Evaluation of Food and Culture Tourism in Door County

Food production and distribution have become increasingly industrialized, resulting in great geographical separation between production and markets. This industrialized food production model has drawn the attention of consumers that are questioning how and where their food is being produced. The industrialized food model has been called into question as food safety issues have arisen with spinach contaminated with E. coli and more recently tomatoes contaminated with salmonella. Further critics allege that the industrialized food production model contributes to global warming by increasing carbon emissions, and makes food less nutritious and tasty by breeding for durability for transport rather than quality. An alternative to the industrial model is the development of local food networks. A local food network is the economic and social infrastructure necessary to produce fresh foods in the same places where those foods are consumed. To understand the organization of the emerging local food network in Door County, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison surveyed both retail establishments and fresh food producers/processors. The attached reports shed light on where the local food networks are today, where the local food network is headed, and what opportunities lay ahead for local food production in Door County.

ASEAN Food composition tables (FCTs) 2000

Prapasri Puwastien, Barbara Burlingame, Monthip Raroengwichit, Pongtorn Singpuag
The ASEAN FCTs include food composition database of the common food items (fresh, cooked and processed) from 6 ASEAN countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They were systematically compiled by the ASEANFOODS technical coordinators and compilers, together with the experts from INFOODS.

The ASEAN Food composition tables is published by the Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (INMU). It contains data of 21 components of 1740 food items, divided into 17 food groups. Since the data are all actual analysed data, there are some missing nutrient data for some food items. We did not intend to fill them with any borrowed or estimated data in this first version.

Background on the development of ASEAN FCTs, systematic development and information to the users are provided in the front part of the book. Lists of food name index of each country in their local language, a list of scientific names and summary of the analytical methods used among laboratories in ASEAN are provided in the appendices.

ASEAN Food Composition Tables
ISBN 974-664-480-7, 185 pages
US$ 40; airmail postage included
Developing country price: US$ 20, airmail postage included

North Carolina Food Waste Task Force

More than fifty attended a seminar on Food Waste in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in December sponsored by NC DPPEA and the Carolina Compost Council. The goal of the seminar was to outline the need for increasing food waste diversion and organize a committee to explore options to make it happen. Ten speakers presented on such issues as food waste generation, EPA’s hierarchy, Orange Counties Food Waste Collection program, UNC Charlotte on-site composting and Food Banks.
This zero waste event was co-sponsored by Whole Foods of Chapel Hill that donated the lunch; BFS of Bend, OR donated the biodegradable utensils, plates and collection bags and Orange County that transported the waste to be composted.
The seminar was video taped by Davis Stillson of HDV Production that is producing a DVD of the event. The DVD (2) will be available to purchase for $30.00 (s/h included) thru the Carolina Compost Council ( http://www.carolinascompostingcouncil.org/)
Over 20 attendees expressed interest and signed up to be on a statewide task force. The next meeting of the NC Food Waste Task Force is scheduled for January 16 at the Inner Faith Food Shuttle facility in Raleigh. For more information about the task force please contact Brian Rosa at brian.rosa@ncmail.net or visit www.p2pays.org/compost web site.

Local Food Programme Outline

Local Food is a £50 million programme that will distribute grants to a variety of food-related projects to help make locally grown food accessible and affordable to local communities. Communities will benefit from improved health and well-being through exercise and better nutrition; strengthened local economies through the creation of social enterprises; and more sustainability through the better use of resources such as food redistribution and composting.

Local Food will run from Spring 2008 through to March 2015; with all projects having to be completed by March 2014.

Local Food has been developed by a consortium of organisations, and is managed on their behalf by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT).

Local Food has five main themes under which a range of projects can be supported.

1. Enable communities to manage land sustainably for growing food locally

Projects that are encouraged to apply under this theme are:

• providing support to communities for set-up costs of food production projects (eg land management, planning, site layout and design expertise, mentoring and business support, closing the recycling loop)
• supporting the development of community land trusts
• advising groups on the development of appropriate models of land management (eg allotments, community gardens, city farms, school grounds schemes)
• enabling BME communities to develop projects around food growing which meet their social and cultural needs: this might include local sourcing of fruit and vegetables that are normally imported


2. Enable communities to build knowledge and understanding and to celebrate the cultural diversity of food

Projects that are encouraged to apply under this theme are:

• supporting promotional, awareness raising, and educational initiatives such as local events based on varied cultural festivals
• supporting projects that will grow exotic crops and foods from other regions of the world
• promoting education about how these foods are cooked and their role in cultural celebrations
• funding projects that will protect rare and endangered seeds
• widening interest through education about cultural food diversity to both communities and schools


3. Stimulate local economic activity and the development of community enterprises concerned with growing, processing and marketing of local food

Projects that are encouraged to apply under this theme are:

• supporting initiatives that enable communities to develop community supported agriculture, city farms and practical links with farms to raise consumer awareness around local food
• direct marketing enterprises, events and programmes aimed at building trust and collaboration
• funding new local food social enterprise models and initiatives and promoting new producer-consumer relationships (farmers’ markets, box schemes, re-distribution of food, composting)
• providing support to build infrastructure through websites, processing, food hubs and alternative distribution networks
• establishing Community Investment Programmes with private sector partners

4. Create opportunities for learning and the development of skills through voluntary training and job creation

Projects that are encouraged to apply under this theme are:

• providing support for apprenticeships and mentoring schemes, practical project placements and new enterprise development
• funding for training and accreditation and developing farm visits (both city and rural), trips and exchanges
• increasing volunteer opportunities through local food projects; new groups, clubs and societies
• supporting school projects linked with the National Curriculum to enable teachers, parents and volunteers from the local community to be trained in food growing techniques
• providing BME communities, where English might not be the first language, with opportunities to build confidence and improve food-related skills in a safe environment


5. Promote awareness and understanding of the links between food and healthy lifestyles

Projects that are encouraged to apply under this theme are:

• providing support for food-related educational programmes, events and activities that will promote awareness and aim to change attitudes and behaviour
• funding projects that provide information, resource packs, and other associated programme materials
• providing focused support for BME communities where there is proven evidence of higher incidences of food-related illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes



Please Note
The types of projects listed above are just examples of what might be funded through Local Food. This list is by no means exhaustive. You might have a very good idea that may be eligible that is not on the list. If you are unsure if your proposal is eligible then once you have received your First Stage Application form, you will be able to contact a member of the RSWT Grants Team; contact numbers will be on the First Stage Application Form. To find out when information will be available, please read the attached FAQs.



There are some projects that Local Food is unable to fund.
• School meals
• School and play ground with no food links
• Sport grounds projects


There are also some activities Local Food is unable to fund.
• Activities that take place outside England
• Projects intended primarily for private gain
• Grants that contribute directly to a company’s distributed profits
• Contributions to general appeals
• Staff time to develop and write applications
• Endowments and fund to build up a reserve or surplus for other purposes than project sustainability
• Retrospective funding: costs incurred and/or expenditure committed before we offer you a grant
• Existing loan repayments
• Activities which primarily promote religious or political beliefs
• Core costs for an existing project
• Funding shortfalls on existing projects
• Feasibility studies (this only applies to Main and Beacon projects)


All eligible Local Food projects will be assessed against a set of established criteria.
• The organisation is well managed and financially sound
• The project meets at least one of the five main outcomes
• The project addresses disadvantage
• The project demonstrates good and effective partnership working
• There is community involvement, consultation and benefit in all aspects of the project
• The project will be monitored and evaluated against the identified outputs and milestones
• The project displays a good level of social economic and environmental sustainability
• The project displays good budget management, value for money, and has realistic income projections


If you are intending to apply for a Beacon Grant, there will be additional criteria to meet.
• For multi-regional and national projects, the project must display, not only community consultation, but wider consultation and communication (e.g. with stakeholders)
• The project must display how it will impact on the areas it is targeting, and display substantial benefits through its intended activities
• The project must show how it will leave a lasting legacy on the sector, or display a comprehensive sustainability/exit strategy, on how it intends to continue.



Hopefully this, along with the attached FAQs, should provide you with enough information to start to think about your ideas for a potential Local Food bid.

"Food Safety in Natural Disasters"

SUMMARY NOTES
When natural disasters strike, food safety is a crucial public health concern that is too often neglected. Under the extraordinary conditions that may occur during and after such disasters, the following issues require immediate attention:

• Preventive food safety measures
• Inspecting and salvaging food
• Provision for safe food and water
• Recognition and response to an outbreaks of foodborne disease
• Consumer education and information on food safety


Need for Food Safety Advice

During or following natural disasters, such as the recent earthquake and tsunami in South East Asia or cyclone and flood in New Orleans, food in affected areas may become contaminated with dangerous microbiological and chemical agents. Consequently, those populations are at risk for outbreaks of foodborne diseases, including hepatitis A, typhoid fever and diarrhoeal diseases, such as cholera and dysentery. In particular, floods are often followed by a general increase of diarrhoeal diseases but rarely by specific outbreaks .

Food safety risks are mainly linked to unsafe food storage, handling and preparation. In many cases cooking may be impossible during natural disasters due to the lack of facilities or fuel. Poor sanitation, including lack of safe water and toilet facilities, can compound the risks. As persons suffering from the direct effects of the disaster may already be at risk through malnutrition, exposure, shock and other traumas, it becomes essential that the food they consume is safe.

Authorities must maintain existing support for food safety and heighten their vigilance against new foodborne risks introduced by the disaster. Basic messages, such as those contained in the WHO Five Keys for Safer Food, should be reinforced to all food handlers, especially those involved in large scale food preparation.

WHO's Advice for Food Safety in Natural Disasters

In order to assist governments in their planning and response to natural disasters, the World Health Organization has developed the guide Ensuring Food Safety in the Aftermath of Natural Disasters. It offers specific advice to those involved in food storage, handling and preparation during disaster situations. The guide is modelled after the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food (http://www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/5keys/en/) and is intended to:

1. Provide public health and other authorities with guidance on key food safety issues to be considered in such disaster situations;
2. Remind authorities of the need to restore and maintain basic support for food safety infrastructure;
3. Heighten their vigilance against the introduction of new foodborne risks;
4. Serve as a quick reference to those involved in providing emergency food aid, such as managers of refugee camps and food distribution centres; and
5. Provide guidance for the development of simple food safety messages to those involved in food handling and preparation in disaster areas, including ordinary consumers.

