Sanitation Notes
What is a food borne illness? Food Poisoning
o Affects 80 million Americans per year
o Poor personal hygiene plays a major role in food borne illness breakouts. Hand washing is
part of personal hygiene practices. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds to kill off bacteria and
other microorganisms.

Most cases are caused by microorganisms (living creatures seen only through a microscope)
o Bacteria (majority of cases): People, insects, animals, objects
 Food
 Acidity (foods with a medium pH more likely to grow bacteria)
 Time (Time and Temp work together)
 Temperature
 Time and temperature work together
o Temperature danger zone 41-135
 Don’t leave food out in the TDZ for more than 2 hours
 Keep hot foods hot
 Keep cold foods cold
o Thawing foods
 1. Refrigerate (Best method!)
 Refrigeration will slow, but not kill bacteria
 Plan ahead- this will take time
 2. Run under cold water or change still water every 30
minutes
 3. Microwave (if cooking immediately)
o Cooking Foods:
 Use thermometers to reach proper internal
temperatures.


Oxygen
Moisture (more moisture, more bacteria)
Microorganisms cont. . .
o Toxins (poison): Produced by bacteria
o Parasites: Feed off a living host
o Viruses: Can reproduce on any surface.
Cross Contamination: Allowing microorganisms from one food come in contact with another. (Prevented by
washing your hands, sanitizing surfaces/knives, placing potentially hazardous foods on the bottom shelf of
fridge, etc.)
Foodborne Illnesses/Main sources:
E-coli: Beef/contaminated water
Salmonella: Chicken/Poultry
Toxoplasmosis: Kitty Litter (be sure to wash your hands thoroughly). Pregnant women are particularly at risk
as the parasite can cause a miscarriage.
Staph: Personal hygiene/coughing and sneezing into food/open wounds
Listeria: Dairy foods; deli meats
Botulism: Tightly wrapped foods (ex. Warm foiled baked potatoes left out; canned goods- look for signs of
bulging)