Sanitation Module 11 PDF

# Sanitation Rules of personal hygiene and sanitary food handling were not just invented to make your life difficult. There are good reasons for all of them. Instead of stating this chapter with lists of rules, we will first talk about the causes of food-borne diseases. Then, when we get to the ru...

# Sanitation Rules of personal hygiene and sanitary food handling were not just invented to make your life difficult. There are good reasons for all of them. Instead of stating this chapter with lists of rules, we will first talk about the causes of food-borne diseases. Then, when we get to the rules, you will know why they are important. This will make them easier to remember and to practice. The rules presented in this chapter are only basic guidelines. Local health departments have more detailed regulations. All food service operators are responsible for knowing the health department regulations in their own city and state. The information presented here is practical as well as theoretical. It should not merely be learned but should be put to use systematically. One effective system that food service establishments can use to ensure food safety is called the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This practical program identifies possible danger points and sets up procedures for corrective action. HACCP is introduced later in this chapter. ## After reading this chapter, you should be able to: 1. Describe steps to prevent food poisoning and food-borne diseases in the following areas: - Personal hygiene - Food handling and storage techniques - Cleaning and sanitizing procedures - Pest control 2. Identify safe workplace habits that prevent injuries from the following: - Cuts, burns, operation of machinery and equipment, and lifting. 3. Identify safe workplace habits that minimize the likelihood of fires and falls. ## Introduction to Microbiology Microbiology is the study of tiny, usually single-celled organisms that can be seen only with a microscope. Although these organisms sometimes occur in clusters large enough to be seen with the naked eye, they are not usually visible. This is one reason why they can be so dangerous. Just because food looks good doesn't mean that it is safe. Four kinds of microorganisms can contaminate food and cause illness: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. Most food-borne diseases are caused by bacteria, so most of our attention in this chapter is focused on them, but the other types can be dangerous as well. Studying this chapter will not make you a microbiologist. In fact, some of the information in the next several pages you may forget very quickly - names like Clostridium perfringens, for instance. The importance of these first sections is not simply to exercise your memory of difficult facts, it is to help you understand how and why disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria grow and spread so that you are better able to prevent food-borne disease. ## Kinds of Bacteria Bacteria are everywhere - in the air, in the water, in the ground, on our food, on our skin, inside our bodies. Scientists have various ways of classifying and describing these bacteria. As food workers, we are interested in a way of classifying them that may be less scientific but is more practical to our work. 1. **Harmless bacteria**: Most bacteria fall into this category. They are neither helpful nor harmful to us. We are not concerned with them in food sanitation. 2. **Beneficial bacteria**: These bacteria are helpful to us. For example, many live in the intestinal tract, where they fight harmful bacteria, aid the digestion of food, and produce certain nutrients. In food production, bacteria make possible the manufacture of many foods, including cheese, yogurt, and sauerkraut. 3. **Undesirable bacteria**: These are the bacteria that are responsible for food spoilage. They cause souring, putrefying, and decomposition. These bacteria may or may not cause disease, but they offer a built-in safety factor: They announce their presence by means of sour odors, sticky or slimy surfaces, and discoloration. As long as we use common sense and follow the rule that says, "when in doubt, throw it out," we are relatively safe from these bacteria. - Food spoilage costs money. - Food spoilage is a sign of improper food handling and storage. This means that the next kind of bacteria is probably present. 4. **Disease-causing bacteria, or pathogens**: These are the bacteria that cause most food-borne illness, the bacteria that we are most concerned with. Pathogens do not necessarily leave detectable odors or tastes in food. In other words, you can't tell if food is contaminated by smelling, tasting, or looking at it. The only way to protect food against pathogenic bacteria is by proper hygiene and sanitary food handling and storage techniques. ## Bacterial Growth Bacteria multiply by splitting in half. Under ideal conditions for growth, they can double in number every 15 to 30 minutes. This means that one single bacterium could multiply to a million in less than 6 hours! ### Conditions for Growth 1. **Food**: Bacteria require some kind of food in order to grow. They like many of the foods we do. Foods with sufficient amounts of proteins are best for bacterial growth. These include meats, poultry, fish, dairy products, and eggs, as well as some grains and vegetables. . 