Food Safety Articles

FOOD SAFETY: PREVENTING FOODBORNE DISEASE THROUGH PROPER COOKING, COOLING AND STORAGE RELATED TO DELTATRAK PRODUCTS

Foodborne disease from biological contamination can happen at any time during the food preparation process. The processes of cooking, cooling and storage are particularly susceptible to contamination as preparers are required to prepare, move and store food. This paper will look at the food cooking, cooling and storing stages within a restaurant environment and address how some specific bacteria, viruses, and parasites can thrive and exist at each stage. It will also detail important steps and tools available to eliminate this threat. more

FOOD SAFETY: WHAT IS SAFE FOOD

Safe food is defined as food free of contamination with contamination occurring at any point in the growing, preparing, processing, storing, selling or serving of food. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 70% of all foodborne disease is due to viruses spread by direct or indirect contact with infected individuals. The CDC further states that 5,000 people die each year from tainted food, 325,000 are hospitalized and 76 million people become ill annually from food contamination. From a fiscal standpoint that translates to U.S. $152 billion per year according to a report from the Pew Charitable Trust. more

FOOD SAFETY: SANITATION ISSUES, METHODS & SOLUTIONS

Foodborne disease on a global scale is very difficult to quantify however, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention announced in December of 2010 new estimates on foodborne disease illness, hospitalization and deaths. The CDC reports that approximately 48 million people fall ill with 128,000 requiring hospitalization and 3000 individuals dying each year. Additionally, a World Health Organization report in 2004 listed that disease associated with diarrhea was the 5th leading cause of death worldwide with the majority of those deaths attributed to food and water contamination. more

FOOD SAFETY: FOOD HANDLING PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS FROM DELIVERY TO CONSUMPTION

According to the World Health Organization industrialized countries are reporting that the percentage of their population suffering from a foodborne disease each year is up to 30%. Even if just a portion of that percentage is directly tied to unsafe food handling practices restaurants must be keenly aware of their safe food handling practices. The FDA reports that food being stored or cooked at improper temperatures & times was the number one food safety problem restaurants are failing to address. This was followed by chemical contamination, equipment contamination, poor personal hygiene, and inadequate cooking to round out the top 5 food handling food safety issues. more

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE 2011 CALIFORNIA FOOD HANDLER CARD LAW: NEW FOOD SAFETY TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION LEGISLATION (SENATE BILL 602)

Effective July 1, 2011 the state of California will require all employees that handle food in restaurants earn a California Food Handler Card. This legislation will affect more than 1.4 million food industry jobs. Senate Bill 602 is intended to benefit food facilities and their employees, boost consumer confidence and significantly improve food safety in the state. Similar programs have been successfully implemented in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Texas and Florida. A recent Florida study found that their program lowered cases of foodborne illnesses by an average of 7% per year or a total of 79% since the program's inception ten years ago. more

PATHOGENIC BACTERIA TESTING IN THE FIELD USING ENZYME DETECTION TECHNOLOGY: NO LAB NEEDED

Foodborne illness outbreaks and new estimates on foodborne disease from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, could possibly have been the impetus that spurred the recent passage of the food safety bill S. 510. As part of that legislation the FDA will be required to create new produce safety regulations for producers of the highest-risk fruits and vegetables. This heightened sense of urgency for safe food has food growers and processors reevaluating their options for testing food at the source or in the field. This paper will detail what bacterial testing technologies the food industry has available, how they work, how they compare, and present detail on enzyme detection based technology for bacteria testing in the field. more