Factors that must be considered in the safe
preparation and handling of food to reduce
the risk of foodborne disease are:
●Multiple step preparation: Increased
handling leads to more exposure to
contamination.
●Temperature changes: Heating and
cooling places foods in the “danger
zone”(3 to 60°C).
●Large volume:Products in large volumes
require multi-step handling and longer
times to heat and cool, giving microor-
ganisms more time for growth.
●Naturally contaminated foods: Raw
produce may be contaminated with field
dirt or pesticides, whereas raw red meats
and poultry can be contaminated during
slaughter, and raw seafood can carry a
variety of viruses, bacteria, or parasites.Another consideration is to survey the
progress ofitems through the establishment-
from delivery at the receiving area to service
at the table.Temperatures and times should
be recorded at the beginning and end of each
handling step.Time-temperature curves will
help to determine whether existing proce-
dures are adequate to retard microbial
growth. Although several control points
exist, only a few will be critical control points.
Critical control points are as follows:
●Prevent microbial growth by holding
foods below 2°C or above 60°C.
●Ensure microbial destruction by
cooking foods above 74°C.
Cooling
Excessive time for the cooling of poten-
tially hazardous foods has been consistently
identified as one of the factors contributing
to foodborne illness (Stanfield, 2003).Foods
that have been cooked and held at improper
temperatures provide an environment con-
ducive to the growth of disease-causing
microorganisms that may have survived the
cooking process (i.e., spore formers).Fur-
thermore, re-contamination of a cooked
food item through poor employee practices
of cross-contamination from other food
products, utensils, and equipment is possible.
Large food items, such as roasts, turkeys,
thick soups,chili, stews, and large containers
of rice or free refried beams require a long
time to cool because of their manners and
volume.If the hot food container is tightly
covered, the cooling rate will be decreased
further.Through reducing the volume of
food in individual container and providing
an opening for heat to escape, the rate of
cooling is increased. Cooling may be
enhanced by avoiding a large mass through
the preparation of smaller batches closer to
the time of service, stirring hot food while a
food container is within an ice bath, recipes
redesigned for the preparation and cooking
of smaller or concentrated bases with subse-
quent addition ofcold water or ice to make
up the volume needed.A record keeping sys-
tem should be established to provide sched-
uled product temperature checks to ensure
that the process is working.Reheating
If food is held at an improper temperature
for too long, pathogens can multiply and
subsequently cause foodborne illness.Proper
reheating provides an opportunity to elimi-
nate these microorganisms.Heating is espe-
cially effective in reducing contamination
from bacterial spore-formers that survived
the cooking process and may have survived
during storage at an improper temperature.Holding
To avoid pathogen growth (especially
spore formers), food should not be held
between 5 and 60°C.Serving
Employees that work with food and food
contact surfaces can easily spread bacteria,Foodservice Sanitation 375