Factors that Affect Foodborne Illness
● “HOT FOODS HOT, KEEP COLD
Topics for discussion
1. What is time and temperature
abuse?
2. How to measure food temperature?
3. When and how to calibrate a
thermometer?
4. Preventing temperature abuse
5. Importance of handwashing and
good personal hygiene
6. Proper handwashing technique
7. Personal habits
8. Cross contamination
9. Sources of contamination
Leading Factors That Cause
Foodborne Illness
● Time and Temperature Abuse
● Poor Personal Hygiene and
Improper Hand washing
● Cross Contamination
● Contaminated ready-to-eat
foods such as salad items and
processed meats.
● “It is extremely important that
you recognize these as major
contributors to food
contamination.”
What is Time and Temperature
Abuse?
● Controlling Temperature is
perhaps the most critical way
to ensure food safety.
● The term temperature abuse is
used to describe situations:
○ When food is exposed to
temperatures in the
danger zone - enough
time to allow growth of
harmful microorganisms
○ When food is not cooked
or reheated sufficiently
to destroy
microorganisms.
What should be done?
FOODS COLD, or DON’T KEEP
THE FOOD AT ALL!!!”
● Keep food above the
Temperature Danger Zone (135
F) to prevent harmful microbes
from growing.
● High temperature
kills/destroys the bacteria; low
temperature keeps it from
growing or multiplying/ slows
down growth.
● Keep food temperatures below
the temperature danger zone
41 F (5 C) to prevent most
microbes may or may not be
affected by heat.
● Unavoidable situations when
food must pass the TDZ
○ Cooking
○ Cooling
○ Reheating
○ Food Preparation
(slicing, mixing, etc.)
● Minimize the amount of time
foods are in TDZ
● minimize the number of times
food passes through the TDZ!
● Hot foods should be cooled
and reheated only one time
● Cooking and reheating are two
very important processes for
safe food management.
Food Thermometers
● Maintaining safe food
temperatures is an essential
and effective part of food
safety management.
● Food temperature measuring
devices typically measure food
temperatures in degree
Fahrenheit (°F), degree Celsius
(°C), or both.
Temperature Conversion
 ● °F to °C – Deduct 32, then
multiply by 5, then divide by 9
● °C to °F – Multiply by 9, then
divide by 5, then add 32
How to Measure Food Temperature
Accurately and Safely?
● Parts: Head, Stem/Probe,
Sensor
● Use a food thermometer that
measures temperature from 0F
(-18C) to 220F (104 C).
● Do not use mercury-filled/glass
thermometers
● Locate sensing portion of the
measuring device
● Calibrate using ice or boiling
point method
○ Clean and sanitize the
probe before using it
○ Measure internal
temperature by inserting
probe into the center or
thickest part of the food,
at least 2” deep
○ Wait for the temperature
to stabilize
Types of Thermometers
● Dial Faced, Bi-metallic – most
common type of thermometer
used.
○ Temp range is from
0F-220F or – 18C-104C
● Digital – displays temperature
numerically, easier to read and
measures a wider range of
temp than dial face
● Thermocouple – provides
digital readout of temps; has
different interchangeable
probes for diff applications
● Infrared – Measures the surface
temperature without actually
touching the food
● T-Stick – Single-use disposable
thermometer measures one
only temp. Wax coating melts
when the temp reaches or
exceeds a set point
● Built-In – Used to check temp in
refrigerated and frozen
storage
When and how to calibrate
Thermometers
● Before their first use
● At regular intervals
● If dropped
● If used to measure extreme
temperatures
● Whenever accuracy is in
question.
