week one

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week one

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General Prevention Tips

Below are some general tips and best practices to keep food preparation and storage sanitary and safe...

» Establish and follow a HACCP system

» Be aware of the people that are more susceptible to contracting a foodborne illness:

-	Young children
-	Pregnant women
-	Elderly
-	Those who are sick, taking medications or have weakened immune systems

» Know those foods that are potentially hazardous

» Control time and temperature - do not keep foods in the Temperature Danger Zone (40° - 140° F) for longer than four (4) hours

» Practice good personal hygiene:

-	Wash your hands well! Suds up for at least 20 seconds (hum Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star) and rinse well. And remember to use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door!
-	Do not allow eating, drinking and smoking in the food preparation areas (It can lead to cross-contamination)
-	Prevent sick people from working with the food.
-	Cleanliness is next to Godliness! Keep yourself clean (ya know, shower, wash your hair, etc.)

» Trust who you buy your food from! If you find that your grocery, market or vendor is not practicing safe food handling (i.e., holding and transporting foods at the correct temperatures), then you really want to start shopping around for another one. Many times you could prepare the food properly, but if it was abused during shipment then it could lead to an illness. Generally speaking, keep an eye open where you shop and observe how the employees handle the food.

» Store foods properly. Don't store chemicals and foods together and store foods at the proper temperature. (Don't worry, there is more in week 2!)

Again?

Germ Warfare	Back to Week One
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