Food Handler Tips

By Staff Writer

  1. Washing your hands is one way to prevent foodborne illness.
  2. Foodborne illness is caused by organisms (germs), chemicals, or toxins.
  3. To keep people safe, do not work when you are sick.
  4. Cover an injury on your hands with a clean bandage, and wear a latex-free glove.
  5. Remember to always wash your hands after handling raw meat, fish and poultry.
  6. Germs grow easily in foods like meat, fish, poultry, milk, re-fried beans, cooked rice, baked potatoes and cooked vegetables.
  7. Bacteria needs time, food and moisture to grow. Always keep food temperatures in the "Safe Zone".
  8. Cooking raw food to the proper temperature will kill germs that cause people to become sick.
  9. No matter how you cook the food, it must reach the correct cooking temperature.
  10. Cross contamination happens when germs from raw or unclean food get into foods that are ready to serve or that will not be cooked again before you serve them.
  11. Store raw meat, fish and poultry on the lower shelves of the refrigerator.
  12. Store unwashed food or raw food away from ready-to-eat food.
  13. Wash your hands between handling raw meat and foods that will not be cooked before eating.
  14. Use utensils or disposable gloves when handling ready-to-eat food.
  15. Store foods away from cleaners and poisons.
  16. You always take a chance that bacteria can grow and produce toxins when you cool food. It is safest to make food fresh each day, just before you serve it.
  17. Date label foods for food safety.
  18. If you are not sure of something, ask the person-in-charge.
  19. Hot food is held at 135 degrees F. and above to keep food safe.
  20. Cold food is held at 41 degrees F. or below to keep food safe.
  21. You have to wash, rinse, sanitize to properly clean utensils.
  22. Speak with your manager if you do not feel well.
  23. Soap and towels must always be replenished at the handwash sinks to enable proper handwashing.
  24. Be sure to calibrate food thermometers for accurate temperature readings.
  25. Label all bulk-stored foods. Is it sugar, salt, or a cleaning compound?