While the guide has been primarily developed to be used following natural disasters, most of its food hygiene advice may also be applicable to other emergencies such as those caused by armed conflicts and serious social disruptions.

Overview of the Guide

1. Preventive food safety measures in the aftermath of natural disasters
During and following natural disasters, particularly floods and tsunamis, food may become contaminated by surface water. At times, surface water may itself have been contaminated by pathogenic bacteria from sewage, wastewaters and dead animals or humans. The need for preventive measures should be immediately investigated, including:
• Water for drinking and food preparation should be treated as contaminated unless specifically confirmed as safe. Therefore, all water should be boiled or otherwise made safe before it is consumed or used as an ingredient in food.
• What agricultural production has been adversely affected and what areas exist where food can still be harvested or where food has been safety stored after harvesting.
• What agricultural produce may be contaminated with microorganisms (from raw sewage or decaying organisms) and potentially hazardous chemicals. Note that while it is sometimes possible to eliminate potentially hazardous microorganisms by thoroughly cooking or disinfecting the produce, such actions may not completely remove chemical hazards.
• If crop fields have been contaminated, an assessment should be carried out to establish measures to reduce the risk of transmitting pathogens and hazardous chemicals.

2. Inspecting and salvaging food
• If feasible, all food stocks should be inspected and assessed for their safety. Ideally such food should be labelled as such or otherwise segregated from contaminated or uninspected food stocks.
• When salvaged foods are reconditioned to be fit for consumption, they should be labelled accordingly.
• In areas that have been flooded, whatever intact foods remain should be moved to a dry place, preferably away from the walls and off the floor.
• Any food stocks found to be unfit for human consumption must be disposed of properly
• If necessary, consumers should be clearly informed of measures they need to take to render food safe.
• Discard canned foods with broken seams, serious dents, or leaks; and jars with cracks.
• Undamaged canned goods and commercial glass jars of food are likely to be safe. However, if possible containers should be sanitized before opening them for use. Foods that are exposed to chemicals should be thrown away. Chemicals generally cannot be washed off the food.
• Inspect refrigerators and freezers to determine if they have been affected by the lack of electricity or flood waters. Where food has remained cold and otherwise unaffected, the food is probably safe to consume.
• Where power is not available, try to use refrigerated food before it is held in the danger zone (5 - 60°C) for more than two hours, especially meat, fish, poultry and milk.
• Some foods normally stored in the refrigerator can be kept in the danger zone for longer than others, but food should definitely be discarded if it shows signs of spoilage (off odours, colours or textures).
• Check all food for physical hazards, such as glass, wood splinters and stones that may have been introduced.
• Mouldy food should not be consumed as it may contain toxic substances. The likelihood of mould growth on stored dried vegetables, fruits and cereals is greater in a humid environment and where food has become wet.

3. Provision of Food after a Natural Disaster
• After a natural disaster as soon as families have re-established their capacity to cook, any food they may be given is usually distributed in dry form for them to prepare and consume in their homes or temporary shelters. People may not always be familiar with all kinds of dry foods. When given, they should be shown how to prepare dry foods especially to use safe water if the food is not cooked.
• In addition to safe water for food preparation, safe water for washing hands and utensils will be needed.
• A shortage of fuel for cooking may also be a major constraint and is essential for ensuring adequate cooking and reheating of cooked food.
• In some cases, as an alternative to mass feeding, it may be possible to help households by setting up temporary shared neighbourhood kitchens where people can prepare food for their own families or in groups.
• Where basic infrastructure is lacking, shelf-stable rations that do not need cooking or hydration should be provided.

4. Identification and response to outbreaks of foodborne disease
It is vital to detect foodborne disease outbreaks as early as possible in order to limit their spread. Indications of a foodborne disease outbreak that should trigger further investigation include:
• Increase in persons visiting clinics with symptoms of diseases, especially diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal symptoms;
• Field reports on cases of foodborne disease symptoms from health workers;
• Reports from pharmacists of unusual demand for anti-diarrhoeal agents, anti-emetics or other medication for gastrointestinal problems, e.g. antibiotics;
• Upsurge in inexplicable customer complaints to a food caterer, supplier, food industry;
• Reports of unusual death;
• Unusual absenteeism from schools and the workplace, especially in large industries.

Investigation of and response to a suspected foodborne disease outbreak:
• Timely treatment of the ill;
• Removal (recall) of the contaminated food from circulation;
• Rapid identification of the causative agent and the suspected foods by patient interviews and by appropriate diagnostic laboratory testing;
• Epidemiological investigation to identify the causative agent, the responsible food and the manner of contamination;
• Timely provision of information to the public on food-related outbreaks and the actions they should take to minimize those risks.

5. Consumer education and information
• All advice should be tailored to the local situation and existing conditions. In many cases, consumers will be preparing food under conditions that are more primitive than normal due to lack of fuel, water supply and electricity.
• Consumers should be advised to take special care regarding food safety when procuring food and water. For example, where warehouses, chemical plants, and other sources of chemicals are present, an assessment of potential chemical contamination should be made. People should be advised to avoid such foods unless decontamination procedures are available.
• General information and advice should also be provided to the population on the risks of foodborne diseases to remind the population that dangerous communicable disease outbreaks in disaster areas have the potential to claim as many lives as the disaster itself and that safe food and water are essential to prevent such outbreaks.

Regulation of Food Produced Using Gene Technology

Food produced using gene technology is regulated by Standard 1.5.2 - Food Produced Using Gene Technology, of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code and is defined by the Standard as:
Food which has been derived or developed from an organism which has been modified by gene technology [1].
2.1.1 Safety Assessment of Food Produced Using Gene Technology

Standard 1.5.2 prohibits the sale and use of a food produced using gene technology unless it is included in the Table to clause 2 of the Standard and complies with any special conditions specified by that Table. The Standard requires Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to assess the safety for human consumption of each food or class of food prior to its inclusion in the Table. The safety assessment must be performed according to the Authority' s approved safety assessment criteria [2].

Currently 20 GM foods are approved for human consumption under the Standard [1].
2.1.2 Labelling of GM Food

All foods produced using gene technology must be safety assessed by FSANZ prior to release onto the market for human consumption. Hence, the labelling of GM food is not a safety issue but rather is one of consumer information and enables consumers to make a choice regarding selecting the food they wish or do not wish to consume [3].

In December 2001 the labelling provisions of Standard 1.5.2 came into force which require GM food to be labelled with the statement ‘genetically modified’ [1].

GM food is defined as:
Food that is, or contains as an ingredient, including a processing aid, a food produced using gene technology which:
• contains novel DNA and/or novel protein; or
• has altered characteristics [1].

GM food does not include:
• highly refined food, other than that with altered characteristics, where the effect of the refining process is to remove novel DNA and/or novel protein;
• a processing aid or food additive, except where novel DNA and/or novel protein from the processing aid or food additive remains present in the food to which it has been added;
• flavours present in the food in a concentration no more than 1g/kg; or
• a food, ingredient, or processing aid in which genetically modified food is unintentionally present in a quantity of no more than 10g/kg per ingredient [1] [18].

Standard 1.5.2 is silent with regard to negative label claims regarding the GM status of a food or ingredient such as 'GM free', ‘GMO free’ or ‘non-GM’. The Standard does not prescribe statements to be used for negative label claims nor does it prohibit the use of negative claims. Negative claims are made by food businesses on a voluntary basis. However such claims are subject to the fair trading requirements of the Australian Trade Practices Act 1974. Food businesses must ensure any claims made are not false, misleading or deceptive.

2.2 Australian Pilot Survey for GM Food Labelling

Following commencement of the GM food labelling requirements of Standard 1.5.2 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (in December 2001), a small preliminary examination in the form of an Australian pilot survey of corn and soy derived food products was undertaken to ascertain:
• how food businesses are adapting to the need to comply with the GM food labelling provisions of Standard 1.5.2 and the need to determine the GM status of ingredients used in their products; and
• the usefulness of document surveys to regulatory authorities in determining compliance or non-compliance with the mandatory GM food labelling requirements, as an alternative to undertaking Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION MONITORING CHECKLIST

WHAT TO OBSERVE DURING FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS APPLYING THE “SCOOPING” SYSTEM
A FEW POINTS.

 The physical organization of the distribution area.
- Are the refugees waiting for their food ration in an orderly manner outside the distribution area?
- Is it easy to follow visually the distribution “line” (from the person who checks the refugee identity/ration card, to the person who scoops the food, to the person who controls the exit of the refugee)?
- Is the food properly piled? Is any bag of food left open and without proper custody? Is there food spilt on the ground of the distribution area?
- Is the distribution area protected from the rain?
- Is the area defined (by a rope, wooden fence, concrete walls, etc.)?
- Is the distribution area kept “clean”?


 The distribution process.
- Is the ration card (issued after UNHCR/Government registration) used to check the identity of the refugee and its serial number verified on the beneficiary list?
- Is the ration card punched once the head of family enters the distribution area?
- Is there a clear division of responsibilities between the staff who calls and checks the names of the refugees, the person who scoops, the person who monitors those previous activities and the person who ensures the orderly processing of refugees?
- If refugees are involved, is there a NGO staff designated to control their work?


 Beneficiary lists and name verification.
- Does the NGO use computerized beneficiary lists?
- Does the list have a column for the name, the family size and their signature?
- Does the staff call out the names of the refugees from the beneficiary list by using a loudspeaker?
- Do they ask every head of family questions to confirm his/her identity or ask for his/her ID card/ration card?
- Does every beneficiary sign upon reception of their food ration?
- Are refugees who are not on the lists registered on the spot and distributed food? Or are they simply registered and have to wait for the next distribution?
- Have family sizes increased suddenly on the spot during distribution?