Preventing Temperature Abuse by
Following Safe Temperature
Guidelines
● Receiving and Storing Frozen
Foods
○ Food should be
maintained solidly
frozen at all times (below
0°F or -18°C all the time)
○ Temperature should be
at or below 41°F (5°C)
○ Receiving Foods (Frozen)
– Foods should be solidly
frozen at all times
○ Receiving Foods
(Refrigerated) – Foods
should received and
stored so that food is
always at or below 41’F
○ Raw shell eggs may be
received at 45’F or below
Preventing Temperature Abuse by
Following Safe Temperature
Guidelines
● Cooking Foods – Range of safe
cooking temperature varies
from 145°F (63°C) to 190°F (74°C)
depending on the type of food
 ● Cooling Foods – Cool foods
from 135°F (57°C) to 70°F (21°C)
within 2 hours and from 135’F
(57’C) to 41’F (5’C) within 6 hours
● Reheating Foods – Reheat to at
least 165°F (74°C) within 2 hrs
● Hot-Holding Foods – Foods
must be cooked to a safe temp
and held at greater that 135°F
(57°C)
● Cold-Holding Foods – All foods
that are held and served cold
must be held at 41°F (5°C) or
below
● Thawing Foods – Ref – 41°F (5°C)
or below – Microwave – Under
cool running water - 70°F (21°C)
● Food Preparation – Within TDZ
for a max time of 4 hrs.
THE IMPORTANCE OF
HANDWASHING & GOOD PERSONAL
HYGIENE
PERSONAL HYGIENE means good
health habits.
▪ Desirable behaviors: –
Knowing when and how to
properly wash hands
▪ Wearing clean clothing
▪ Maintaining good personal
habits
▪ Maintaining good health and
reporting when sick to avoid
spreading of possible infection
Hand Washing Guidelines
Wash hands
● Before food preparation
○ After touching human
body parts
○ After using the toilet
○ After coughing,
sneezing, using tissue or
handkerchief, smoking,
eating or drinking
● During food preparation
○ when switching between
raw and RTE products
○ After engaging in any
activity that may
contaminate hands
○ (taking out garbage,
wiping tables, handling
cleaning chemicals)
○ After caring for or
touching animals
● Use soap and warm water and
briskly rub hands together.
● Thoroughly rinse under clean
warm running water
● Dry hands using an electric
hand dryer or disposable
tissue.
● DO NOT use an apron or dish
towel!
PROPER HYGIENE
Observe personal hygiene:
▪ taking a bath
▪ brushing teeth,
▪ wearing clean clothes,
▪ hand washing –
▪ NOT eating, chewing gum or
smoking will preparing food
▪ Minimal or no jewelry allowed
▪ Report illness ASAP
CROSS CONTAMINATION
● The transfer of germs from one
food item to another through
contaminated hands,
equipment, or utensil
● From raw to RTE foods during
food preparation
● When raw foods are stores
above RTE in the ref
● Keep this in mind….
○ Always store cooked and
ready to eat foods over
raw products
○ Keep raw and RTE foods
separate during storage
 ○ Use good personal
hygiene and hand
washing
○ Keep all food-contact
surfaces clean and
sanitary
○ Avoid bare hand contact
with RTE foods
Preventive Measures to eliminate the
possibility of cross contamination
● Use separate equipment (color
coding)
● Use of clean, sanitized
equipment and utensils for
food production
● Preparation of RTE first before
raw foods
● Preparation in separate areas
of the kitchen
OTHER SOURCES OF
CONTAMINATION
● Foods such as fruits and
vegetables (soil,
microorganisms, chemicals)
● Utensils used to dispense and
serve foods
● Animals, rodents and pests –
Improper tasting of food
Following the Food Product Flow
Following the Food Product Flow
1. Recognize codes and symbols used
to designate food products that have
been inspected by government
agencies.
2. Apply purchasing and receiving
procedures that enhance the
protection of food products.
3. Evaluate and recognize proper
equipment and utensils used in the
flow of food from receiving to
preparation to service.
4. Used approved devices to measure
temperatures in food products safely
and accurately.
5. Recognize product defects and
refuse acceptance of products that
do not meet established food safety
criteria.
6. Identify internal temperatures at
receiving and storage
7. Discuss safe methods to thaw
frozen foods
8. Identify internal temperatures
requirements for cooking foods
Purchasing
● The first process prior to the
flow of food is purchasing
● Purchasing is a highly skilled
activity requiring knowledge of
products and market
conditions
● Objectives of purchasing
○ Buy the product that is
best suited for the menu
○ Buy the proper quantity
of the item
○ Pay the right price
○ Deal with only reputable
and dependable
suppliers
Purchase Specifications
● These are the guidelines that
detail the characteristics of a
product, which can be used as
a basis for evaluation
● These may be:
○ Quality grade, Weight,
Count, Contents,
Packaging

Sanitary Considerations on
Purchasing
● Buy from reputable suppliers –
reputable suppliers complies
with all applicable laws on food
safety; delivery trucks and
vehicles are clean
● Buy from approved sources –
those that employ high
technology methods that
would ensure food safety.
