Allergens focus of final lesson of National Food Safety Month

As September comes to an end, so does the 2014 National Food Safety Month, but food safety should be your focus every day as you run your restaurant. Each week in September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association has covered an important topic from ServSafe food safety and sanitation training course, using the theme, “20 Tips for 20 Years of National Food Safety Month.”  

Fifteen million Americans suffer from food allergies, so it is important for foodservice personnel to understand what the Big 8 are, how to avoid cross contact and how to identify an allergic reaction. The final lesson is about allergens and the Big 8.

A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly attacks a food protein (food allergen). While more than 160 food items can cause allergic reactions, just eight of those accounts for 90 percent of all reactions. These eight foods are known as the “Big 8.” They are: tree nuts, peanuts, soy, egg, milk, fish, wheat and shellfish.

Cross-contact is the transfer of an allergen from a food containing the allergen to a food that does not contain the allergen. One of the most important ways you can keep guests with food allergies safe is by preventing cross-contact. Read steps to avoid cross-contact here.

The NRA and the LRA partner to offer ServSafe Allergens, an online, interactive 90-minute training course to assist restaurateurs and foodservice personnel in understanding and communicating the risks associated with serving guests with food allergies. The course is just $22 and can be accessed here.

Finally, there are six key symptoms of a food-allergic reaction. Below is a quiz you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found at www.foodsafetymonth.com.

Proper hand washing focus of #FoodSafetyMonth Week 4

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA), in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, brings you the National Food Safety Month Week 4 lesson: Personal Hygiene, or more specifically, proper hand washing.

Last week, the LRA Education Foundation arranged for Pam Williams, a chemist with Auto-Chlor Systems, to provide a proper hand washing demonstration to the ProStart I and ProStart II classes at Grace King High School in Metairie.

Auto-Chlor Systems Chemist Pam Williams explains the proper hand
washing techniques to two ProStart I students. 

“Why is it important to properly wash your hands?” Williams asked. “When preparing and serving food, it is the most important thing you can do to reduce the spread  of infection and illness caused by harmful germs, viruses, fungi, protozoa and bacteria.”

Williams’ lesson included an overview of the three most common foodborne illnesses spread easily through unclean hands. “Bacteria are microscopic and some types that can cause food poisoning through cross-contamination by way of the hands are E. Coli, Staphylococcus Aureus and Salmonella,” she explained.

E. Coli illnesses and even deaths are becoming more and more common in the news. It is bacteria found in the lower intestine of people and animals and according the Centers for Disease Control, it can be spread by adults who do not wash their hands carefully, specifically those handling or surrounded by infants and toddlers.

Staphylococcus Aureus is a group of bacteria found on the skin, hair, and in the nose and throat of people and animals. Staphylococcus can cause food poisoning when a food handler contaminates food and then the food is not properly refrigerated.

Salmonella is a group of bacteria causing infection in the lower intestine and causes food poisoning when someone contaminates raw or prepared food with bacteria from hands and is then eaten. Some sources are raw, uncooked or unpasteurized foods such as undercooked chicken, unpasteurized milk or juice, raw fruits and vegetables.

After her presentation to the ProStart I class, Williams took two student volunteers to the hand washing sink and demonstrated the proper way to wash your hands. She then provided each student with a sample of GloGerm to rub on their hands and they were then charged with washing them using the proper method. After the students washed their hands, the lights were turned off and Williams and the rest of the class turned a black light on the volunteers’ hands to see how well they washed. The black light showed them where germs and bacteria still resided on their hands.

Since the ProStart II students had completed the first year of instruction and many of them are studying to become ServSafe certified, the GloGerm effect was less jarring. 

Here is an activity that you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found at www.foodsafetymonth.com under Activities.

This year’s theme is “20-Year Anniversary: Top 20 Tips,” highlights the best of best practices, or the most important aspects of serving food safely to the American public. 

#FoodSafetyMonth: Week 3—Time-Temperature Control

Each week during September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association, in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, brings you another best-of food safety lesson from the past two decades as part of National Food Safety Month. This year’s theme is “20-Year Anniversary: Top 20 Tips,” highlights the best of the best, or the most important aspects of serving food safely to the American public.