 The scooping activity.
- Are standard and precise scoops used? (verify the announced quantity of food scooped from each container.)
- Does the NGO use scoops in which the quantity to distribute is marked with a pen or has a visual estimation mark?
- Do scoops change from one distribution to another in spite of the food ration remaining the same? If this happens, does the NGO explain to the refugees the reason behind this and weigh the food in a new scoop in front of the refugees?
- Are the same scoops used for different food items?


 Equity of the distribution.
- Does everybody receive the same agreed upon food ration?
- Do the elderly, women and children receive their due ration?
- Is there any system in place to guarantee some special groups (e.g. handicapped people, the elderly, etc.) an easier access to their due ration?


 Information on the distribution.
- Are refugees (from the young man to the elderly woman) informed about the distribution day, the quantity due to each refugee and the quantity of food contained in the scoops?
- Are refugees informed of any change in the above?
- How is this information disseminated (verbally to all refugees, verbally through leaders, in writing through leaflets, by signboards with drawings or messages)?
- Is any special attention provided to refugees in special situations (e.g. minors coming to collect food, the elderly, handicapped, etc.)?


 Other issues:
- Did the distribution start on time?
- Were the trucks properly offloaded thus ensuring security for the food handled?
- In the event that our implementing partner sub-contracts another NGO for the actual food distribution, is at least one representative of our partner present during the entire distribution process? What kind of monitoring and control is he/she ensuring?


POST DISTRIBUTION MONITORING AND RAPID FOOD SECURITY ASSESSMENT
This may consist of:
 Following a refugee home (preferably chosen at random) who has just received their ration.
 Returning to the same village/camp where the food distribution took pace some days earlier and interview a family selected at random.
 Meeting a group of refugees (e.g. women, leaders, farmers, young people) after the distribution has already taken place.


In the first case, it will be important to:
- Check if the number of family members indicated on the ration card/NGO list is correct (either by checking the number of family members present or enquiring with neighbours).
- Observe the food stock of the household.
- When other food items other than those from the distribution are found, ask where they came from (they could be in compensation for work, from the market, from the kitchen garden, etc.).
- Ask about information they receive on the food distribution and their appreciation of the NGO work.
- Ask about the use of the food ration (e.g. is it for consumption, trade, as reimbursement of debts, etc.).


In the second case, you may as well ask the following:
- How does the household complement the food ration provided by the UN/NGO or by the Government? (e.g. do they buy it, work for it, trade, etc.)
- What are their usual sources of food? (e.g. the market, as compensation for work, the forest/free land, food distributions, donations from other refugees, donations from the local population, etc.)
- Is any food consumed now, which wasn't consumed before in the country of origin? (if yes, why wasn’t it and why it is now)
- How many meals per day does the family consume?
- What activities are carried out by the family members in their daily life?
- Are these activities regular or seasonal only?
- What is the daily income (or "in kind" benefit), if any, received for their activities?
- How many members of the family are involved in these activities?
- Do the children work as well? If yes, did they also work in the country of origin?
- What was the main activity of the head of household in the country of origin?
- Did the family find itself needing to sell personal belongings in order to purchase food and NFI? If yes, when did this last happen?

In the third case, the same questions mentioned above and plus some additional can be asked in order to obtain a more general idea of the refugee’s appreciation of the distribution system, the distributing agency, the ration provided, their coping mechanisms and their socio-economic situation.
There are several ways to gather this information, of which one is the so-called quick appraisal technique, which mainly uses oriented discussions with refugees in groups or on an individual basis.
Group discussions can be carried out with groups of refugees selected on the basis of sex, age, occupation or a combination.
In the case of a large refugee settlement, such an investigation should be selected on the basis of their profile.

The group discussions can refer to a more general checklist:
• Is information on the food distribution provided in a timely manner?
• Do the refugees appreciate the work of the NGO in charge of food distribution?
• How is the food ration is used (e.g. is it for consumption, trade, reimbursement of debts).
• How do the refugees complement the food ration provided by the UN/NGO or by the Government?
1. Buying food
2. Working for food
3. Trading food
• What is their usual source of food?
1. The market
2. As compensation for work
3. The forest/free land
4. Food distributions
5. Donations from other refugees
6. Donations from the local population
7. Other
• Is any food consumed now, which wasn't consumed before in the country of origin?
1. Food not consumed because it was considered "poor" food
2. Food not consumed because of traditional beliefs
3. Food not consumed because it was not part of their usual diet
4. Other
• How many meals per day do the refugees consume?
1. What % of the population has two and which has three meals a day?
• What activities are carried out by the refugees in their daily life?
1. Specify the kind of activity
2. Specify if the activity is of a continuous nature or seasonal
3. What is the daily income (or "in kind" benefit) received for their activities
4. How many members of the family are involved in these activities
5. Do the children work as well? If yes, were they used to working before in their country of origin
6. What is the estimated % of refugee having access to income generating activities
• What % of refugees have access to land for cultivation?
1. Can they "own" their own land
2. How many hectares, on average, are given per refugee family
3. What % of refugee work on the land of the local population compared to those working on land allocated to them
4. Do refugees have seeds and tools. If yes, how did they obtain them
• Did the refugees find themselves having to sell personal belongings in order to purchase food and NFI? If yes, when did this last happen?
• What's considered as “bad/difficult” times for the refugees?
• What's considered as "good" times?
• Who are the most vulnerable among the refugees? (see how refugees themselves define vulnerability)

Lean down meal

More 0630 am options – pick two for breakfast

1. 110 calories: Latte with reduced-fat milk
2. 140 calories: Skippy brand Squeeze Stick of peanut butter
3. 200 calories: 1 cup reduced-sodium cottage cheese with fresh peaches and cinnamon
4. 200 calories: 1 cup blackberries, blueberries, or strawberries with 6 ounces light yogurt and 1 tablespoon low-fat granola
5. 250 calories: Any-way-you-like-it egg on a whole-grain English muffin with melted cheese
6. 250 calories: Oatmeal made with milk instead of water; add brown sugar, walnuts, and/or any fresh or dried fruit
7. 260 calories: Cold whole-grain cereal, such as Kashi or raisin bran, with reduced-fat milk
8. 300 calories: Peanut butter and jelly on a whole-grain English muffin or wheat bread
9. 300 calories: Scrambled-egg burrito with turkey sausage and salsa
10. 300 calories: Two-egg omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and sour cream More 0930 am snack options – pick 1-2 options
1. 80 calories: Stick of string cheese
2. 100 calories: Hard-boiled egg with a handful of grape tomatoes
3. 180 calories: Nature Valley granola bar
4. 250 calories: Ready-made reduced-fat smoothie, such as Stonyfield Farm
5. 250 calories: Clif bar
6. 275 calories: 2 or 3 small handfuls of trail mix
7. 290 calories: Kellogg's Nutri-Grain bar with a handful of pistachios or almonds
8. 300 calories: Slice of whole-grain bread topped with peanut butter and banana
9. 300 calories: Small bagel with 2 slices of Muenster cheese, melted
10. 400 calories: Medium-size fruit muffin (best if made with whole-wheat flour)

Lunch options – choose 1
1. 175 calories: Canned tuna with balsamic vinegar on whole-grain crackers or bread
2. 300 calories: 3 corn-tortilla flautas stuffed with refried beans and dipped in salsa
3. 350 calories: Half an avocado, sliced, or ½ cup prepared guacamole with tomato and onion in a whole-grain pita
4. 375 calories: Baked potato with chopped broccoli and a slice of American cheese, melted
5. 400 calories: Seafood salad in a whole-grain bread with diced tomato, cucumber, and onion
6. 400 calories: 3 or 4 slices of bacon, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, thin apple slices, and peanut butter on toasted whole-grain bread
7. 400 calories: ½ cup hummus with roasted vegetables
8. 400 calories: Small ham-, turkey-, or roast-beef-and-Swiss sandwich (wheat) with vegetables and mustard
9. 400 calories: Fresh mozzarella and tomato slices on a bed of greens, with balsamic vinaigrette and extra-virgin olive oil
10. 450 calories: Taco salad with salsa or reduced-fat sour cream

Dinner – keep it small – Will be eating again in 2 hours
1. 200 calories: 2 cups mixed vegetables (fresh or frozen) with ½ cup marinara sauce and some grated Parmesan cheese
2. 275 calories: 3 or 4 large handfuls of greens sautéed in olive oil with a handful of walnuts and ½ cup raisins
3. 300 calories: 6-piece sushi meal with a cup of miso soup
4. 325 calories: Buffalo burger topped with coleslaw, onion, and tomato
5. 350 calories: Quesadilla made with a small corn or whole-wheat tortilla, cheese, beans, shredded chicken or lean ground beef, onion, and jalapenos, and dipped in salsa – or use wheat bread
6. 400 calories: Slice of pizza topped with cheese and ground beef or ham
7. 400 calories: Turkey London broil cut into strips, sautéed with onion, red and orange bell pepper, and teriyaki sauce
8. 450 calories: Small plateful of nachos--baked tortilla chips, shredded reduced-fat cheese, refried beans, and salsa (plus some corn or black beans, if you want)
9. 500 calories: Lentil, minestrone, or tomato soup with a grilled-cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread
10. 550 calories: 1 cup pasta tossed with browned ground turkey breast, black olives, diced onion, a drizzle of olive oil, and 1 ½ tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola cheese


Afternoon snack – need protein
1. 160 calories: Reduced-fat Cheddar and apple halves
2. 175 calories: 5 cheese wedges
3. 200 calories: ½ cup ranch or sour cream dip with vegetables
4. 210 calories: Half a container of Cracker Jack
5. 250 calories: 1 cup reduced-fat yogurt
6. 250 calories: Small handful of chopped nuts / granola over a cup of fruit salad or yogurt
7. 260 calories: Apple, pear, or banana smeared with peanut butter
8. 300 calories: Cup of chickpeas
9. 340 calories: 2 ounces roasted nuts
10. 350 calories: 1 cup each fat-free milk and frozen yogurt blended with a spoonful of peanut butter






Evening snack – last food of the day

1. 150 calories: 5 cups Jolly Time light microwave popcorn sprinkled with hot sauce or baked chips and salsa
2. 150 calories: 1 cup rice pudding
3. 150 calories: 6 or 7 strawberries dipped in yogurt
4. 150 calories: 1 cup cocoa made with skim milk
5. 175 calories: Sliced sweet potato (with skin), tossed in olive oil and baked
6. 175 calories: 1 cup skim ricotta cheese sweetened with Splenda, vanilla flavoring, and a dash of nutmeg or cinnamon
7. 175 calories: Seltzer with 2 scoops frozen yogurt, a handful of berries, and a shot of flavoring syrup, such as strawberry or cherry
8. 200 calories: Root-beer float with 2 scoops frozen vanilla yogurt
9. 200 calories: 2 handfuls olives or nuts
10. 275 calories: 2-ounce Snickers bar

pages 2-3 from Men’s Health Magazine – great additional options to my page 1 food chart…

Maintain Safe Food Temperatures

1. Cook food to a safe temperature to destroy harmful bacteria like Salmonella and E.coli 0157:H7.
2. Prevent overcooking and get the best flavor.

