. Establish Critical Limits for CCPs

  4. Monitor CCPs

  5. Corrective Action

  6. Verify HACCP effectiveness

  7. Maintain effective recordkeeping systems

• Crisis Plan: Written crisis plans must be created for emergencies or customer illnesses.

• Training: Owners/Managers are responsible for employee training.

• Acronyms to Know:

  • SDS: Safety Data Sheets

  • OSHA: Occupational Safety & Health Administration

  • HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

  • SOP: Standard Operating Procedures

  • PCO: Pest Control Operators

  • NSF: National Sanitation Foundation

What Makes Food Unsafe

• Cross Contamination

• Poor personal hygiene

• Incorrect cleaning/sanitizing

• Time and Temperature abuse

Confirm Your Knowledge

• Cover open wounds with impermeable covers.

• Follow FDA guidelines for packaging and handling fish.

• Maintain HACCP records for monitoring and corrective actions.

• Ensure food stored, prepared, and labeled correctly can be donated.

• Label bulk food for allergens.

• Maintain proper time and temperature for various food types, especially meats, vegetables, and TCS foods.

• Implement safety measures during emergencies like water or electrical outages.