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Category Archives: Food Safety
Top 5 Food Safety Questions from Day 2 NRA: Ask Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector
Day 2 at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show was a busy one at the Cambro booth. Our guest, Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector answered quite a few questions from booth guests and online posts.
Here are some of the most memorable questions. Ask your own question here: http://www.cambro.com/AskCambro or tweet us @cambro1 with your question.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Why can’t I re-use single use containers to store my food in if I keep them clean and wash them by hand? | 1. While washing by hand can help to prevent chemical and high temperature abuse, you still can’t use single use items to store food in. They are not durable, they may not be made out of material that is compatible with the foods you plan to store, and they are harder to clean. |
| 2. Do I need a hood if I am only using a conduction grill to re-heat pasta and sauce for individual immediate service to the customer? | 2. You may need to have a hood and it will depend on the local building department and public health agency. One thing to think about is that once the equipment is in the facility the use may change to something that would require a hood and so they may still require a hood just for that reason. |
| 3. Do employees have to wear sock in the kitchen? | 3. No. In fact the FDA food code doesn’t even require that employees wear clothes. However, all clothing needs to be clean and in good repair and hair properly restrained. Sock and proper foot cove3ring are OSHA requirements. |
| 4. Who do I talk to if a facility that is not a serving food doesn’t have paper towels in the public restroom? | 4. If the facility doesn’t take your concerns seriously you can always contact your local public agency since public restrooms regardless of if they serve food also have to be properly maintained. |
| 5. Do I have to wear gloves if I properly wash my hands. | 5. Yes, even if you properly wash your hands they can still have harmful bacteria or viruses that can be transmitted to food. In fact, the FDA food requires no bare hand contact with ready to eat foods. |
Shelving, Warewashing, Aluminum Foil – Ask Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector
Three key questions and answers on these issues featuring Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector.
Top 10 Food Safety Questions from Day 1 at NRA: Ask Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector
Day 1 at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show was a busy one at the Cambro booth. Our guest, Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector answered quite a few questions from booth guests and online posts.
Here are some of the most memorable questions. Ask your own question here: www.cambro.com/AskCambro or tweet us @cambro1 with your question.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. How long do you have to re-heat frozen soup? | 1. You have 2 hours to re-heat properly cooled items to 165 degrees. |
| 2. What can a facility do if their supplier insists on delivering their food when no one is at the facility? | 2. Don’t be afraid to ask your local regulator for help in getting the issue resolved since the supplier might be doing unsafe practices with other clients as well. |
| 3. Why as a US citizen am I subject to different food safety regulations from state to state? | 3. In the US state’s rights is a big issue and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)was passed in 2011 to help with this issue so food safety regulations can be more standardized all over the US. |
| 4. What is the number one concern in a restaurant for food safety? | 4. Personal hygiene (handwashing, barehand contact, ill employees, etc.) |
| 5. What areas in a restaurant are the biggest concerns? | 5. Handwashing stations and making sure employees had access to proper equipment. |
| 6. My facility uses a pizza wheel and then stores it on the counter for the next use is that ok? I was told it has to be stored in a sanitizer solution. What is correct? | 6. It is ok to store in-use utensils on clean, dry, cleanable surfaces so long as they are washed rinsed and sanitized every 4 hours. However, it would be better to store in an ice bath, under running water, under 41 degrees or above 135 degrees. Also, it is a violation according to the FDA food code to store in-use utensils in a sanitizer solution since you could introduce an unapproved additive to your food and it may not prevent bacteria growth within food particles. |
| 7. What types of things annoy inspectors during a food safety inspection? | 7. Be clean starting in the parking lot, be punctual, be honest, and correct repeat violations. |
| 8. I have grated cheese that I keep on ice, but I have a hard time keeping it below 41 degrees what can I do? | 8. This is a challenging issue for lots of facilities. Frist have the cheese tested to see if temperature control is required. Then make sure the ice bath has enough water to come in contact with the whole container up to the level of the food. Make sure the container is a good temperature conductor and is covered when not in use. Finally, make sure to have small quantities. |
| 9. What are the requirements to be a health inspector? | 9. It will change depending on different jurisdictions. However, most counties require a BS degree with 30 hours of science. |
| 10. Can I require an employee that wears a wig to wear a hair net? | 10. Yes the FDA food code states hair has to be adequately restrained and a wig is considered hair and can still introduce a physical hazard to the food. |
The Top Five Risks With Second-Hand Storage
Reusing those sour cream, cottage cheese and mayo packaging containers is standard practice at restaurants as well as at home, but there’s a list of reasons why you might want to reconsider reusing these. You may be saving money and doing a good thing for the environment by keeping them out of our landfills– but the benefits are not worth it once you understand how this puts your food at risk.
