Food Handler Training

Version I.04

10/2013

Welcome

Food Handler Training lasts approximately 75 minutes, after the training will be a test.

Test is 50 questions and 75% is passing.

Upon passing the test you will receive a 30 day temporary permit. Your actual permit is good for 3 years and will be mailed to you. The training course must be taken again after 3 years to renew your permit.

Make sure the address you put on your registration card is correct so we send the permit to the right place.

Introduction

The purpose of this class it to provide basic food safety

training to people who work in the food service

industry.

It is important to handle food safely to prevent

incidents of food-borne illness. People like to eat,

they don’t like to get sick.

Instruction in this class is based off of the Utah Food

Service Sanitation Rule: R392-100, the 2009 FDA

Food Code and CDC guidance.

Causes of Food-Borne Illness

Foodborne illness (aka food poisoning) is any

illness resulting from the consumption

of contaminated or spoiled food

Biological – Caused by viruses and bacteria.

These are the most common causes of food-

borne illness

Chemical – Toxins, cleaning chemicals,

pesticides

Physical – glass shards, metal shavings, plastic

chips

CDC top five risk factors for foodborne

illness

1. Improper hot/cold holding temperatures of

potentially hazardous food

2. Improper cooking temperature of food

3. Dirty and/or contaminated utensils and

equipment

4. Poor employee health and hygiene

5. Food from unsafe sources

Approved Sources of Food

Food shall be obtained from sources that

comply with law.

Food prepared in a private home may not be

used or offered for human consumption in a

food establishment.

Meat, Milk, Milk Products, Fish, Molluscan

Shellfish, Wild Mushrooms, and Game

Animals must come from an approved source

where they are inspected and meet certain

standards.

Population groups most vulnerable to

food-borne illness are:

The very young

The very old

People with weak immune systems

How Do Bacteria Get Onto

Food?

Dirty hands

Dirty utensils

On the farm

Raw meats naturally has bacteria

Bacteria naturally live on your skin, in your

digestive tract and in the environment. That is

why it is so important to bathe regularly and

wash your hands after using the restroom

Bacterial Growth

Bacteria need food, water and a favorable

temperature to grow.

Over time bacteria can grow from just a few

organisms to thousands.

If you control food, water, temperature and

time you can prevent bacteria from growing.

Potentially Hazardous Foods

Are foods that have the right conditions for

bacterial growth. (High in protein, high water

content, neutral to acidic pH)

Require special handling such as time or

temperature controls to prevent bacterial

growth

Includes things like meat, poultry, fish, dairy,

cooked vegetables, eggs.

Food Temperature Danger

Zone

41 F to 135 F

Potentially Hazardous Food left in the danger

zone will grow harmful bacteria that will make

people ill.

If PHF has been in the Danger Zone for over 4

hours it must be discarded.

Hot and Cold Holding

Refrigerators should be

kept below 41F

Freezers should be

kept below 0 F

Steam tables and other

hot holding should be

kept above 135F

Receiving and Date/Time

marking

When receiving deliveries of PHF

check the temperature to ensure it

has not been in the danger zone

during transport.

Ready-to-eat PHF that will be held for

more than 24 hours must be date

marked. Must be discarded after 7

days. Includes things like pasta

salads, deli meats and cut fruits.

To kill microorganisms, food must be held at a sufficient

temperature for the specified time. Cooking is a scheduled process

in which each of a series of continuous time/temperature

combinations can be equally effective. For example, in cooking a

beef roast, the microbial lethality achieved at 112 minutes after it

has reached 54.4°C (130°F) is the same lethality attained as if it

were cooked for 4 minutes after it has reached 62.8°C (145°F).

Cook Time / Temperature Relationships

Minimum Cooking Times /

Temperatures

145 F for 15 seconds for eggs and fish

155 F for 15 seconds for meats

165 F for 15 seconds for poultry, wild game

and stuffed meats

Minimum Cooking Times /

Temperatures

Leftovers should be reheated to 165 F for 15

seconds.

