Food-safety education is an essential part of any culinary-arts program. The ServSafe Certification program provides a great structure to follow for teaching. Materials are available from everyone from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) to the USDA. Two new resources I use in my class are the film, Food, Inc., and a recent episode of the television series CSI: Miami, entitled “The Bad Seed.”

One of the most important documents I use in teaching food safety is the actual Food Service Establishment Inspection Report. Students are required each week to visit a restaurant, introduce themselves, review the inspection report and make their own observations about the safety habits there, varying the genre of establishment each week. A copy of the blank Inspection Report relevant for the particular county or jurisdiction can be obtained online before the visit.

The CDC notes that the five most common risk factors for causing foodborne illness are purchasing food from unsafe sources, failing to cook food adequately, holding food at incorrect temperatures, using contaminated equipment and practicing poor personal hygiene. Each of the last three is an issue for the front of the house.

Holding food at incorrect temperatures. Keep hot foods hot at 135°F or higher and keep cold foods cold at 41° F or colder. On a buffet, for example, these temperatures must be monitored.

Using contaminated equipment. Ladles for salad dressing should be labeled to prevent cross contamination. Plates and utensils cannot be reused until they are properly sanitized. Customers, for example, cannot be allowed to refill dirty plates or use dirty utensils. Tongs and service utensils must be rotated out every two hours.

Practicing poor personal hygiene. Hand-washing is essential. In class, we practice hand washing while singing “Happy Birthday to You,” setting a reasonable time for lathering. Hands must be washed after using the restroom, touching the hair, face or body, sneezing, coughing, using a tissue, eating, drinking, smoking, handling any chemical that might affect food safety, taking out the garbage, clearing tables or bussing dirty dishes, touching clothing or handling money. A server can contaminate food simply by handling the food-contact areas of glasses, dishes and utensils. Sneeze guards or food protectors must be used in self-service areas such as buffets to prevent guests from contaminating food.

Servers should never re-serve food another customer has returned, uneaten bread or uncovered condiments such as butter or salsa. Bottles of ketchup, mustard and other condiments may be re-served, but otherwise only unopened prepackaged foods can be re-served.

Thank you for keeping our tables safe. As always, I am at your service,

Wendy

Wendy Gay is director of catering at The Westin Atlanta Perimeter North Hotel, and recently began teaching in the culinary department at The Art Institute of Atlanta.

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