2. **Moisture**: Bacteria require water in order to absorb food. Dry foods will not support bacterial growth. Foods with a very high salt or sugar content are also relatively safe, because these ingredients make the bacteria unable to use the moisture present. 3. **Temperature**: Bacteria grow best at warm temperatures. Temperatures between 41°F and 140°F (5°C and 60°C) will promote the growth of disease-causing bacteria. This temperature range is called the Food Danger Zone. - **Note**: In the past, 45°F (7°C) was considered the lower limit of the Food Danger Zone. Health experts now recommend a lower temperature to provide an extra measure of safety. 4. **Acidity or alkalinity**: In general, disease-producing bacteria like a neutral environment, neither too acidic nor too alkaline. The acidity or alkalinity of a substance is indicated by a measurement called pH. The scale ranges from 0 (strongly acidic) to 14 (strongly alkaline). A pH of 7 is neutral. Pure water has a pH of 7. 5. **Air**: Most bacteria require oxygen to grow. These are called aerobic. Some bacteria are anaerobic, which means they can grow only if there is no air present, such as in metal cans. Botulism, one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning, is caused by anaerobic bacteria. 6. **Time**: When bacteria are introduced to a new environment, they need time to adjust to their surroundings before they start growing. This time is called the lag phase. If other conditions are good, the lag phase may last about 1 hour or somewhat longer. If it weren't for the lag phase, there would be much more food-borne disease than there is. This time delay makes it possible to have foods at room temperature for very short periods in order to work on them. Foods that provide a good environment for the growth of disease-causing microorganisms are called potentially hazardous foods. Looking back at our list of conditions for growth of bacteria, we can see that protein foods with sufficient moisture and neutral pH are the most likely to host bacteria that cause disease. Of the conditions in the list, the one over which we have the most control is temperature. Potentially hazardous foods fall into three general categories, plus two specific items that do not fit into these categories: 1. Any food that is derived from animals, or any food containing animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and dairy products. 2. Any food that is derived from plants and has been cooked, partially cooked, or otherwise heat-treated. This category includes not only cooked vegetables but also such items as cooked pasta, cooked rice, and tofu (soybean curd). 3. Raw seed sprouts. 4. Sliced melons (because the edible flesh can be contaminated by organisms on the rind exterior, which has been in contact with soil). 5. Garlic and oil mixtures (because the oil seals the garlic from the air, fostering the growth of anaerobic bacteria, as explained on p. 15). Foods that are not potentially hazardous include dried or dehydrated foods, foods that are strongly acidic, and commercially processed foods that are still in their original unopened, sealed containers. ## Locomotion Bacteria do not have feet. They can move from place to place in only one way: They must be carried. Foods can become contaminated by any of the following means: - Hands - Coughs and sneezes - Other foods - Equipment and utensils - Air - Water - Insects - Rats and mice ## Protection Against Bacteria Because we know how and why bacteria grow, we should now be able to keep them from growing. Because we know how bacteria get from place to place, we should now know how to keep them from getting into our food. There are three basic principles of food protection against bacteria. These principles are the reasons behind nearly all the sanitation techniques that we discuss in the rest of this chapter. 1. **Keep bacteria from spreading. **Don't let food touch anything that may contain disease-producing bacteria, and protect food from bacteria in the air. 2. **Stop bacteria from growing. **Take away the conditions that encourage bacteria to grow. In the kitchen, our best weapon is temperature. The most effective way to prevent bacterial growth is to keep foods below 41°F (5°C) or above 140°F (60°C). These temperatures won't necessarily kill bacteria; they'll just slow down their growth greatly. 3. **Kill bacteria. **Most disease-causing bacteria are killed if they are subjected to a temperature of 170°F (77°C) for 30 seconds or higher temperatures for shorter times. This enables us to make food safe by cooking and to sanitize dishes and equipment with heat. The term sanitize means to kill disease-causing bacteria. Certain chemicals also kill bacteria. These may be used for sanitizing equipment. ## Food-Borne Diseases As you know, most food-borne illnesses are caused by bacteria. But there are other causes, too. This section summarizes the main food-borne diseases in the United States. For each disease, pay particular attention to the way it is spread, the foods involved, and the means of prevention. Please note that this is not a complete list of all food-borne diseases. Rather, these are the most common ones. ### Bacterial Diseases Two kinds of diseases are caused by bacteria: intoxications and infections. 1. **Intoxications** are caused by poisons (toxins) that the bacteria produce while they are growing in the food. It is these poisons, not the bacteria themselves, that cause the diseases. 