5 Most Common Risk Factors for a Foodborne Illness Outbreak

Keeping food safe requires training and attention to details! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the causes of most foodborne illnesses include unsafe food sources, time/temperature abuse, improper cooking, poor personal hygiene, and contaminated equipment. What are some steps that you can implement to lower the risk in retail foodservice operations?

Purchasing Food from Unsafe Sources

Where you source your food ingredients from is a key part of your operation's food safety. Restaurant operators have many options and sources for purchasing food ingredients. Understanding those sources can help prevent contaminated or unsafe products from entering their operations. Numerous outbreaks have been associated with the source of the food products. Knowing and using a trusted supplier will lower the risk of contaminated food ingredients. Commercial foodservice distributors sell directly to the retail/foodservice industries, providing perishable, frozen, and dry foods, as well as other necessities. These foodservice distributors are licensed and inspected within the state(s) in which they conduct business. Produce and meats can be sourced locally as long as they meet state or federal regulations. Produce can be purchased directly from growers/producer. Buying direct from the grower/producer should be done with some caution to ensure the products you purchase are not at risk for contamination. Selecting growers/producers that utilize a food safety plan and follow appropriate good agricultural practices, along with proper state or federal certifications, would be considered an approved supplier.

Controlling Time and Temperature Abuse

Time and temperature abuse of Temperature Controlled for Safety (TCS) foods are the leading cause for most foodborne illnesses. Developing proper handling practices for TCS foods and ensuring ongoing training for employees are significant steps toward preventing this from happening. Developing practices to monitor these foods from receiving, holding, and throughout service are important food safety practices. Begin with the monitoring and recording of all TCS foods by assigning trained employees. Upon receiving of deliveries, inspect those TCS foods, verifying they were received at appropriate temperatures for delivery, and reject any items not meeting approved temperature ranges. Monitor all holding equipment, including refrigerators and freezers, on a daily basis. Develop a schedule for the monitoring and record the temperatures on a daily log sheet. Verify the tasks are being completed by reviewing the log sheets each day.

Failing to Cook Food Correctly

Food that must be cooked prior to serving must reach an internal temperature that is sufficient to destroy harmful pathogen bacteria (i.e. Salmonella) that may be present on the food. Utilizing and implementing proper procedures for taking internal temperatures of all cooked foods prior to serving will eliminate the risk of undercooked food being served. The FDA Retail Food Code lists minimum internal temperatures for various foods. Review those temperature guidelines with those who are cooking the food. In addition, monitor staff to ensure appropriate practices are followed when internal temperatures are measured.

Practicing Poor Personal Hygiene

Employee wellness and good hygiene practices are essential to a successful food safety plan in your operation. Establish policies addressing worker health and hygiene by identifying specific practices employees must follow before coming to work and while on the job. Review your health and hygiene policy frequently with employees. Document employees who have called off work due to illness. Discuss the use of gloves and the importance of proper hand hygiene policies. Monitor your employees' actions and identify and correct deviancies with training.

Cleaning and Sanitation

Preventing the use of contaminated equipment is best managed by developing a master cleaning schedule. Developing a master cleaning schedule is necessary to ensure the operation is being cleaned and sanitized appropriately. Verify that sanitation procedures, whether chemical or heat-based, are working by having employees record the sanitizer concentration or the heat temperature on a daily log sheet. The use of color-coded brushes and mops can help minimize the spread of cross-contamination by assigning them to specific high-risk areas of the operation. Conducting an in-house inspection of the facility for the cleanliness of equipment and food-contact surfaces before opening each day can help identify where training and additional resources may be needed to ensure your operation remains clean.