Food Safety and StorageChapter #1

Chapter Objectives

• Explain the relationship between microorganisms and foodborne illness.

• Demonstrate practices that promote kitchen cleanliness.• Distinguish safe from unsafe food handling practices.• Explain storage principles that affect food safety.• Describe the roles of government agencies in protecting

the food supply.

Foodborne Illness

• Most foodborne illness can be traced to contaminants such as microorganisms, toxins, and spores.• Foodborne Illness:• Sickness caused by eating food that contains a harmful substance.

• Contaminant:• Substances that make food unfit for use.

• Microorganism:• Living creatures that are visible only through a microscope.

• Toxin:• Poisons that can cause illness.

• Spore:• Protected cells that develop into bacteria under the right conditions.

Food Safety

• Food Safety:• Keeping food safe to eat by following proper food handling and

cooking practices.

• In order to avoid foodborne illness it is important to practice food safety by following the four basic food safety principles:• Keep yourself and your kitchen clean.• Don’t cross-contaminate.• Cross-contamination:• Occurs when harmful bacteria spread from one food to another.

• Cook food thoroughly.• Refrigerate food promptly.

Cleanliness in the Kitchen

• Sanitation:• The prevention of illness through cleanliness.

• Personal Hygiene:• Keeping yourself clean to avoid transferring bacteria when handling

food.• 20-Second Scrub:• Using soap and hot water, scrub your hands for 20 seconds.

• Clean Kitchen Guidelines:• Wash work surfaces and utensils in hot, soapy water before you prepare

food.• Wash the tops of cans before opening them.• Change dishtowels often.

Food Temperatures

• Safe food handling practices include storing food at appropriate temperatures in the proper containers in either a refrigerator or freezer.

• Internal Temperature:• The temperature registered at the center of the thickest part of the food.

• Food Temperature Guidelines:• Taste foods containing ingredients from animal sources only after they are

fully cooked.• Never partially cook food and then wait to finish the cooking later.• Watch for hot and cool spots in microwaved foods.• When reheating foods bring to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

• Freezer Burn:• Moisture loss caused when food is improperly packaged or stored in the

freezer too long.

Food and Drug Administration

• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services and is charged with the overall safety of the U.S. food supply.

• GRAS List:• A list of foods that are “Generally Recognized as Safe.”

• Irradiation:• The process of exposing food to high-intensity energy waves

to increase its shelf life and kill harmful microorganisms.

• Recall:• The immediate removal of a product from store shelves.

Environmental Protection Agency

• The Environmental Protection Agency is charged with the environmental impact of food production, regulation of disposal of wastes generated by processing, and enforces laws that protect the nation’s water supply.

• Tolerance:• Maximum safe level for a certain chemical in the body.

• Bioterrorism:• The intentional use of biological agents to harm people,

animals, or plants.

Homework Assignment

• Read Chapter #20: “Food Safety and Storage” (pgs. 279-292) in the “Foods for Today” textbook.

• Answer Questions #1-5 and #17-23 under the “Check Your Knowledge” section on pg. 294.

Bibliography

• Kowtaluk, H. (2006). “Foods for today.” Glencoe McGraw-Hill; New York.