2. **Infections** are caused by bacteria (or other organisms) that get into the intestinal system and attack the body. The first two bacterial diseases we discuss, botulism and staphylococcus food poisoning, are intoxications. The third, Escherichia coli, can be either an intoxication or an infection. The rest are infections. #### Botulism Caused by toxins produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, botulism attacks the nervous system and is usually fatal, even if only a small amount of poisoned food is eaten. The bacteria are anaerobic (do not grow in air) and do not grow in high-acid foods. Most outbreaks are caused by improper canning techniques. The toxin (although not the bacteria) is destroyed by boiling (212°F/100°C) for 20 minutes. - **Source of bacteria**: soil on vegetables and other foods. - **Foods usually involved**: home-canned, low-acid vegetables (very rare in commercially canned foods). - **Prevention**: Use only commercially canned foods. Discard without tasting any bulged or damaged cans or foods with off odors. #### Staphylococcus Food Poisoning (Staph) Caused by toxins produced in foods by the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, staph is probably the most common food poisoning, characterized by nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and prostration. - **Source of bacteria**: usually food workers. - **Foods usually involved**: custards and desserts made with dairy products, potato salad, protein salads, ham, hollandaise sauce, many other high-protein foods. - **Prevention**: Practice good hygiene and work habits. Do not handle foods if you have an illness or infection. Clean and sanitize all equipment. Keep foods below 41°F (5°C) or above 140°F (60°C). #### Escherichia coli This bacterium causes severe illness, either as an intoxication or an infection. Severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other symptoms result from E. coli intoxication. As an infection, E. coli causes intestinal inflammation and bloody diarrhea. While the illness normally lasts from one to three days, it can lead to long-term illness in some cases. - **Source of bacteria**: intestinal tracts of humans and some animals, especially cattle; contaminated water. - **Foods usually involved**: raw or undercooked red meats, unpasteurized dairy products, sometimes fish from contaminated water, prepared foods such as mashed potatoes and cream pies. - **Prevention**: Cook foods, including red meats, thoroughly; avoid cross-contamination. Practice good hygiene. #### Salmonella The food infection caused by salmonella bacteria exhibits symptoms that are similar to those of staph poisoning, though the disease may last longer. Most poultry carry this bacteria. - **Source of bacteria**: contaminated meats and poultry; fecal contamination by food workers. - **Foods usually involved**: poultry, meats, eggs, poultry stuffings, gravies, raw foods, shellfish from polluted waters. - **Prevention**: Practice good personal hygiene, proper food storage and handling, and insect and rodent control. Wash hands and sanitize all equipment and cutting surfaces after handling raw poultry. Use certified shellfish. #### Clostridium perfringens This is another infection characterized by nausea, cramps, stomach pain, and diarrhea. The bacteria are hard to destroy because they are not always killed by cooking. - **Source of bacteria**: soil, fresh meats, human carriers. - **Foods usually involved**: meats and poultry, reheated or unrefrigerated gravies and sauces. - **Prevention**: Keep foods hot (above 140°F/60°C) or cold (below 41°F/5°C). #### Streptococcal (Strep) Infections The symptoms of this disease are fever and sore throat. - **Sources of bacteria**: coughs, sneezes, infected food workers. - **Foods usually involved**: any food contaminated by coughs, sneezes, or infected food workers, then served without further cooking. - **Prevention**: Do not handle food if you are infected. Protect displayed food (salad bars, pastry carts, etc.) from customers' sneezes and coughs. ## Other Food Infections #### Hepatitis A (Virus) This is a severe disease that can last for many months. - **Source of contamination**: contaminated water or ice, shellfish from polluted waters, raw fruits and vegetables, milk and milk products, infected food workers. - **Foods usually involved**: shellfish eaten raw, any food contaminated by an infected person. - **Prevention**: Practice good health and hygiene. Use only certified shellfish from safe waters. #### Norwalk Virus Gastroenteritis (Virus) This disease affects the digestive tract, causing nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever. - **Source of contamination**: human intestinal tract, contaminated water. - **Foods usually involved**: water, shellfish from polluted waters, raw vegetables and fruits. - **Prevention**: Practice good health and hygiene. Use only certified shellfish from safe waters. Use sanitary, chlorinated water. Cook foods to safe internal temperatures. #### Trichinosis (Parasite) This disease is often mistaken for the flu at first, but it can last for a year or more. It is caused by a tiny worm that becomes embedded in the muscles. - **Source of contamination**: infected pork from hogs that ate unprocessed garbage. Modern farming practices have eliminated most, but not all, of this problem. - **Foods usually involved**: pork products. - **Prevention**: Trichinosis