Food Flow Diagram
Receiving
● The first step in the flow of food
is receiving
● Receiving is a process where
food should be properly and
carefully observed for any
signs of dirt, discoloration,
damage and spoilage ▪
● Proper receiving procedures
will ensure the following:
○ Prevention of pilferage
(the action of stealing
things of little value)
○ Prevention of waste
○ Rejection of products
that do not meet the
specifications
○ Avoidance of getting
contaminated foods
● Employees should check items:
○ Sound condition
○ Free from filth or
spoilage
○ Proper temperature
Sanitary and Safety Considerations
a. Packaged Foods – packaged foods
are commonly heat processed and
hermetically packaged
● hermetically packaged -
completely sealing the
container to prevent entry and
loss of gasses and vapors
● A hermetic seal is an airtight
seal that is used to prevent
contaminants such as solids,
liquids, or gasses from
entering a package. ▪
● Modified Atmosphere
Packaging (MAP)
● A process whereby foods are
placed in containers and air is
removed from the package.
● Different gasses such as
nitrogen and carbon dioxide
are added to preserve the
package food.
● examples are frozen cuts of
meat and poultry
● Modified Atmosphere
Packaging is also known by the
terms gas flushing, reduced
oxygen packaging, or
protective atmosphere
packaging
Sous Vide
● French term for “ without air”
 ● Sous vide processed foods are
usually made of an entire
recipe of raw ingredients,
packaged and vacuum sealed.
● The whole pouch is then
minimally cooked under
precise conditions to destroy
germs, then blast frozen to
preserve
● Sous vide processed foods
must be kept out of
temperature danger zone at all
times, as this process does not
kill all potential pathogens
especially spore forming
microbes
Food irradiation
● Preservation technique used by
some food processing
industries
● Involves exposing food to
ionizing radiation in order to
destroy germs and delay
spoilage.
● Using of radiation is still
controversial
Receiving requires:
● Prompt handling
● Exacting quality control
procedures
● Trained staff who have good
judgment and experience in
interpreting:
○ Product specifications
○ Coding
○ Temperature
measurement
The following conditions must be
checked upon receiving
● leaks, bulges, dents, damage
along seams
● Broken seals
● Rust
● Missing or torn labels and
seals
● Expiration dates
● Temperature must be constant
and below 41 F/5 C
● Package directions should
include time and temperature
specs upon heating
Danger: bulges in cans – presence of
gas
b. Receiving Red Meat Products
● Primarily red meats come from
cattle (beef), Calves (veal), hogs
( ham, pork and bacon), sheep
(mutton) and young sheep
(lamb)
● Inspected for wholesomeness
by officials of the national
meat inspection
● Inspected before slaughter to
make certain they are free of
diseases and other
unacceptable defects
Signs to Look upon Receiving
● Product temperature should
not exceed 41f even if fresh
upon delivery
● Firm and elastic to touch
● No off odors
● No signs of sliminess
● Look for sign of freezer burns
(brownish, dried spots)
● Solidly frozen without signs of
thawing
c. Game animals
● Are not allowed to be served in
retail food establishments
unless issued a special permit
d. Poultry
● poultry includes chicken,
turkey, duck, geese and other
types of birds commonly used
for food
● Signs to look for in receiving
poultry:
 ○ Good over all shape and
appearance
○ Well developed layer of
fat in the skin
○ Meat is firm, not soft
○ No presence of slime
○ No foul odor
○ Wing tips should not be
discolored and dry
○ Area under wings should
not be sticky
○ 41f and below
○ If not frozen. Should be
delivered in ice with
proper drainage
e. Eggs
● Do not receive eggs that are
dirty, cracked or broken
● Cold to touch or 45F upon
delivery
● Buy only what is needed – good
for 1-2 weeks only (highly
perishable)
● When opened – yolk firm and
white clinging to the yolk
● Egg products are defined as
eggs without shells (formulated
to safeguard against
salmonella)- frozen, liquid or
dry- pasteurized, sealed and
41F
f. Milk and milk products
● The food group includes milk,
cheese, butter, ice cream and
other dairy products
● All milk products are
pasteurized (pasteurization
destroys pathogen and
reduces the harmless bacteria
thus rendering the product
longer shelf life)
● UHT is pasteurization using
ultra high temperature and
kept in aseptic packaging
● Cold and refrigerated
immediately upon delivery
● Check for expiration dates
● No strong odors and
packaging intact
● Butter should not have any
strong odor (rancid) with the
packaging intact
● Check for bulging and other
defects
● Milk and fluid products shall
be obtained from sources
approved by local health
authority.