This week’s lesson is Time-Temperature Control. According to ServSafe, the industry gold standard for food safety and sanitation training, the only way to reduce pathogens in food to safe levels is to cook it to its minimum internal temperature. This temperature is different for each food. Once reached, you must hold the food at this temperature for a specific amount of time. If a customer requests a lower temperature, you need to inform them of the potential risk of foodborne illness. Also be aware of special menu restrictions if you serve high-risk populations.

While cooking reduces pathogens in food, it does not destroy spores or toxins they may have produced. You still must handle food correctly before you cook it.

How to Check Temperatures

To make sure the food you are cooking has reached the right temperature, you must know how to take the temperature correctly. Follow these guidelines:

• Pick a thermometer with a probe that is the right size for the food.
• Check the temperature in the thickest part of the food.
• Take at least two readings in different locations. 

Here is an activity that you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found at www.foodsafetymonth.com under Activities. 

Cross-contamination subject of #FoodSafetyMonth week 2

September is National Food Safety Month and the Louisiana Restaurant Association is covering an aspect each week of the best food safety and sanitation tips from past two decades. This year’s theme, “20-Year Anniversary: Top 20 Tips,” highlights the best of the best, or the most important aspects of serving food safely to America’s public.

The Week 2—Cross Contamination

In 2012, National Food Safety Month was focused on avoiding cross contamination with the theme, “Be Safe, Don’t Cross Contaminate.” Here is an activity that you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found in the activity section of www.foodsafetymonth.com. 

The LRA is your state approved trusted resource for all food safety and sanitation, alcohol server, food handler and allergens training courses. ServSafe Manager, the eight-hour course is required by the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. ServSafe Alcohol Training Online is required by the Louisiana Alcohol Tobacco Control. As a member of the LRA, you receive a significant discount on all ServSafe products.

#FoodSafetyMonth: Week 1--Cleaning and sanitizing

Each year since its inception 20 years ago, the Louisiana Restaurant Association has joined forces with the National Restaurant Association to promote food safety and sanitation principles during September, deemed National Food Safety Month. 

Each week during the month, we’ll bring the next lesson, which is based on the techniques and best practices from ServSafe, the gold standard for industry training for foodservice professionals, who serve millions of Americans daily.

Week 1—Cleaning and Sanitizing

Here is an activity that you can do with your staff. The answer key can be found in the activity section of www.foodsafetymonth.com

Restaurant industry annually devotes September to food safety

The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) joins with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in raising awareness about food safety during September’s National Food Safety Month. This year’s focus is on the campaign’s 20^th anniversary, with the theme: “National Food Safety Month 20-Year Anniversary: Top 20 Tips.”

 

Throughout the month of September, the LRA will focus on providing restaurant personnel with 20 years of evidence-based education, training and resources needed to make restaurant dining safer for customers.

 

Each week in September, restaurant owners and their employees will receive guidance and techniques from the LRA in its blog: http://lrablogs.blogspot.com, social media channels and its publications on these different topics:

 

• Week 1- Cleaning and Sanitizing
• Week 2- Cross-Contamination
• Week 3- Time-Temperature Control
• Week 4-  Personal Hygiene
• Week 5- Allergens

 

“In its 20^th year, the LRA recognizes now, more than ever, the importance of National Food Safety Month. We are happy to partner with the National Restaurant Association to share valuable tips with our members and the public at large, so that all kitchens are a place where food is prepared and served safely.” said LRA President & CEO Stan Harris.

 

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter with #FoodSafetyMonth. For more information and to view videos and activities, visit www.foodsafetymonth.com.

 

National Food Safety Month is sponsored by Anheuser-Busch InBev and SCA, makers of the Tork^® brand of away-from-home paper products.

20 years of food safety tips

Do you know the five steps to correctly clean and sanitize surfaces? Find out with tips, activities and resources during National Food Safety Month.

The National Restaurant Association recently released 20 food safety tips to mark National Food Safety Month, which takes place each September. The campaign aims to heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education.

NRA offers weekly educational activities to help restaurateurs reinforce food safety training on cleaning and sanitizing, cross-contamination, time-temperature control, personal hygiene and allergens. Operators can download free posters, quizzes and customizable promotional material.

