Food Protection

Lesson 2

Introduction To Food Safety

What is food? Food is any edible substance, ice, beverage or ingredient intended for use, and used or sold for, human consumption. What is "potentially hazardous" food? Foods that are high in protein and provide suitable conditions for the growth of micro-organisms are considered to be potentially hazardous. Examples include foods that contain milk or milk products, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, tofu, bean sprouts, garlic-in-oil and shellfish (both mollusks and crustaceans.) It also includes foods that uncooked may not be potentially hazardous but become so once they are cooked such as cooked rice, cooked pasta and cooked potatoes. Foods which are dry, however, and have a water activity value of .85 or less, or those that are acidic with a pH of 4.6 or below, are not considered potentially hazardous.

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Purchasing The flow of food begins with a purchase order. Food establishment staff should use purveyors and wholesalers they trust, and who are reliable and reputable. The best way to get the most out of this relationship is to have a meeting to discuss your expectations, establish the quality and level of service you expect and the steps you'll take when your expectations are not met (most commonly, rejecting a shipment that does not meet your standards). Receiving

Deliveries should be received when staff has ample time to thoroughly inspect them; it is common to reject shipments that arrive at peak customer times. Remember, you must be able to thoroughly inspect all received products; this process should not be interrupted by dealing with customers. Purveyors should be advised that deliveries will be refused during busy times. Furthermore, deliveries should be staggered throughout the day—receiving a single, large shipment can be overwhelming.

Home canned food products and foods prepared in a private home cannot be received by a food service establishment.

Storing Potentially Hazardous Foods All foods must be kept free from adulteration, spoilage, filth or other contamination in order to remain suitable for human consumption. Potentially hazardous foods are of particular concern because they afford the conditions suitable for the growth of micro-organisms.

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Temperature Danger Zone Potentially hazardous foods must be kept appropriately cooled (at or below 41°F) or heated (higher than 140°F ) to prevent micro-organisms from growing. Temperatures between 41°F and 140°F are known as the Temperature Danger Zone; it is within this range that micro-organisms grow rapidly. Temperatures of 41°F and below are cold enough to retard or slow down the growth of micro-organisms and at temperatures above 140°F, most micro-organisms that cause food-borne illness begin to die.

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Keeping Foods Out of the Temperature Danger Zone The only safe way to determine if potentially hazardous foods are clear of the Temperature Danger Zone is by using thermometers.

Bimetallic thermometers. The bi-metallic stem thermometer is the most popular type and may have a regular dial reading or a digital one. It is fairly inexpensive, easy to use, accurate to plus or minus 2°F and is easy to re-calibrate. Also, it can measure a range from 0°F to 220°F. The sensor portion of the thermometer is from the dimple down to the tip. The stem thermometer must remain in food for at least 15 seconds before a reading is taken.

The cold temperature reading can be calibrated by inserting the sensing portion of the thermometer (from the dimple down) into a 50/50 solution of ice and water. After the indicator stops moving, turn the adjustment nut until it reads 32°F. The hot temperature reading can be calibrated by using boiling water and adjusting the indicator to read 212°F.

Thermocouple thermometer. The thermocouple thermometer is very accurate but fairly expensive and is used by inserting the probe into the thickest part or the center of the food being monitored. All thermometers must be re-calibrated periodically to assure accuracy.

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Physical Features of Food Meat All meats received must have a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspection stamp to show that they're from an approved source. This stamp is typically located on the sides of the carcass or on the packages of meats. This inspection stamp must not be confused with the USDA grade stamp that merely attests to the quality of meats. Fresh meats must be received at 41°F or below, outside of the Temperature Danger Zone.

For different types of meats, color can be an important part of the visual inspection. For instance, beef should be bright to dark red in color; lamb a light shade of red; pork light pink with white fat; chicken and poultry meat are light in shade with yellow or white skin.

A cause for rejecting fresh meats may include meat with brownish, greenish or black discoloration, purple blotches; slimy, sticky, or dry texture; torn or broken packaging; or any strong odor.

If meats and poultry are received frozen, they must be at 0°F or below. Do not accept re-frozen meats. Check for freezer burn or the formation of ice crystals on the meat. Beef Incoming beef supplies can be received either fresh or frozen. Fresh beef must be received at 41°F or below, and frozen beef at 0°F or below. It should be bright to dark red in color with no suspicious odor.

To ensure that the supply is from an approved source, look for the USDA inspection stamp on the sides of the beef carcass or on the box if the carcass is in pieces. The USDA inspection is mandatory and the stamp indicates that the meat is sanitary and fit for human consumption. There may also be a grade stamp which attests to the quality of the meat and will certainly have an impact on its price. The inspection stamp is the more important of the two stamps. (See stamps below)

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Lamb Lamb, like beef, may have an inspection stamp as well as a grade stamp. When fresh, it is light red in color and has no suspicious odor, and the meat is firm and elastic. Fresh lamb must be received at 41°F and frozen lamb at or below 0°F. (See Stamps below)

Pork Pork is also subject to USDA inspection. The meat is light pink in color and the fat is white. A good way to check for spoilage is to insert a knife into the meat all the way to the bone and check the blade for any suspicious odors.

