A parasite is best defined as an animal which requires another animal for growth. Parasites require hosts to grow and live, so they are of particular concern when it comes to the food chain.
Listeria monocytongenes is of particular concern because these bacteria can grow slowly in refrigerators. For this reason, it is important to use foods quickly in your restaurant and not let them sit for excessive amounts of time.
Any amount of cross-contact could transfer enough food protein to trigger an allergic reaction. In all circumstances, the safety of the guest comes before the inconvenience of recooking their order.
The level of water activity required for microbial growth is 0.85. Any level higher than this is considered an environment prone to bacterial growth. For this reason, it is important to treat all foods with water activities above this value as a potentially hazardous food.Water activity (aw) is a measurement of the moisture content of a food, expressed as a ratio of the vapor pressure in the food item in a given condition vs. the vapor pressure of distilled water in the same condition. The amount of unbound H2O molecules present in a food generally correlates directly to the likelihood of microbial growth on the food, including yeasts, molds, and bacteria.
Pickup is the last chance to confirm that an order is correct before it is delivered to the guest. The person delivering the order should verbally confirm the meal then carry it by hand to the guest.
The immune system’s job is to protect the body from foreign pathogens. During an allergic reaction, the immune system believes that a harmless food protein, or allergen, is toxic to the body and attempts to destroy it.
An allergen special order should be delivered by hand to the guest so that there are no opportunities for cross-contact. Serving sauces and sides on separate dishes are additional ways to prevent cross-contact.
Clostridium botulinum is often associated with canned foods, smoked fish, and salted fish. These bacteria thrives in environments where the level of available oxygen is quite low. To avoid these bacteria, make sure to only use properly canned foods and smoked or salted fish that comes from a reputable dealer.
Examples of shellfish include lobster, shrimp, crab, and mollusks.
Anisakis food poisoning is most often associated with wild salmon. Anisakis food poisoning is often associated with fresh water fish, making the thorough cooking of fresh water fish an important part of food safety.
Having the designated person deliver the food reduces the chance of cross-contact. It ensures that the dish will be delivered to the right guest without additional garnishes or sauces being added.
The greatest threat of E. coli contamination can be traced to ground beef. Beef and beef products are the major cause of E. coli related illness, with ground beef being of particular concern. To avoid this illness, make sure to cook the meat to a temperature of 165°F.
These two terms are frequently misused or used interchangeably. Cross-contamination is the common cause of foodborne illnesses. Cross-contact is when two foods touch and mix proteins.
A wheat (gluten) allergy can cause a large problem for an individual when you consider that it is the most prominent grain product in America. Examples of foods containing wheat are pasta, bread crumbs, and couscous.
The goal of the designated person is to make sure a guest with a food allergy gets the correct order. By checking each step in the process, it is much more likely that one designated person will get the order correct than it would be if multiple employees were involved.
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopahty is more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease. A protein based food pathogen, this debilitating disease is caused by a deformed protein within a cow’s central nervous system. Unfortunately, no amount of cooking will degrade this protein, so there is no way to protect restaurant customers from contracting Mad Cow Disease.
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