The first week’s theme offers tips to safely clean and sanitize equipment and surfaces, including knives, stockpots, cutting boards and prep tables. It also discusses how often they should be cleaned, such as after use, before a food handler begins working with another food, or any time he or she is interrupted during a task.

National Food Safety Month's sponsors are Anheuser-Busch and SCA, parent company of Tork professional hygiene products.

“We work diligently to … help our customers understand the essential role hygiene plays in food safety and [ensuring] healthful environments for our industry’s employees and patrons,” said Suzanne Cohen, marketing director, foodservice, SCA Americas.

“We are proud to be a sponsor of the 20-year anniversary of National Food Safety Month,” said Josh Halpern, vice president, on-premise sales, Anheuser-Busch. “For more than three decades, Anheuser-Busch has been committed to promoting alcohol responsibility and this partnership is an example of our ongoing efforts.”

Final lesson of National Food Safety Month

Each week during the month of September, the Louisiana Restaurant Association has brought you different aspects of serving guests safely with food allergens. Based on the newly-released National Restaurant Association online training course—ServSafe Allergens—we’ve learned about the Big 8 and cross-contact, reading labels, preventing cross-contact in the front of the house, purchasing and transportation and finally, separation in equipment and storage.

One of the main ways to prevent cross-contact is to keep food and equipment separate. Use separate equipment and utensils when preparing food for people with food allergies, and store food containing food allergens separately from other food.

Equipment and utensils that have touched a food allergen can spread that allergen to other food. So it’s important to always wash, rinse and sanitize all equipment and utensils correctly. One extra step that can be taken is having designated equipment for food that contains allergens. This equipment should be stored separately and it should be labeled in some way to signify that it is only to be used on food allergens.

One common designation is to use purple-colored equipment and utensils for food containing allergens.

When storing food that contains food allergens, keep it separate from other food. A good way to do this is to store the allergen-containing food in separate, sealed containers. It should then be kept in a completely separate area from other food that does not contain allergens.

Visit www.foodsafetymonth.com for downloadable activities to help you and your staff understand the tenants of serving guests with food allergies safely.

Purchasing and transportation focus of National Food Safety Month Week 4

Part of the ServSafe Allergens training and the National Food Safety Month: Week 4 Activity covers the role purchasing and transportation plays in serving guests with food allergies safely. Special care should be taken to read the labels and prevent cross-contact when purchasing and transporting food.

Not all brands are the same. The same product can be made with very different ingredients by different companies. Additionally, food vendors can change the recipes of their items without notice. Therefore, it is always important to read labels when purchasing food. Some operations even use specialty suppliers to provide food without certain allergens.

Regarding transportation, it’s also important to ensure that there was no cross-contact when the food was being transported. Food items containing any of the Big 8 allergens should be packed separately from other food. For example, if a carton of eggs breaks and leaks onto a bag of lettuce below them, the lettuce will be contaminated by the eggs. Packages should be checked to ensure there was no damage or leakage during transport. Items showing damage or evidence of cross-contact should be rejected.

ServSafe Allergens is a 90-minute interactive, online course designed to educate front of the house and back of the house staff on the various techniques and actions to take when serving a guest with food allergies. For the $22 cost of ServSafe Allergens, you and your staff could prevent illness, even death and potentially negative publicity for your establishment.

Front of the house food allergens training is key to serving guests safely

By Wendy Waren, VP of Communications, Louisiana Restaurant Association

Since last week’s National Food Safety Month article, I’ve dined out with my co-worker with a gluten allergy. Her food allergy awareness is always top of mind at a restaurant and since I dine with her, it is for me as well. 

 

In preparation for our lunch meeting, I called ahead to let them know that a member of our party had a gluten allergy. In a perfect world, that call would have triggered a series of events that would have led to a really enjoyable dining experience. 

 

She notified the server who took our drink order that she had a gluten allergy. Another server came to take our order. When the questions about gluten-free options started flying, the second server didn’t have the knowledge and rushed off to the kitchen for answers. At this time, the first server returned and gave a rundown of what was gluten-free. 

 

“Try the chicken. It’s fantastic and gluten free,” the first server urged.

 

When the entrees were presented, my co-worker noticed that the garnish was flash fried and her entrée had to be removed. Again, there was confusion from a different server who questioned whether or not the entrée would be able to be eaten if just the garnish was removed. 

