Food Safety Manual
Food Safety
Purpose and Scope of Manual
Foundations for Use
Safe Food Handling
The Flow of Food
Purchasing and Receiving
Storage
Preparation
Service
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
Employee Food Safety Training
Food Safety Manual
Nearly 1 in 6 Americans will become sick due to foodborne illness each year and of these, 3,000 will die (CDC, 2011). Since 1997 the number of Escherichia coli has been cut in half, but the prevalence of Salmonella infections has remained stable. Salmonella infections are estimated to be responsible for $365 million in direct medical care costs each year, thus foodborne illness continues to represent a significant medical and economic burden in the U.S. Government agencies therefore continue to investigate and promote greater compliance with food safety practices.
Purpose and Scope of Manual
The apparent success in reducing E. coli infections due to food contamination is proof that foodborne illness is a preventable condition (CDC, 2011). Towards the goal of further reducing food contamination and illness, this manual on food safety will present what is known about the causes of foodborne illness and how it can be prevented (FDA, 2009a).
Food service workers play an essential role in food safety because they are the last line of defense before the food reaches the consumer (FDA, 2009a). Everyone, from farmers to food manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the quality of the products they produce in terms of food safety, but the greatest responsibility rests with food handlers and their supervisors. While health inspectors can play an important food safety role by ensuring food service establishments meet basic standards, their ability to prevent illness is limited because they cannot remain within an establishment to oversee all food handling activity.
Foundations for Use
The main food safety hazards are caused by microbial pathogens, chemical contamination, and contamination with physical objects (University of Rhode Island, 2000). The contribution of pathogens to foodborne illness is discussed in detail below. Foods can become contaminated with dangerous levels of chemicals on the farm due to pesticide or herbicide spraying, or at a food processing plant due to surface contamination with cleaning agents or the addition of preservatives. Contamination with physical objects generally occurs during food transportation and processing and can include glass, human hair, jewelry, dirt, rocks, and utensil fragments.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 31 pathogens that can cause foodborne illness (2012). These known pathogens are responsible for 20% of all illnesses and 44% of all foodborne-associated hospitalizations and deaths. The rest were caused by unknown or unidentified agents, such as bacteria, viruses, chemicals, or physical objects, and were responsible for 56% of all foodborne-related hospitalizations and deaths.
The top five known pathogens causing foodborne illness are norovirus, Salmonella, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium perfringens, and Staphylococcus aureus (CDC, 2012). The first three in this list also make the list for the top five pathogens for foodborne-related hospitalizations and deaths. C. perfringens and S. aureus were replaced by Toxoplasma gondii for both hospitalizations and deaths, while E. coli O157 and Listeria monocytogenes made the top five lists for hospitalization and deaths, respectively.
If two or more individuals are confirmed to be infected by the same pathogen and became infected through food, this is considered a foodborne illness outbreak (CDC, 2000). In the past, the identity of the pathogen was confirmed primarily by the signs and symptoms the patient, in addition to laboratory tests, but today the same strain of pathogen can rapidly be confirmed using DNA sequencing technologies.
The demographics most vulnerable to foodborne illness depend on the pathogen (CDC, 2013). Children under 5 years of age are most vulnerable to C. spp., Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, E. coli O157, non-O157 E. coli, Shigella, and Yersinia, while adults over the age of 65 are most susceptible to Cyclospora, L. monocytogenes, and Vibrio infections. Young children and older adults are also more likely to be hospitalized and die from such infections. Other vulnerable groups include pregnant women and those suffering from a weakened immune system.
Safe Food Handling
Based on the evidence, food handlers make the biggest contribution to foodborne illness by storing the food at the wrong temperature, undercooking the food prior to serving it, using unclean food preparation equipment, obtaining food from an unsafe source, and improper personal hygiene (FDA, 2009b).
The guidelines for food safety will include the following (FDA, 2009b):
1. Food handlers...
Food Safety When shopping for food, one should always follow a few simple rules to ensure health and safety. The first basic rule is to always add refrigerated foods, such as meats and dairy products into the cart last, after canned and packaged goods, such as chips and sugar (Food pp). Make certain to check expiration dates, generally found on front, side or bottom, on all products, especially dairy and meats,
Food Safety for America Recent food recalls: New safeguards for consumers "According to a recent report by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council, food-borne illnesses in the U.S. cause more than 5,000 deaths each year." (Suddah 2010). Food and product recalls have become increasingly commonplace: "there were 214 food recalls in 2006, 247 in 2007 and 310 in 2008 according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)" (Jana 2009).
Food The case of Stephanie Smith is certainly alarming, and having familiarized myself with both the ammonia in hamburger issue and the pink slime issue, I will argue that my faith in the USDA and FDA to provide protection to American consumers in terms of the food they eat is sorely lacking. I understand the reality that I have personally not become sick from eating food in America, but that does
Food Safety According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, n.d.), "food-related diseases affect tens of millions of people and kill thousands." Many of these incidents can be prevented with proper food safety awareness. The most common food safety issues are related to consumer awareness at the point of purchase (such as knowing what to look for in terms of food freshness); food storage; and food preparation. The following
Food Safety Human Nutrition Food Security Human Nutrition Food is contaminated naturally because of how it is grown or from inherent hazards from transportation, harvest, storage, or sometimes processing. Food needs to be prepared and stored in a clean and safe environment. Food hygiene is very important and should be prioritized in every stage food is passed. Food products can be a source of bacteria and if not hygienically prepared, they become contaminated with
Food Safety for Children and Elderly Children and elderly are the two groups that are extremely vulnerable in terms of their immune system. They are prone to infections that may be caused by the food that they eat or even water if the proper sanitation factors are not taken care of. In an early childhood center, there is need for observing the various food safety and sanitation guidelines that are commonly known
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