Food Preparation, Food Safety & Sanitation

NOTE: This presentation is about food safety

& sanitation practices in general.
It does not relate specifically
to the specific food safety
& sanitation requirements
of the Cottage Food Law
Photo: National Presto Industries

“Partially funded by a California

Department of Food and Agriculture
Specialty Crop Block Grant"
Is Food Safety Important?

Safe food practices:

 Minimizes the risk of food
borne illness

 Less risk for your business

and

 Improved customer
relations
Is Foodborne Illness Common?
In the United States, during 2011
it was estimated that…

 48 million people were affected

by foodborne illness.
 128,000 people were
hospitalized.
 3,000 people died.
Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2011
Sources of Microorganisms

Air
Water
Soil
Food Handlers

Packaging Material

Insects
Surfaces
Raw Ingredients
Animals
People at Higher Risk of Foodborne Illness:

Infants

Young children and older adults

Pregnant women
People with impaired immune systems

People with some chronic diseases

May Cause More Severe Conditions such as

Meningitis

Paralysis
Dehydration
(sometimes severe)
Foodborne Illness Symptoms?

• Upset stomach
• Diarrhea

• Fever

• Vomiting
Food Contamination
from farm to the table
Sources of Food Contamination

Physical: Chemical: Biological:

• Toothpicks • Cleaning solutions • Bacteria,
• Metal shavings • Insecticides
• Viruses
• Glass fragments • naturally occurring
• Bandages toxins • Parasites
• Hair
Biological Contamination
Bacteria and Viruses

Parasites

Molds and Toxins

Allergens
Foodborne Illness: Sources
Pathogen Sources
Norovirus Produce, shellfish, ready-to-eat foods touched by infected food workers (salads, sandwiches, ice,
cookies, fruit), or any other foods contaminated with vomit or feces from an infected person

Salmonella Food: Contaminated eggs, poultry, meat, unpasteurized milk or juice, cheese, contaminated raw
fruits and vegetables (alfalfa sprouts, melons), spices, and nuts.

Animals and their environment: Particularly reptiles (snakes, turtles, lizards), amphibians (frogs),
birds (baby chicks) and pet food and treats.
Clostridium Perfringens Beef, poultry, gravy

Campylobacter Raw and undercooked poultry, unpasteurized milk, contaminated water.

Staphylococcus Foods that are made with hand contact and require no additional cooking, such as:
Salads, such as ham, egg, tuna, chicken, potato, and macaroni; bakery products, such as cream-
filled pastries, cream pies, and chocolate éclairs; and sandwiches.
Other sources include milk and dairy products, as well as meat, poultry, eggs, and related products.

Source: http://www.foodsafety.gov/poisoning/causes/index.html
You can’t rely on your sight, smell, or taste . . .

Even if tasting would

tell...why risk getting sick?
•Even a tiny taste can make
you sick
•As few as 10 bacteria can
cause foodborne illness!
Four Steps to Prevent Foodborne Illness

USDA Dietary Guidelines

give four steps to prevent
foodborne illness.
First Step in Food Safety
Personal hygiene is essential for food
handlers
This includes:
• Wearing clean clothes.
• Tying hair back or wearing a
hat or hair net.
• Not smoking or eating in food
preparation and washing
areas.
• Not wearing jewelry.
• Proper handwashing.
Wash Your hands!

Handwashing is the most effective way to stop

the spread of illness
Know how to wash hands:
• Wet hands with warm water
• Apply soap
• Rub hands for 20 seconds
• Rub between fingers, nails
• Rub forearms; then rinse
• Use single use towel to dry
• Turn off water with towel
• Discard towel
Do not prepare, cook or serve food if you have a:

• Cold

• Cough

• Sore throat
• Symptoms of
intestinal illness
(vomiting, diarrhea, fever)
Clean and Disinfect Equipment & Surfaces

Cleaning
• Removes soil from the
surfaces of equipment and
utensils.
Disinfecting
• Reduces the number of
disease-causing organisms
on equipment and
utensils.
Recipe for Disinfecting Solution

Mix together:

4 cups of water
Disinfecting
1 Tablespoon solution!
liquid of bleach Make a new batch daily as it loses its disinfecting properties
Recipe for Sanitizing Solution
Make a new batch daily as it loses its sanitizing properties
Mix together:

1 gallon water= 16 cups Sanitizing

1 Tablespoon
liquid of bleach solution
Clean Fruits & Vegetables
• Wash with cold, running water.
• If there is a firm surface, such as on apples or
potatoes, the surface can be scrubbed with a
CLEAN brush.
• Do NOT use soap or other cleaners.
Don’t wash/rinse meat or poultry!
Bacteria in raw meat and poultry

juices can be spread to other

foods, utensils, and surfaces if it

is washed or rinsed.
Separate to Prevent Cross Contamination

Keep raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods

separate when shopping, preparing or storing
foods.

