Identify biological hazards in the kitchen.

Identification should include

• the “Big Six” pathogens responsible for food-borne illness (i.e., Norovirus, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Salmonella Typhi, E. coli, Shigella, and Hepatitis A)
• the contaminants and conditions that cause illnesses
• procedures used to avoid food contamination and prevent food-borne illnesses, including
  • observing proper personal hygiene and hand-washing procedures whenever handling food
  • washing raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly
  • cleaning and sanitizing cutting boards and knives used to cut raw meat and poultry immediately after use
  • defrosting frozen foods according to accepted procedures
  • exercising special care in mixing raw and cooked ingredients
  • separating the preparation of different types of foods
  • checking for the correct temperature of cooked products before serving, using a properly calibrated thermometer.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

• What are the causes of food contamination?
• Why should all employees understand what causes food contamination and food-borne illnesses?
• How are viruses different from bacteria?
• How can food poisoning be a life-threatening condition?
• How can poor food safety have a devastating effect on a food service operation?
• Why are proper hand-washing and personal hygiene procedures so crucial to food safety?
• Why should poultry not be washed before cooking?

Communication

• What types of communication can be used to teach employees about the dangers of food contamination?
• What types of communication can be used to remind staff of the steps to be taken daily to avoid food contamination?
• How can the importance of handwashing be continually emphasized?

Leadership

• What role does leadership play in creating a culture of proper sanitation?
• Why must leaders set standards for sanitary conditions?
• How can leaders verify that employees are doing their utmost to avoid contamination?

Management

• How can one monitor conditions to ensure that contamination is avoided?
• Why is management ultimately responsible for sanitary conditions in a facility?
• What may be the financial consequences of an outbreak of food-borne illness for a business and for the employees?

Teacher Resources:

• Culinary Arts Related Services Safety Checklists Links to an external site., NIOSH, CDC
• Foodborne Pathogens, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA Links to an external site.)
• Food Safety in Virginia Links to an external site., Virginia Department of Health (VDH)