Sanitation

• Personal hygiene and sanitary food hygiene are very important in the kitchen

Introduction to Microbiology

• Microbiology:: is the study of tiny, usually single-celled organisms that can be seen only with a microscope.

• Affects the human body

• Five kinds of microorganisms that can contaminate food and cause illness:

  • Bacteria

  • Viruses

  • Parasites

  • Fungi/Fungus/Mold

  • Yeast

• Most food-borne diseases are caused by bacteria

Kinds of Bacteria

• Bacteria are everywhere. It is in the air, the water, in the ground, on our food, on our skin, and inside our bodies.

• Scientists have various ways of classifying and describing these bacteria:

1. Harmless Bacteria

• Most bacteria fall into this category (it is the common type)

• Are neither helpful nor harmful

2. Beneficial Bacteria

• These bacteria are helpful to us

• Many live in the intestinal tract where they fight harmful bacteria, aid the digestion of food and produce certain nutrients

• In food production including cheese, yogurt and sauerkraut

3. Undesirable Bacteria

• These are the bacteria that are responsible for food spoilage

• They cause souring, putrefying (to rot with an offensive smell) and decomposition

• They announce their presence by means of sour odours, sticky or slimy services

4. Pathogens (Disease-causing bacteria/harmful microorganisms)

• These are bacteria that cause most foodborne illnesses, the bacteria that we are not concerned with

• The only way to protect food from pathogenic bacteria is by proper hygiene and sanitary food handling and storage techniques.

Bacteria Growth

• Bacteria multiply by splitting in half

• In ideal conditions for growth, they can double in number every 15 to 30 minutes, therefore meaning that one single bacterium could multiply to a million in less than 6 hours

Condition for Growth

1. Food

• Bacterias needs some kind of food to grow (EX → proteins)

• Hazardous foods → foods that are high in protein and moist

• (e.g.) Meats, poultry, fish, dairy products and eggs, some grains and vegetables

2. Moisture

• Bacteria require water in order to absorb food

• Not acidic base

3. Temperature

• Grows best in warm temperatures

• Temperatures between (48c-60c) 40F - 140F is called the Temperature Danger Zone

• This will promote the growth of disease-causing bacteria

4. Acidity or Alkalinity (Basic)

• Pathogens like a neutral environment, neither too acidic nor too alkaline )basic)

• Indicated by a measurement called pH

• The scale ranges from 0 (strongly acidic) to 14 (strongly alkaline or basic)

• Neutral is a pH of 7

• Pure water has a pH of 7

5. Air

• Aerobics: most bacteria require oxygen to grow

• Anaerobic: can grow only if there is no air present, such as metal cans.

6. Time

• Lag phase: When bacteria is introduced into a new environment, they need time to adjust to their surroundings before they start growing.

Locomotion

• Bacteria do not have feed

• They can move from place to place in only one way: they must be carried, They are carried by:

  • Hands, Air, Water, Coughs and Sneezes, Other foods, Insects, Rats and Mice, Equipment and Utensils.

Three Basic principles of food protection:

1. Keep bacteria from spreading

2. Stop bacteria from growing

3. Kill bacteria

• Sanitize: to kill disease-causing bacteria

Food Borne Diseases

- Caused by bacteria

Bacterial Diseases

• There are 2 kinds of diseases caused by bacteria:

1. Foodborne infection: caused by the ingestion of food containing live bacteria which grow and establish themselves in the human intestinal tract

2. Foodborne intoxication: caused by ingesting food containing toxins formed by bacteria which resulted from the bacterial growth in the food item.

Botulism: Intoxication

• Caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum, botulism attacks the nervous system and is usually fatal

• Most outbreaks are caused by improper canning techniques, which are caused by anaerobic bacteria.

Staphylococcus Food Poisoning (Staph): Intoxication

• Caused by toxins produced in foods by the bacterium Staphylococcus Aureus

Escherichia coli: Intoxication or Infection

• Causes severe illness

• Intoxication is worse than the infection

Salmonella: Infection

• Most poultry and eggs carry this disease (chicken, turkey)

Other Food Infections

• Hepatitis A - Virus

• Norwalk Virus Gastroenteritis - Virus (affects the stomach and intestinal tract)

• Trichinosis - Parasite

  • Mistaken for flu at first, but can last for a year or more

  • Caused by a tiny worm that becomes embedded in the muscles

• Anisakiasis - Parasite

  • Like trichinosis, this disease is caused by a tiny roundworm

  • Symptoms: tingling sensation in the throat, vomiting up worms, abdominal pain and nausea

Chemical Poisoning & Other Problems of Food Safety

• To prevent diseases, do not use the materials that cause them:

1. Antimony

2. Cadmium

3. Cyanide

4. Lead

5. Cooper

6. Zinc

Contamination

• Chemical contamination can result from exposure to food to various chemicals used in commercial food service establishments

  • e.g. Bleach, Tide, Mr. Clean, Dawn Soap, Windex, Fantastik

  • liquids or powders accidentally added to food

• Physical contamination is food with objects that may not be toxic but that may cause injury or discomfort

  • e.g. pieces if broken glass, metal shavings, stones, soil, insects or insect parts, hair

Safety

Examples of potential safety hazards

• Sharp knives sitting in the bottom of a sink full of soapy water

• Hot stoves

• Boiling water

• All equipment (sharp and electrical)

• Wet floors

• Electrical equipment has its dangers: sharp blades, moving pieces, the possibility of getting shocked if you touch the equipment with wet hands.

Burns and Fires

• In the kitchen: surrounded by anything hot (range tops and grills, fat in the fryer, pans, foods, steam under pressure, whole kettles of fat, pot of stew)

• e.g. hot fat (oil) is hotter than boiling water (100 degrees) oil is 650 degrees.

Precautions

• Handle hot pans with dry towels, potholders or oven mitts (a wet towel will give you a steam burn), always assume the pot and pan handle is hot

• Keep pan handles inside

• Remove covers from pots by tipping them away from you and sending the steam in the other direction.

• Don’t carry a large pot across a room by yourself (teamwork or a cart)

• Equipment must be cooled before washing

• Learn where there are fire extinguishers

Things about fire:

3 common types of kitchen fires:

1. Class A (ordinary fire): such as burning wood, paper, or cloth

2. Class B: a grease or oil fire

3. Class C: an electrical fire

• All types need oxygen to burn

• Water will put out a Class A fire but will make a Class B and Class C fire worse

Cuts

1. The worse type of kitchen accident comes from careless handling of equipment

Precautions

1. Never touch food in a machine, even with a utensil, when the machine is in motion

2. Do not use equipment when wearing loose sleeves, ties or dangling jewelry that may be pulled into a machine

Precautions w/ Knives

• Don't gesture or turn around suddenly with a knife in your hand

• Point down when walking

• Don't put in the bottom of the sink full of water

Falls

• The most common of kitchen accidents

• Most falls come from spills of food or grease

6 Proper Ways to Handwashing

The HACCP System

Purpose: to identify, monitor and control dangers of food contamination

HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points