Separating foods prevents the transfer of

harmful substances from one food to
another.
Prevent Cross Contamination
Use separate cutting boards for:
• fresh produce
• raw meat
• poultry
• seafood
• Bread
Use clean knives:
• Designate a knife for meat
and poultry and another one
for vegetables and fruit.
Clean & Sanitize
Utensils & Surfaces
• After working with raw foods.
• Before working with ready-to-eat
foods.
• Use a clean dish towel.
• Wash dish towels on the hot cycle in
washer.
• Wash plastic cutting boards in the
dishwasher.
Avoid Cross Contamination
• Keep raw foods
separate from ready-to-
eat and cooked foods.
• Store raw foods below
ready-to-eat and
cooked foods.
Cook to a Safe Temperature
•Whole poultry 165°F
•Chicken breasts 165°F
•Egg dishes 160°F
•Ground beef 160°F
•Pork 145°F
•Fish 145°F
•Steaks/roasts 145°F

ALWAYS USE A FOOD THERMOMETER

Factors Influencing Microorganism Growth

High moisture
Protein Low-acid
Bacterial Foodborne Illness
4% Use of leftovers
7% Improper cleaning
7% Cross contamination
11% Contaminated raw food
12% Inadequate reheating

16% Improper hot storage

16% Inadequate cooking
20% Infected persons touching food
21% Time between preparing and serving
40% Improper cooling of foods
What is the “Danger Zone?”
The danger zone is the temperature range between 41°F -135°F

 Bacteria multiply rapidly between

these temperatures.
 Viruses do not grow, but they survive
in food at these temperatures.
 Freezing food slows growth, but high
temperatures kill bacteria and viruses.
 Cook foods to a safe temperature to
kill bacteria and viruses.
Keep Foods out of the DANGER ZONE

•Hot foods should be cooled and reheated only one

time.
•Cold foods should be kept on ice or in a cooler.
•Discard food that has been at room temperature of
less than 90◦F for over two hours.
•If the room temperature is 90◦F or more, discard after
one hour.
Bacteria Multiplication
Bacteria numbers can double every 20 minutes!

How many bacteria will result if

1 BACTERIUM is left at room
temperature for 7 hours?
 Answer: 2,097,152!

Refrigerate perishable foods quickly!

Keep Cut Fruits and Veggies
Out of the Danger Zone
Cut fruits and vegetables can grow bacteria

Do not leave out for more than 2 hours

Thaw Frozen Foods Safely
Follow the “Thaw Law!”
Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator.
Chill Hot Foods Quickly
Refrigerate! Refrigerate! Refrigerate!
• Refrigerate foods within 2 hours.
• Over 90ºF, refrigerate within 1 hour.
• Chill foods down quickly.
• Cool foods in shallow containers.
• Stir to speed up cooling.
• Ok to refrigerate foods while they're
still warm.
• Do not overstuff your fridge.
Refrigerator & Freezer Temperatures

 Set refrigerator at 40o F or lower.

 Set freezer at 0o F or lower.
 Use thermometers in refrigerators
and freezers.
 Place thermometers in an easy to
read location.
 Check temperatures weekly.
When Transporting Food, Remember to…

 Be sure food is tightly wrapped.

