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The following is a list of the most common factors that cause foodborne illness outbreaks. All
these factors need to be controlled when designing your food safety system. Reported cases of
foodborne illness usually involve more than one of these factors.
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Failure to properly cool food. (This is the leading cause of food-borne illness outbreaks.)
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Failure to thoroughly heat or cook food.
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Infected employees who practice poor personal hygiene at home and work.
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Adding raw, contaminated ingredients to food that receives no further cooking.
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Allowing foods to stay for too long at temperatures favorable to bacterial growth. (Danger
Zone: 41ºF to 140ºF)
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Failure to reheat cooked foods to temperatures that kill bacteria (165°F).
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Cross-contamination of cooked food by raw food, improperly cleaned and sanitized equipment,
or employees who mishandle food.
All these factors can be divided into three categories:
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Time and temperature abuse
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Poor personal hygiene
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Cross-contamination
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