Use your food safety equipment:
Louis had finally advanced from the dish-room to assistant cook at the local restaurant. The third night he worked, the head cook was sick, so he was left in charge cooking menu items he was not familiar with. When the chicken was taken out of the deep fat fryer, it was golden and certainly looked done from the outside. However, several customers complained that it was still cool on the inside and was not cooked completely. What could Louis use to make sure the chicken was cooked completely?

Tips to remember:
• Stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the food.
• Keep foods out of the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ).
1) A cold food should read 41°F or below.
2) A hot food should read 140°F or above.
• Clean and sanitize thermometer before and after each use (keep cover clean and sanitized too).

Check thermometer for accuracy:
Ice Water Method: Fill a large glass with finely crushed ice. Add clean water to the top of the ice and stir well. Immerse the thermometer stem a minimum of 2 inches into the mixture. The thermometer should read 32 °F after 30 seconds. Check for accuracy on a regular basis, or if the thermometer is dropped or exposed to extreme temperatures.

What types of food thermometers are available?
Digital thermometers provide a digital readout of a specific temperature on top of a long metal stem.
• Battery powered, needs to be turned on and off, check battery often for replacement.
• Temperature is registered in less than 5 seconds.
• Placed in food at the end of the cooking time.
• The sensor is located in the tip of the probe, therefore ideal for thin foods, such as hamburgers and chicken breasts.
• Not oven-safe and should not be immersed in water.

Dial thermometers have a temperature range featured on a round dial on top of a long metal stem.
• Large dial thermometers are oven-safe and good for large roasts and whole poultry.
• Smaller instant-read dial thermometers are not designed to stay in an oven, but are used to spot-test food during and at the end of the cooking time.
• Sensor is about 2 inches up the stem. Therefore 2 inches of stem (from the tip) needs to be in the thickest part of the food (thin foods – insert into the side).


South Dakota Food Service Code requires the minimum final internal cooking temperatures.
Minimum requirements – your establishment may have higher temperature standards.

Temperature Time Food
145° F
15 seconds
Shell eggs for individual order; fish, seafood, beef, veal, lamb, mutton, and buffalo.
155° F
150° F
145° F 15 seconds, or
1 minute, or
3 minutes Pork, game animals, ground or chopped meat and fish, injected meats, eggs in multi-serving batches.

165° F
15 seconds
Leftovers, stuffed foods, or stuffing containing fish, meat, or poultry.

Digging Deeper—Maintain Safe Food Temperatures:

1) When cooking ground beef patties, your food service establishment requires that they be cooked to a final temperature of 165°F. How do you know the meat is cooked to 165°F?
a) If the outside is dark and the juices run clear, it is cooked to a safe level.
b) The inside of the ground beef patty is no longer pink.
c) You place a digital thermometer in the center of the patty and it reads 165°F or higher.
d) Choices a and b.

2) When using a dial stem thermometer to take the temperature of a chicken breast…
a) The stem of the thermometer should be at least two inches into the chicken breast from the side.
b) The tip of the thermometer should be placed into the middle of the chicken.
c) You should lay the thermometer on top of the chicken breast.
d) You should check the temperature of the oven; if it is 350°, the chicken should be cooked completely.

3) Which of the following is correct use of a thermometer?
a) It is placed in a 50/50 ice water slush to see if it is accurate. If the temperature reads 0°F it is accurate.
b) It is placed in a 50/50 ice water slush to see if it is accurate. If the temperature reads 32°F it is accurate.
c) The digital thermometer is left in the turkey stuffing while it bakes to make sure it reaches a final temperature of 165 F.
d) Using the same thermometer, take the temperature of a turkey and it is at 150 F, then immediately take the temperature of a beef roast. It is at 145˚ F and is ready to be served.

4) What is the minimum final cooking temperature of a pork roast, according to the South Dakota Food Code standards.
a) 145°F for 3 minutes
b) 145°F for 1 minute
c) 165°F for 15 seconds.
d) 325°F for 2 1/2 hours

FOOD FOR FINES

Penfield Library 2008 Food Drive


Pay off your library fines with food instead of cash! Clean out your cupboards before leaving for the Thanksgiving break AND clean up your delinquent account with the library at the same time! (Money owed to the library will prevent you from registering for classes, or receiving your grades or transcripts.)

One food item = $1 in fines

 Each item of food will cancel $1.00 or less for any fine
Fine of $4.00 = 4 food items
Fine of $4.25 = 5 food items
 Ramen noodles accepted as 4 packages = $1.00
 Only unopened, pre-packaged food will be accepted
 NO GLASS
 No perishable food
 No food in damaged packaging
 Actual cost of food will not be considered in canceling fines
 Food accepted for fines only, NOT for lost book charges
 Any food donations will also be gratefully accepted

EXAMPLES OF ACCEPTED FOOD ITEMS

Canned fruits or vegetables soup canned meat or fish
pork & beans jelly peanut butter
boxed macaroni & cheese cereal pasta/canned sauce



All proceeds will be donated to the Human Concerns Food Pantry. Any fine money collected during this time will be deposited in regular library accounts. For more information, email circdesk@oswego.edu, ask at the Circulation Desk, or call 312-2560

The Food Stamp Program

What Are Food Stamps?

Food Stamps provide low-income people with benefits they can use like cash to pay for food at most grocery stores.

Are You Eligible to Receive Food Stamps?

You may be eligible to receive Food Stamps if you are:
• Homeless
• Unemployed
• Elderly
• Disabled
• Receiving welfare or other public assistance payments

If You Are Homeless and Want to Enroll for Food Stamps:

• You may be able to get a $143 homeless shelter deduction if you are paying to stay in a shelter
• You do not need to provide a permanent mailing address
• Your car will not be counted as a resource if you are living in it
• You may be able to use your Food Stamps at some soup kitchens and restaurants

What Do You Need to Enroll in Food Stamps?

You may need to provide the following information to enroll in Food Stamps:
• Social Security number
• Proof if you are receiving Social Security or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits
• Medical bills if you are receiving Social Security or SSI benefits because you are disabled

Food and Agriculture Incident Annex

Annex Coordinator:
Arkansas Agriculture Department (AAD)

State Support Agencies:
Arkansas Department of Emergency Management
Arkansas State Plant Board (within AAD)
Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission (within AAD)
Arkansas Department of Health
Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality
Arkansas State Police
Arkansas National Guard
Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD)
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Arkansas Cooperative Extension Services
Arkansas Forestry Commission
Arkansas Natural Resources Commission

Federal Support Agencies:
Federal Emergency Management Agency
United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of the Interior
United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Other Support Agencies:
Local Governments and other organizations
Purpose
The Food and Agriculture Incident Annex describes the roles and responsibilities associated with all incidents that require a coordinated State response involving the Nation’s agriculture and food systems.

Scope

The protocols outlined in the annex apply to all actual or potential incidents requiring a coordinated State response. The objectives of a coordinated State response to an incident impacting food and agriculture are to:

• Detect the event through the reporting of illness, disease/pest surveillance, routine testing, consumer complaints and/or environmental monitoring.

• Determine the primary coordinating agency.

• Determine the source of the incident or outbreak.

• Control and contain the distribution of the affected source.

• Identify and protect the population at risk.

• Assess public health, food, agriculture, and law enforcement implications.

• Assess the extent of residual biological, chemical, or radiological contamination, then decontaminate and dispose as necessary.

A food and agriculture incident may threaten public health, animal nutrition, food production, aquaculture, livestock production, wildlife, soils, rangelands, and agricultural water supplies. Responding to the unique attributes of this type of incident requires separate planning considerations that are tailored to specific health and agriculture concerns and effects of the disease (e.g., deliberate contamination versus natural outbreaks, plant and animal versus processed food, etc.). Specific operational guidelines, developed by organizations with responsibility for the unique aspects of a particular disease or planning consideration, will supplement this annex and are intended as guidance to assist State, and local public health and agriculture authorities.

Special Considerations

Detection of an intentional or unintentional contamination/adulteration of food, animals, plants, or a pest outbreak may occur in several different ways and involve several different modalities:

A terrorist attack on food or agriculture may initially be indistinguishable from a naturally occurring event; moreover, depending upon the particular agent and associated symptoms, several days could pass before public health, food, agriculture and medical authorities even suspect that terrorism may be the cause. In such a case, criminal intent may not be apparent until some time after illnesses are recognized.

A devastating attack or the threat of an attack on the domestic animal population and plant crops through use of highly infective exotic disease or pest infestation could result in severe economic loss. Early detection, allowing for early intervention, would come from agriculture expert authority reports as well as unusual patterns in surveillance systems.

A food or agricultural incident may involve international trade.

Policies

This annex supports policies and procedures outlined in the National Response Framework, the Emergency Support Function (ESF) #8 – Public Health and Medical Services Annex; the ESF #10 – Oil and Hazardous Materials Response Annex; the ESF #11 – Agriculture and Natural Resources Annex; the Terrorism Incident Law Enforcement and Investigation Annex.