If cooking in a microwave food should be

rotated or stirred, cooked to an internal

temperature of 165 F and allowed to sit

covered for 2 minutes afterwards

Cool Food Rapidly

The following methods can be used to cool food:

A. Place the food in shallow pans

B. Separate the food into smaller or thinner

portions

C. Use rapid cooling equipment

D. Stirring the food in a container placed in an ice

bath

E. Using containers that facilitate heat transfer

F. Adding ice as an ingredient

Cooling Food from 135 F to 41F

Two tiered method for cooling cooked PHF through the danger zone

2 hours to cool from

135 F to 70 F

4 hours to cool from

70 F to 41 F

Thawing Food Safely

Food can be thawed safely using the following:

A. In the refrigerator at 41 F or below.

B. Submerged under running water

C. As part of the cooking process (includes

microwaving)

Food Handler Hygiene

Hygiene is simply your personal cleanliness habits.

Hygiene is important to prevent the spread of germs onto food or food service items. Hygiene includes:

A. Bathing regularly and wearing clean clothes to work

B. Keeping hair restrained, not wearing loose jewelry

C. Covering cuts and sores with bandages & gloves

D. Washing hands

E. Not working when ill

When To Wash Hands

Before starting work

When changing shifts / work duties

After handling money

After going on break, eating, smoking

After taking out the trash

After working with raw foods

After using the restroom do a double hand

wash, wash in the restroom and again when

returning to the kitchen

Where to Wash Hands

Handwashing should be done

in a designated handwashing

sink.

This sink is used for

handwashing only and should

be kept accessible at all times.

Sink should have soap, paper

towels, hot and cold running

water.

How to Wash Hands

When washing hands get a

paper towel ready, turn on

the water and adjust to

warm but not too hot, use

soap to lather hands and

wash for a minimum of 20

seconds. Rinse hands.

Use paper towel to dry

hands and turn off water.

Restrictions to handling food with bare

hands

Even when hands are thoroughly washed there still could be

germs on them. Also hands sweat and shed dead skin cells.

A Food Service Employee may not handle ready to eat food

with bare hands. Ready to eat food is food that is done being

prepared and will not be cooked or processed further.

When handling ready to eat food you must wear gloves or use

tongs, napkins or other utensils to prevent bare hand contact.

When wearing gloves be careful what you touch. If gloves

become contaminated they need to be changed for clean ones.

Hand Washing

Food Handler must

wash hands

between tasks

No Bare Hand

Contact with Ready

to Eat Foods-

except:

When washing fresh

fruits and

vegetables. After

washing, use gloves

Always wash Hands

before putting on

new gloves

Hand Sanitizers can

be used after hands

have been

thoroughly washed

and dried

Sanitizers do not

replace proper hand

washing, or gloves!

Protecting Food From Hair

Wear a hat, hair-net or other clothing to keep

loose hair out of food.

Men with facial hair should wear a beard-net

Counter, hostess or wait staff do not need to

have hair restraints.

Food Contamination Prevention

Do not eat, drink or use tobacco where

exposed food or food equipment may be

contaminated

Eat meals in designated areas like the dining

area or break room

Food Contamination Prevention

Under the Utah Indoor Clean

Air Act smoking is prohibited in

restaurants. Smoke outside

and away from the building.

Employees may keep a drink in

the kitchen but it must be in a

closed beverage container and

handled carefully to avoid

spillage.

Preventing Contamination From

Wounds

Care needs to be taken if you have a cut, burn or other wound

that is open or draining so that it does not contaminate food or

foodservice equipment.

If you get a cut while working you should immediately stop and

apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Wash the cut in the hand

sink and use a first aid kit to bandage the cut. Put on a glove

or finger cot over the bandage as a secondary protection.

Any equipment that was in contact with blood needs to be

cleaned and sanitized. If any food was contaminated it needs

to be discarded.

What To Do If You Are Sick?

