The threat of a foodborne illness outbreak is lurking in every food service industry establishment. As employees we are held accountable to follow cleaning and hygiene procedures, with little understanding of why. With eyes on the clock counting the minutes until our shift is over, we rush to complete these food safety procedures, paying little attention to the quality of our work. Most of us are clueless to the potential hazards we are creating, and tragically the repercussions of these absentminded actions could cost someone their life.
Food safety should be more than procedures and records. It should require that every employee understands; what foodborne illnesses are, where they come from, how they spread, and what needs to be done to prevent them. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) estimates 1 in 6 Americans gets sick every year from foodborne illness, and sadly 3000 of those cases result in death. If each food service industry employee in America had a solid foundation of food safety training, less time would be spent watching the clock, and more time would be spent in protecting the life of your customers.
To understand food safety you must understand what can be unsafe or potential hazardous about food. It’s hard to believe the same thing that sustains live ironically can be the same thing that brings it to a halt. If food and food preparation areas are not handled responsibly through every stage of preparation the results could be fatal.
Why? Pathogens
Pathogens are the cause every foodborne illness outbreak. Often described as a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism, they are the silent threat behind every meal. According to the CDC there are 31 pathogens known to cause foodborne illness. Becoming familiar with the top 7 pathogens, responsible for 48 million annually reported cases of foodborne illnesses in America, will help you understand the true dangers of food preparation.
Food safety should be more than procedures and records. It should require that every employee understands; what foodborne illnesses are, where they come from, how they spread, and what needs to be done to prevent them. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) estimates 1 in 6 Americans gets sick every year from foodborne illness, and sadly 3000 of those cases result in death. If each food service industry employee in America had a solid foundation of food safety training, less time would be spent watching the clock, and more time would be spent in protecting the life of your customers.
To understand food safety you must understand what can be unsafe or potential hazardous about food. It’s hard to believe the same thing that sustains live ironically can be the same thing that brings it to a halt. If food and food preparation areas are not handled responsibly through every stage of preparation the results could be fatal.
Why? Pathogens
Pathogens are the cause every foodborne illness outbreak. Often described as a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism, they are the silent threat behind every meal. According to the CDC there are 31 pathogens known to cause foodborne illness. Becoming familiar with the top 7 pathogens, responsible for 48 million annually reported cases of foodborne illnesses in America, will help you understand the true dangers of food preparation.
The 7 Deadly Pathogens:
Norovirus:
E. Coli (STEC) 0157:
Norovirus:
- A group of viruses originally called the Norwalk virus after the town of Norwalk, Ohio, the location of the first confirmed outbreak in 1972.
- You can become infected with norovirus by accidentally getting stool or vomit from infected people in your mouth.
- Most commonly spread through ingesting contaminated food/water, touching contaminated surfaces or objects then putting your fingers in your mouth, or having contact with infected person.
- Best prevention methods;
- Washing hands with soap and water before and after handling or eating food.
- Washing produce before consumption.
- Cooking seafood thoroughly (Norovirus can survive temperatures as high as 140°F).
- Cleaning and disinfecting contaminated surfaces.
- Staying out of the kitchen when sick.
- A bacteria consisting of many different serotypes, found in the intestines of humans and animals and may be found in their feces.
- You can become infected with Salmonella by eating contaminated food, often of animal origin and, sometimes, produce.
- Most commonly spread through ingesting contaminated food/water, touching contaminated surfaces or objects then putting your fingers in your mouth, or having direct contact with infected person.
- Best prevention methods;
- Cooking proteins to recommended temperatures.
- Avoid eating raw or undercooked protein.
- Washing produce prior to consumption.
- Cleaning and disinfecting food contact surfaces and utensils.
- Avoiding cross-contamination by keeping uncooked meats separate from produce, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
- Washing hands with soap and water after using the toilet, changing a diaper, and before/after handling or eating food.
- A spore-forming gram-positive bacterium that is found in many environmental sources as well as in the intestines of humans and animals, and raw meat.