If an agency becomes aware of an overt threat involving biological, chemical, or radiological agents or indications that instances of disease may not be the result of natural causes, Arkansas State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will be notified. The FBI, in turn, immediately notifies the National Operations Center (NOC) and the National Counterterrorism Center.

Participating State agencies may take appropriate independent emergency actions within the limits of their own statutory authority to protect the public, mitigate immediate hazards, and collect information concerning the emergency. This may require deploying assets before they are requested via normal State Emergency Operations Plan protocols.

Local governments are primarily responsible for detecting and responding to food and agriculture incidents and implementing measures to minimize the health and economic consequences of such an incident or outbreak.

Planning Assumptions

The first evidence of dissemination of an agent may be the presentation of disease in humans, animals, or plants. This could manifest either in clinical case reports to domestic or international public health or agriculture authorities or in unusual patterns of symptoms or encounters within domestic or international human and animal health and crop production surveillance systems.

Food and agriculture surveillance systems may detect the presence of a radiological, chemical, or biological agent and trigger directed environmental sampling and intensified human and animal surveillance to rule out or confirm a case. If a case is confirmed, then these systems may allow for mobilization of a public health, medical, and law enforcement response in advance of the appearance of the first human and/or animal cases, or quick response after the first human and/or animal cases are identified.

A food and agriculture incident may be distributed across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. Response to this incident could require the simultaneous management of multiple “incident sites” from national and regional headquarters locations in coordination with multiple State and local jurisdictions.

An act of food tampering or agro-terrorism, particularly an act directed against large sectors of the industry within the United States, will have major consequences that can overwhelm the capabilities of many State, tribal, and local governments to respond and may seriously challenge existing State response capabilities.

A food or agriculture incident may include biological, chemical, or radiological contaminants, which may require concurrent implementation of other State plans and procedures.

Food and agriculture incidents may not be immediately recognized as such until the biological, chemical, or radiological agent is detected or the effects of exposure on the public, animals, or plants are reported to appropriate authorities.

No single entity possesses the authority, expertise, and resources to act unilaterally on the many complex issues that may arise in response to a food or agricultural incident.

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

General

The primary functions of the Food and Agriculture Incident Annex are to:

• Support effective and coordinated communication between State and local responders to a potential or actual incident impacting food and agriculture that requires a coordinated State response.

• Minimize public health and economic impacts of a food and agriculture-related incident.

• Provide transition from response to rapid recovery following a food and agriculture-related incident.

• The key elements for an effective response to a food or agriculture incident include the following:

• Rapid identification, detection, and confirmation of the incident.

• Implementation of an integrated response to a food attack/adulteration, highly contagious animal/zoonotic, or exotic plant disease or plant pest infestation.

• Identification of the human and animal population, and/or plants at risk.

• Determination of how the agent involved was transmitted, including an assessment of the efficiency of transmission.

• Determination of the public health and economic implications.

• Control, containment, decontamination, and disposal.

• Protection of the population(s) and/or plants at risk through appropriate measures.

• Dissemination of information to advise the public of the incident.

• Communication with all relevant stakeholders.

• Assessment of environmental contamination and extent of cleanup, decontamination, and disposal of livestock carcasses, plants, or food products involved.

• Identification of the law enforcement implications/assessment of the threat.

Primary State functions include supporting local public health, food, and agriculture entities according to the policies and procedures detailed in the State Emergency Operations Plan.

Incident Detection and Identification

Determination of Incident

Local authorities may be among the first to recognize the initial indication of intentional or naturally occurring contamination of food, of highly infective plant or animal disease, or of an economically devastating plant pest infestation or animal disease. Recognition may come from a significantly increased number of people reporting ill to public health care providers, increased reporting of sick animals to veterinarians or animal health officials, or numerous plant anomalies reported by State officials or the public. Other sources may include routine laboratory surveillance, inspection reports, consumer complaint systems, and hotlines. Therefore, the most critical decision making support requires surveillance information, identification of the cause of the incident, a determination of whether the incident is intentional or naturally occurring, and the identification of the human or animal population and/or plants at risk.

Laboratory Testing

Identification and confirmation of contaminated food or the environment, highly infective animals and plants, or an economically devastating plant pest infestation may occur through routine surveillance and laboratory testing.

Arkansas Plant Board has four labs. There is a chemical lab that tests for such substances as pesticides and residues. There is a seed lab which audits package contents against package labels. There is a petroleum products lab which tests samples of petroleum products for content and quality. There is a metrology lab which is the state standard for weights and measures.

The Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory assists the livestock and poultry industries, private veterinarians, and animal owners of Arkansas by diagnosing and monitoring animal diseases that can

• affect humans
• reduce the productivity or marketability of animals
• threaten animal populations
• affect the safety or quality of animal products

The laboratory also participates in federal cooperative disease programs and works with other state agencies to provide veterinary diagnostic testing, disease surveillance, animal health monitoring, drug testing, collaborative research, and animal health education.

The ARLPC Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is the only lab in Arkansas that is accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians. The AAVLD establishes acceptable criteria for quality assurance, safety, personnel qualifications, and laboratory facilities.

Notification

A potential or actual incident requiring a coordinated State response involving contaminated food, infected animals or plants, or economically devastating plant pest infestation shall be brought to the immediate attention of the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management (ADEM). ADEM will coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal agencies as needed, and will coordinate with local/regional Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs) to facilitate response activities.

ACTIONS

The following steps are required to contain and control a food or agricultural incident:

• Ensure the safety and security of the food and agricultural infrastructure in the affected area, as needed.

• Inspect food facilities that can continue to operate in the affected area, as needed.

• Conduct laboratory tests to identify contaminated food, animals, or plants.

• Conduct product trace back and trace forward investigations of identified food, animals, or plants.

• Detain, seize, recall, or condemn affected food, animals, or plants.

• State authorities will request approval from the EPA for the use of pesticides to decontaminate plants, animal facilities, and food facilities from biological contaminants.

RESPONSIBILITIES

This section summarizes responsibilities in response to a potential or actual incident requiring a coordinated State response that involves contaminated food or infected animals or plants. The procedures in this annex are built on the core coordinating structures of the National Response Framework. The specific responsibilities of each department and agency are described in greater detail in the respective ESFs.

Roles and responsibilities of cooperating agencies are provided in Table 1 on the following page.

The World Food Crisis

Statement


1. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is alarmed at the rapid worldwide rise in food prices and the soaring energy prices that have precipitated a global food crisis and are adversely affecting the right to adequate food and freedom from hunger as well as other human rights of more than 100 million people.

2. The world has lived for too many years with a chronic crisis of 854 million people suffering from food insecurity and two billion people suffering from malnutrition and undernutrition.

3. Prices of basic staple foods (including rice, maize, wheat etc) have risen by up to 60 per cent around the world. The poorest people in the world are the most severely affected as they already spend up to 60- 80 per cent of their income on food, compared with 20 per cent in the developed world.

4. The food crisis underscores the interdependence of all human rights, as the enjoyment of the human right to adequate food and freedom from hunger is of paramount importance for the enjoyment of all other rights, including the right to life.

5. The Committee calls upon all States to revisit their obligations under article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Under article 11(1) of the Covenant, States parties recognize “the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for himself and his family,

Guidance Document for Food Establishments

What to do in Case of Flooding, Interruption in Power Service,
or Interruption in Water Service

1. If flooding occurs in any food preparation area, dishwashing area, or restroom or dining areas the establishment shall:
a. Cease all food service operations
b. Notify the regulatory authority, contact information listed below
c. When flooding has ceased complete establishment clean up and contact the regulatory authority for an inspection prior to reopening. Refer to After the Flood: Cleaning Up Your Food Facility and Emergency Handbook for Food Managers. Documents available at DIA website listed below.

2. If flooding occurs in non food areas(basements):
a. Dispose of any food or single use articles that have been in contact with flood waters.
b. Clean facility when flooding has ceased. Refer to After the Flood: Cleaning Up Your Food Facility and Emergency Handbook for Food Managers. Documents available at DIA website listed below.

3. If loss of power occurs:
a. Cease all food service operations
b. Notify the Regulatory Authority
c. Dispose of Potentially Hazardous Foods that are above 41 degrees F.
d. If power is lost for more that 2 hours contact the regulatory authority prior to reopening.
e. Review Emergency Handbook for Food Managers. Documents available at DIA website listed below.

4. If an interruption in water service occurs:
a. Cease all food service operations
b. Notify the regulatory authority
c. When potable (safe drinking water) service is returned clean equipment and flush lines. Refer to Food Service Reopening Requirements and Emergency Handbook for Food Managers. Documents available at DIA website listed below.
d. Contact the regulatory authority for an inspection prior to reopening.

5. For additional information and access to guidance documents log on to www.dia.iowa.gov . Contact us at 515-281-6538(during office hours) and 515-669-3826(for emergency after hours).

Protect the Quality and Safety of Your Food1

I. The Importance of Food Safety
Fresh, clean food is important to good nutrition. Preventing food from becoming mouldy or spoiled reduces waste, and preventing food from becoming contaminated with food poisoning bacteria reduces losses and illnesses. Bacteria and mould in food can reduce the food's nutrient value and also cause disease.
Disease causing (or pathogenic) bacteria can contaminate food and water and cause food poisoning in the form of diseases such as typhoid, cholera and hepatitis. In some circumstances, mould growing on food can develop poisons known as mycotoxins, which can cause illness and sometimes even death. Internal parasites can be transmitted through food that has been contaminated with parasite eggs or cysts, and in some cases the infective stage of a parasite can be transmitted in foods such as meat and fish.
Bacteria, moulds and parasites can contaminate food in different ways:
• from the soil or water where it is grown;
• from handling at harvest, during processing or marketing, or during storage;
• by human or animal sewage from hands, flies, rats or other pests, or by contaminated air or water.
In many countries serious diseases such as cholera and typhoid are rare, although other types of food poisoning are common. Losses from food spoilage and contamination are also very common.
The symptoms of food poisoning commonly include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and fever, although not all of them may occur in every case. Symptoms vary depending upon the cause and usually start between one and 36 hours after eating the contaminated food and may last for several days. Food poisoning may be fatal, depending upon the cause and the overall fitness of the sick person.
Some bacteria, for example most salmonella bacteria, can increase in numbers in food very rapidly under some circumstances. Under conditions that favour their rapid growth, such as the right temperature, one bacterium can increase to 100 million bacteria within 9 hours. Even with such large numbers, they cannot be seen without the use of a microscope
Cross contamination of foods is a common cause of outbreaks of food poisoning. Food that is contaminated with large numbers of bacteria can be a source of contamination of other foods. This cross contamination of foods can happen when food contaminated by hands, flies or other insects or pests touches a clean food or when clean foods touch a contaminated surface or utensil.
The risk of food poisoning and of losses through spoilage can be greatly reduced if some basic rules are followed. These rules are designed to kill bacteria and moulds where possible, stop them increasing in numbers, and stop them being transferred or spread. They should be followed at all times and at all stages in food production, preparation, storage, marketing and serving. These rules will prevent food related illnesses and reduce the wastage of food.