 Pre-portion and pre-package food in
clean containers.
 Transport in clean vehicles.
 Do not transport pets or livestock
with the food.
Food Handlers can Contaminate Food

• Many enteric organisms

• Staphylococcus aureus
• Viruses
•Hepatitus A
•Norwalk Virus
Cottage Food Kitchens
 When Cottage food preparation, packaging, or
handling occurs in the home kitchen, no other
household activities such as family meal
preparation, kitchen cleaning, etc. can take place
at the same time.
 No infants, small children or pets may be in the
home kitchen during any part of cottage food
preparation and packaging.
Cottage Food Kitchens
 A sink must be available for handwashing with
soap, hot and cold water and clean towels (single
use towels are most sanitary).
 Kitchen equipment used to prepare, package and
handle cottage foods must be clean and
maintained in a good state of repair.
 When ill, stop preparing and selling cottage food
products.
Cleaning Guidelines --Safe Food Handling
• Water used during the preparation of cottage
food products must meet safety standards.
• If you have a private well or septic system,
contact your Environmental Health agency .
• Surface sanitizing solution is 100 ppm chlorine;
this is made using 1 tablespoon bleach per gallon
of warm water. Or use ¾ teaspoon per 4 cups of
warm water.
Cleaning Guidelines --Safe Food Handling
• Wash, rinse and sanitize all food contact surfaces
every four hours and before each use.
• Wash hands, nails, and arms frequently.
• Remove garbage regularly; wash hands
afterwards.
Cottage Food Safety Points
 Keep all food and non-food surfaces clean.
 All food preparation and food and equipment
storage areas must insect and rodent free.
 Smoking is prohibited in the food preparation
portion of the home.
 All ingredients must come from an approved
source ---registered producer or food store or
facility.
Storage Guidelines
• All equipment and utensils must be stored
and used within the home.
• Keep all food ingredients separate from
non-food (examples: pesticide and cleaning
items).
• All food shall be protected from dirt,
vermin, droplet contamination, overhead
leakage, etc.
• All food must be stored at least 6 inches off
the floor.
Preserved Cottage Foods
• Fruit Butter, Jam, Jelly, Fruit Preserves
• Dried Fruit and Vegetables
• Herb blends
• Vegetarian Dried Soup Mixes
• Granolas – Trail Mixes
• Vinegars -- Mustards

Why are These Allowable Cottage Foods?

pH Examples of Some Foods

pH 3 pH 7
pH 4.6
Neutral

High acid foods pH Scale Low acid foods

What is pH?
pH is a measure of acidity
pH = -log (H+ ions)
Scale ranges from 0 to 14

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

High pH:
Low pH: Neutral Basic/Alkaline
Acidic
SPEED of Bacterial Growth is Influenced
by:
 Properties of the Food

Nutrients Moisture Acidity

Properties of the Environment

Temperature Relative Humidity Air

Growth Factors - Nutrition

•Foods we find nutritious

•also good for
microorganisms
Water Activity (aw)
• Most foods greater than 0.95 allow
microorganisms to grow
• C. botulinum prevented from growing
 aw less than 0.93
• All pathogens inhibited
 aw less than or equal to 0.85
Salt and aw
C. botulinum strains are prevented from
growing at a salt concentration of 10%.

10% salt is a water activity of about 0.93.

BOTULISM-Home Canned Food
• Low acid foods
• Vegetables
• Meat and fish
• Mixtures with lows acid food such as
meat sauce
•NEVER allowed as Cottage Foods
• For safety, preserve in Pressure
Canner –not a boiling water canner
!!!
BOTULISM — Toxicity Causes
• Anaerobic conditions
• Water activity must be high
• salt has inhibitory effect on growth due to water binding
properties
• pH must be high (greater than 4.6 – equals a low acid food)
• Nitrite - NaNO2 has inhibitory effect
Cottage Food Operators
 Acknowledgements
“Partially funded by a California
Department of Food and Agriculture
Specialty Crop Block Grant"

Adapted from: Make It Safe, Keep It Safe

University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE)
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Developed 2000; updated in 2012, again in June 2014

Production: Connie Schneider, Youth, Families and Communities Director

Susan Donohue, EFNEP Council Chair
Anna Martin, Advisor, UCCE San Joaquin
Dorothy Smith, Advisor, UCCE Amador/Calaveras/Tuolomne
Tammy McMurdo, Community Nutrition Education
Debbie Fetter, Student Assistant
Jane Chin Young, Advisor, UCCE Marin
Linda J. Harris, Food Science Specialist, University of CA, Davis
Christine Bruhn, Consumer Economics Specialist, University of CA, Davis

Original authors and 2014 adaptor: Diane Metz, Emeritus Advisor

UCCE Solano/Yolo Counties