g. Fish
● Mild smell of the sea
● Skin and scales should be
bright and intact
● eyes should be bright
● Gills are moist and red
● Firm and moist meat
● 41F
● Shellfish should be tightly shut
● RTE, raw , marinated or
partially cooked must be
delivered frozen
h. Vegetables and fruits
● Wash fruits and vegetables
before storage and handling to
remove soil and other
contaminants
● Don’t buy produce that is
bruised or damage
● Before selecting, give produce
a light squeeze
● Choose vibrant, colorful
produce
● Buy produce seasonally
● Separate your fresh fruits and
vegetables from your meat,
poultry and seafood
i. Juice and Cider Products
● Pasteurized juices have been
heat treated to destroy
 pathogens (germs) and
microbes that can make us
sick.
● Raw freshly pressed or
squeezed juices are not heat
treated and are described here
as unpasteurized.
○ cider is made from fruits
that are washed, cut and
ground into a “fruit
mash“. On the other
hand, fruit juice
undergoes filtration to
remove pulp and is then
pasteurized to extend
the shelf life.
● Vacuum sealed
● Expiration date checked
j. Frozen foods
● When shipping, frozen food
must be kept at 0°F air
temperature
● Check that food is covered or
packaged when it arrives and
that the packaging or covering
is not damaged
● check the 'best before' or 'use
by' date – if the 'use by' date
has passed the food must be
rejected.
● Check for Water in the bottom
of packages or staining from
water on packages- food
started to thaw
● Discolored frozen meat. Frozen
veggies that appear dull and
less vibrant than usual.
● Sticky or slimy food
-dangerous for consumption.
● Food smells odd or rancid
IMPORTANCE…
● All foods must be obtained
from sources approved by local
health authority
● Meats, meat products and fish
shall be procured from sources
under sanitary or veterinary
supervision.
● All meats and fish shall be
properly cooked before serving
● No meat products, fish,
vegetables and other food
sources shall be procured from
sources or areas known to
have been affected by
radioactivity
Proper Storage of Food
● Label food
● Rotate products to ensure that
the oldest inventory is used
first (FIFO)
● Establish a schedule to ensure
that stored product is depleted
on a regular basis
● When receiving new stocks,
make sure the older stock is
moved to the front
● Discard food that has passed
the manufacturer’s expiration
date
● Keep potentially hazardous
food out of the temperature
danger zone
● Check temperatures of stored
food and storage areas
● Store food in designated
storage areas
● Keep all storage areas clean
and dry
Type of storage: Dry Storage
● Dry, cool, and properly
ventilated
● Intended for nonperishable
foods that do not require
refrigeration.
● Separate food from cleaning
materials
 ● This is a method where food
items are kept in room
temperature (50-70F/1-21C)
● Usual foods that can be stored
here are canned , bottled and
preserved foods
● Windows not recommended as
the quality of food is reduced
by sunlight
● Located above the ground
Type of Storage: Cold Storage
● Refrigerator/ Chiller/ Freezer
○ Chest
○ Walk-in
○ Reach-in
○ Display
Refrigerated Storage
● This method is used to hold
potentially hazardous and
perishable foods for relatively
short period of time, usually a
few days
● It slows down microbial growth
and preserves the quality of
food
● 41F and below
Freezers
● Designed to keep food solidly
frozen
● Must be equipped with a
thermostat to keep track of
temperature
● If the freezer is not frost free,
regular defrosting is necessary
to ensure proper operation.
