Foods Backpack

A Food borne illness is any illness caused by consuming foods or beverages contaminated with disease-causing microorganisms, hazardous chemicals or physical hazards. A food borne disease outbreak is when two or more people have the same illness after eating the same food. The food service industry regularly experiences tremendous financial losses due to food borne illness. Such losses can be significantly reduced, however, through knowledge and education.

Food borne illness and outbreaks are associated with such behaviors as poor personal hygiene, time and temperature abuse and cross contamination. These topics will be discussed in a later section. A food handler must report to their employer if they are diagnosed with,exposed to or exhibiting symptoms from Norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp. or shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli.

When a food handler becomes ill, proper precautions must be taken. To ensurethe safety of the consumers, the manager of the establishment will either restrict or exclude the ill food handler. Restriction is when a food handler(who does not serve highly susceptible populations) is allowed to work in the food establishment but is not allowed to perform tasks that would cause contamination of food or utensils. Exclusion is when a food handler is not permitted to work in a food establishment until they provide a written release from the proper authority.

The employer shall restrict food handlers that have been diagnosed with the following diseases: sore throat with fever, lesions containing pus, an infected wound, or discharges from the eyes, nose and mouth. Employees exhibiting these symptoms must report them to their employer.The employer shall exclude food handlers that have been diagnosed with the following diseases: Norovirus, hepatitis A virus, Salmonella typhi, Shigella spp. or shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Employees exhibiting these symptoms must report them to their employer.

There are additional requirements for contacting ready-to-eat foods with bare hands. Food handlers may contact ready-to-eat food with their bare hands if documentation is kept, that the food handler has signed, stating that they have received training on hand washing and additional control measures and that the establishment requires that employees must utilize two or more safeguards. These safeguards include double hand washing, nail brushes, hand sanitizer (antiseptics) after hand washing, incentive program or other approved control measures. These safeguards, however, are in addition to proper hand washing.

Documentation must be maintained at the food establishment that corrective actions are taken when any of the food borne illness, good hygienic practices or bare hand contact of ready-to-eat rules are not followed. In Texas it is best to be aware of these protocols by obtaining your Texas Food Handlers Certification and Food Handler Permit Texas.

Food processors started to make their appearance way back in the early sixties. Since then this product has steadily grown in popularity up to a point where the food processor has become an essential component for many modern cooking methods. Chefs have created countless delicious recipes through the use of this appliance. The food processor is a kitchen aid that no cook can do without.

A necessity in every kitchen

Considering how much time and labor is spent when using the traditional methods of chopping, grating and kneading, it has become very difficult indeed for the modern parent to prepare a decent home cooked meal. As most parents opt for having careers rather than staying at home, cooking time has become very limited. The repetitive action of chopping, shredding, pureeing or slicing is enough to make any working person disgruntled and run off to the nearest fast food outlet.

The food processor has virtually eliminated all the labor involved and has cut down on the preparation time. Modern chefs make extensive use of food processors. The appliance has become such a necessity that it can no longer be seen as a showpiece item that will only be used occasionally.

Virtually every single food program on television will show the chef armed with a chefs knife and a food processor. This has increased the usage of the appliance even more as most of these dishes are designed for the home cook. The creation of wholesome, nutritious and delectable dishes have become a breeze and done in no time at all. This is precisely what the home cook requires and is difficult to achieve without the use of a food processor.

How does it work?

A food processor is an electrical appliance that is made up of a mixing bowl and a range of blades and disks. The mixing bowl would ideally be able to hold 9 cups as the processing of liquids just about cuts the capacity in half. The feeding tube on the lid should wide enough for larger pieces of food. The processors are fitted with a safety feature and will only start processing once the lid and bowl is locked and sealed.

These safety features are a requirement and apply to all makes of food processors. Some of these appliances are fitted with suction pads at the base to prevent the machine from moving around during processing. There are basically two types of blades that come with the processor. The essential ones are the s-shaped stainless steel blade and the plastic blade. The stainless steel blade can be fitted at the bottom of the bowl to allow for easy chopping, shredding, mixing or blending of vegetables and meat. The plastic blade is mainly for mixing bread and pizza dough. The two disks that usually come with a food processor are designed for slicing and grating purposes.

