Food Safety
Objective: The purpose of this section is to define potentially hazardous food under the California Health and Safety Code.
As we will discuss further in class, "potentially hazardous food" under most cases must be stored below 41 degrees F. or above 140 degrees F. These foods have the highest potential for spreading foodborne illness. Its fundamental legal definition is:
food that can support rapid and progressive growth of microorganisms
that may cause food infections or food intoxications.
A legal exception to this definition is Clostridium botulinum. Because of the extreme toxicity of its toxins, rapid and progressive growth is not necessary for botulism. Any growth or toxin production of this organism represents a significant risk.
Because of the significance of potentially hazardous food, the following conditions (defined by law) allow us to determine foods that are not potentially hazardous:
Try the links to the California Health and Safety Code (click first on "food sanitation" given just below, and then select "CURFFL"), and look at the additional distinctions provided under the law. It is one of the most important definitions you will ever work with in the field.
A. Infections
1. Salmonellosis Salmonella typhimurium
Salmonella enteritidis
2. Campylobacter Campylobacter jejuni
3. Listeriosis Listeria monocytogenes
4. Hepatitis type A = infectious
5. Brucellosis Undulant Fever
6. Trichuriasis Trichuris thrichiura
7. Anisakiasis Anasakidae family
B. Intoxications (primarily exotoxins)
8. Staphyloccoccus Staphyloccoccus aureus
9. Botulism Clostridium botulinum
10. Perfringens Clostridium perfringens
C. Poisonous plants/animals
11. Favism Vicia faba
12. Snake root Eupatorium
13. Paralytic
shellfish poisoning
14. Ciguatera
15. Scombroid Scombridae family
D. Others
16. agent: Vibrio parahemolyticus
reservoir: oceans (variety of seafood)
transmission: poorly cooked seafood
symptoms: diarrhea, abdominal cramps (rarely fatal)
17. agent: Bacillus cereus
reservoir: soil
transmission: especially cooked rice at room temperatures
symptoms: sometimes vomiting, sometimes diarrhea
18. agent: Clostridium perfringens (anaerobic sporeformer)
reservoir: soil; also, GI tract of healthy humans or animals
transmission: spores survive normal cooking,
then germinate, multiply, and produce toxins
symptoms: diarrhea, nausea; usually no vomiting or fever
19. agent: Copper poisoning
transmission: copper in prolonged contact with acid foods or
carbonated beverages
(e.g., improper vending machines)
symptoms: vomiting and weakness in < 1 hour (often minutes)
A. Pasteurization:
1. Ultra Pasteurization: >280 deg. F for >2 seconds
2. Ultra High Temperature: 191-212 deg. F. for 1 to .01 seconds
(UHT)
3. High Temp. Short Time: 161 deg. F for 15 seconds
(HTST)
4. Holder pasteurizer: 145 deg. F for 30 minutes
B. Food and Temperatures:
5. Thermometers: required in refrigerators.
should be: readily visible
at the warmest part of the unit
accurate to 1 degree Centigrade
6. Stem designed to check food temperatures
(or probe) typically has metal stem
thermometer: with temperature readings at top of thermometer
Restaurant operators must have on the premises.
7. Maximum used to check temperatures in dishwashing machines
registering
thermometer:
8. Refreezing: frozen foods may not be thawed and refrozen
(exception: when food is cooked or processed
after thawing).
C. Canning operations:
1. soaking reduces spoilage bacteria
and washing:
2. sorting consistent quality of product
and grading:
3. blanching: direct contact with hot water or steam
destroys enzymes (reducing chemical changes)
softens tissues to fit in can
washes away "raw" flavor
4. exhausting: heat foods in cans prior to closing can
produces partial vacuum
5. sealing: secures lid on can
hermetic double seam
when can cools, lids pull in (concave)
6. retort closed vessel for "sterilization" of food
processing: 240 degrees for 30 minutes
7. cooling: quick cooling minimizes thermophilic bacteria
potential for water contamination through seams
(water must be disinfected)
D. Dishwashing:
8. Manual 3 compartment sink:
method:
detergent and warm water:
good at removing, not killing bacteria
most important step in dishwasing
rinse: removes detergent before sanitizer
sanitizer:
a "polishing" step
hot water (180 deg F, 30 seconds)
chemicals and warm water (75 deg F):
chlorine: 100 ppm for 30 seconds
quaternary ammonia: 200 ppm for 1 minute
iodine: 25 ppm for 1 minute
9. Machine see NSF standards
method: (National Sanitation Foundation)
wash: 140-160 deg. F
rinse: 180 deg F, 10 seconds, 15-25 psi (water pressure)
or chlorine rinse (50 ppm)
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