FOOD SAFETY FOR VOLUNTEER FOOD HANDLERS 2113

1. FOOD SAFETY FOR VOLUNTEER FOOD HANDLERS2113 Steven C Seideman Extension Food Processing Specialist Cooperative Extension Service University of Arkansas

2. INTRODUCTION • This program is for people who serve food on a temporary basis such as ball games, fairs, festivals, farmer’s markets or church events. • There are no state or federal laws governing the handling of foods at these events, however, they can be disastrous if some simple rules of food handling are not followed. • It is the purpose of this module to explain the types of problems that can occur and present some of the rules of safe food handling.

5. INTRODUCTION • As one begins the plan for a temporary food event, whether it be a church fund-raiser or upcoming festival, one’s mind is concerned about how much money can be made, who will be helping serve, where will the supplies come from, etc. One may not consider “What if someone gets seriously ill from the food, and how we can prevent a major outbreak of food-borne illness”.

6. These problems not only arise, but happen far more often than people realize. By following a few simple rules, most outbreaks of food-borne illness can be prevented.

7. FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS • Food-borne illness is the result of eating foods that contain harmful levels of pathogenic bacteria and/or viruses. • The Centers for Disease Control report that 76 million Americans get food poisoning each year. That is roughly 1 in 4 Americans. • Since the symptoms of food-borne illnesses are very similar to those of the “flu”, most people each year think they contracted a contagious flu, when in fact, the whole family got food poisoning from some food item they all ate.

8. FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS • Food-borne illness often presents itself with flu-like symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or fever; so many people may not recognize that the illness was caused by bacteria or other pathogens found in food. • Thousands of types of bacteria are naturally present in our environment. Some are beneficial (used to make cheese and pepperoni), some do nothing and some can cause food poisoning.

9. FOOD-BORNE ILLNESS • Age and physical condition place some people at higher risk than others, no matter what type of bacteria is implicated. Very young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems (people on chemo therapy) are at greater risk from any pathogen. Some persons may become ill after ingesting only a few harmful bacteria; others may remain symptom-free after ingesting thousands.

10. BACTERIA IN FOODS • Except for canned, shelf-stable foods, all foods contain bacteria. They are just naturally present and extremely hard to kill. • Canned, shelf-stable food products are sterile, but it required an extreme cooking cycle to reach this sterility. • It is always safe to assume that all foods contain some level of pathogenic bacteria but if handled correctly, will not pose a serious threat.

11. 4 SIMPLES RULES • If one bears the following 4 simple rules in mind when preparing and serving for an event, most food-borne illnesses can be prevented; 1) CLEAN- Wash hands and surfaces often 2) SEPARATE- Don’t cross-contaminate 3) COOK- Cook to proper temperatures 4) CHILL- Refrigerate promptly

12. We will come back to these later and discuss in greater detail

13. PLANNING FOR THE EVENT

14. PLANNING FOR THE EVENT • STEP #1 When you begin to plan for an event, select a reliable person to be in charge. The person-in-charge should provide instructions to the other volunteers and oversee the selection, preparation, service and cleanup of the event. This person should obtain enough information about the safe handling of foods so as to be a resource for the group.

15. PLANNING FOR THE EVENT • STEP #2 - Make sure you have the right equipment including cutting boards, utensils, food thermometers, cookware, and plenty of soap and paper towels. • Make sure you have a good source of clean water. • Make sure you have adequate storage space in the refrigerator and/or freezer.

16. PLANNING FOR THE EVENT • STEP #3 • When you go shopping for food; 1)Do not purchase dented, cracked or bulging canned foods. Check the “Use by” date on all foods to make sure they have adequate shelf-life. 2) Separate raw meat, poultry and seafood from other foods in your grocery cart and in your refrigerator. 3) When shopping, buy cold foods last and drive immediately to the refrigerator site after purchase. If the drive is more than 30 minutes, bring a cooler with plenty of ice.

17. PLANNING FOR THE EVENT • STEP #4 - When you store food; • Make sure the temperature in the refrigerator is 400F or below and the freezer is 00F or below. • Place raw meat, poultry and seafood in containers in the refrigerator to prevent their juices from dripping on other foods.

18. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT

19. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT • CLEAN; Wash hands and surfaces often. • Wash hands with soap and water before and after handling food and after using the bathroom, changing diapers and handling pets. • Use paper towels or clean cloths to wipe up kitchen surfaces or spills. • Wash cutting boards, dishes, utensils and counter tops with hot, soapy water after preparing each food item and before you go on to the next item. Use 1 teaspoon of bleach in 1 quart of water as a sanitizer to wash surfaces and utensils.

20. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT • SEPARATE; Don’t cross- contaminate When cutting boards are used; • Always use a clean cutting board. • Use one cutting board for fresh produce and a separate one for raw meat, poultry and seafood. • Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, you should replace it.

21. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT • Never defrost food at room temperature. Thaw food; • In the refrigerator • In the microwave as long as you cook immediately following defrost. • Submerged in cold water as long as the frozen food is properly wrapped. ALWAYS refrigerate or cook food immediately after thawing.

22. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT • COOK; Cook to proper temperatures; 1) Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meats, poultry, casseroles and other foods. 2) Most foods should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 1700F. 3) Never partially cook food for finishing later because you increase the risk of bacterial growth in the food.

23. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT • THE DANGER ZONE- Bacteria multiply rapidly between 400 and 1400F. To keep food out of the “Danger Zone’, keep cold food cold and hot food hot. 1) Keep food cold in the refrigerator, in coolers or on the service counter on ice. 2) Keep hot food in the oven, in heated chafing dishes or in preheated steam tables, warming trays and/or slow cookers. • NEVER leave food in the “Danger Zone” over 2 hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 900F.

24. Degrees F 250 212 160 148 137 140-40 90 70 60 40 32 28 14 Bacterial Action Resistant spores killed Boiling point of water Resistant Salmonella killed Vegetative cells killed Trichina killed DANGER ZONE Bacteria double-20 min Bacteria double-1 hour Bacteria double-2 hours Bacteria double –6 hours Bacteria double-20 hours Bacteria double –60 hours Lower limit for bacteria BACTERIAL THERMOMETER

25. PREPARING FOOD FOR THE EVENT • CHILL; Refrigerate promptly. 1) After you have cooked food, if you are not going to serve it immediately, it must be chilled fast (less than 2 hours in the danger zone). 2) Don’t overfill the refrigerator. Cool air must be recirculated often. 3) Divided food into smaller units to chill faster. 4) Cover and label cooked foods. Include the preparation date on the label.

27. THE TEN LEAST WANTED FOOD-BORNE PATHOGENS

28. COMMON PATHOGENS • The U.S. Public Health Service has identified the following microorganisms as being the biggest culprits of food-borne illness, either because of the severity of the sickness or the number of cases of illness they cause. • Learn where they are and how to avoid them.

29. CAMPYLOBACTER • Campylobacter is the most common bacterial cause of diarrhea in the United States. • Sources include raw and undercooked meat and poultry, raw milk and untreated water.

30. CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM • This organism produces a toxin which causes botulism, a life-threatening illness that can prevent the breathing muscles from moving air in and out of the lungs. The toxin is the most deadly in the world. • Sources include home-prepared foods and herbal oils. • Honey should not be fed to children less than 12 months old since it contains small amounts of C. botulinum.

31. E.coli 0157:H7 • E.coli 0157:H7 is a bacterium that can produce a deadly toxin and causes about 73,000 cases of food-borne illness each year in the U.S. • Sources include meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger, produce and raw milk.

32. LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES • Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a serious disease for pregnant women, newborns and adults with a weakened immune system. • Sources include untreated water, dairy products, raw and undercooked meats, poultry and seafood and produce.

33. NOROVIRUS • This virus is the leading cause of diarrhea in the United States. • Any food can be contaminated with Norovirus if handled by someone who is infected with this virus.

34. SALMONELLA • Salmonella is the most common cause of food-borne deaths. It is responsible for millions of cases of food-borne illness each year. • Sources include raw and undercooked eggs, under-processed poultry and meat, dairy products, seafood, fruits and vegetables.

35. STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS • Staphylococcus aureus produces a toxin that causes vomiting shortly after ingestion. • Sources include foods high in protein (e.g. cooked ham, salads, bakery products, dairy products).

36. SHIGELLA • Shigella causes an estimated 300,000 cases of diarrhea illnesses per year. • Poor hygiene causes Shigella to be easily passed from person to person. • Sources include salads, milk and dairy products and unclean water.

37. TOXOPLASMA GONDII • This is a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, a very severe disease that can produce central nervous system disorders particularly mental retardation and visual impairment in children. • Pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk. • Sources include meat, primarily pork.

38. VIBRIO VULNIFICUS • Vibrio vulnificus causes gastroenteritis or a syndrome known as primary septicemia. • People with liver disease are especially at high risk. • Sources include raw or undercooked seafood.

39. WANT TO KNOW MORE? • If you want to learn more about harmful bacteria, go to the “Bad Bug Book” on the web at; http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/intro.html.

40. Addition Reading • The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service has 2 excellent publications on the subject. They can be obtained at any county Extension office or on line at www.uaex.edu. 1) Feeding a Crowd? Do it Safely by Dr. Pamela Brady 2) A Quick Consumer Guide to Safe Food Handling by Dr. Rosemary Rodibaugh.

43. GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES

44. GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICES • In the food processing business, a set of Good Manufacturing Practices (often referred to as GMPs) are used to instill good habits in employees who process food. • The following are some GMPs that are suggested for volunteer food handlers.

45. GMP #1 • Wash hands often when handling food. Wear plastic gloves and a hairnet. Remove rings from fingers, watches, earrings and items in any pocket that could fall into food during preparation.

46. GMP #2 • Do not allow persons who are ill to handle food.

47. GMP #3 • Use clean dishes and utensils for food preparation

48. GMP #4 • Sanitize work surfaces with which food may come in contact. Use 1 teaspoon of bleach per quart of water as a sanitizing solution.

49. GMP #5 • Reduce the time between food preparation and the final sale of the item to be as short as possible, preferably less than 12 hours before sale. Maintain foods at appropriate temperatures for safety during sales period.

50. GMP #6 • Store food in food-grade containers. Do not use garbage bags or bread wrappers.