● Never refreeze
Important Consideration in any
Storage Area
● Foods and supplies should be
stored in an orderly and
systematic arrangement
● Containers should be dated
and placed in a tightly covered
containers
● Use FIFO
● Provide a chart
● Store foods at least 6 inches
off the floor
● Store foods with spaces in
between to circulate air
● Store food in slatted shelves
for proper air circulation
● If bulk items –transfer into
container with tight fitting lids
● Label all foods
Refrigerated and Freezer Storage
● Storage of perishable foods is
an important factor in their
safety and retention of quality.
● 40 to 45F holding temperature
for fresh fruits and vegetables
● 32-40 F for meat, poultry, dairy
products and eggs
● 0-20 F frozen products
● Should have thermometers
● Cooked foods should be
covered
Inventory Records and Control
● Receiving
● Storerooms Issues
● Perpetual Inventory-
○ Perpetual inventory is a
method of accounting
for inventory that
records the sale or
purchase of inventory
immediately through the
use of computerized
point-of-sale systems
and enterprise asset
management software.
● Physical Inventory
Preparation and Service
● the preparation of food in
most establishments may
involve many steps
● To ensure food safety, it is
better to prepare food in small
 batches to avoid wastages and
ensuring food safety
a. Ingredients Substitutions
● Not only can substitution save
the day when you lack an
ingredient called for in a
recipe, but it also enables you
to make a recipe better for you.
● The first motivation is to satisfy
dietary restrictions on specific
types of ingredients, such as
replacing meat based
ingredients for vegetarian
diets or replacing allergens
such as peanuts.
● The second is to modify the
nutritional contents of meals
(e.g., replacing high-carb
ingredients with low carb
alternatives).
● Each ingredient in a recipe has
a specific function -
Substitution of one ingredient
for another may alter the taste,
color, moisture content or
texture of the product.
b. Handwashing
Handwashing - first and important
steps
before a food handler handles food
● Before, during, and after
preparing food
● Before and after eating food
● Before and after caring for
someone at home who is sick
with vomiting or diarrhea
● Before and after treating a cut
or wound
● After using the toilet
● After changing diapers or
cleaning up a child who has
used the toilet
● After blowing your nose,
coughing, or sneezing
● After touching an animal,
animal feed, or animal waste
● After handling pet food or pet
treats
● After touching garbage
c. Avoiding temperature abuse
● Temperature abuse happens
when cooked food is left out at
room temperature for too long,
and the temperature of the
food drops into the
temperature danger zone.
● It occurs either because of
improper storage, cooking, or
reheating.
● Avoid time-temperature abuse
by practicing the following
procedures:
○ Ensure food handlers
know which food items
should be checked and
how often.
○ Equip each food handler
with the correct
thermometers
○ Record temperatures
regularly and keep a
written record of when
the temperatures were
taken.
d. Thawing
● Most food require thawing
prior to preparation
● Never thaw frozen food at
room temperature
● Thawing Food Properly
○ Place in the refrigerator
(2-3 days to thaw)
○ Submerge under
running potable water
○ Use microwave oven if
the food will be cooked
immediately
○ Part of the cooking
process
Factors Affecting in Cooling Food temperatures not lower than
● The thickness or density of the 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60
food being cooled degrees Celsius)and if possible
● The container in which the be placed over hot conveyor or
food is stored food warmer to keep it hot
Methods for Cooling the Food ● Cracked/ chipped glasses,
● Place food in an ice-water bath cups should be discarded
● Stir the food with an ice paddle ● Tongs, forks, spoons -Spatulas,
● Place food in a blast chiller scoops, and other suitable
Improper cooling utensils shall be provided and
● The number one cause of used by the employees to
foodborne illness in food reduce hand contact with food
establishments to a minimum.
General Rules for Holding Food
● Check the temperature of the
food
● Establish a policy to ensure
that food being held for
service will be discarded after
a predetermined amount of
time
● Prepare food in small batches
so it will be used faster
Cooking
● To make food more palatable
by changing its appearance,
texture, and aroma.
● Heats the food and destroys
microorganisms

Service
● Cooked food intended to be
served hot shall be kept at