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Chicken and Poultry Chicken and other poultry are subject to USDA inspection. This is verified by the inspection stamp and must be received either fresh at 41°F or below, or frozen at 0°F or below (it is naturally contaminated with the micro-organism Salmonella, which must be kept under control). Poultry must be rejected if the following are found—stickiness under wings and joints, soft flesh, purplish or greenish color, green discoloration around neck, blackened wing tips or any suspicious odors.

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Fresh Fish There is no inspection for fresh fish except what can be done by sight and one's sense of smell. This is why it is important to purchase supplies from reputable and reliable suppliers. Fresh fish must be received cold and on ice at 41°F or less. There should be no objectionable odor. The eyes must be clear and bulging, the gills bright red, and the flesh firm and elastic. Fish that is going bad will have a fishy odor; eyes that are cloudy, red-rimmed and sunken; and gills that are grey or greenish. The flesh will pit under pressure and be easily pulled away from the bones; and the scales may be loose.

Smoked fish Smoked fish provides ideal conditions for the growth of Clostridium botulinum spores if left at room temperature; therefore, upon receipt, all smoked fish must be stored at 38°F or below. It is important to adhere to the temperature requirements stated on the label.

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Shellfish Shellfish is the term used to describe clams, mussels and oysters, which belong to the family of mollusks. They are filter feeders, meaning they absorb water from their environment, filter out whatever nutrients there are and expel the water. Feeding in this manner causes them to absorb and accumulate harmful microorganisms from polluted waters. Since the whole shellfish is eaten either raw or only partially cooked, it is critical to ensure that they are harvested from safe waters. It is important to buy shellfish from reputable suppliers who can provide the shipper's tags which identify the source of the shellfish. These tags supply the following information:

• The name of the product • The name of the original shipper • The address of the original shipper • The interstate certificate number of the original shipper • The location of the shellfish harvesting area

When purchasing small amounts from a retailer, a split-lot tag must be provided that has all the information from the original tag.

The shellfish tag is required to be kept with the product, and kept for another 90 days after it is used up, in order of delivery. It is strongly recommended that invoices be kept with tags to allow better tracking of the product. The virus hepatitis A is associated with shellfish.

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Eggs All shell eggs must be received clean and unbroken from an approved source, and be identified with either a USDA inspection stamp or a label identifying the source. Eggs have long been associated with the micro-organism Salmonella enteritidis. This bacterium has been found on the inside of eggs, so external washing does not make eggs safe.

Eggs should be bought from suppliers who deliver them in refrigerated trucks and upon receipt, must be kept refrigerated at an ambient temperature of 41°F until they are used.

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Canned Goods It is very simple to inspect canned goods and remove from circulation cans that might cause food-borne illness. Canned foods must be commercially processed; home-canned foods cannot be used in a food service establishment. Cans should be free from rust and dents, properly sealed and labeled, and slightly concave at both ends.

A can that is dented on any of its three seams (top, bottom or side) or is severely rusted, severely dented, leaking or has swollen ends must be removed from circulation. Damaged cans may be rejected upon delivery, or must be separated and clearly labeled for return to the supplier.

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Milk and Dairy Products Upon receipt, these products must be checked to ensure that they are well within the expiration period and that they are received at 41°F or below. This temperature must be maintained until the product is used.

The expiration date on pasteurized milk and dairy products must not exceed nine calendar days from the date of pasteurization. Ultra-pasteurized milk and dairy products must not be more than 45 days from the date of ultra-pasteurization.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Since there is no approved source of fruits and vegetables, it is important to buy them from reputable and reliable suppliers. Inspection at the time of receipt should include checking firmness, ripeness, signs of bruising and decay. Fruits and raw vegetables must be scrubbed with a brush and washed thoroughly with plenty of running water before serving.

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Modified Atmosphere Packaged Foods* Various food items are packaged under special conditions to prolong their shelf life. Food packing includes:

• Vacuum packaging, in which food is placed in a package and all the air is withdrawn.

• Modified atmosphere packaging, in which food is placed in a package, all the air is withdrawn and gases are added to preserve the contents.

• Sous-vide packaging, in which food is placed in a package, all the air is withdrawn and the food is cooked in the package.

Because of the absence of air, foods packaged in this manner provide ideal conditions for the growth of the Clostridium botulinum micro-organism unless they are refrigerated at temperatures recommended by the manufacturer. These products must be purchased from approved sources and care taken to preserve the packaging during handling and when checking the temperature. *Food establishments interested in manufacturing vacuum packed foods, "modified atmosphere packaged foods", and sous-vide food preparation must first obtain permission from NYC DOHMH.

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Dry Foods Dry foods such as grains, peas, beans, flour and sugar should be dry when received. Moisture will cause growth of molds and deterioration. Broken and defective packages may indicate contamination; look also for rodent teeth marks and the presence of insects.

Whenever these products are removed from their original containers, they must be stored in tightly covered, rodent-proof containers made of stainless steel or food-grade plastic with proper labels.

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