Food-Service-Manual-for-Health-Care-Institutions

Food Service Manual for Health Care Institutions
392
Physical Contamination
Physical contamination is when objects such as stones, thorns, small animal bones, wood,
clothes, insects, insulation, plastic, bullets or BB shots, needles, human and animal hair, dirt,
glass, metal, fingernails, bandages, toothpicks, and jewelry are found in food. Finding these
objects in food may cause a psychological trauma or a physical illness or injury to the person.
Poor ventilation, poorly maintained facilities, and the use of broken or worn-out utensils and
equipment can also contribute to physical contamination. Improperly cleaned vents can blow
debris onto food. Leaking overhead pipes can drop moisture, metal, paint, or dirt into food.
Unguarded light fixtures can break, and glass can fall into the food. Artificial nails and nail polish
can come off in food. Gems from bracelets, earrings, and rings can fall into food. Foreign
material contamination resulting from employee sabotage is difficult to monitor. Unscrupulous
employees have placed a wide variety of foreign objects in containers in the past. Because of
terrorist threats and quality control, food service personnel, from the farm to the table, must
be diligent in their monitoring.
Physical materials in food may cause cuts, bleeding, infection, choking, broken teeth,
trauma (especially psychological), and in some instances surgery to remove the object. Much
of the physical material may come from broken dishes, machinery, packaging, improper processing,
nonsharp can openers, pallets, and employee carelessness.
According to the FDA, of all the thousands of complaints of foreign objects in food, 25
percent were related to foreign materials; about 6 percent resulted in illness or injury, with
glass, metal, and plastic being the most common foreign objects found.
Food handlers at all steps of food-handling processes must be trained. The equipment and
environment should always be clean. There should be strict policies and procedures concerning
the use of hair restraints and wearing of jewelry, artificial nails, and nail polish. Ongoing
monitoring is essential; immediate corrective action must be taken. (Check Food Code 2001,
U.S. Public Health Service, and FDA for a more detailed list.)
Sick Employees
Sick employees are also a concern in food-borne illness. Table 13.4 presents guidelines that
should be used in deciding whether to allow sick personnel to work in direct contact with food
(preparation or service.)
Thermometers
There are many different types of and uses for thermometers. In the production area, thermometers
are used in ovens, combination steamers, cook–chill equipment, deep-fat fryers, and
broilers. Thermometers are also necessary in refrigerators, freezers, dry storage areas, and the
general work and service areas.
A number of different types of thermometers can be used to measure temperature on
equipment: recording thermometers, bulb thermometers, and remote-reading thermometers.
Recording thermometers are mounted on the outside of refrigerators and freezers and continuously
record the internal temperature. Recording thermometers are also used with cook–chill
equipment. Bulb thermometers are the most common type to use when there is no built-in thermometer
in the door of the refrigerator or freezer. A bulb thermometer should be placed in the
warmest area of the unit. (Check the local public health rules and regulations.) Remote-reading
thermometers are placed outside of refrigerators and freezers and may be monitored in a central
control engineering area. These show the temperature within the refrigerator or freezer.
When manual thermometers are used, the temperature of refrigerators and freezers should
be recorded at least twice daily. It should be checked in the morning and in the evening.
A number of other thermometers can be used to test the temperature of food. The most
common is called a bimetal probe or dial-instant read with a dial that can be used to measure