Interesting Articles Published by the Author, David Walpuck
FOOD SAFETY MAGAZINE:
Emplyee Hygiene | February/March 2016
By David Walpuck
In addition to the risk of environmental contamination from Listeria monocytogenes, product temperature abuse, compromised food contact surfaces and unwanted allergen transfers or mislabeled food, one of my biggest fears that keeps me up at night is the daunting task of controlling, educating and monitoring the personal hygiene and handwashing behaviors of food handlers.
A reoccurring hypothetical nightmare of some types of viral or bacterial infection spreading among the masses from contaminated food or an employee you represent would have any food safety practitioner tossing and turning in their sleep. Unfortunately, this bad dream has become reality for some organizations in past foodborne illness outbreaks.
Categories: Contamination Control: Microbiological, Reduction Methods; Sanitation: Food Prep/Handling, Personal Hygiene/Handwashing
FOOD SAFETY NEWS:
List of some of David Walpuck’s articles as a contributor to the publication: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/author/dwalpuck/#.VmDiHMurbIU *
Birds are a beautiful thing of nature and should be respected and admired. However, they do not belong inside foodservice operations or any other food facilities./ Their search for food and a comfortable harborage area, especially now during the colder months, encourages birds to seek entry to the great indoors. The possibility of contamination from such incursions is why health officials deem them “critical” food safety violations.
Most everything these days is so after-the-fact and, in some circumstances, a fire drill./ Proper communicating, planning and budgeting are necessary when it comes to equipment maintenance, replacement or purchasing. Everything from small wares, such as a simple vegetable peeler, to larger pieces of processing equipment, like a meat grinder, often get neglected or forgotten about over time.
In the food industry, there are many instances where substitutes are used for a variety of purposes. Whether it is forced or by choice, the need to fill the exposed gap will have to get rectified when it comes to food processing in order to eliminate an interruption in business. What operators should also focus… Continue Reading
Ice is food. Some food service operators and their employees take that fact for granted. They don’t take proper precautionary measures to handle the product properly or the necessary preventive maintenance measures to ensure that the ice machine is clean, sanitary and operating safely. Listed below are some best practices and questions to ask. Some… Continue Reading
It’s all about the “buy in.” People need to believe in what they are doing, what makes it important, and have the knowledge to move forward in a positive direction. Here are some basic suggestions to get the food safety message across: A simple “please” and “thank you” goes a long way. That may sound… Continue Reading
Log documentation involving temperature is a necessary tool in any food processing environment. Whether it is cold holding, hot holding, cooking, cooling, refrigeration, freezer or time controlled, temperature logs not only shed a light on whether an employee understands the process, but are also a strong indicator of potential liability. If left unchecked, no matter… Continue Reading
For much of the country, as the temperatures drop, there is increased activity of mice to find a harborage area. For any food operation, or homeowner, for that matter, this means an increased potential of infestation if some proactive measures are not taken to eliminate entry. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Think like a… Continue Reading
With the new school year fast approaching, it should be a reminder to take the time to properly train and educate food handlers about food safety. Not only just to pass the test and get certified, but to live it, breathe it and foster a culture. Food safety has to be part of the daily… Continue Reading
Whether it is dripping from a refrigeration fan unit, beading on the interior packaging of an improperly cooled ready-to-eat food, causing rust on metal food contact surfaces of equipment or directly on frozen raw shrimp, condensation is a food safety concern and must be dealt with accordingly by anyone producing food. Excessive moisture from condensation… Continue Reading
(This editorial is part of a series. You can find earlier entries here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.) Per Se, an upscale and expensive restaurant in Manhattan, found itself on ABC News recently – not for the great food, but for the less-than-stellar health inspection it received on Feb. 19, 2014. This disclosure went… Continue Reading
Rumors of witchcraft began spreading through the Salem Massachusetts colony prior to 1692 and helped fuel the turmoil between the different religious sects in the area. Life at that time was strictly governed by the church. Music, dancing and the celebration of holidays were forbidden because the belief was this activity was Pagan. Ironically, the… Continue Reading
There’s been some good news for restaurant operators in New York City. Food safety fines will be reduced. The $50 million-a-year revenue will now be brought down to an estimated $30 million. (What’s $20 million between friends anyway?) In addition, grade standards will be reassessed, an office will be created to mediate between operators and… Continue Reading
Food Safety Stories 