# 8 1 5 O p e r a t i o n a n d C a r e M a n u a l • 10.
S A N I T A T I O N
Food flavor and aroma are usually so closely related
that it is difficult, if not impossible, to separate them.
There is also an important, inseparable relationship
between cleanliness and food flavor. Cleanliness,
top operating efficiency, and appearance of equip-
ment contribute considerably to savory, appetizing
foods. Good equipment that is kept clean, works
better and lasts longer.
Most food imparts its own particular aroma and
many foods also absorb existing odors.
Unfortunately, during this absorption, there is no
distinction between GOOD and BAD odors. The
majority of objectionable flavors and odors troubling
food service operations are caused by bacteria
growth. Sourness, rancidity, mustiness, stale or
other OFF flavors are usually the result of
germ activity.
The easiest way to insure full, natural food flavor is
through comprehensive cleanliness. This means
good control of both visible soil (dirt) and invisible
soil (germs). A thorough approach to sanitation will
provide essential cleanliness. It will assure an
attractive appearance of equipment, along with max-
imum efficiency and utility. More importantly, a
good sanitation program provides one of the key
elements in the prevention of food-borne illnesses.
A controlled holding environment for prepared
foods is just one of the important factors involved in
the prevention of food-borne illnesses. Temperature
monitoring and control during receiving, storage,
preparation, and the service of foods are of equal
importance.
The most accurate method of measuring safe
temperatures of both hot and cold foods is by
internal product temperature. A quality thermome-
ter is an effective tool for this purpose, and should
be routinely used on all products that require
holding at a specific temperature.
A comprehensive sanitation program should
focus on the training of staff in basic sanitation
procedures. This includes personal hygiene, proper
handling of raw foods, cooking to a safe internal
product temperature, and the routine monitoring
of internal temperatures from receiving through
service.
Most food-borne illnesses can be prevented through
proper temperature control and a comprehensive
program of sanitation. Both these factors are
important to build quality service as the foundation
of customer satisfaction. Safe food handling
practices to prevent food-borne illness is of critical
importance to the health and safety of your
customers. HACCP, an acronym for Hazard
Analysis (at) Critical Control Points, is a quality
control program of operating procedures to assure
food integrity, quality, and safety. Taking steps
necessary to augment food safety practices are both
cost effective and relatively simple. While HACCP
guidelines go far beyond the scope of this manual,
additional information is available by contacting:
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition
Food and Drug Administration
1-888-SAFEFOOD
I N T E R N A L F O O D P R O D U C T T E M P E R A T U R E S
H O T F O O D S
DANGER ZONE
40° TO 140°F
(4° TO 60°C)
CRITICAL ZONE
70° TO 120°F
(21° TO 49°C)
SAFE ZONE
140° TO 165°F
(60° TO 74°C)
C O L D F O O D S
DANGER ZONE
ABOVE 40°F
(ABOVE 4°C)
SAFE ZONE
36°F TO 40°F
(2°C TO 4°C)
F R O Z E N F O O D S
DANGER ZONE
ABOVE 32°F
(ABOVE 0°C)
CRITICAL ZONE
0° TO 32°F
(-18° TO 0°C)
SAFE ZONE
0°F
OR BELOW
(-18°C
OR BELOW
)
