UNSAFE PRACTISE: If the kitchen there is a food that is untested when it comes to the expiration date and someone will give this food to the customer or somebody else can cause serious poisoning that can cause nausea, abdominal pain or vomiting. Therefore it is important that food before serving check the expiry date!
M1.
Potential effects on people due to unsafe practices when preparing, cooking and serving are that it could cause food poisoning or can even lead to death.
Salmonella and Listeria are two of the most common bacteria which cause food poisoning. If we do get this, our bodies own natural defense system can usually kill it off, but if they multiply to vast numbers in our digestive system, then food poisoning will occur. The signs of food poisoning can be seen in 1-36 hours after the contaminated food is eaten. Usually, they are stomach pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Once foods are prepared, if they are not going to be consumed immediately, they should be stored in the refrigerator and warmed up when ready to be served. Food should not set out for more than an hour before being consumed.
Handling food without washing hands first - germs get from the food preparer's hands into the food and to the patients.
Not putting hair back or covering it - food preparer's hair and germs can get into the food and harm those who eat it.
Not cooking food thoroughly - bacteria are not killed and can harm the people who eat the food
Not storing food properly (in the refrigerator or wrapped up, etc.) mold and bacteria can grow in the food, and again, patients may eat it and get sick from it.
Not using cookware properly - workers can cut themselves when using knives improperly or burn themselves by not using potholders and opening pot lid away from their faces (steam burns)
If safe practices in a health and social care setting are not being followed then there can be many unpleasant outcomes such as food poisoning, diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea. There are three types of food contamination; biological contamination, physical contamination and chemical contamination. Biological contamination in food occurs when micro-organisms enter the food from different sources such as poor hygiene eg. Not washing your hands. Washing your hands before you handle food and before you touch different foods i.e. raw meat to vegetables can lead to food poisoning. This is very important because if it is not followed then cross contamination will occur causing many problems for both staff and service users. Service users in this case would be likely to get food poisoning whilst staff users would get complains from the service users about harmful food. You can prevent biological contamination by washing your hands every time you touch different foods, cleaning all equipment regularly and keeping the premises clean. Physical contamination is when something like a piece of glass, hair, fingernails, jewellery, paper ect. Fall into the food making it harmful to consume. You can avoid this by wearing appropriate clothing, tieing hair back, wearing a hair net and throwing packaging away ect. Chemical contamination is when you infect the food with a chemical such as bleach or any cleaning product, this can cause vomiting, nausea, and rashes ect. You can prevent chemical contamination by washing hands after contact with a chemical substance, ensuring that chemicals are not spilt into food ect.
Also keeping foods at the right temperatures is very important as if the food is placed at the incorrect temperatures it can cause food poisoning Not storing food properly could influence bacteria to grow faster in the food harming the consumer.
Food safety practices in serving meals
Preparing and serving foods for large crowds may require certain precautions, whichordinarily is of no concern on daily basis when preparing and serving meals for the family.The following are concerns:
Planning the menu for safe food service
1.The menu must be carefully planned according to the limitations of the kitchenwhere the preparations will be done.-The menu items must take into consideration what is available in order to make iteasier to control food safety and sanitation.2.The quantity to prepare must be limited to the available facilities. This means thatthe number of people to be invited must be conform to the limitations of thekitchen facilities,
3.
The menu must take into considerations the capacity of the one preparing theitems.Avoid menus that must all be done in the last minute. When chaos occurs, there isthe danger cross contamination because of the number of different foods sittingon the counter all at once.
4.
Avoid food items that require a lot of hand usage during preparation. Canapés andfancy food shapes require the use of the bare hands.
5.
Very complicated recipes using a lot of ingredients are not practical to cook forlarge crowds. The simpler the dish, the better. Roast, baked, fried and simplecasseroles are best. Sauces must be limited to simple gravy or au jus.6.Avoid serving uncooked meats, fish or any seafood such as kilawin or sashimi. It issafer to serve only cooked foods
Cooking the food
1.When cooking for a crowd care must be taken to maintain the aesthetic quality offood. Cooking in quantity often results in mashing the food, if not resulting touneven cooking.
2.
When preparing food in advance, it should not be cooked halfway, and thencontinued the next day. Cooking must be completed otherwise there is danger ofbacterial growth when the proper internal temperature of the food has not beenachieved.
3.
All food that will be served raw as in salads must be washed and sanitized. Choiceof dressing should be limited to plain instead of creamy types.
4.The cook must be free from any infections and must observe proper washing andcleaning of hands. Proper attire includes a clean apron, well-groomed hair andmanicured short nails.
5.
Cooked foods must not be left on the counter longer than the 2-hour limit. It mustbe kept at the proper temperature while waiting for the others to be cooked.
Serving the food
1.
Hot foods
must be kept hot at 140 degrees F while
cold foods
must bekept cold at 40 degrees F. chafing dishes have been used to keep hot foods hot.The
chafing dish
is like a double boiler. The lower pan holds hot water that iskept hot with the flame underneath. This source of heat prevents scorching ofthe food when heated, at the same time can keep it at a hot temperaturesdesired. The same chafing dish can be used to keep foods cold, by placingcrushed ice instead of hot water. When foods are to be served for a crowdwhere not everyone will eat at the same time, chafing dishes are practical tokeep foods hot or cold.
2.
Foods that were kept in the refrigerator must
not
be taken out until 2 hoursbefore the party. In general, the longest time food should be left to stand atroom temperature is 2 hours.3.Each dish should be provided with its own serving spoons or flatware. Theseshould be kept on small plate provided near the dish, rather than left stuck inthe food.4.Foods should be cut up in serving pieces to make it easier for the guest to helpthemselves and to make serving the entire crowd faster.5.Food garnishes are nice to use, but it should be limited to those which requirevery little handling.
6.
Replenishment of the food on the table must be done systematically.Preferably, do not mix fresh batch with food that had already been out toolong.
Replenishment
is done by taking out the entire empty or half emptycontainer and replacing with a new container of food.7.Protection from flies must be taken into consideration. Leaving the foodcovered when not in service may help. Someone may also be assigned to keepdriving flies away if this becoming a nuisance.
8.
When serving appetizers and dips, guests should be provided with small platesto put enough dip for themselves.9.Food dishes must not be placed too close to each other.-Space must be provided between the dishes to allow guest to put their platedown while serving.
Advice to diners or guests
1.
Never use utensils you have already used to get food from the service plate.Always use the serving flatware provided when it haste.
2.
Double dipping should be avoided . This is the act of taking a chip and putting intothe dip, partially eating it, and then returning the chip in for a second.
3.
Do not take too much food all at once . They only mix together to your plate andthe flavor will all mixed up.
4.
Never return uneaten food even if it was untouched .
5.
If you smelled or tasted anything funny, please tell the host or hostess, so theycan investigate and dispose of anything that would be detrimental to anyone.
6.
Never use your finger to taste the food from the table , thinking it is only harmlessswipe.
Clearing the table
1.Leftover foods from the table must be refrigerated promptly. Any leftovers fromindividual plates must be discarded even this are whole and untouched.2.Used plates and flatware must be soaked and washed properly.3.All food wastes must be disposed properly. Tabletops must be wiped clean andlinens laundered promptly. Any food debris left will attract flies. Floors must beswept clean and any spills taken cared of.