Foodborne illness can be prevented by following simple, consistent practices. These strategies are recognized in both the U.S. and Europe.
Personal Hygiene
- Wash hands with warm running water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Warm water means water that feels comfortable on your hands — not cold, not scalding. About 38–43°C (100–110°F) is ideal.
- Wash hands between each step of food preparation, not just at the beginning of work or after the toilet. For example:
- After peeling vegetables, wash hands before cutting them.
- After cutting meat, wash hands before handling spices or pans.
- After touching raw food, wash hands before touching cooked food or ready-to-eat food. This breaks the chain of contamination and keeps bacteria from moving from one step to another.
- Do not handle food if you are sick with vomiting, diarrhea, or jaundice. Jaundice means yellow skin and yellow eyes. It happens when the liver is not working properly, often because of hepatitis A virus. People with jaundice can easily spread illness through food and must not work with food until cleared by a doctor.
- Wear clean protective clothing such as aprons, hairnets, and gloves when needed. Gloves must be changed often and do not replace handwashing.
- Cover cuts and wounds with blue waterproof bandages. Blue is used because it is not a natural food color and is easy to see if the bandage falls off.
Time and Temperature Control
- United States standards:
- Hot food must stay above 135°F (57°C).
- Cold food must stay below 41°F (5°C).
- European standards:
- Chilled food must be kept at or below 8°C. In many countries, the practice is 5°C or colder.
- Hot food must be held at 63°C or hotter.
- Cooking: Poultry should be cooked to 165°F/74°C (U.S.) or 75°C (EU). Other foods have their own safe cooking temperatures.
- Cooling: Hot food must cool quickly. U.S. guideline: from 135°F/57°C to 70°F/21°C in 2 hours, and then down to 41°F/5°C within 6 hours. Shallow pans, ice baths, or blast chillers help with this.
Avoid Cross-Contamination
- Keep raw foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs) separate from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
- Use separate or color-coded cutting boards and knives (for example, red for raw meat, green for vegetables, blue for fish).
- Store raw meat below ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator so juices cannot drip down.
Approved Suppliers
- Always buy food from licensed suppliers who follow HACCP systems. (HACCP = Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, required in the EU and recommended in the U.S.)
- Check every delivery: look at the temperature, packaging, and expiration dates. Reject anything that is damaged, spoiled, or unsafe.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
- Follow a clean as you go routine. Wipe up spills and wash hands and tools often.
- Wash, rinse, and sanitize all food-contact surfaces such as knives, boards, counters, and utensils. Cleaning removes dirt and food. Sanitizing kills bacteria that remain after cleaning. This can be done with approved chemicals at the right strength or with hot water.
- Keep cleaning chemicals in labeled containers and store them separately from food.
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