If you have any of the following symptoms you should not be working around food:

A. Vomiting

B. Diarrhea

C. Jaundice

D. Sore throat with fever

E. Lesion containing pus such as a

boil or infected wound that is open or draining

Inform your manager immediately if you have any of these symptoms.

Reportable Food Borne

Illnesses

A. Norovirus

B. Hepatitis A Virus

C. Shigella

D. E. Coli

E. Salmonella

If you are diagnosed with any of these

illnesses or have been in contact with anyone

who has you must report it to your manager.

Cross-Contamination

Cross-Contamination is when harmful bacteria

cross over from one food to another due to poor

food handling practices.

A classic example is using a knife and cutting

board to cut raw meat, then using the same

knife and cutting board to cut fresh vegetables

for a salad. The harmful bacteria on the raw

meat cross over onto the salad by means of the

knife and cutting board.

How It Can Happen

Using dirty utensils, such as a knife and

cutting board for multiple tasks.

Food Handlers not washing their hands

between tasks.

In storage where raw meats or hazardous

products stored next to vegetables or ready to

eat product. Food should always be stored 6”

off floor.

Prevention Of Cross-

Contamination

Two ways:

Separation or

Sanitization

Separation

Use different knives and cutting boards for

cutting up food (color codes, red, green, etc)

Store ready to eat food above raw food

Store garbage, hazardous products, dirty

equipment separate from food and clean

equipment.

Separate duties, the employee handling

money at the counter is not the employee

preparing food

Sanitization

Clean and sanitize equipment between uses

Cleaning and Sanitizing are different

Cleaning is removing visible dirt, debris, food,

stains etc using soap and water

Sanitizing is using a sanitizing chemical or

high heat to kill harmful bacteria on equipment

How To Sanitize

Food Contact Surfaces should be sanitized after

they are cleaned

Chemicals like Chlorine or QAC are commonly

used to sanitize.

If using a different sanitizer make sure it is

approved for food contact surfaces.

How To Sanitize

Mix chemical sanitizer to the right

concentrations. Chlorine should be 50 – 100

ppm QAC at 200ppm

Use a test kit to determine if sanitizer is at right

concentration

Chemical Safety

Sanitizing chemicals are hazardous

Can cause burns or injury if mishandled

Store in a safe, protected location away from

food and food equipment

Do not mix chemicals. Do not mix soap and

sanitizer, it may cause a chemical reaction.

Make sure sanitizer is at right concentration,

too weak will not kill bacteria, too strong may

hurt you.

Sanitizing In A 3-Compartment

Sink

Pre-wash, scrape food scraps and debris off

Wash with soap and warm water in first sink

Rinse with water in second sink

Sanitize in third sink, 30 sec or follow label

Air dry

Sanitizing Using a Dish

Machine

Pre-wash, scrape food and debris

off

Load tray, do not pack too tightly

Run machine. If using a

chemical sanitizer make sure

there is enough in the container

and that it is feeding properly.

Test using test kit. If machine

uses high temp water for sanitizer

it should be a minimum of 180F

Air dry

Storing Clean Items

Store clean dishes and utensils in a clean, dry

protected location off the floor at least 6” and

where they are not exposed to splash, dust or

other contamination.

Do not store clean dishes and utensils in

locker, toilet, garbage or mechanical rooms or

under open stairwells or exposed water or

sewer pipes

Ice scoops must be stored outside of ice

machine in a washable container, or handle up

in ice

Trash, Garbage, and Waste

All receptacles should be lined with trash bags

and outside receptacle covered with lids

When receptacles are full, trash should be taken

to collection site immediately, not stored in facility

until closing

Staff should wear gloves when emptying the

trash for safety to employee and food safety

ALWAYS WASH HANDS BEFORE RETURNING

TO FOOD PREPARATION DUTIES OR

ENTERING THE KITCHEN

Food Safety Video

Review

Temperature Danger

Zone

Time and Temp

control

Cooking, Reheating,

Cooling of Food

Employee Hygiene

Handwashing

Cross-

Contamination

Cleaning/Sanitizing