Tip for National Food Safety Month: Take food safety to the next level

When it comes to food safety, almost everything depends on good food preparation.

"The prevention of cross-contamination begins with the reception and ends with the service. The goal is to prevent raw products from coming into contact with ready-to-eat foods, "said Clay Hosh, instruction design manager for the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe food safety certification program and training. "It's about being careful with the placement of objects."

Hand washing is important as this will help minimize cross-contamination. A culture of food safety awareness helps employees take hand washing seriously, says Francine L. Shaw, founder and CEO of Savvy Food Safety Inc. in Hagerstown, Maryland . Gloves must be available to employees, "he said. "Disposable gloves should be changed if they are interrupted on a task or if they are dirty or torn."

Shaw stresses that proper cleaning of fruits and vegetables is vital, even for peeled or skinless products. "Purify [any type of] product in separate batches of water," he says. "The product sink also needs to be cleaned and disinfected between batches."

Safe preparation also depends on the proper labeling of the food. "Do a proper inventory turnover using the first in, first out (FIFO) sales method. This ensures that the oldest inventory is used first, "Shaw says. "Mislabelled products can cause foodborne illness and allergic reactions, including death."

Another fact about safety when preparing food: The temperature control helps to keep food out of the danger zone, which is between 40 and 140 degrees Celsius when consumed, "says Shaw. "It's also a good idea to keep a calibration record."

Food storage goes hand in hand with temperature control. "Take only a small amount of food out of the cooler during preparation so that the items don't stay in the temperature hazard zone for too long," says Shaw. "Make sure you keep thermometers in both the fridge and freezer, even if there are digital displays outside. You never know when they can go wrong. ""

As part of the National Food Safety Month educational series, the National Restaurant Association offers six tips for preparing food safely:

• Avoid Contaminated Food - This includes refusing to deliver contaminated food. Possible signs of food contamination include dented cans, water marks on the packaging, or open containers.
• Food Storage to Avoid Cross-Contamination - Key steps include determining storage areas for specific foods, storing food at least 6 inches above the floor, and storing food in containers intended for use in food are.
• Prepare food to avoid cross-contamination: clean and disinfect workstations, cutting boards , equipment and utensils before each use. Prepare raw foods separately from ready-to-eat foods.
• Serve food to avoid cross-contamination: One of the most important steps is to avoid handling ready-to-eat food with your bare hands. Staff should use tweezers or gloves instead. When serving orders to customers, do not touch the food contact surfaces. This means that you have to hold the cutlery by the handles. Glasses through the middle, the base or the stem and plates through the base or the edge.
• Store utensils to avoid cross-contamination: Store utensils and equipment that will come into contact with food at least 6 inches off the floor. Store glasses and cups bottom up. Also store utensils with the handles facing up.
• Protect guests with allergies - Identify menu items that contain allergens and discuss the preparation of various menu items with guests.

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