Food Handling

What is Food Handling?

Food handling is the process of preparing food that is safe for public consumption. Essential to implementing safe food handling is that food handlers receive training on personal hygiene and sanitation, cooking and storing food at appropriate temperatures, and other safe food handling practices. An integral part of food safety, food handling should always be a priority.

Why is Safe Food Handling Important?

Food handling is important because unsafe food handling can lead to outbreaks of foodborne illnesses (commonly known as food poisoning) to both humans and animals. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), foodborne illnesses can cause long-lasting disability and even death.

As a possible threat to public health and safety, food handling is closely monitored by government agencies across the world. Failing to pass routine inspections and not complying with regulations can result in involuntary shutdowns of businesses and hospitality establishments.

Regulations & Other Guidelines

In the United States, under the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code 2017, permit holders or those who operate food establishments must assign someone or take responsibility as the person in charge. The person in charge has to ensure that employees are maintaining the correct temperatures during cooking, cooling, and holding. This works with the Hazard Analysis and Risk-based Preventive Control (HARPC), a regulation under the Food and Drug Administration’s FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act).

In Australia, according to the Food Standards Code, it’s the duty of food businesses to make sure that food handlers are trained and knowledgeable about food safety and food hygiene. Food businesses must also take the necessary steps to prevent the likelihood of food being contaminated. The recently updated Standard 3.2.2A which must be followed starting December 2023 states that all food businesses that operate as food service establishments, caterers, or related retailers must ensure that all employees who handle food have proper food handler training to ensure that they have adequate knowledge and skills before they start preparing high-risk foods.

Additionally, here are other food handling practices that should generally be followed:

• Reheat food to at least 165°F (74°C) for hot holding.

• Cool cooked food within 2 hours from 135°F to 70°F (57°C to 21°C) or within 6 hours from 135°F to 41°F (57°C to 5°C).

• Maintain hot holding at 135°F (57°C) or above.

• Maintain cold holding at 41°F (5°C) or below.

Consequences of Bad Food Handling

In 2021, the King County's public health department reported that 13 people who dined at a certain restaurant were sick with norovirus, a kind of foodborne illness. According to Medical News Today, norovirus infections are caused by touching a contaminated surface or by consuming contaminated food.

Aside from putting the lives of people at risk, bad food handling also has long-term legal implications, as seen with Blue Bell Creameries. In 2015, a deadly Listeria outbreak was traced back to the company’s ice cream. As a result, Blue Bell had to settle its criminal liability with the Department of Justice in payments of $19.35 million.

What are Safe Food Handling Practices?

Often referred to as the 4 steps to food safety, the core safe food handling practices are clean, separate, cook, and chill. Each safe food handling practice will be discussed in detail below for dairy, meat and fish, eggs, fruit and vegetables, frozen goods, and dried goods.

1. Clean

Food handlers must wash their hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before they begin food preparation. They should also ensure that all tools, like cutting boards and knives, are clean and dry.

2. Separate

Keep raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs separate from other ingredients. Don’t use containers, plates, cutting boards, or utensils that have held raw items for other ingredients unless they’ve been washed with hot, soapy water.

3. Cook

Food handlers must check the internal temperature of cooked dishes using a food thermometer and record it on a cooking and hot holding temperature checklist to ensure it is within the required range for each food type. Dishes must not be served if they fall outside the proper temperature, as this helps kill harmful microorganisms before the food reaches the customer. Make sure to also use a thermometer calibration log template to verify that the food thermometers remain accurate.

4. Chill

Keep refrigerator temperatures below 40°F (4°C). To simplify monitoring, consider using temperature sensors that alert food handlers if the temperature rises above this threshold. Pair them with a critical control point (CCP) monitoring form to record checks and corrective actions. For freezers, maintain a temperature of 0°F (-17°C).

Food Handling Practices per Food Type

Here are detailed guidelines on safe food handling practices for different types of food:

Food Handling Practices for Dairy

• Avoid dairy products with unpasteurized milk, except for hard cheeses aged 60 days.

• Do not return milk and other dairy products to their original containers once taken out.

• Store milk, cream, yogurt, and cheese below 40°F (4°C) in the fridge.

• Unopened shelf-stable milk can be stored at room temperature; however, once opened, it should be kept chilled in the refrigerator at a temperature below 40°F (4°C).

• Keep butter in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; freeze after that. For dessert batters, use butter at 71°F (22°C).

• Store ice cream in the freezer at or below 0°F (-17°C).

• Don’t freeze yogurt, cream, or milk, except fresh whole or skimmed milk.

• For hard cheese with mold, cut out the mold and surrounding area.

• Discard soft cheese with visible mold, except for blue cheese.

Food Handling Practices for Meat and Fish

• Don’t wash meat, poultry, or seafood.

• If defrosting meat/poultry in the microwave, cook it immediately.

• Thaw meat/poultry in original packaging or an airtight bag in cold water, changing water every 30 minutes.

• Don’t cook frozen meat/poultry in a slow cooker.

• Marinate meat only in the fridge.

• Cook ground meat to 160°F (72°C) or higher.

• Cook beef, pork (including uncooked ham, both fresh and smoked), veal, and lamb to 145°F (63°C) and let rest for 3 minutes.

• Cook poultry to 165°F (74°C) or higher, and fish to 145°F (63°C) or until opaque and flakes easily.

• Cook shrimp, lobster, and crabs until pearly and opaque.

• Cook scallops until milky white, opaque, and firm.

• Cook clams, oysters, and mussels until their shells open.

Food Handling Practices for Eggs

• Don’t wash eggs.

• Separate raw (unpasteurized) eggs from pasteurized eggs.

• Discard damaged eggs.

• Store eggs in the fridge below 40°F (4°C).

• Bring eggs to room temperature before using in dessert batters.

• Cook eggs until yolk and white are firm; 250°F (121°C) is recommended.

• Dishes containing eggs should have an internal temperature of 160°F (72°C) or higher.

Food Handling Practices for Fruit and Vegetables

• Cut away damaged or bruised areas.

• Rinse fruits and vegetables under running water; don’t use any cleansing agent. Skip washing if labeled as pre-washed.

Food Handling Practices for Frozen Goods

• Discard the parts of food that have freezer burn.

• Thaw frozen goods only in the fridge, cold water, or microwave.

• Don’t refreeze improperly thawed food.

• Always cook frozen food thoroughly.

• Don’t freeze canned food or eggs in shells.

• Avoid freezing mayonnaise, cream sauce, lettuce, or items near their shelf life.

• Blanch vegetables before freezing by briefly boiling and then cooling them.

Food Handling Practices for Dried Goods

• Check dried goods for pests.

• Store them at 50°F to 70°F (10°C to 21°C) in a ventilated area away from the sunlight.

• Use airtight containers and not cardboard boxes.

• Store dried goods at least 6 inches (15 cm) off the floor.

• Keep humidity below 55%; use a humidity sensor if necessary.

Food Handling Courses

As a business, one of the best ways you can promote these food safety practices is by distributing a comprehensive food handling course to your employees. These courses typically cover topics such as food safety standards, delivery and storage processes, food prep, food contamination, and food-borne illnesses, all of which are vital for food handlers to understand.