Food and hospitality

This course discusses the different food safety risk factors present in food preparation, the types of food hazards you need to look out for, and some general safety practices you can implement to protect our customers.

In this lesson, you will learn about the different risk factors that affect the safety of food including kitchen hygiene, hot and cold holding time, and more. 

Food Safety Risk Factors
Food Safety Hazards


Consistently meeting food safety standards is one of the most important qualities an establishment can have more than just serving delicious food.


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 10 people falls ill due to food poisoning every year, with some suffering long-term health problems including cancer and neurological disorders.


While it may be impossible to completely eradicate food safety risks, taking the right steps to keep them at an absolute minimum will always be our responsibility.


Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, we will...
Enumerate what to look out for during food preparation,
Discuss some precautions during food preparation,
Show how to handle food before, during, and after cooking to avoid contamination and other safety hazards.


Since food production and trade have gone global, food safety has become much more complex.
As a general rule, we must always be able to trace our food back to its original manufacturer, packager, or distributor.
Never accept and use food unless you can identify and trace it back to its source.
When checking food packages from suppliers, there are some things you must also watch out for to avoid food hazards.


Notes on  Food Safety


Which of the following is considered a good practice before food preparation?


Be wary of pathogens
Neglecting our personal and kitchen hygiene puts the food at a greater risk of contamination and will result in food poisoning.
Examples of these pathogens are harmful bacteria, viruses, and toxins.


Hand Hygiene
Always wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before preparing a dish.
If you've handled uncooked eggs, raw meat, poultry, fish, and their juices, you must also wash your hands in between food preparations.


Kitchen Hygiene
Wash kitchen surfaces with hot, soapy water or a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water.
Allow surfaces to stand for several minutes before drying it with disposable paper towels.


Ground Beef and Pork
Cooked to at least 71°C (160°F)


Whole Cuts of Beef, Pork, Veal, and Lamb
Cooked to at least 62.7°C (145°F)
Additionally, they should be allowed to rest for 3 minutes before carving and serving.


Poultry and Vegetables
Cooked to at least 73.8°C (165°F)


Fish
Cooked to at least 62.7°C (145°F)


Casseroles
Cooked to at least 73.8°C (165°F)


Hot foods
These need to be kept at an internal temperature of  60°C (140°F) or warmer to avoid bacterial growth.
Before hot holding, check the warmer's product label to ensure that it can hold foods at this temperature or warmer.


Cold foods
These need to be held at 4°C (40°F) or colder. Keep cold foods refrigerated until serving time.
If cold food needs to stay out on a buffet table for more than 2 hours, cold food plates must be placed on ice to retain cold temperatures.


After Cooking
Precautions to Avoid Food Contamination


Handling leftovers
Leftovers must be refrigerated within 2 hours after the food has reached room temperature.
Perishables left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours must be discarded unless they are being kept hot or cold.


Refrigeration
When refrigerating leftovers, make sure that raw food is stored at the bottom of the fridge or freezer.
This prevents raw meat juices from dripping onto and possibly contaminating cooked foods.


Check the packaging
Ensure that cooked foods are placed in covered containers or wrapped in air-tight packaging to keep bacteria out.


Food Safety Risk Factors

In this lesson, you will learn about the allergenic and physical food hazards commonly encountered in the hospitality industry, and what we can do to protect our customers. 

Allergenic and Physical Food Hazards
Food Safety Hazards


It is estimated that 32 million people in the U.S alone have food allergies, and more than 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions.


Over 2.6 million people in Canada, including an estimated 500,000 children live with allergies that need to be managed on a daily basis.


Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, we will discuss...
What is a food allergy and its severity,
Some preventive measures to take for customers with allergies,
The staff's responsibilities as someone who handles food,
How to prevent allergen cross-contamination, and
Preventive food hazards from food manufacturers.


A food allergy is a detrimental immune reaction triggered by a person's exposure to certain types of food.
An allergic reaction can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe.
The most common allergens, also called "primary allergens" are:
Peanut
Tree nut
Milk
Shellfish
Wheat
Sesame
Soy


Food Allergies


Preventing Allergenic Food Hazards
What can we do to protect our customers?


Always have  allergen-free options.
We should always be ready to accept and prepare allergen-free meal requests to accommodate the needs of our customers.


Know what goes into the customer's food.
This is always the first step to protect our customers from allergenic hazards.
Look out for these primary allergens:
Peanut
Tree nut
Milk
Shellfish
Wheat
Sesame
Soy


Check food labels and ingredient lists.
Do this, especially for food that was pre-packed or purchased off-site.
Watch out for potential allergens listed under different names:
"casein" for milk
"tempeh" for soy


When preparing  allergen-free food:
Do not use an ingredient or product if it is unlabeled and you are unsure of its composition.
Check with suppliers when food products are reformulated to ensure that new recipes won't introduce an allergen.