WHEN GOING GREEN GETS RISKY
Food packaging and containers have a prime function—to protect food during distribution until it reaches the receiving dock. Packaging materials are designed for one time use. They are designed to tolerate the type of food (acid, alcohol, or fat) that will be contained in them. No further testing or safety studies have been done for other types of food or for reuse of that container. For example, it would not be recommended to store diced tomatoes in a packaging container in which yogurt was shipped; that container is not designed to withstand the high acidity found in tomatoes.
The improper reuse of food packaging can also be a threat to health in many ways. Here are five examples just to name a few:
- HIGH HEAT – These containers will not tolerate high heat from commercial dishwashers and will deteriorate and break easily. Particles from the brittle plastic can end up in your food.
- HARSH CHEMICAL RESISTANCE – They are designed with limitations to harsh chemicals used during sterilization. The harsh chemicals can cause the plastic additives to leach into your food.
- FLAVOR TRANSFER – Additionally, some packaging materials allow certain chemicals to pass through them, transferring odors or flavors to other foods stored in the same area. Butter should never taste like fish. Just saying.
- WEAK MATERIALS – More importantly, these packaging containers are made from very soft and brittle plastic that is more prone to flaking, blistering, deformation, and melting.
- PLASTIC ADDITIVES IN FOOD – Transferred additives from the plastic can penetrate into the food and could compromise a person’s health.
To be on the safe side, it is good idea to instead use FDA approved NSF Listed food storage containers with lids. These take the worry away as they are designed to handle harsh conditions and chemicals often found in commercial kitchens. You would also be doing something good for the environment as you’ll get long-term use out of these and will not have to toss them out and have them end up in a landfill. Your customers and Mother Earth will certainly thank you for this.
Reusable Containers: A Food Storage Violation?
Shelly, the Friendly Health Inspector has been busy answering some really great questions – keep them coming – http://www.cambro.com/AskCambro.
Today’s Spotlight Question
“I operate several restaurants and I am visited by 2-3 health inspectors for my various locations. In one of my restaurants I was written up for a violation for reusing food packaging containers. You know, the containers that sour cream and cottage cheese are delivered in? I have them properly labeled so not sure why this is a problem.
The Inspection Report read:
Violation Code: 1750
- Manufacturer containers were observed reused for the storage of other foods.
- Discontinue the reuse of manufacturer containers for any food storage. Provide approved reusable food storage containers designed for your food storage needs.
The other health inspectors at my other locations do not have an issue with this. Can you tell me why?”
Shelly’s Answer
“While this is typically a non- critical violation, The FDA food code states that single use containers cannot be re-used and, in addition, food containers that are re-used have to be durable and easily washable. Therefore, containers that food was delivered to your facility in may not meet these requirements for re-use and when the original food is gone the containers should be removed from the facility. Food storage containers that are re-used can’t have 90 degree edges, threads or other designs that are considered hard to clean because they can harbor bacteria and viruses that can then contaminate the food.
Also remember that is an inspector doesn’t write it as a violation it doesn’t mean they are ok with the practice. They could have missed it, it wasn’t happening when they were there; they were focusing on other violations or critical violation, etc. In addition, it is possible your inspector noticed something that might cause an issue, such as deteriorated, severely worn out or damaged containers. If he/she noticed something that is putting your food at risk or not keeping food protected from bacteria they might have felt it was best to advise you of this before a becomes a more serious issue.
I would discuss this issue with your local inspector and explain your situation – or ask for clarification. To be on the safe side, it is good idea to instead use NSF listed food storage containers with lids. These take the worry away as they are designed specifically for use in commercial kitchen applications.”
Iced Tea Issues? Ask Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector
Shelly, the Friendly Health Inspector has been busy answering some really great questions – keep them coming – http://www.cambro.com/AskCambro.
Today’s Spotlight Question
“Just wondered how the iced tea in restaurants is tested because I’ve gotten sour tea several times from one restaurant in town.”
Shelly’s Answer
“Iced tea is not required to be tested in retail food facilities. They are however, required to clean the containers every 24 hours. You can always report unhygienic practices to the local public health agency and they will investigate your concerns.”
Masking Tape for Lunch? A Look at Non-Critical Violations
By definition a critical violation is something that a health inspector notices during an inspection that could potentially make someone sick. They include things like handling ready-to-eat food with bare hands or unwashed hands, undercooked meat, improper food holding temperatures, sick employees preparing food, and a host of other potentially hazardous problems.