The slicing disk has various thickness settings. Disks used for grating purposes also come in different sizes. The processor is usually fitted with more than one speed option. The pulse controls come in very handy when making bread or pizza dough, as it will help to create a perfect texture and not over mix it. A citrus press for juicing oranges, limes or grapefruit and an egg whip that can be used for baking purposes are other essential attachments. Some food processors have extra or optional features and attachments that could be useful for certain people depending on what their requirements are.

A mini processor that can be used for grinding spices like cardamom and cinnamon stick is quite a nifty attachment. It can also be used for chopping smaller quantities of vegetables, fruit or herbs. Appliances fitted with touch pad controls prevent any liquids from entering the panel and can therefore be easily cleaned. Another handy option is the chute that leads to another bowl. Large amounts of food can be processed without stopping as it simply enters into another bowl when the main one starts filling up.

Be selective when purchasing a processor

These options are useful but not always necessary as it can affect the price when purchasing a food processor. Investing in a good quality food processor can become a costly affair, but a food processor can save time and help to create healthy and delicious dishes in no time. If you do have a family and prefer home cooked meals then a food processor will be a worthwhile investment.

If you do not have a family to entertain on a regular basis, then you will be able to prepare gourmet dishes at a fraction of the cost with a good food processor. The range is wide and varied and will certainly meet all requirements for the ardent home cook.

Understanding food safety techniques first requires an understanding of key terms and concepts. This article will define and explain some of the most important terms you need to know to keep you and your family healthy.

BACTERIA: Microorganisms that can cause food borne illness and food spoilage. Bacteria are more commonly involved in food-related illness than viruses, fungi, or parasites. Some bacteria spores can survive freezing and high temperatures.

CONTAMINATION: The presence of harmful substances in food. Some contamination occurs naturally. Some may be introduced by humans or other environmental agents.

CROSS-CONTAMINATION: When harmful substances or bacteria is physically transferred from one source (e.g. human) to another.

FOOD CONTACT SURFACE: Any surface that touches food.

FOODBORNE ILLNESS: Sickness or disease transmitted to people via food.

FUNGI: Molds and yeasts are examples of fungi. Fungi can range in size from microscopic single-celled organisms to large, multi-cellular organisms. Fungi are often the cause of food spoilage.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Programs to prevent pests from infesting food sources and serving establishments and measures to eliminate any pest intrusions.

MICROORGANISMS: Tiny living organisms that can be seen using a microscope.
The four types of microorganisms that can contaminate food and cause food borne illness are bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.

PARASITE: An organism that needs a host organism to survive. Parasites can live inside many animals that are used for food including cows, chickens, pigs and fish. Proper heating, cooking and freezing kills parasites. Avoiding cross-contamination and proper hand washing is also vital in preventing food borne illness caused by parasites.

PATHOGENS: Microorganisms that cause disease including disease in food.

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD: Types of food in which microorganisms are able to grow quickly. Potentially hazardous food groups often has a history of being involved in food borne illness outbreaks, has potential for contamination due to methods used to produce and process it, and has characteristics that generally allow microorganisms to thrive. Potentially hazardous food is often moist, high in protein, and chemically neutral or slightly acidic.

PRODUCE TRACEABILITY: The ability to accurately track fresh produce from its point of origin (field) to the time of purchase by the end consumer. Complete traceability, known as whole chain traceability.

SANITIZE: The action and process of reducing the number of harmful microorganisms on a surface to make it safe for contact with food.

TOXINS: Harmful substances or poisons.

VIRUS: The smallest microbial food contaminants. Viruses require a live host to survive and reproduce. Virus usually contaminates food via a food handlers insufficient and improper handling and hygiene. Virus can survive some cooking and freezing temperatures.

The 15 terms described above are examples of the most important core food safety terms. Use this information to as a starting point for your deeper research.