Navigating the Latest Listeria Outbreak
Lauren Larson2024-02-09T16:09:15+00:00I am starting to feel like a member of the Bad News Bears, the guy that is always focused on the negative. You might [...]
E. Coli Outbreaks, The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Food Safety Experts2024-01-03T22:58:00+00:00Late in December, in response to possible E. coli contamination, we saw a recall issued for 7,000 pounds of ground beef. While 7,000 pounds [...]
UNDERSTANDING TIME AS A CONTROL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH
Michelle Greenwood2023-12-20T21:35:33+00:00Much of our business that revolves around food safety is governed by temperatures. The endpoint cooking temperature of ground beef, the hot holding temperature [...]
RETHINKING THE RINSE: WHY WASHING POULTRY ISN’T SO WISE
Michelle Greenwood2023-12-20T21:33:27+00:00As November rolls around, we generally start to shift our focus to Thanksgiving and the busy holiday season. When I was in operations, our [...]
Does Temperature Really Matter when Washing your Hands?
Food Safety Experts2023-02-14T15:43:31+00:00In January, I reviewed the changes to the 2022 Food Code in my blog (check out Part I and Part II), and one change to the food code that I had mentioned, but didn’t discuss in-depth, was the change that lowered the water temperature a hand sink was required to produce to 85°F, as noted in Section 2-202.12 of the code. This requirement has been in place since the publishing of the 2001 Food Code, which required a water temperature of 100°F. Prior to this, 110°F was required (see the 1999 Food Code). So why the change and does water temperature when washing your hands really matter?
Hand sinks: Often Taken for Granted, but an Essential Part to Effective Hand Hygiene
Food Safety Experts2023-02-14T15:42:27+00:00Late in January, I received a question about hand sinks in a foodservice operation. The question pertained to school staff (teachers and aides) who were using a hand washing sink in the school kitchen. The question came as a matter of who was allowed access to the kitchen to use the sink, but the question itself caused me to go down a rabbit hole of requirements for hand washing sinks in foodservice operations.
Hot off the Press: The 2022 Model Food Code has been Released! Part Two.
Food Safety Experts2023-01-09T22:00:16+00:00Earlier in the month, we started a discussion about the changes to the 2022 Food Code. If you missed that post, late in December 2022, the Food and Drug Administration released the 2022 Food Code and I wanted to highlight a few of the changes that have been made to the code.
Hot off the Press: The 2022 Model Food Code has been Released! Part One.
Food Safety Experts2023-01-09T21:57:28+00:00It has finally arrived! Yes, the new year has arrived – but I was not referring to it. I was referring to the new 2022 Model Food Code (10th edition) that has been released by the Food and Drug Administration. I thought I might take this blog and the next blog to discuss some of the changes that have been made to the Food Code that you might see coming your way in the next few years.
Exclusion and Restrictions: Understanding Employee Health and the Food Code
Food Safety Experts2022-12-12T18:58:53+00:00I received a call earlier in the month from a foodservice operator who suspected that one of their employees may have fallen ill and wondered if they had to send the employee home for the day. Once I started to ask a few more questions, it became obvious that the operator wasn’t really in-tune with the food code requirements on restrictions or exclusions for employees who may not be feeling well. Given that most operations are dealing with staff shortages currently and the fact that we are about to head into the fall and winter – when we tend to see an increase in upper respiratory and other illnesses, such as the flu - it seemed like a very timely and important topic for the blog this month.
