23 Product and Handling Hazards
Learning Objectives
Identify product handling hazards
Food handling and Storage Procedures
Proper food handling and storage can prevent most foodborne illnesses. In order for pathogens to grow in food, certain conditions must be present. By controlling the environment and conditions, even if potentially harmful bacteria are present in the unprepared or raw food, they will not be able to survive, grow, and multiply, causing illness.
There are six factors that affect bacterial growth, which can be referred to by the mnemonic FATTOM:
- Food
- Acid
- Temperature
- Time
- Oxygen
- Moisture
FATTOM
Each of these factors contributes to bacterial growth in the following ways:
- Food: Bacteria require food to survive. For this reason, moist, protein-rich foods are good potential sources of bacterial growth.
- Acid: Bacteria do not grow in acidic environments. This is why acidic foods like lemon juice and vinegar do not support the growth of bacteria and can be used as preservatives
- Temperature: Most bacteria will grow rapidly between 4°C and 60°C (40°F and 140°F). This is referred to as the danger zone (see the section below for more information on the danger zone).
- Time: Bacteria require time to multiply. When small numbers of bacteria are present, the risk is usually low, but extended time with the right conditions will allow the bacteria to multiply and increase the risk of contamination
- Oxygen: There are two types of bacteria. Aerobic bacteria require oxygen to grow, so will not multiply in an oxygen-free environment such as a vacuum-packaged container. Anaerobic bacteria will only grow in oxygen-free environments. Food that has been improperly processed and then stored at room temperature can be at risk from anaerobic bacteria. A common example is a product containing harmful Clostridium botulinum(botulism-causing) bacteria that has been improperly processed during canning, and then is consumed without any further cooking or reheating.
- Moisture: Bacteria need moisture to survive and will grow rapidly in moist foods. This is why dry and salted foods are at lower risk of being hazardous.
Identifying Potentially Hazardous Foods (PHFs)
Foods that have the FATTOM conditions are considered potentially hazardous foods (PHFs). PHFs are those foods that are considered perishable. That is, they will spoil or “go bad” if left at room temperature. PHFs are foods that support the growth or survival of disease-causing bacteria (pathogens) or foods that may be contaminated by pathogens.
Generally, a food is a PHF if it is:
- Of animal origin such as meat, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, poultry (or if it contains any of these products)
- Of plant origin (vegetables, beans, fruit, etc.) that has been heat-treated or cooked
- Any of the raw sprouts (bean, alfalfa, radish, etc.)
- Any cooked starch (rice, pasta, etc.)
- Any type of soya protein (soya milk, tofu, etc.)
The following table identifies common foods as either PHF or non-