II. Proper Storage and Handling of Foods
To keep food safe to eat it is important to follow these rules:
• Keep cupboards and storage areas clean, cool, and dry.
• Do not store food in containers that are used for other purposes. It is important not to store food in containers that have previously been used for chemicals.
• Keep food covered while it is being stored and keep it away from chemicals such as insecticides and household cleaners.
• Make sure the areas where food is prepared, all pots, pans and utensils such as knives, forks and spoons are clean before food is prepared. These items should be cleaned again afterwards.
• If fruit and vegetables look dirty, wash them in clean water before preparation for cooking. Fruit and vegetables that are to be eaten without being cooked should always be washed first in clean water.
• When washing pots, pans and utensils such as knives, forks and spoons, use hot water with soap or detergent, then rinse in clean water. Change washing and rinsing water often.
• Make sure the water used for cooking and washing is fresh and from a safe source.
It is important to remember that people, insects and other items can make clean things dirty again even though they still look clean. Therefore, it is important to:
• Wash your hands with soap and clean water before preparing or eating food.
• Avoid coughing or sneezing near food or touching your nose, mouth, hair or anything dirty while preparing food.
• Avoid preparing food if you are sick or if you have wounds or sores on your hands.
• Keep insects, pests, animals, birds, dust and fumes away from food.
Even in clean surroundings food will go bad over time. Food always has some bacteria on it and these will increase in number over time and cause spoilage or even illness. Therefore it is important to:
• Follow any storage instructions precisely on labels or packages.
• Do not keep food too long. Throw it away if it looks or smells bad or spoiled.
• Do not leave scraps of food around. Bacteria from scraps of food can spread quickly to nearby food.
Raw meat, poultry and fish require special care as they always have bacteria on their surface. Proper cooking will kill these bacteria and make the food safe. But it is important not to let raw meat, poultry or fish contaminate food that is already cooked or that is to be eaten raw.
• When handling raw food, wash your hands and everything else you use, including contact surfaces.
• Keep raw food separate from cooked food or food that is to be eaten raw.


III. Keeping Food at the Right Temperature
Keeping food in cold places slows bacterial growth. All perishable food, especially meat, poultry and fish, should be stored in a cold place.
Cooking food properly kills all or most bacteria and keeping foods sufficiently hot after cooking prevents most dangerous bacteria from growing. Meat and food items containing meat should always be thoroughly cooked. If meat or poultry is still red inside or if the juices still look bloody, it is undercooked and could still contain harmful germs. Eggs should also be well cooked. Foods that are cooked in water should be cooked in boiling water and remain in the water long enough to reach a temperature high enough to kill bacteria.
So far as possible, food should be eaten as soon as it is cooked. If food is uncooked or cold, it should be eaten as soon as it is taken out of cold storage. If it is not to be eaten straight away, food that is cooked or heated should either be kept hot until eaten or quickly cooled down and then stored in a cold place. Food should not be kept just warm or at room temperature, as these temperatures are ideal for the rapid growth of bacteria.
The best place to store most fresh food is in a refrigerator or freezer but if neither is available it should be stored in the coolest possible place. But remember food will spoil more quickly in a cool place than in a cold place.
Since bacteria need moisture to increase in numbers, dried food such as pulses, nuts, bread and uncooked grains are less of a risk and can be kept at room temperature.
Food sealed in tins can be kept at room temperature as long as they are not opened. Once they are, then the food should be eaten quickly or put in a clean covered container and stored in a cold place. Food should not be left in a tine once it has been opened.


IV. Caring for Children
Healthy and well-nourished children are usually not affected by most bacteria. However, eating contaminated or unsafe food can quickly cause serious illness. If children are undernourished or weakened by other causes, their resistance is lowered and there is an increased risk that they will become sick from disease-causing bacteria. Extra precautions should be taken with the food of young, undernourished or sick children.
Young children like to put things in their mouth. They should be discouraged from doing this with harmful things. Children should be taught how to handle food safely and encouraged to adopt good personal hygiene habits.
It is essential that clean water is used for the preparation of breast milk substitutes and weaning food. Boiling the water used for these purposes and ensuring all utensils are clean reduce the risk of sickness.


V. Cooking for Others
Extra care is required when cooking food in large quantities, especially in school canteens or cafeterias. Large outbreaks of food poisoning can occur if the above-mentioned basic rules are not followed.
While it is more difficult to follow all the rules for food being sold by street vendors or from temporary stalls, they are just as important. All rules should be obeyed, particularly the following:
• Keep all pots, pans, containers and utensils such as knives and spoons clean.
• Keep all food preparation areas clean, and avoid contact, even indirect contact, between cooked food and raw food.
• If cooked food is not eaten quickly, cool it and store it at a cold temperature.

Food Standards Agency: Food Safety Management System

The food industry is made up of a large proportion of small businesses, from production through to retail and catering. Food safety is of paramount importance, and so legislators need to maintain high standards, whilst taking account of the fact that small firms will make up a large proportion of businesses which will need to comply with the regulation. This has meant that the Food Standards Agency has had to be proactive in ensuring that legislation is designed with the needs of small business in mind from the early stages.

The challenge: EC food hygiene Regulations, introduced in 2006, require all food businesses to implement documented food safety management systems based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points). This means being aware of all the food safety hazards in their food operations and having systems in place to control them. Recognising the potential impact this legislation would have on small businesses, the Agency negotiated flexibility in Europe to allow proportionate food safety approaches for small businesses and minimise the impact of the new Regulation on them.

The approach: The Agency then worked directly with small businesses and other stakeholders to develop an innovative and practical scheme to help small food businesses comply with the new food hygiene regulations. A range of simple, easy to use information packs, including an interactive coaching DVD with voiceovers in 16 languages, forms the basis of the Safer food, better business (SFBB) programme. SFBB is underpinned by the risk-based HACCP approach so that a business using the packs correctly, complies with the law.

Talking to Small Businesses: The development of the SFBB approach was tested directly with 50 small caterers in and around Manchester to check that the approach was suitable for small business needs and user-friendly and get direct feedback from them on suggested improvements. Trained mentors visited the businesses in their premises to help businesses use the pack, identify practical approaches to food safety management and consider what would actually improve standards and change behaviour in their business.

Piloting our scheme: After the initial development, an early version of SFBB was piloted in over 1,000 businesses in 20 local authorities in England, again interacting with managers and their staff. As a response to small business and local authority feedback further products, for example, for Chinese cuisine, were all developed with relevant businesses and their representative organisations. The pilot highlighted the need to emphasise practical good hygiene practice with pictures that could be used to train staff. The SFBB packs follow the 4Cs from the Agency’s multi-media Food Hygiene Campaign: Cooking, Chilling, Cross-Contamination & Cleaning. Building on current knowledge in this way gave SFBB a firm foundation and strong branding.

The pilot exercise also considered the most effective interventions with businesses, and provided the evidence base for a major small business support programme, involving local authorities, providing training and 1:1 coaching in business premises.

For more information, visit: http://www.food.gov.uk

CWS responds to food crisis by the household

NEW YORK – In the wake of a global crisis that threatens millions with possible starvation, global humanitarian agency Church World Service continues to call for meaningful changes in how food is produced and distributed across the globe.
"This shows now more than ever how the world's hungry are forgotten in the global marketplace," says CWS Executive Director and CEO the Rev. John L. McCullough. "In our work across the globe, we're finding even those who were once able to buy food are now in danger of malnutrition or even starvation."
The current situation has the potential of becoming the worst such crisis in 30 years, according to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and has already prompted riots in a number of countries, from Haiti to Egypt. World Bank President Robert Zoellick has warned that rising food prices could push an additional 100 million people in low-income countries into poverty.
Yet the answer to much of the world's food security problem isn’t to produce more food. United Nations-backed research indicates enough food exists to feed the world's hungry; the problem is that much of the world's poor can't afford food in their local market.
As such, CWS has focused much of its anti-poverty work on as basic a level as possible, by the household. In Cambodia, CWS and its partners are training families to produce food in places where they previously had not been producing it. Proper instruction in agricultural and production techniques mean more food can be grown, rather than purchased.
"The price increase affects not only Cambodia but also Thailand, Laos and others," said CWS Cambodia staffer Hong Reaksmey. "Rice...sold for $546 per ton in March, is up 68 percent from a year earlier. The current situation has exacerbated an already perilous situation for tens of millions."
In an effort to also look beyond the current crisis to long-term solutions, CWS this week co-sponsored a day-long Global Policy Forum in New York City that included discussion of ways to provide more food security for vulnerable people in future emergencies. One conclusion: governments, the United Nations and private lenders together must commit more money to rural farming programs that provide families some measure of security in the face of rising food prices caused in part by increasing use of crops for bio-fuels, not food.
CWS operates several offices across Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the mere lack of availability of farming tools and seeds presents a chronic problem to food security. To help curb the current crisis, CWS is securing more plants, a greater provision of seeds (wheat, mustard and other plants for Kitchen Gardening) and compost for distribution across the region.
CWS has a 60-year history in fighting poverty and hunger across the globe. The agency works with local partners in some 80 countries. McCullough says local agencies within each starving community can play the greatest role in re-shaping poverty in the world of the global marketplace.
"What we're really trying to do is provide these communities with the resources and tools they need to help themselves," McCullough said. "We are providing emergency food relief but that is not the whole answer. If the world's hungry is to have a chance at escaping poverty, we have to empower them."

