Chapter 1 – Retail Food Safety

Learning Objectives

1. Recognize how food safety and sanitation practices prevent foodborne illness in retail food
establishments

2. State the problems caused by foodborne illness for individuals who become ill and the retail food
establishment blamed for the incident

3. Describe food safety regulations

4. Describe the causes and prevention of foodborne illness

5. Describe the role of government in retail food safety

The food industry is made up of businesses that produce, manufacture, transport, and distribute food for
people in the United States and throughout the world. Food production involves many activities that occur
on farms and ranches, in orchards, and in fishing operations. Food manufacturing takes the raw materials
harvested by producers and converts them into forms suitable for distribution and sale. The retail
distribution system consists of the many food operations that store, prepare, package, serve, display,
vend, or otherwise provide food for human consumption. The term food establishment refers to all
facilities involved in food distribution.

Supermarkets continue to be the primary destinations for purchasing groceries; 93% of shoppers named
at least one supermarket among the list of stores where they shopped within the past 30 days.

The term retail food establishment includes any store selling a line of dry retail food, canned goods, or
non-food items plus perishable items. A convenience store is a compact drive-to-store offering a limited
number of high-convenience items. The information would also apply to other types of retail food stores
such as supercenters, warehouse stores, and wholesale clubs.

Foodborne illness is the sickness some people experience when they eat contaminated food. It impairs
performance and causes discomfort. Estimates of the number of cases of foodborne illnesses vary greatly.

Foodborne illness costs billions of dollars each year in the form of:

• Medical expenses

• Lost work and reduced productivity by victims of the illness

• Legal fees

• Punitive damages

• Increased insurance premiums

• Lost business

• Loss of reputation for the retail food establishment

COMMERCIAL e.g. fast foods, restaurants, commercial center food court, full service, quick service,
sidewalk café, delicatessen

INSTITUTIONAL e.g. school canteen, employee feeding, universities/colleges, prison, military bases,
nursing homes, hospitals

Importance of Sanitation in Foodservice Industry

• A properly designed foodservice facility is basically to maintain a high standard of sanitation

• The first requirement for a sanitary design is cleanability, which means the facility has been
arranged so that it can be easily cleaned

• Equipment and fixtures should be arranged and designed to comply with sanitation standards

• Trash and garbage isolated to avoid cross-contamination and attracting pets

• For facility to be clean is not enough, it must also be sanitary

Why Me?

You may be asking yourself. “What does all this have to do with me?” The answer is “PLENTY.” Customer
opinion surveys show that cleanliness, price, and food quality are the top three reasons people use when
choosing a place to eat and shop for food. Customers expect their food to taste good and not make them
sick. It is the responsibility of every retail food establishment owner, manager, and employee to prepare
and serve safe and wholesome food and preserve their clients’ confidence. As a retail food manager, you
must understand foodborne illness can be prevented if the basic rules of food safety are routinely
followed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the mishandling that causes most
foodborne disease outbreaks occurs within retail food operations (restaurants, retail food establishments,
schools, churches, camps, institutions and vending locations) where foods are prepared, served, and sold
to the public. These foods may be eaten at the retail food establishment or sold for preparation and
consumption elsewhere.

Most Cases of Foodborne Illness in Retail Food Establishments Are Caused by Foods That Have Been:

• Improperly cooked and/or held at improper temperatures

• Handled by infected food employees who practice poor personal hygiene

• Exposed to disease-causing agents by cross contamination

• In contact with contaminated equipment not properly cleaned and sanitized

• Obtained from unsafe sources

Due to changes in our eating habits and more knowledge about food safety hazards, recommendations
for safe food handling are always changing.

Some emerging food safety concerns include Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat processed foods.
Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli in raw meat and unprocessed fruit juices, Hepatitis A virus in deli
sandwich operations and shellfish, and parasites in fresh produce. The future may bring other types of
problems.

Technologies used in the food industry are also changing. A lot of research is being done on irradiation
and other types of food-processing methods that do not use heat. They may become more common in
the future.

Customers have less time to prepare food because more of them are working outside the home. As a
result, they are buying more ready-to-eat food or products that require minimal preparation in the home.
These foods are produced using variety of processing, holding, and serving methods that help protect
them from contamination

Foodborne illness is a disease caused by the consumption of contaminated food. A foodborne disease
outbreak is defined as an incident in which two or more people experience a similar illness after eating a
common food. Recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have been caused by:

• Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli bacteria in lettuce, unpasteurized apple cider, and radish
sprouts

• Salmonella spp. In cut melons, alfalfa sprouts, ice cream. Roma tomatoes and raw almonds

• Hepatitis A virus in raw and lightly cooked oysters and green onions

• Listeria monocytogenes in hotdogs, luncheon meats, and cheese

These Groups of People Are Immunocompromised and At Risk of Foodborne Illness:

• The very young

• The elderly

• Pregnant or lactating women

• People with impaired immune systems due to cancer, AIDS, HIV, diabetes, or medications that
suppress response to infection

Foodborne illness can cause severe reactions, even death, for individuals in these highly susceptible
categories. The availability of a safe food supply is critical to these people.

Contamination is the presence of substances or conditions in the food that can be harmful to humans.
Foods can become contaminated at a variety of points as the food flows from the farm to the table. Raw
foods can be contaminated at the farm, ranch, or on board a commercial fishing boat. Contamination can
also occur as foods are handled during processing and distribution. Measures to prevent and control
contamination must begin when food is harvested and continue until the food is consumed.
Foods can become contaminated at several points between the farm and the table

• Feed lots

• Lakes

• Dairies

• Rivers

• Ranches

• Oceans

• Farms

• Orchards

Soil, water, air, plants, animals, and humans are some of the more common sources of contamination.
Contamination present an “invisible challenges” because you cannot see them with the naked eye. Many
types of food contamination can cause illness without changing the appearance, odor, or taste of food.

