Preventing Food Contamination

Course Description:

In food service, clean is not the same as safe. Hands can look clean, but if they’re contaminated with germs, they are not safe. Food can look and smell good, but if it is not handled properly, germs can poison it and make customers sick. Today we’re going to talk about preventing food contamination. We’ll cover all the key steps from good hygiene to proper food handling and making sure food service materials and equipment are clean and safe to use.

Why “Preventing Food Contamination” Matters:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year roughly 1 in 6 Americans get sick—that’s about 48 million people—128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of food-borne diseases. Without proper preventative measures, some of those people could be your customers.
• There are 31 pathogens known to cause food-borne illness. Pathogens are tiny microbes. You can’t see them, so you don’t know they are there. But if they are in food, they can be lethal.
• You play a very important role in preventing food contamination and food-borne illness. This means you need to understand what causes food to become contaminated and hazardous to health. You must also know how to prevent contamination so that customers don’t become sick when they eat in your establishment.

Key Points:

• Wash hands often on the job.
• Don’t work when you’re sick.
• Keep food out of the danger zone.
• Follow all rules for safe food receiving, handling, and storage.
• Keep food service materials and equipment clean and safe.