Safe Food Handling for Occasional Quantity Cooks

Food is typically served at special events like weddings, reunions, and fund-raisers. When an event occurs that requires quantity food service it is critical that food be handled safely to prevent foodborne illness. The volunteers who prepare, serve, or otherwise handle food at any event should understand and practice safe food handling procedures. Proper personal hygiene and proper cooking, cooling, and storage procedures are critical. If any of those procedures are not done properly, contaminated food could make many people sick. Guidelines for Safe Food Handling

• Clean –Wash hands in warm, soapy water for 20 seconds before handling food and whenever there is an interruption in food preparation. If there is a cut on your hand, use a bandage and plastic gloves after washing your hands. Wash any surface that comes in contact with food — cutting boards, dishes and countertops — with hot, soapy water before and after preparing each type of food. Then sanitize the food-contact surfaces. Chlorine bleach is an effective and inexpensive sanitizer. One tablespoon of chlorine bleach in a gallon of water meets the United States Public Health Service’s recommended levels of hard surface sanitation. Allow surfaces to air-dry.
• Avoid Cross-contamination – When shopping for food, keep all raw meat, poultry, and seafood separate from other foods in the shopping cart. When storing food in the refrigerator, place ready-to-eat food like raw vegetables on the top shelf of the refrigerator. Store foods that will be cooked below ready-to-eat foods. Prepare and store all ready-to-eat items first. Next, prepare all items that are to be cooked. Plan for adequate storage to keep hot food hot and cold food cold.
• Cook – Make sure all food is cooked to the recommended safe temperature. Verify the temperature of the food by inserting a bi-metallic stemmed thermometer stem into the thickest part of the product (usually the center). Avoid touching the pan with the thermometer. The food temperature will be displayed on a dial in about 15 to 20 seconds. Do not partially cook food and wait to finish cooking it later. Harmful bacterial can grow this way. Instead, completely cook the food. Be mindful of the fact that food may take longer to cook if cooking large volumes. Plan accordingly. If food will not be served right away, keep it hot (at least 135°F) or divide it into small portions and cool it immediately. When reheating make sure the food temperature reaches 165°F.
• Chill – Cold temperatures keep harmful bacteria from multiplying. Do not keep perishable food out of refrigeration for more than two hours. (If the outside temperature is 90°F or hotter, this recommendation becomes one hour). If it is going to be more than two hours before a cold food is served, keep it at a temperature of 41°F or lower. Because it takes too long to cool down large volumes of food, divide food into small, easy-to-cool portions.