Non-critical violations are those that are not directly related to foodborne illnesses, but they follow closely behind and can become serious problems if not corrected in a timely manner. We like to refer to these as “lurking” or “wannabe” critical violations waiting to happen. Enough of these and your restaurant will not make the grade, your operation will be hit with fines or even worse – cause someone a very serious health issue.
More hazardous than you think
Here are some examples of non-critical items:
Improperly calibrated meat thermometers – If an operator is using an improperly calibrated meat thermometer, parts of the food being tested can still be undercooked even when it’s registering a safe temperature. This is a concern because a thermometer, used correctly, is the best indicator of whether food has been cooked enough to kill bad bugs like Salmonella, Campylobacter, E.Coli and Listeria. According to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s International Food Safety Council, “the thermometer is the most important tool an establishment has to prevent time-temperature abuse, especially during receiving.”
Still think this is a non-critical violation…keep reading.
Improperly labeled Food Storage Containers – Guidelines surrounding how food is stored, and where it is stored apply to everyone, even at home. Each item in your walk-in refrigerator, freezer and your dry storage in a sealed labeled container with the contents and date received. The safest way to label food and containers is to use labels made especially for this purpose. Labels that are biodegradable will dissolve in under 30 seconds – leaving no sticky residue. Not only is it important that the contents which are being stored are accurately and legibly labeled, just as important are the types of labels being used.
Masking tape is not considered safe or consistent. Masking tape leaves behind a sticky residue and it can harbor bacteria. It’s not that we have anything against masking tape. We love masking tape! It’s great for painting, sealing boxes, paper mache projects…not great where residue can come into contact and contaminate food.
Watch this short video Clip on: Top 5 Ways to Improve Food Safety with Proper Labeling
Other non-critical violations include: Outdated operator permits, unclean floors, walls and ceilings. So unlike the name may imply, there’s nothing really Non-Critical about Non-Critical Violations!
Do you have a question regarding Non-Critical Violations? Ask a health inspector – click here!
Catch of the Day: Ask Shelly the Friendly Health Inspector
Shelly, the Friendly Health Inspector has been busy answering some really great questions – keep them coming – http://www.cambro.com/AskCambro.
Today’s Spotlight Question
“We have a restaurant in a Marina in Virginia…..if a customer brings in their own catch are we able to cook it for that particular customer only?”
Shelly’s Answer
“From a food safety and liability perspective it is not a good idea because you don’t know how that fish was handled before it was brought to your facility to cook. However, if you still want to offer this service you need to check with your regulatory agency to see if they will allow this practice in their area.”
Cambro Announces “Ask Shelly: The Friendly Health Inspector” Campaign
Cambro continues their steadfast commitment to Food Safety and launches their “Ask Shelly” Campaign that offers foodservice operators a chance to submit questions for advice from an Accredited Health Inspector and Food Safety Educator. Shelly Wallingford, an MS, REHS, Credentialing Coordinator with over 13 years of field experience.
Shelly, will be making a personal appearance and presentations at The NRA Show (National Restaurant Association) on May 18th and 19th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m to give Foodservice Operators the opportunity to ask their most pressing questions, share concerns, or vent in a risk-free, casual forum. NRA Show (McCormick Place) South Hall Booth #3224.
No Topic is Off the Table
Everyone benefits from Shelly’s expertise on everything from Best Practices for Caterers, Sanitation, Proper Storage and Potential Risk areas in the kitchen. Foodservice Operators can submit their questions ahead of time by visiting www.cambro.com/AskCambro. Foodservice operators are encouraged to ask any question, share concerns or consult about an issue they are experiencing in an anonymous, friendly and risk-free forum.
Promoting Food Safety through their StoreSafe program, Cambro will make this a multifaceted event, featuring online and on-site tips on proper storage, food transport Do’s and Don’ts, Common mistakes operators make, Daily Product Giveaways, StoreSafe Care Packs and an opportunity to meet with a Registered Health Inspector. This is an event you won’t want to miss!
Submit your questions here > www.cambro.com/AskCambro
About Cambro Manufacturing
For 60+ years, Cambro foodservice equipment and supplies have earned the trust and loyalty of customers and public health professionals alike because their products are designed with Food Safety in mind. Their StoreSafe® trademark has become synonymous with products and processes that reduce handling and points of contamination and are easy to clean, thereby helping foodservice operators manage a HACCP compliant kitchen.
Cambro offers a complete array of products ranging from shelving, storage containers, food holding and transporting equipment to warewashing products that ensure food safety, improve labor savings, simplify inventory management and reduce food waste. Cambro storage products meet HAACP guidelines and offer operators a variety of options for every application. www.cambro.com.
