ServSafe Food Managers Certification Notes: Providing Safe Food

Challenges to Food Safety
A foodborne illness is a diseases transmitted to people by food.
An illness is considered an outbreak when:
- Two or more people have the same symptoms after eating the same food.
- An investigation is conducted by state and local regulatory authorities.
- The outbreak is confirmed by a laboratory analysis.

How foodborne illnesses occur
Unsafe food is usually the result of contamination, which is the presence of harmful substances in food. To prevent foodborne illnesses, you must recognize the contaminants that can make food unsafe. These can come from pathogens, chemicals, or physical objects. They might also come from certain unsafe practices in your operation.

Contaminants are divided into three categories
Biological Pathogens are the greatest threat to food safety. They include certain viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Some plants, mushrooms, and seafood that carry harmful toxins (poisons) are also included in this group.

How food becomes unsafe
If food handlers do not handle food correctly, it can become unsafe. These are the five most common food-handling mistakes, or risk factors, that can cause foodborne illness:
1 Purchasing food from unsafe sources
2 Failing to cook food correctly
3 Holding food at incorrect temperatures
4 Using contaminated equipment
5 Practicing poor personal hygiene

Chemical Foodservice can contaminate food if they are used incorrectly.

Chemical contaminants can include cleaners, sanitizers, and polishes.
Physical Foreign objects such as metal shavings, staples, and bandages can get into food. So can glass, dirt, and even bag ties. Naturally occurring objects, such as fish bones in fillets, are another example.
Each of these contaminants is a danger to food safety. But biological contaminants are responsible for most foodborne illness.

Practices related to Foodborne illness

Time-temperature abuse
Food has suffered time-temperature abuse when it has stayed too long at temperatures that are good for the growth of pathogens. A foodborne illness can result if food is time-temperature abused. This can happen in many ways:
- Food is not held or stored at the correct temperatures.
- Food is not cooked or reheated enough to kill pathogens.
- Food is not cooled correctly.

Cross-contamination
Pathogens can be transferred from one surface or food to another. This is called cross-contamination. It can cause a foodborne illness in many ways:
- Contaminated ingredients are added to food that receives no further cooling.
- Ready-to-eat food touches contaminated surfaces.
- Contaminated food touches or drips fluids onto cooked or ready-to-eat food.
- A food handler touches contaminated food and then touches ready-to-eat food.
- Contaminated wiping cloths food-contact surfaces

Poor personal hygiene
Food handlers can cause a foodborne illness if they do any of the following actions:
- Fail to wash their hands correctly after using the restroom
- Cough or sneeze on food
- Touch or scratch wounds and then touch food, as shown in the photo at left
- Work while sick

Poor cleaning and sanitizing
Pathogens can be spread to food if equipment has not been cleaned and sanitized correctly between uses. This can happen in the following ways:
- Equipment and utensils are not washed, rinsed, and sanitized between uses.
- Food-contact surfaces are wiped clean rather than being washed, rinsed and sanitized, as shown in the photo at left.
- Wiping cloths are not stored in a sanitizer solution between uses.
- Sanitizing solutions are not at the required levels to sanitize objects.

Food most likely to become unsafe
TCS and ready-to-eat food are the most likely types of food to become unsafe.

TCS food
Pathogens grow well in TCS food. These items need time and temperature control to limit pathogen growth. 
For this reason, this food is called TCS food – food requiring time and temperature control for safety.
- Milk and dairy products
- Meat: beef, pork and lamb
- Fish
- Baked potatoes
- Tofu or other soy protein
- Sliced melons, cut tomatoes and leafy greens
- Shell eggs
- Poultry
- Shellfish and crustaceans
- Heat-treated plant food, such as cook rice, beans and vegetables
- Sprouts and sprout seeds
- Untreated garlic and oil mixtures

Ready-to-eat Food
Like TCS food, ready-to-eat food also needs careful handling to prevent contamination. Ready-to-eat food is exactly what it sounds like: food that can be eaten without further preparation, washing, or cooking. Ready-to eat food includes cooked food, washed fruit and vegetables (whole and cut), and deli meat. Bakery items and sugar, spices, and seasonings are also included.

Population at High Risk for Foodborne Illnesses
Certain groups of people have higher risk of getting a foodborne illness. These are:
Elderly people
People’s immune systems weaken with age. The immune system is the body’s defense against illness.
Preschool-age children
Very young children have not built up strong immune systems.

People with compromised immune systems
Certain medical conditions and medications can weaken a person’s immune system.
These include:
- Cancer - HIV/AIDS - Transplants

Keeping Food Safe
Now that you know how food can become unsafe, you can use this knowledge to keep food safe. Focus on these measures:
- Purchasing from approved, reputable suppliers
- Controlling time and temperature
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Practicing personal hygiene
- Cleaning and sanitizing
Train your staff to follow safe food handling procedures. Train staff when they are hired and retrain them on an ongoing basis. Watch to make sure they follow procedures. If you see unsafe food handling practices, take corrective action to keep food safe. 

Retrain employees as needed.
Government Agencies Responsible for prevention of Foodborne Illness
Several government agencies take leading roles in the prevention of foodborne illness in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) inspect food and perform other critical duties.
State and local regulatory authorities create regulations and inspect operations.
Agencies such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) help with food safety as well.

The FDA
The FDA inspects all food except meat, poultry, and eggs. The agency also regulates food transported across state lines. In addition, the FDA issues the Food Code. This science-based code provides recommendations for food safety regulations. The Food Code was created for city, country, state, and tribal agencies. These agencies regulate foodservice for the following groups:
- Restaurants and retail food stores
- Vending operations
- Schools and day care centers
- Hospitals and nursing homes
Although the FDA recommends that states adopt The Food Code, it cannot require it. The FDA also provides technical support and training. This is available for industry and regulatory agencies.

Other Agencies
Several other agencies have an important role in food safety and the prevention of foodborne illness.
USDA: The U.S. Department of Agriculture regulates and inspects meat, poultry, and eggs.
CDC and PHS: These agencies assist the FDA, USDA, and state and local health departments. They conduct research into the causes of foodborne illness outbreaks. They also assist in investigating outbreaks.

State and local regulatory authorities
Regulatory authorities write or adopt codes that regulate retail and foodservice operation. Codes may differ from the FDA Food Code, because these agencies are not required to adopt it.
Regulatory authorities have many responsibilities:
- Inspecting operations
- Enforcing regulations
- Investigating complaints and illnesses
- Issuing licenses and permits
- Approving construction
- Reviewing and approving HACCP plans