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FOOD & BEVERAGE
The Importance of Avoiding
Cross-Contamination
by Rich Kussin & Lynn Helmers,
Procter & Gamble Foodservice
Though invisible to the human eye, bacteria are omni-present
in kitchens – both at home and in restaurants. They
can affect food taste, but more importantly they can also
impact the safety of the food we eat. Many bacteria live and can
grow very rapidly in food particles, especially in moist foods with
temperatures between 41 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Left untreated,
they can cause salmonella or E coli food poisoning and
other serious illnesses.
The best defense against the dangers of bacteria is a clean
kitchen. And while it’s extremely difficult to make cooking and
food preparation surfaces and utensils fully bacteria-free, there
are many steps foodservice professionals can and should take
to both reduce the amount of bacteria present, and lower the
likelihood of cross-contamination of bacteria between food ingredients
and prepared dishes.
First Line of Defense
Hands are one of the major causes of cross-contamination. Bacteria
that can cause illness are often present on hands, so it is
important to wash hands frequently throughout the day. Washing
hands before doing dishes helps to ensure that bacteria living
on hands are not transferred into the dish water. And, washing
hands after doing each task associated with food preparation
helps to minimize the transfer of bacteria from raw to cooked
foods, cold foods to hot and many more.
Hot and Cold
At the top of the list is making certain cooked foods and raw
foods remain separated. This means using different cutting
boards and utensils for cooked and uncooked foods during the
preparation process, and making sure to wipe prep surfaces clean
after every use.
Cleaning Sink - Be certain the water in the cleaning sink is
hot, ideally between 120 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot water
helps to break up baked-on, caked-on food particles and to melt
dried grease. This temperature is also necessary to activate the
grease cutting and cleaning chemicals formulated into dish detergents.
But chemicals added to the cleaning sink need to be strong
enough to get the job done, too. Detergents such as the professional
grade Dawn® Manual Pot and Pan Detergent include
exclusive surfactant and solvent systems that work together to
breakdown tough grease and clean more effectively. Dawn, for
instance, delivers longer-lasting suds. And since suds are the signal
of when it’s time to switch over the dish water in the cleaning
sink, long-lasting suds mean less sink-turnover and more efficient
dishwashing.
In this step of dishwashing, a brush or cloth may be used to
scrub food surfaces and completely remove all soils. However,
the brush or cloth must be cleaned between uses to clear food
particles that may become trapped in the bristles or fibers which
can cross-contaminate the next batch
of dishes.
Proper Storage
It is equally important to store foods properly, both in
terms of temperature and containers. Foods that are
meant to remain cold should be stored at temperatures
under 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Foods meant to be hot
should be held at temperatures above
140 degrees Fahrenheit. And all foods must be stored in foodgrade
packages, wrappings and containers.
Cleansing and Sanitation
The best method for cleansing and sanitization is a three-step
process. In restaurants, this is completed in a three-compartment
sink – in which one sink is dedicated to each step. And
while some products claim to clean and sanitize all in
one step, contentious food service pros continue
to stress the importance of separately performing
each step of the three-step process.
‘‘ …all foods must be stored
in food-grade packages,
wrappings and containers. ”
HOSPITALITY MALDIVES OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2006