Keep a designated allergen-free meal preparation area set aside.
Don't forget to clean and sanitize the area after each use to remove allergen residues.
2. ## Only use clean and sanitized utensils when storing, preparing, or serving an allergen-free meal.
Don't forget to clean and sanitize surfaces, equipment, and utensils between uses.
3. ## Don't substitute one ingredient for another as the customer may have an undisclosed allergy.
4. ## When preparing an allergen-free meal, make it fresh and prepare it first.
Don't hesitate to consult the customer about suitable and preferred preparation methods.


How can we prevent allergen cross-contamination?


Preventing Physical  Food Hazards
What are control measures to lower the risk of physical food hazards?


Fingernails, False Nails and/or Nail Polish


Sometimes, physical food hazards come from poor manufacturing conditions and practices.
This is why it's important that we check the contents of canned and pre-packaged foods before using them.
Aside from this, we can also take the following steps to prevent physical food hazards...
Eliminate potential sources of physical food hazards by clearing the kitchen of items unnecessary for operations.
Wear gloves and a hairnet to avoid physical food hazards such as fingernails and hair from falling onto dishes.
Regularly inspect storage room and stocks to identify possible insect or rodent infestations so they can be addressed ASAP.


Physical Food Hazards  in Food Manufacturing


Allergenic and Physical Food Hazards

In this lesson, you will learn about the different biological and chemical food hazards commonly encountered in the hospitality industry, including control measures to minimize risk for our customers. 

Biological & Chemical  Food Hazards
Food Safety Hazards


The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 600 million people fall ill due to foodborne illnesses every year.


The consumption of contaminated food results in 420,000 deaths a year.


There are more than 200 diseases linked to food poisoning, ranging from diarrhea to cancers.
This lesson will show you how to avoid these worst-case scenarios.


Lesson Objectives
In this lesson, we will discuss...
What biological food hazards are,
How to prevent the occurrence of these biological hazards,
What chemical food hazards are, and
Some preventive measures to avoid food poisoning induced by chemical hazards.


Biological Food Hazards
What are they and  where do they come from?


Bacteria
Bacteria are single-celled organisms that can be found anywhere, even in our own bodies.


Viruses
A virus is a bundle of genetic code, (either DNA or RNA), coated in protein.
They can be found anywhere, and are more abundant than bacteria by a ratio of 10:1.


Parasites
Some of the most common human parasites are amoeba, scabies, and hookworms.
Parasitism is a kind of relationship between two organisms wherein an organism, a parasite, lives inside another organism, a host (ex. humans).


These pathogens are responsible for some of the deadliest biological hazards currently known such as:
Salmonella
E. Coli
Clostridium botulinum


Biological Food Hazard Prevention
How can we minimize the risk  for our customers?


1st Precaution
Cooking at the Right Temperature
Cooking at the recommended temperature for each food type in order to kill harmful pathogens.
Review the following temperature requirements...


2nd Precaution
Practicing Good  Personal Hygiene
Remember to wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds.


3rd Precaution
Practicing Good  Kitchen Hygiene
Clean and sanitize all kitchen surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water.
This includes faucets, countertops, cutting boards, and food thermometers.
Never use the same platter and utensils for raw and cooked products to prevent cross-contamination.


4th Precaution
Storing Food in  Proper Temperatures
The Refrigerator  should be set to 5°C (41°F).
The Freezer  should be set below -15°C (5°F).
These are done to slow down bacterial growth and extend the shelf life of food.


Chemical Food Hazards
What are they and  where do they come from?


1st Type
Naturally Occurring
These are natural toxins produced by plants, animals, and certain types of microorganisms.


2nd Type
Intentionally Added
This refers to chemicals added to food that exceed safe limits according to government-sanctioned regulations e.g. Food and Drugs Act


3rd Type
Unintentionally Added
This refers to chemicals that were accidentally added to the food during food preparation, e.g. cleaning chemicals, pesticides.


Take Caution!
Ingesting a sufficient dose of chemical hazards may lead to chemical poisoning, resulting in illness, or in some cases, even death.


Staff training
Train kitchen and service staff to follow safe handling procedures when dealing with chemicals for sanitation and maintenance.
2. ## Ensure cleanliness on food contact surfaces
Make sure that there is no chemical residue left on food contact surfaces before any dishes are prepared.
3. ## Store chemicals properly
Store chemicals in designated cabinets and areas away from food and food preparation areas.


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Food Safety Hazards

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