Contaminants can be transferred from one food item to another by cross contamination. This typically
happens when microbes from a raw food are transferred to a cooked or ready-to-eat food by
contaminated hands, equipment, or utensils.

Sources of Contamination

• Water

• Soil

• Packaging Materials

• Food Content Surfaces

• Food Handlers

• Animals, Rodents, and Insects

• Ingredients

• Air

Microorganisms (Germs or Microbes)

Microorganisms (also called germs or microbes) cause the most common types of food contamination.
Microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi that are so small they can only be seen with
the aid of a microscope. Bacteria and viruses pose the greatest safety challenges in retail food
establishments. Microbes are everywhere around us – in soil, water, and air and in and on plants and
animals (including humans).
Most microorganisms are harmless. However, some microbes can cause problems when they get into
food. The microbes that must be controlled in a retail food establishment are the ones that cause
foodborne illness and food spoilage. It is important to remember that the germs that cause foodborne
illness usually do not alter the taste, odor, and appearance of the food.

Keeping It Clean and Sanitary

It is the responsibility of every person working in the food industry to keep things clean and sanitary.
Effective cleaning of equipment reduces the chances of food contamination during preparation, storage,
display, and service. Cleaning involves removal of visible soil from the surfaces of equipment and utensils.
Sanitary means healthful or hygienic. It involves reducing the number of disease-causing microorganisms
on the surface of equipment and utensils to acceptable public health levels. Something that is sanitary
poses little or no risk to human health. Good sanitation also minimizes attraction of pets, increases the
length of time equipment is in service, improves employee morale and efficiency, and is important from
other aesthetic considerations.

Education and Training Are Key to Food Safety

You and your employees must know the correct way to manage food safety and sanitation. The
importance of teaching employees about food safety is increased by the global nature of our food supply.
Control of factors during growth, harvest, and shipping is not always possible when food is produced in
so many different parts of the world. Also, an error in time and temperature management, cross
contamination, or personal health and hygiene of food employees can increase the risk of foodborne
illness. Storage, preparation, holding, display, and handling procedures are critical in the prevention of
foodborne illness.

The prevention of foodborne illness begins with the knowledge of where contaminants come from, how
they get into food, and what can be done to control or eliminate them.

Good training can prevent foodborne illness.

The Role of Government in Food Safety

The purpose of government regulation in food safety is to oversee the food-producing system and protect
food intended for human consumption. Government agencies enforce laws and regulations to protect
food against adulteration and contamination. Regulatory personnel monitor both the process and the
product to assure the safety of the food we eat

The Role of the Food Industry in Retail Food Safety

The retail food industry is assuming greater possibility for overseeing the safety of its own processes and
products. Customers expect and deserve food that is safe to eat. If a retail food establishment is involved
in a foodborne illness outbreak, customers may retaliate by taking their business elsewhere or by seeking
legal action. Financial loss and damaged reputation are some of the outcomes of foodborne disease
outbreak that can cause serious harm to the establishment found responsible for the problem. One means
of preventing the harmful effects of a foodborne disease outbreak is to start a food safety management
program in the retail food establishment
The Role of the Foodservice Manager

• Making sanitation a top priority and communicating this to workers

• Purchasing food from safe sources

• Implementing sanitary procedures in the storage, preparation and service of food

• Training, motivating, and supervising workers in order to maintain a sanitary facility serving safe
food

• Regularly inspecting the facility and workers to assure that sanitation standards are being met

• Cooperating with local public health officials during inspections and in developing a sanitation
program, including worker training

Please see a video lesson on YouTube

Basic Food Safety: Chapter 1 “The Importance of Food Safety”

https://youtu.be/F-qeFLMkEng

References/Suggested Readings

Principles of Food Sanitation. Norman G. Marriott, M. Wes Schilling, Robert B. Gravani.

Food Hygiene and Sanitation. S. Roday

Food Safety, Sanitation, and Personal Hygiene. B.C. Open Textbook Project., open.bccampus.ca

Essential of Food Safety and Sanitation – David McSwane, Nancy Roberts Rue, and Richard Linton

Food Safety in the Hospitality Industry. Knowles, Tim.

Principles of Food Sanitation. Cristina Garcia Jaime

HACCP Reference Manual, The Education Foundation of the National Restaurant Association

Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins, Food and Drug Administration State Training
Branch

www.proprofs.com

ServSafe Essentials

ServSafe Coursebook, 7th Edition. National Restaurant Association. 2018. Pearson

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2000)

Food and Drug Administration (2205) Food Code. U.S. Public Health Service, Washington. DC.

Modern Food Microbiology. Jay, james M. Martin J. Loessner, and David A. Golden (2005)
Emerging Infectious Diseases. Mead, Paul S. Laurence, Slutsker, Vance Dietz, Linda F. McCaig, Joseph S.
Bresee, Craig Shapiro, Patricia M. Griffin, and Robert V. Tauxe (1999).

Food Science. Potter, N., and J. Hotchkiss (1995)

Guide to Food Safety. David McSwane H.S.D., Richard Linton, Ph.D., Nancy R. Rue, Ph.D.

Quick Reference to Food Safety and Sanitation. Nancy R. Rue, Ph.D., Anna Graf Williams, Ph.D.

Food Safety Handbook. Ronald H. Schmidt, Gary E. Rodrick

https://youtu.be/F-qeFLMkEng - eFoodhandlers Inc. – Chapter 1 The Importance of Food Safety