 

In Week 3 of National Food Safety Month, we’re exploring cross-contact and the front of the house operations. After taking the new ServSafe Allergens online course, I have a whole new appreciation for the front of the house staff’s role in serving guests safely with food allergies.  

 

Remember, cross-contact occurs when one food comes in contact with another food, and their proteins mix. It can also occur when the same equipment and utensils are used to prepare or serve food, such as scooping pine nuts, then raisins with the same spoon. 

 

Cross-contact can happen easily in the front of the house, especially if surfaces aren’t cleaned carefully. There are several things that you can do to keep your customers who have food allergies safe: 

• Even if a table was cleaned after the last guest seating, there may still be allergens on the surfaces. Start by removing utensils and other items from the table and then clean and sanitize it. Use a disposal paper towel, not the same cloth used previously. 
• Salt and pepper shakers, other condiments and sugar and sweetener packages can also be a source of cross-contact. They should be cleaned or removed from the table entirely. 
• Laminated menus should be cleaned on a regular basis. Guests with food allergies may also request to have them cleaned and sanitized upon arrival. 
• Work stations should be cleaned just as carefully as other areas to prevent cross-contact.

Following our meal, the chef made his rounds and visited our table. I walked back to the kitchen with him to let him know what we had experienced. He shared that there had been no communication with the kitchen about my co-workers food allergy and apologized profusely.

We took all the proper steps to ensure that the meal served was in fact gluten free, but the front of the house staff’s lack of communication with the kitchen resulted in a dining experience fraught with near misses and apologies.

ServSafe Allergens online training course is just $22 and the knowledge I gained was invaluable. The benefit for restaurant staff—both front and back of the house—saves time, wasted meals and possible negative publicity for any establishment.

Visit www.foodallergens.com to learn more.

 

What you don't know may make your guests ill



By Wendy Waren, VP of Communications, Louisiana Restaurant Association

Just this week, a friend of mine with a gluten allergy shared with me that she prepared a rice mix product for dinner that she thought was safe. Later that night she was so sick she thought she’d have to go to the emergency room. She found the package and while the ingredients list didn’t indicate a problem, a quick Google search revealed that the foreign rice mix may indeed contain wheat.

One of the most important things to do to prevent allergic reactions is to read the labels. The FDA requires that it be clearly identified on the label if a food item includes one or more of the Big 8 Allergens. For restaurants, reading labels is a vital step in the process of serving guests safely.

The labeling is acceptable if the common or usual name of an ingredient appears in the ingredients list. So if the ingredient is “buttermilk,” then it’s clear it contains the major food allergen “milk.” But sometimes it’s not so clear, and then the allergen’s food-source name has to be shown at least once on the food label. There are a couple of ways to do this: First, the label might list the common name of the allergen in parenthesis after its less common name and second, is a list of all allergens contained in the product in a single statement or a “contains” statement.

Allergens may also be hiding in labels under unfamiliar names. For example, milk may also be referred to as casein, lactoferrin or whey and eggs may be referred to as albumin, lysozyme or surimi.

With several friends and colleagues being diagnosed with a gluten allergy or sensitivity, I’ve really gotten a crash course in dining out with these types of challenges. Until I took the new ServSafe Allergens online course, I thought I had a solid handle on things, but I was wrong.

September is National Food Safety Month and this year’s theme is “Avoid a Reaction by Taking Action.” Food allergies go far beyond gluten or peanuts, and 90 percent of all Americans with them are allergic to one or more of what’s referred to as the Big 8, covered here.

National Food Safety Month-Week 2

This reading labels activity contains a list of the Big 8 and the unfamiliar names you may encounter. The activity sheet is really helpful particularly in the receiving area of a restaurant and for use in determining which food items containing allergens need to be separated from non-allergen foods.

A tragic story made national news this summer regarding the severity of peanut allergies in some children. A 13-year-old girl at a camp in California died because she ate a Rice Krispie treat she had no idea contained peanuts. Her last words to her mother were, “Mom, I’m sorry.” With 15 million Americans with food allergies and stories like this, now is the time to educate yourself and your staff.