organisms are killed if held at a temperature of 137°F (58°C) for 10 seconds. To be safe, cook all pork products to an internal temperature of at least 150°F (65°C). Some authorities recommend a higher temperature (165°F/74°C). Canadian pork is considered to be free of trichinosis and does not need to be cooked to these temperatures. #### Anisakiasis (Parasite) Like trichinosis, this disease is caused by a tiny roundworm. Symptoms are tingling sensation in the throat, vomiting up worms, abdominal pain, nausea. - **Source of contamination**: ocean fish, especially bottom-feeding fish. - **Foods usually involved**: raw or undercooked fish, such as cod, haddock, fluke, herring, flounder, monkfish, salmon. - **Prevention**: Cook fish properly. Fish to be eaten raw should be frozen at -4°F (-20°C) or lower for 7 days or 31°F (-1°C) or lower for 15 hours in a blast freezer. ## Chemical Poisoning and Other Problems of Food Safety Some kinds of chemical poisoning are caused by the use of defective or improper equipment or equipment that has been handled improperly. The following toxins (except lead) create symptoms that show themselves very quickly, usually within 30 minutes of eating poisoned food. To prevent these diseases, do not use the materials that cause them. 1. **Antimony** - Caused by storing or cooking acid foods in chipped gray enamelware. 2. **Cadmium** - Caused by cadmium-plated ice cube trays or containers 3. **Cyanide** - Caused by silver polish containing cyanide. 4. **Lead** - Caused by lead water pipes, solder containing lead, or utensils containing lead. 5. **Copper** - Caused by unclean or corroded copper utensils, acid foods cooked in unlined copper utensils, or carbonated beverages in contact with copper tubing. 6. **Zinc** - Caused by cooking foods in zinc-plated (galvanized) utensils. Other chemical contamination can result from exposure of foods to various chemicals used in commercial food service establishments. Examples include cleaning compounds, polishing compounds, and insecticides. Prevent contamination by keeping these items physically separated from foods. Do not use them around food. Label all containers properly. Rinse cleaned equipment thoroughly. Physical contamination is contamination of food with objects that may not be toxic but that may cause injury or discomfort. Examples include pieces of glass from a broken container, metal shavings from an improperly opened can, stones from poorly sorted dried beans, soil from poorly washed vegetables, insects or insect parts, and hair. Proper food handling is necessary to avoid physical contamination. ## Personal Hygiene Many cases of food-borne illness are caused by bacteria that are transferred from people to food. Disease-causing bacteria are found on the skin of people who have been ill with a food-borne disease, but they are also found on the skin of people who are perfectly healthy. Most food-borne illnesses are the result of carelessness, such as handling ready-to-eat foods with contaminated hands or sneezing on foods. This is why it is so important for workers in the food industry to follow good personal hygiene practices, paying particular attention to the following: 1. **Hands**: As food handlers, we must practice scrupulous personal hygiene. Our hands should be clean because they are the most common means by which bacteria are transferred to food. Hands are more likely to be contaminated when we cough or sneeze, when we blow our nose, or when we go to the restroom. It is important to wash the hands thoroughly with hot, soapy water, using friction to scrub all surfaces of the hands and forearms, and paying particular attention to the fingernails for about 20 seconds. The hand-washing process is extremely effective in removing bacteria if done correctly. Many food service facilities provide special brushes and antibacterial soap. 2. **Fingernails**: You should keep your fingernails short and clean, and trim them if they are chipped or torn. Dirty fingernails are a common cause of bacterial contamination of food. 3. **Cuts and wounds**: It is important to keep cuts and wounds covered with a bandage or a waterproof glove. If a cut does become infected, you should not work with food. 4. **Jewelry**: You should wear as little jewelry as possible when handling food. Jewelry, particularly wristwatches and bracelets, can accumulate bacteria. 5. **Coughs and sneezes**: Always cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and avoid touching your hair or face. This will prevent you from spreading germs. 6. **Hair**: Wear a hat or hair net to keep your hair out of the food. If you have long hair, tie it back away from your face and clothing. 7. **Protective Clothing**: Don't wear street clothes, coats, or aprons to work with food. Wear a clean, washable uniform or apron for work. 8. **Restrooms**: Wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom. It may sound obvious, but many people are not careful about this. 9. **Personal Illness**: If you are ill, especially with a food-borne disease, don't work around food. You may transmit your illness to others, and even if you are not ill yourself, your body is more likely to be carrying harmful bacteria when you are sick. Contact your supervisors if you feel too ill to work. They may be able to find a replacement while you are recovering. Sometimes it may be necessary to stay home for a few days to prevent the spread of illness.