Title: Identify biological hazards in the kitchen.
Course: Introduction to Culinary Arts (16051-36) > Section: Investigating Kitchen and Food Safety

Identification should include

- the “Big Six” pathogens responsible for food-borne illness (i.e., Norovirus, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Salmonella Typhi, E. coli, Shigella, and Hepatitis A)
- the contaminants and conditions that cause illnesses
- procedures used to avoid food contamination and prevent food-borne illnesses, including
  - observing proper personal hygiene and hand-washing procedures whenever handling food
  - washing raw fruits and vegetables thoroughly
  - cleaning and sanitizing cutting boards and knives used to cut raw meat and poultry immediately after use
  - defrosting frozen foods according to accepted procedures
  - exercising special care in mixing raw and cooked ingredients
  - separating the preparation of different types of foods
  - checking for the correct temperature of cooked products before serving, using a properly calibrated thermometer.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- What are the causes of food contamination?
- Why should all employees understand what causes food contamination and food-borne illnesses?
- How are viruses different from bacteria?
- How can food poisoning be a life-threatening condition?
- How can poor food safety have a devastating effect on a food service operation?
- Why are proper hand-washing and personal hygiene procedures so crucial to food safety?
- Why should poultry not be washed before cooking?

Communication

- What types of communication can be used to teach employees about the dangers of food contamination?
- What types of communication can be used to remind staff of the steps to be taken daily to avoid food contamination?
- How can the importance of handwashing be continually emphasized?

Leadership

- What role does leadership play in creating a culture of proper sanitation?
- Why must leaders set standards for sanitary conditions?
- How can leaders verify that employees are doing their utmost to avoid contamination?

Management

- How can one monitor conditions to ensure that contamination is avoided?
- Why is management ultimately responsible for sanitary conditions in a facility?
- What may be the financial consequences of an outbreak of food-borne illness for a business and for the employees?

Teacher Resources:

- Culinary Arts Related Services Safety Checklists, NIOSH, CDC
- Foodborne Pathogens, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- Food Safety in Virginia, Virginia Department of Health (VDH)