Online allergens training to assist restaurants in serving guests safely

Just two weeks following the National Restaurant Association (NRA) launch of the online course ServSafe Allergens and one day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced requirements restaurants and food manufacturers who market food and beverages as “gluten free” must adhere to, Beckee Moreland led a session at the Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO in New Orleans about the same thing.

Moreland, the director of Gluten-Free Industry Initiatives for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, was in New Orleans exhibiting and hosting the Idea Zone Session, Top 5 myths restaurant should know about gluten-free menus. The myths include: gluten-free is a fad; if it doesn’t say wheat it’s safe; gluten-free foods taste like paste; gluten can be burned off on the grill, and you just need a chef who knows gluten-free requirements.

ServSafe Allergens online training is now available to assist restaurateurs
serve customers with food allergies safely.

Also, at the EXPO, the NRA team promoted ServSafe Allergens online, an interactive course which is designed to help restaurants capitalize on the 15 million Americans with food allegories, gluten among them. The online course covers such topics as identifying allergens, communication with the guest, preventing cross-contact, food labels and more.

During EXPO weekend, gluten-sensitive Angela Schuster, Regional Manager for NRA Solutions had the perfect opportunity in a New Orleans restaurant to educate the staff on why ServSafe Allergens training could benefit the restaurant and importantly, its patrons.

“I couldn’t have planned what happened better if I wrote the script,” said Schuster. “Seated at the bar for dinner, the bartender couldn’t tell me if bourbon was gluten-free as I reviewed the cocktail menu and the entrée I ordered had the starch substituted but that was not explained. When I asked what my starch options were that didn’t contain gluten, I was told the French fries and the risotto.”

She opted for the risotto and a few moments later, French fries emerged and the chef said, “Sorry, there’s flour in the risotto, but I brought you some of our hand-cut fries and our special malt vinegar aioli. She paused, feeling the situation was now getting beyond belief and informed him that gluten does not just refer to wheat, but rye and barley too. Malt vinegar is made from barley.

“The staff was so apologetic and embarrassed, and it made me feel terrible having to go to such lengths to make sure I didn’t get sick as a result of dining there,” said Schuster. “I did use the opportunity, albeit awkward, to share why it’s important for the entire staff to be trained in ServSafe Allergens.”

Many Louisiana restaurants she’s dined in, particularly those that scratch make most of their dishes, have easily accommodated her in the past. However, this summer she ate a well-known seafood restaurant in the French Quarter that brought her soy sauce laden tuna tartare, which the server and manager assured her was gluten-free. As a result of trusting them, she ended up sick. While there is gluten-free soy sauces, this particular soy sauce contained wheat.

September is National Food Safety Month and this year’s theme is “Avoid a Reaction by Taking Action,” centered around the need for more food allergy training in the restaurant industry and based on the ServSafe Allergens curriculum. 

The FDA has now added, “gluten-free” to the list of FDA-regulated claims and the new, standardized definition is expected to help up to 3 million Americans who have celiac disease, an autoimmune digestive condition that can be effectively managed only by eating a “gluten free” diet.

Foods that contain gluten trigger production of antibodies that attack and damage the lining of the small intestine. That damage limits the ability of celiac disease patients to absorb nutrients and puts them at risk of other health problems, including nutritional deficiencies, osteoporosis, growth retardation, infertility, miscarriages, short stature and intestinal cancers.

“Restaurants will be well-served to ensure they comply with FDA-defined claims,” said Dr. Joy Dubost, the NRA’s director of nutrition. “Working closely with suppliers is an important first step in developing menu options that qualify for gluten-free claims. If you are making gluten-free claims about any menu items, ask your suppliers to ensure they are providing grains or food components that comply with the new rule.”

According to the FDA final rule:

·         Foods that inherently do not contain gluten, such as raw carrots or grapefruit juice, may use the “gluten-free” claim.
·         Foods with any whole, gluten-containing grains, like spelt wheat, as ingredients may not use the claim.
·         Foods with ingredients that are gluten-containing grains that are refined, but still contain gluten, such as wheat flour, may not use the claim, but
·         Foods with ingredients that are gluten-containing grains that have been refined in such a way to remove the gluten, like wheat starch, may use the claim, as long as the food contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten, or has less than 20 milligrams of gluten per kilogram.