Commercial Food Service

ENERGY STAR Commercial Food Service Equipment:
Sample Procurement Language


Commercial Dishwashers
The Vendor Must:
Provide commercial dishwashers that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy and water efficiency as outlined below. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Efficiency Requirements for Commercial Dishwashers—Effective October 11, 2007
Machine Type High Temp Efficiency Requirements Low Temp Efficiency Requirements
Idle Energy Rate* Water Consumption Idle Energy Rate* Water Consumption

Under Counter < 0.90 kW < 1.00 gal/rack < 0.5 kW < 1.70 gal/rack

Stationary Single Tank Door** < 1.0 kW < 0.950 gal/rack < 0.6 kW < 1.18 gal/rack
Single Tank Conveyor < 2.0 kW < 0.700 gal/rack < 1.6 kW < 0.790 gal/rack

Multiple Tank Conveyor < 2.6 kW < 0.540 gal/rack < 2.0 kW < 0.540 gal/rack
* Idle energy rate as measured with door closed and rounded to 2 significant digits.
** Includes pot, pan, and utensil machines.


Commercial Solid Door Refrigerators and Freezers
The Vendor Must:
Provide commercial solid door refrigerators and freezers that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency as outlined below. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Product Type Current Criteria (Energy Consumption Under Test Conditions)
Refrigerators ≤ 0.10 V + 2.04 kW-hours/day
Freezers ≤ 0.40 V + 1.38 kW-hours/day
Refrigerator-Freezers ≤ 0.27 AV - 0.71 kW-hours/day
Ice Cream Freezers ≤ 0.39 V + 0.82 kW-hours/day
V = Internal volume in ft3
AV = Adjusted volume = (1.63 x freezer volume in ft3) + refrigerator volume in ft3


Commercial Fryers
The Vendor Must:
Provide commercial fryers that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency as outlined below. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Energy Efficiency Requirements for Open Deep-Fat Gas Fryers—Effective August 15, 2003
Heavy Load (French fry) Cooking
Energy Efficiency > 50%

Idle Energy Rate < 9,000 Btu/hr*
*Based on 15-inch fryer

Energy Efficiency Requirements for Open Deep-Fat Electric Fryers—Effective August 15, 2003
Heavy Load (French fry) Cooking
Energy Efficiency > 80%

Idle Energy Rate < 1000 watts*
*Based on 15-inch fryer


Commercial Hot Food Holding Cabinets
The Vendor Must:
Provide commercial hot food holding cabinets that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency as outlined below. Dual function equipment, such as cook-and-hold models, cannot qualify as ENERGY STAR. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Current Criteria—Effective August 15, 2003
Maximum Idle Energy Rate = 40 watts/ft3

The maximum idle energy rate is based on the “idle energy rate—dry test” in ASTM F2140-01. Interior volume (ft3) of each qualifying model must be measured according to the protocol provided below.

Measuring Interior Volume: Commercial hot food holding cabinet interior volume shall be calculated using straight-line segments following the gross interior dimensions of the appliance and using the following equation: interior height x interior width x interior depth. Interior volume shall not account for racks, air plenums or other interior parts.

Commercial Ice Machines
The Vendor Must:
Provide commercial ice machines that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy and water efficiency as outlined below. Ice machines that use water-cooled technology as well as flake and nugget ice machines are not eligible for ENERGY STAR under Version 1.0. EPA intends to include flake and nugget ice machines once a test standard is made available and a robust database is established that may be used to derive performance requirements. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Efficiency Requirements for Commercial Ice Machines—Effective January 1, 2008
Equipment Type Harvest Rate, H
(lbs ice/day) Energy Use Limit (kWh/100 lbs ice) Potable Water Use Limit (gal/100 lbs ice)
Air-Cooled
IMH < 450 9.23 – 0.0077H < 25
> 450 6.20 – 0.0010H < 25
RCU (without remote compressor) < 1000 8.05 – 0.0035H < 25
> 1000 4.64 < 25
RCU (with remote compressor) < 934 8.05 – 0.0035H < 25
> 934 4.82 < 25
SCU < 175 16.7 – 0.0436H < 35
> 175 9.11 < 35



Commercial Steam Cookers
The Vendor Must:
Provide commercial steam cookers that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency as outlined below. Only 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-pan capacity units can qualify for ENERGY STAR. Models may include countertop models, wall-mounted models and floor-models mounted. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Energy Efficiency Requirements for Electric Steam Cookers—Effective August 1, 2003
Pan Capacity Cooking Energy Efficiency* Idle Rate** (watts)
3-pan 50% 400
4-pan 50% 530
5-pan 50% 670
6-pan 50% 800
*Cooking Energy Efficiency is based on heavy load (potato) cooking capacity.

Energy Efficiency Requirements for Gas Steam Cookers—Effective August 1, 2003
Pan Capacity Cooking Energy Efficiency* Idle Rate** (Btu/h)
3-pan 38% 6,250
4-pan 38% 8,350
5-pan 38% 10,400
6-pan 38% 12,500
*Cooking Energy Efficiency is based on heavy load (potato) cooking capacity.**Idle Energy Rate: The rate of appliance energy consumption while it is maintaining or holding at a stabilized operating condition or temperature.


Vending Machines
The Vendor Must:
Provide vending machines that earn the ENERGY STAR and meet the ENERGY STAR specifications for energy efficiency as outlined below. The vendor is encouraged to visit energystar.gov for complete product specifications and an updated list of qualifying products.

Energy Consumption
Current Criteria—Effective April 1, 2004 New Criteria—Effective January 1, 2007
Y = 0.55 [8.66 + (0.009 x C)] Y = 0.45 [8.66 + (0.009 x C)]
Y = 24 hr energy consumption (kWh/day) after the machine has stabilized
C = vendible capacity

Low Power Mode: In addition to meeting the 24-hour energy consumption requirements listed above, qualifying models shall come equipped with hard wired controls and/or software capable of automatically placing the machine into a low power mode during periods of extended inactivity while still connected to its power source to facilitate the saving of additional energy, where appropriate. The machine shall be capable of operating in each of the low power mode states described below:

1. Lighting low power state – lights off for an extended period of time.
2. Refrigeration low power state – the average beverage temperature is allowed to rise above 40°F for an extended period of time.
3. Whole machine low power state – the lights are off and the refrigeration operates in its low power state.

In addition, the machine shall be capable of automatically returning itself back to its normal operating conditions at the conclusion of the inactivity period. The low power mode-related controls/software shall be capable of on-site adjustments by the vending operator or machine owner.

Note: EPA’s goal in including these low power mode requirements is to ensure that existing machine software capabilities are available and may be used to their fullest potential based on the individual requirements of the host site. However, machines that are vending temperature sensitive product, such as milk, must not have the refrigeration low power state enabled on site by the vending operator or machine owner due to the risk of product spoilage.

BECOMING A WHOLESALE FOOD MANUFACTURER

BECOMING A WHOLESALE FOOD MANUFACTURER – EXPLANATION OF REQUIREMENTS


A Wholesale Food Manufacturing Establishment is defined in 50-57-102, Montana Codes Annotated (MCA) as a facility and the facility’s buildings or structures used to manufacture or prepare food for human consumption at wholesale. Please note that if the packaged food product you are proposing to produce for wholesale distribution is greater than 3% meat, licensing may be required by the Department of Livestock. Be sure to contact them at (406) 444-5202. For other packaged food, approval of the Food & Consumer Safety Section (FCSS) is required prior to licensing, and FCSS must issue the license.

In order to become a licensed wholesale food manufacturer, authorized to process and package food for public distribution, there are 5 steps a new applicant (person or corporation) must complete. They are shown below.

a) Apply for a license (including license fee and application form), and pay any plan review fee which may be required by the
county in which the facility is to be located.
b) Facility Plan -- Obtain approval of the plans and specifications prior to construction, including layout plans, water source,
sewage disposal, and other structural information. (See Part 1.)
c) Process Plan -- Obtain approval of product ingredients, processing information, packaging, storage, distribution, labeling etc.,
from FCSS. FDA standards are used for review. (See Part 2.)
d) Pass a preliminary inspection by the local health authority prior to commencing operations of food processing, packaging, sales or distribution.
e) Register with FDA—Beginning on December 12, 2003, all domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or hold food for human or animal consumption, must register with FDA. This can be easily accomplished by accessing the FDA website at www.fda.gov

The Montana Food Manufacturing Administrative Rules (ARM Title 37, Chapter 110, Subchapter 3) require that plans and specifications be submitted to FCSS and approved, prior to the construction of any food manufacturing establishment. You will also need to check with the local sanitarian. It is generally recommended that 2 copies of plans be submitted, one for the local health authority, and one for forwarding to FCSS. This includes building plans, food ingredients, processes used, containers, labels, and distribution plans. Additional copies of the building plans may be needed for State Building Codes Bureau, Liquor Division, or other state and local authorities.

If you already have a licensed food facility (a Bakery endorsement- F-4, or a Restaurant endorsement-F-1, for example), you may already process and package some types of food for onsite (retail) sale at your facility, but if you intend to wholesale the products for retail sale elsewhere, it is required that you obtain a separate food manufacturers license (13 or higher endorsement). The procedure is the same, except you do not need to submit facility construction plans. There is an additional license and fee required if you intend to operate both a retail and wholesale establishment on the same premises. Contact the county sanitarian for information.

This guide document is intended to assist new applicants in the process of obtaining approval of their proposal prior to the start of construction, as required by rule. Separate guides are available for Water Bottlers and Beverage Bottlers, this guide is intended for conventional food manufacturers. If you have questions or if you need a copy of the above noted administrative rule, or other documents, please contact the local sanitarian or call FCSS at 444-2408 or 444-5306. If you prefer, we will also respond to e-mail requests, at: hreid@mt.gov or you may visit our website at: www.dphhs.mt.gov

Application & Guidelines for Food Waiver Request

Food Service plays an important role in many events that take place on the campuses of Arizona State University. Please read the following information to determine how to obtain food and beverages for the specific event that you are planning.

