Introduction

Foodborne Illness Is a Real Threat

Food safety is critical to your success at work and your customers health. When you, along with your manager, make

Each year, one out of every six Americans becomes ill

sure food is stored and handled correctly, the public is protected from dangerous and deadly illnesses.
In this workbook, youll learn that:

some of them can even die.

A foodborne illness is a disease spread to people

An outbreak occurs when two or more people eat the

from a disease they contracted through food. That

means that either you or someone you know was sick

Food you prepare can make your customers very sick

through food.

last year from a foodborne illness. Whats worse, of

same contaminated food and become sick with the

the 48 million Americans who become sick each year,

same illness.

about 3,000 die, most of whom are little children and

You can keep food from becoming dangerous by

following the food safety rules youll learn in this work-

elderly people.

book, such as:

Some years ago a famous fast food chain was connected with an outbreak of foodborne illness.

How to keep germs from spreading to food by

Seventy-five individual restaurants across numerous

keeping your hands and body clean;

Knowing when to stay home sick from work;

states were shown to have contributed to the outbreak

How to keep food safe by controlling its temperature;

because they failed to cook their hamburger patties

to the proper temperatures. The simple act of under-

How to keep your workplace clean; and

cooking groundbeef caused more than 600 people to

How to protect your workplace from pests that can

spread diseases to food.

become ill, some with symptoms as serious as kidney

failure. Of those 600, four young children died. One other child, who did not die from the terrible illness caused by
E. coli bacteria, currently suffers from long-term brain injuries, asthma, and weakened kidneys. This tragedy could

How to Use This Workbook

have been prevented if food workers had done more to keep food safe.

As you make your way through this workbook, occasionally youll see the following boxes and symbols. Pay careful
attention to these symbols. They will help you better understand the material so you can keep your customers safe.
y

a!
u

Check Your Mastery

Answers on page 46

A red no symbol indicates something you should avoid doing.

1. Circle those people whom customers trust to prevent the spread of foodborne illness and keep their food safe. (Hint:

A yellow attention symbol indicates important information you should remember.

Everyone involved in the preparation and service of food is responsible for keeping it safe.)

A green checkmark symbol indicates something that is important for you to do to keep food safe.

Did You Know?

Arrows like this indicate definitions of words that

youll need to understand.

In boxes like this youll find interesting facts that will give

There is also a glossary at the back of the book.

you more information about what youre learning.

Check Your Mastery

a. Manager

b. Chef

c. Food handler

d. You

Look here for answer key pages

Youll find boxes like this at the end of most topics. These are designed to help you apply the information you learn.

Pay close attention to and use the activities in this workbook to make sure you get the most out of this training.
There will be a test at the end of this workbook. More important than the test, however, is the responsibility you
have to do your job correctly by following the rules youll learn in this training.
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StateFoodSafety.com Food Safety Essentials

How Food Becomes Unsafe

Viruses are microorganisms that are not able to multiply on their own. Instead, they

Chemical Hazards

attack a host (which is frequently a human like you) and use its cells to create copies of

Chemical hazards are just what they sound like: hazardous chemicals that get into food.

themselves.

Preventing chemical hazards can be easy if you follow the guidelines your manager should already have in place.
For example:

Viruses are also considered pathogens because they can make you very sick.
(Virus as viewed
through a microscope.)

Did You Know?

If you have a disease caused by a virus, you might have trillions of viruses in your body and on your hands. If you go to
work while you have the virus, these viruses will make their way onto surfaces and into food where they can wait for days
or even weeks to enter a living creaturelike your customerand begin multiplying.

u Wash all fruits and vegetables

to remove chemical pesticides

before serving them to your
customers.

Store all chemicals away from

food. Chemicals should be
stored in their own designated
place, in clearly marked bottles.

Avoid spraying cleaning and

sanitizing chemicals around
food that is being prepared.

Employee is Sick

Customer is Sick

Biological Hazards
Biological hazards are the main causes of foodborne ill-

Bacteria are microorganisms made of

one cell that can multiply rapidly.

Viruses are microorganisms that cause

infection by invading a host cell.

A microorganism is a living thing that is

too small to see without a microscope.

Pathogens, or germs, are bacteria and

ness. Biological hazards include bacteria and viruses. In this

manual, you will learn how they can make your food dangerous
and your customers sick.
Bacteria are tiny, single-celled organisms that are too small to
see with the naked eye. Theyre so small that we classify them
as microorganisms. Bacteria like to duplicate, or multiply.
There are some types of bacteria that do this very rapidly.

viruses that can make a person sick.

VI-

Gastroenteritis
Many biological food hazards cause a condition known as
gastroenteritis.

Bacteria are all around you all the time. Theyre on everything

Gastroenteritis is a painful swelling of the

stomach and intestines, and is caused by
pathogens in food.

you touch, see, and taste. Theyre even in the food you eat and

Gastroenteritis affects the digestive tract. It is most commonly

drink. Most of the bacteria on your body are good for you, but

referred to as the 24-hour flu or the stomach flu. But gastroenteritis is not the flu at all. Rather, its often the result
of foodborne illness. Youve probably had gastroenteritis in your life. Its

there are other types of bacteria that can make you sick. These

symptoms are:

are considered pathogens. A pathogen is a microorganism

nausea,

that causes disease.

Did You Know?

painful stomach cramping,

Bacteria outnumber the cells of the human body almost

fever.

10-to-1. That means that there are ten times as many

bacteria on and in your body as there are cells that make it up.
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vomiting,
diarrhea, and
(Bacteria as viewed
through a microscope.)

If you have symptoms of gastroenteritis, let your manager know.

Theyll likely tell you to stay home for a few days.
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Chapter 2
Employee Health and Hygiene
In This Chapter . . .

Your Hands Are Covered in Germs

Handwashing is the number one weapon against the spread of
foodborne illness. Every time you touch food, utensils, dishes,
and equipment, you leave behind tens of thousands of

Proper Glove Use

bacteria and viruses. Some of these are able to survive

Your Hands Are Covered in Germs

Personal Hygiene Guidelines

for weekseven on a dry surfacejust waiting for the

Proper Handwashing

Dos and Donts for Servers

right time to begin multiplying again. Each time you use

When and Where to Wash Hands

Caring for Wounds

the bathroom, touch a door handle, shake hands, pet

an animal, or prepare raw meat, germs are transferred to
your hands. You then spread those germs around as you touch
things throughout your day. Good handwashing can stop this
cycle of cross-contamination, if you learn how to do it right.

Proper Handwashing
There are six steps you need to follow every time you wash your hands.

Wet your hands with hot running water

Apply soap

Scrub for 10 to 15 seconds

Clean underneath your fingernails

Rinse hands under running water

Dry hands with a warm-air dryer or a

disposable paper towel, not a cloth

ook at your hands right now. You can see your skin, fingers, nails, and fingerprints. But what you cant
see are the millions of bacteria and viruses hiding on your fingers, under your nails, and inside your

fingerprints. Many of these are pathogens that can multiply to dangerous levels in food.

When finished, use the paper towel or your elbow to turn off the water and open the bathroom door so you
dont re-contaminate your clean hands.
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