Hotel Food Sanitation

Implementing Food sanitation in kitchen, inside business or homes is an act of professionalism. People today are already aware for their health and in serving food we must also be aware of their nutritional needs. Poor and unsanitary preparation of food is shame for the people who works in the kitchen. Lack of food sanitation can cause illness, food poisoning, loss of dignity of those who served and also dignity to the establishment we are working from, legal problem, loss of customers, cost a lot of money, waste of time and bad health. In this page, you will continue to learn a lot about Food Sanitation and its importance.

Food Hazards

Most of food borne diseases is the result of food contamination. Contaminated means that the food contains a substances which is not originally present in our food.Any food that can cause illness or injury is called hazard. Listed below are the kinds of food hazards.

1. Pathogens

The most important kind of biological hazards to consider are microorganisms. A microorganism is a tiny, usually single-celled organism that can be seen only with a microscope. A microorganism that can cause disease is called a pathogen. Although these organisms sometimes occur in clusters large enough to be seen with the naked eye, they are not usually visible. This is one reason why they can be so dangerous. Just because food looks good doesn't mean it is safe.

Four kinds of microorganisms can contaminate food and cause illness:

1. Bacteria
2. Viruses
3. Fungi
4. Parasites

2. Chemical and Physical Hazards

This is another important factor for food sanitation. Some kinds of chemical poisoning are caused by the use of defective or improper equipment or equipment that has been handled improperly. The Following Toxins (except lead) create symptoms that show themselves very quickly, usually within 30 minutes of eating poisoned food. By contrast, symptoms of lead poisoning can take years to appear. To prevent these diseases, do not use materials that cause them.

1. Antimony - caused by storing or cooking acid foods in chipped gray enamelware.
2. Cadmium - caused by cadmium-plated ice cube trays or containers
3. Cyanide - caused by silver polish containing cyanide
4. Lead - caused by lead water pipes,solder containing lead,or utensils containing lead.
5. Copper - caused by unclean or corroded copper utensils, acid foods cooked in unlined copper utensils, or carbonated beverages in contact with copper tubing.
6. Zinc - caused by cooking foods in zinc-plated(galvanized) utensils

Personal Hygiene >>

sources: Professional Cooking - Wayne Gisslen