For more information about ServSafe Allergens online training visit foodallergens.com.

The Big 8 and cross-contact subject of National Food Safety Month, Week 1

“Avoid a Reaction by Taking Action” is the theme of the 2013 National Food Safety Education Month, an annual awareness campaign by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) in partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA).  Due to the 15 million Americans with food allergies, the campaign spotlights the communication, training and education needed to attract these diners (and their families) and more importantly, provide them a safe meal.

A food allergy results when the immune systems mistakenly attacks a food protein (food allergen). While more than 160 food items can cause allergic reactions, just 8 of those accounts for 90 percent of all reactions. These 8 foods are known as the “Big 8.”

Cross-contact is the transfer of an allergen from a food containing the allergen to a food that does not contain the allergen. One of the most important ways you can keep guests with food allergies safe is by preventing cross-contact.

Here are steps to avoid cross-contact:

• Wash, rinse and sanitize cookware, utensils and equipment after handling a food allergen.
• Wash your hands and change gloves before prepping food.
• Use separate fryers and cooking oils when frying food for guests with food allergens.
• Prep food for guests with food allergens in a separate area.

Here are a few True/False questions to test your knowledge:

1. It is okay to use the same spoon to scoop peanuts and greens at a salad bar. True/False
2. Do not bake chocolate chip cookies on the same baking sheet as peanut butter cookies. True/False
3. It is acceptable to handle a banana-nut muffin and a chocolate chip muffin with the same pair of gloves. True/False

The NRA recently launched ServSafe Allergens, an online, interactive 90-minute training course to assist restaurateurs and foodservice personnel in understanding and communicating the risks associated with serving guests with food allergies. The course is $22 and can be accessed here.

Visit LRAblogs each week for a new activity to train and educate you on properly accommodating guests with food allergies.  

 

Answers: #1 False; #2 True; and #3 False.

National Food Safety Month (September) focus on Allergen Training

This year’s annual National Food Safety Month (NFSM) spotlights the increasing importance of food allergen awareness throughout the month of September. This year’s theme is “Taking Action to Avoid a Reaction,” focuses on providing consumers and restaurant personnel with the evidence-based education, training and resources needed to make restaurant dining safer for the 15 million Americans coping with food allergens.

To enhance their safety whenever they dine out, the National Restaurant Association has partnered with Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) to create greater public awareness as well as an entirely new training program for all foodservice workers—ServSafe Allergens Online Course.

“As restaurants encounter more and more individuals with specific food allergies and sensitivities, ServSafe Allergens could not have come at a better time,” said Wendy Waren, VP of Communications, Louisiana Restaurant Association. “With three co-workers that have food allergies, I’ve seen firsthand the need for restaurant staff—front and back of the house—to be trained to properly handle patrons with allergens.”

Weekly training activity areas communicate concepts clearly and quickly to employees, and can be completed in less than 10 minutes. Week 1 covers the Big 8 and Cross Contact; Week 2—Reading Labels; Week 3—Cross-Contact: Front of the House; Week 4—Purchasing and Transportation; and Week 5—Separation in Equipment and Storage.

SCA, makers of the Tork brand of away-from-home paper products, are sponsoring this year’s NFSM and will be giving away 500 certificates for individuals to receive complimentary access to the ServSafe Allergens course—100 will be awarded each week throughout September. Visit www.foodsafetymonth.com each week for details on how you can win a free course.

Food Safety Month concludes, but is a year round practice for restaurateurs

This week is the final one for the annual September is National Food Safety Month awareness campaign. Although we focus on food safety during September, it is a daily practice for every restaurant. Preventing foodborne illnesses is of the utmost importance for the Louisiana Restaurant Association and for restaurants, as only one outbreak can be dire for the future of an establishment.


Week 5 of National Food Safety Month focuses on
cross-contact of food allergens to prevent illness.

We’ve explored the theme, “Be Safe, Don’t Cross Contaminate,” each week this month beginning with personal hygiene practices that prevent cross contamination. The second week’s topic was focused on proper hand washing, followed by week three with cleaning and sanitizing practices to prevent cross contamination. During week four, we discussed preventing cross contamination during storage, preparation and cooking.