CATERING
Aramark/Sun Devil Dining Services is the exclusive caterer allowed to provide food for events in the University Center Building, including the Delph Courtyard. Events taking place in other ASU facilities or outdoor venues can use an ASU contracted caterer or select food service from the Approved Caterers List available from Event & Meeting Services.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Occasionally, events have special circumstances in which the ASU contracted caterers and the approved catering options do not meet the needs of the event. In those cases, a Food Waiver Request Application is required. Below is a list of instances in which a Food Waiver Request is required from the event organizer.

Authorized Fundraiser Event: Registered student organizations may conduct one food and beverage sale for fundraising purposes each semester. Food and beverage items must be prepared and packaged by a food manufacturer, supermarket or an approved caterer from the Approved Caterers List. All purchased baked goods must be pre-packaged prior to the event. No home prepared food or drink is allowed.

Donation (Food and beverage items donated and served at the event): Donations require a letter from each donating establishment (on their company letterhead) explaining the purpose of the donation. The letter must be submitted with the food waiver application. Food and beverage items must be obtained from a food manufacturer, supermarket or caterer from the Approved Caterers List. An authorized food service vendor must dispense donated perishable food items requiring preparation, cooking, hot or cold service and storage.

Special Menu: A Food Waiver Request Application must be submitted if Aramark/Sun Devil Catering Services agrees that they cannot adequately provide the desired menu for an event or if a caterer from the Approved Caterer List cannot prepare a special food or menu item. In these cases, the specific vendor is required to submit the same tax, license, and insurance documents as those caterers on the approved list.

Giveaways: Food and beverage items (including wrapped candy) handed out as an incentive to attract people to an event or display table must be purchased through a food manufacturer, supermarket or a caterer from the approved caterers list and also require a food waiver request application.

Alaska Safe Food Worker Class Exercises

Food Safety Risk Factor categories are underlined. Practical exercises are numbered.
General considerations: practical exercises are good for this environment because they keep the adult learner focused, active, and involved. However, they take longer than lectures, and require more planning and equipment. Wherever possible team teaching helps with setup, assisting volunteers and helping the different groups as needed, cross training other EHOs, and spark group activities.

Back on the Job Exercise- reinforces actions that they can do at work from what they learned in class. In the book there is a section where they can write down things as they think about it.
When: at end of each section and again at the end of the class
Equipment:
 Marker
 Post It poster paper
Write “Back on the Job” on the top of the paper. After each section of the class, ask the students what they learned and how they can apply it at their worksite.
Example to give to class to show what you are looking for:
The underneath side of a toilet seat has been shown to have less bacteria than faucet handles. Therefore turning off the faucet with the paper towel so hands do not become re-contaminated is important.
What learned: Turn off faucet with paper towel.
How to use back on job: Use a paper towel to turn off faucet and clean the faucets more often.

Part 1: Worker Knowledge and Health

Exercise #1 Handwashing
Shows food worker how well their hand washing technique is.

When: right after hand wash video/section on handwashing in powerpoint. If the group is too large to take time out of the class to do it then it can be during the first break.
Equipment:
 glow germ lotion;
 UV light unit;
 handsink w/ warm water; soap; towels, adequate for all intended participants.
How: Follow directions on the glow germ lotion, give each worker about a teaspoon of lotion. Have them rub in hand just like they would regular lotion. They can then look at their hands under UV light. Have them then wash their hands. They return to the light to see what areas they missed.
Discussion Points:
 Even good handwashing doesn’t get off all the germs
 Need to do handwashing well and often
 Look around cuticles, rings or bandages to see how hard to clean these areas


Exercise #2-Proper Glove use with glow germ powder
When: right after No bare hand contact slides/ glove use slides
Equipment:
 glow germ powder
 4 gloves
 Portable UV light
 two volunteers
How: shake powder on student 1’s hand; and have them rub it around. Ask them to put on gloves without contaminating the gloves. Ask student 2 to put on the gloves, and then shake the powder on the gloves. Ask him to take off the gloves. Use a portable UV light to view the gloves- student 1 would probably have contaminated the gloves from their “dirty” hands. This reinforces that people need to wash hands prior to gloving up. Student 2 would contaminate his hands from the outside of the “dirty” gloves, unless he uses sanitary methods (peeling off glove from wrist area). Discuss with class.
An alternative is to glove up two students, spread shave cream on the outside of the gloves, and observe taking off gloves. Any shave cream on the hands is contamination.
Discussion Points:
 Handle gloves only by lower edge, not portion that will touch food
 Importance of washing hands before putting on gloves.

Exercise #3-Bare hand contact of RTE foods exercise
When: right after bare hand contact slides
Equipment:
 poster size Post It paper
 markers
How: ask students to list a food that their facility has that requires NO bare hand contact, the procedure, and the utensil used to prevent bare hand content, like tongs or gloves. Have students present or if time is short ask for each group to share a few examples.
Example: Salad--- preparation-----gloves or---service--------tongs
Discussion Points:
 Good handwashing is the first barrier between ready to eat food and hands
 The need for second barrier because as shown even good handwashing doesn’t get it all
 Second barrier is use of an utensil such as tongs, spatulas, deli tissues, single use gloves


Part II: Prevent CROSS CONTAMINATION-

Exercise #1
Contamination of ice with a plastic cup as scoop, using Glow germ powder
When: right after contamination slides/before section review
Equipment:
 ice bin
 plastic cup
 glo germ powder
 volunteer
 portable UV light
How: Place powder on a volunteer’s hand, and then he grasps the plastic cup (also covered with powder), dipping it in the ice bin to scoop up ice. Shine the UV light on his hand, cup, and ice in cup and ice bin, to show that hand contamination does go on ice, and that an ice scoop with definite handle would be a better choice for this activity.
Discussion Points:
 Avoid cross contamination by proper handwashing
 Use of the correct utensil with ready to eat foods such as ice


Part 3: The Right Temperature

Exercise #1 Cooling foods practical exercise- which method cools food the fastest?
When: set up at beginning of class as it takes entire class to complete
Equipment:
 5 pans:
o stainless hotel pan 10x10x2”
o Stainless Bain Marie 8”wide x 10” tall
o Stainless hotel pan (10x10X4 ½”)with ice wand
o Two plastic containers, one w/ tight cover
 Thermocouple
 Laminated cooling chart with dry erase marker or poster paper set up as below
 Means to heat 10 quarts of water to 135 degrees F. or hotter.
How: At beginning of class explain that your “soup” is cooling, and you are using 5 different methods, laid out on table where students can see. (Hold up pans so people in back can see them. Write down initial temp (must be 135 or above), and ask students for predictions on which container will cool quickest. Then have volunteer measure the temperature in each and record. After one hour, then again at two and three hours, take the temperatures.

Groups Guess
Pans 2” Pan Ice Wand Plastic Plastic/lie Bain Marie
Start temperature
Time



Discussion Points:
 Use a clean and sanitized thermometer
 Size and shape of pan makes a difference (amount of surface exposed cools most quickly)
 Material pan is made of makes a (Metal cools more quickly but must take in surface area as plastic may out cool if more surface area is exposed)
 Need to add refrigeration for even quicker cooling
 Need to label with date and time cooling started (so when go off shift the next cook will know what is happening)
 Stirring will lower temperature faster
 Do NOT cover food until it reaches 41 degrees F. or colder



Exercise #2 Thermometer calibration
When: after this section of the slides
Equipment:
 dial-type stem thermometers- put out of calibration,
 pliers or wrench to adjust them if don’t have ones with tool
 ice
 cold water
 cups
How: have the students mix the ice and water, making sure to use little water and lots of ice. Stir for 1 min, immerse for 1-2 minutes, attempt to adjust to 32F.
Discussion points:
 Discuss frequency of calibration- weekly or if dropped, etc.
 Stir thermometer around in slurry
 Keep thermometer in ice when calibrating
 Letting thermometer come to stop before calibrating
 Make sure there is enough ice in the water or will get inaccurate reading


Exercise #3 Cooking temperatures
When: after this section on correct temperatures.
Equipment:
 Poster pages
 Markers
How: Ask the students to form groups, and write common foods that they prepare in their facilities, and the minimum temperatures that they need to be cooked to. Gather the results and present them to the class.
Example: Hot Dogs-140 Degrees F. (commercially cooked food)
Hamburgers-155 degrees F.
Casseroles-165 degrees F.

Part 5: DISHWASHING- goal; wash, rinse, and sanitize utensils and areas for food safety.

Exercise #1
Mixing bleach sanitizing solution and using test strips
When: after section on wiping cloths
Safety: bleach is caustic and should not be put on skin. If any hits skin, flush well.
Equipment
 Red sanitizer bucket filled
 bleach test strips,
 other test strips like Iodine or Quat,
 measuring device (spoon or cap),
 Bleach
How: To prevent them from dumping a lot of bleach, first ask how much they intend to use. Follow directions from instructor, to add 1tsp to 1 gallon to achieve 50-100 ppm. Test with the correct strip. Show class the mixing procedure and the test color- light blue. If desired, allow volunteer to estimate the measurement without the spoon measuring device. Test should be too strong.. Another option is to use a spray bottle, or an old bottle of weak bleach, Ultra bleach, etc, to vary the results.
Discussion points:
 Don’t use the glug method
 Read the label, do it according to manufacturer’s instructions

Exercise #2 Contamination of smooth and rough cutting boards
When: after dishwashing section
Equipment:
 2 wet cloths
 glow germ powder
 one small, old, stained, scored cutting board
 one small new cutting board
 UV light
How: dust both cutting boards w/ powder, simulating dirt. Wipe both. Shine light on each, and the rough surface should look much brighter.
Discussion points:
 that this is very hard to clean due to the surface
 Wiping doesn’t get rid of soil off board so important to Wash, Rinse and Sanitize equipment used on continous basis at least every 4 hours
 Poor condition equipment should be replaced.