- Although C. perfringens may live normally in the human intestine, illness is caused by eating food contaminated with large numbers of C. perfringens bacteria.
- Most commonly spread through ingesting beef, poultry, gravies, and dried or pre-cooked foods served without reheating to kill the bacteria.
- Best prevention methods;
- Cooking beef, poultry, gravies, and other foods commonly associated with C. perfringens infections to recommended temperatures.
- Keeping prepared food at a temperature that is either warmer than 140°F (60°C) or cooler than 41°F (5°C).
- Avoiding cross-contamination by keeping uncooked meats separate from produce, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
- Washing hands with soap and water before and after handling or eating food.
- Bacteria of the genus Campylobacter which causes an infectious disease known as Campylobacteriosis.
- Camoylobacteriosis is the result of ingesting food contaminated with large numbers of the Campylobacter bacteria.
- Most commonly spread through eating raw or undercooked protein. It is also often associated with the consumption of unpasteurized dairy products, contaminated water and produce.
- Best prevention methods;
- Cooking proteins to recommended temperatures
- Keeping prepared food at a temperature that is either warmer than 140°F (60°C) or cooler than 41°F (5°C).
- Washing hands with soap before and after handling raw protein.
- Avoiding cross-contamination by keeping uncooked meats separate from produce, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.
- Refraining from drinking unpasteurized milk or untreated surface water.
- A common bacterium found on the skin and in the noses of up to 25% of healthy people and animals.
- You can become infected by eating foods contaminated with toxins produced by Staphylococcus aureus.
- Most commonly spread through foods that are made by hand and require no cooking. Some examples of foods that have caused staphylococcal food poisoning are sliced meat, puddings, pastries and sandwiches.
- Best prevention methods;
- Washing hands and under fingernails vigorously with soap and water before handling and preparing food.
- Refrain from preparing food if you have a nose or eye infection.
- Keeping prepared food at a temperature that is either warmer than 140°F (60°C) or cooler than 41°F (5°C).
- A single-celled parasite which causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis.
- Toxoplasmosis is caused by ingesting the Toxoplasma gondii parasite.
- Most commonly contracted though eating raw or contaminated proteins, drinking contaminated water, swallowing the parasite through contact with cat feces, as well as congenital transmission (mother to child).
- Best prevention methods;
- Cooking proteins to recommended temperatures.
- Freezing meat for several days at sub-zero (0° F) temperatures before cooking.
- Washing produce before consumption.
- Cleaning and disinfecting food contact surfaces and utensils.
- Avoiding the consumption of raw meats.
- Washing hands with soap before and after handling food.
- Wearing gloves while cleaning cat feces.
E. Coli (STEC) 0157:
- E. coli is bacteria which can cause disease by making a toxin called Shiga toxin. This specific type of E.Coli (STEC) 0157 lives in the guts of ruminant animals, including cattle, goats, sheep, deer, and elk.
- You can become infected by swallowing (STEC) through tiny amounts of human or animal feces.
- Most commonly contracted through consumption of contaminated food, unpasteurized (raw) milk as well as water that has not been disinfected.
- Best prevention methods;
- Washing hands before and after handling food and using the bathroom.
- Cooking proteins to recommended temperatures
- Keeping prepared food at a temperature that is either warmer than 140°F (60°C) or cooler than 41°F (5°C).
- Avoiding the consumption of raw milk, unpasteurized dairy products, and unpasteurized juices (like fresh apple cider).
- Avoid swallowing water when swimming or playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, and backyard pools. Washing food contact surface areas often.
Pathogens are invisible to the naked eye, they do not carry an odor, nor do they change the texture or taste of food. They can easily make their way into a fancy 5 star restaurant or the dive down the street. The only defense we have against them is knowledge. A solid understanding of what hazards are lurking in our kitchens is the strongest tool an employee can have. Food safety is more than just procedures and records. It is a commitment to protect the people of America, and it should not be taken lightly. |