During the final week of NFSM, we’ll explore a topic that is increasingly a challenge for many Americans—food allergens. A food allergen is a protein in a food or ingredient that some people are sensitive to and occur naturally. When enough of an allergen is eaten, an allergic reaction can occur. You must make sure that allergens are not transferred from food containing an allergen to the food that is to be eaten. This is called cross-contact.

Here’s how cross-contact can occur:

• Cooking different types of food in the same fryer oil
• Putting food on surfaces that have touched allergens
• Not washing, rinsing and sanitizing utensils

Steps to avoid cross-contact include:

• Wash, rinse and sanitize cookware, utensils and equipment after handling a food allergen
• Washing your hands and change gloves before prepping food
• Use separate fryers and cooking oils when frying food for customers with food allergies
• Prep food for customers with food allergies in a separate area from other food
• Label food packaged on site for retail sale. Name all major allergens on the label and follow any additional labeling requirements

Be aware of common allergy symptoms and common food allergens. The symptoms include: nausea, wheezing or shortness of breath, hives or itchy rashes, swelling of various parts of the body like the face, eyes, hands or feet, vomiting and/or diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Common food allergies include: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts and pecans.

Through ServSafe, a nationally-approved and recognized, good standard curriculum for food safety and sanitation, the LRA has trained thousands of restaurant and foodservice employees.

To register for a ServSafe course, click here. Classes are offered across Louisiana.

Food Safety Month, Wk.4: Preventing Cross-Contamination during Storage, Prep & Cooking

We’re now in week four of the National Food Safety Month awareness campaign, started in 1994 by the National Restaurant Association, to raise awareness of the importance of food safety. In partnership with the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA), we’ve been sharing the various ways to prevent foodborne illnesses through cross contamination each week in September. This year’s theme is, “Be Safe, Don’t Cross Contaminate.”

This week will explore how to prevent cross-contamination during storage, preparation and cooking.

Pathogens can move around easily in your home kitchen or a restaurant’s kitchen. Cross contamination can happen at almost any point in the flow of food. Knowing how and where it can happen is the key to prevention. The most basic way to prevent cross contamination is to keep raw and ready-to-eat food away each other. Here are some guidelines:

Storage
Keep all storage areas clean and dry. Food must be stored in ways that prevent cross contamination.

• Store all items in designated storage areas
• Store items away from walls and at least six inches off the floor
• Store single-use items (e.g. a sleeve of single-use cups) in original packaging
• Store food in containers intended for food that have been cleaned and sanitized
• Use containers that are durable, leak proof, and able to be sealed or covered
• Never use empty food containers to store chemicals, and never put food in empty chemical containers
• Store dirty linens away from food
• Clean dollies, carts, transporters and trays often
• Wrap or cover food. Store raw meat, poultry and seafood separately from ready-to-eat food. Make sure packaging does not leak.

If raw and ready-to-eat food cannot be stored separately, it advisable to store ready-to-eat food above raw meat, poultry or seafood. This will prevent juices from raw food from dripping onto ready-to-eat food. Store raw meat, poultry and seafood in coolers in the following top-to-bottom order: seafood, whole cuts of beef and pork, ground meat and ground fish, who and ground poultry.

Preparation and Cooking

Use separate equipment when handling different types of food. Colored cutting boards and utensil handles are good ways to help keep equipment separate.  The color tells the food handler which equipment to use with each food time. An example is using red for raw meat and green for vegetables.

• Prep food at different times when using the same prep table. For example, by prepping ready-to-eat food before raw food, you can minimize the chance of cross contamination.
• Clean and sanitize work surfaces and utensils after each task. This includes thermometers.
• Buy food that doesn’t require much prepping or handling. For example, buying chopped lettuce instead of chopping it yourself reduces the risk of cross-contamination.

This lesson is part four of a five part series. Week One's lesson was Personal Hygiene, Week Two's lesson was How to Prevent Cross-Contamination through Hand washing, and Week Three's lesson was Cleaning and Sanitizing to Prevent Cross-Contamination.

Through ServSafe, a nationally-approved and recognized, good standard curriculum for food safety and sanitation, the LRA has trained thousands of restaurant and foodservice employees.

To register for a ServSafe course, click here. Classes are offered across Louisiana.