Tips for safe food handling

Safe food handling practices prevent food borne illnesses

Preparation and storage rules

• Start with clean, wholesome food from reliable sources. Wash all raw fruits and vegetables before using.
• Hold frozen food at 0º F or lower during delivery and storage.
• Scrub and sanitize all cutting boards, knives and electric slicers immediately after contact with raw or cooked meats, fish or poultry.
• Hold all potentially hazardous foods out of the danger zone, 40º F – 140º F. Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
• Reach an internal temperature of 165º F to 170º F for foods to be held for serving. Maintain a minimum temperature of 140º F during the serving period.
• Re-pan in shallow containers any cooked food to be held at refrigerated temperatures. Refrigerate immediately. The center of the food should reach 40º F within four hours. To hasten cooling, space pans in the cooler to allow for adequate air circulation.
• Never serve questionable food. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Avoid cross-contamination of foods during preparation, storage and service.

Personnel

• Wash hands with soap and water. Hands must be washed when reporting to work, after handling raw poultry and meat, smoking, sneezing, using a handkerchief and after using the toilet
• Keep all work surfaces clean and organized.
• Keep the work area clean and all spills wiped up immediately.
• Refrigerate promptly all unused foods.
• Use clean equipment in preparing, cooking and serving food.
• Avoid touching food as much as possible. Use the proper utensils.
• Handle all utensils and serving equipment by handles and base to avoid touching areas that will later come in contact with the food.
• Use a clean spoon to taste food.
• Keep fingernails trimmed and clean. Scrub nails with a nail brush after a visit to the toilet and after handling raw meat, poultry and fish.
• Keep hair clean and use a hair net or other restraint.
• Reassign employees with infected cuts or burns. These employees should not prepare food or handle equipment that will come in contact with food.

Source: National Food Service Management Institute