HOW TO PREVENT FOOD POISONING?

According to World Health Organization (WHO), there are 1 out of 10 people in the world fall ill after eating contaminated food and about 420 thousand people die every year due to food borne disease.  Food poisoning can be dreadful.  People have abdomen cramp, fever, vomit, diarrhea and other signs when they have food poisoning.  And when food poisoning severity is higher, the patient could lose their life. Thus, food handlers play important roles to prevent food contamination.      

Personal Hygiene and behaviour of food handlers  

Food handler with poor personal hygiene could contaminate food. Possess long finger nails, wearing accessories, applying cosmetic, not wearing proper attire, having flu, have wound in hands and so on are some poor personal hygiene that food handlers shouldn’t have / do while they are preparing or serving food. Besides, the mis-behaviour of food handlers such as tasting food with fingers, touching food with bare hands, coughing directly to food, smoking and digging nose while serving food would also resulting food contamination. Therefore, food handlers must learn to practice good personal hygiene and food handling to avoid food contamination. 

Raw food inspection

Food handlers must use fresh and hygiene raw material to cook or process into product.  Good quality of raw material does not have much contaminant and so it reduces the possibility of contamination or bacterial growth on food.  Food handlers must check the quality of every incoming raw material or during procurement.  Only good quality of raw material can be used to cook / process food.  Food handler also need to check the can food properly before procurement. Do not use can food with dirty and corrosion on the can surface, not to use the tented and swelling can as those are the signs of can food contamination.

Cleanliness of equipment

Equipment should be checked if there are damages, crevices and crack. Food handlers should always use good condition equipment in order to avoid the accumulation of contaminant which encourage the growth of bacteria.  The broken pieces of equipment might also contaminate the food and hurt the internal organs when customer accidentally swallow the physical contaminant. 

Avoid cross contamination

Cross contamination occurs when there is contaminant, usually bacteria transfer from one object / food to another. Food handler could observe if it occurred during handling food. For instance, the handling for raw and cooked food in the same equipment set, or the handling of high-risk food (meat and seafood) and other food in the same set of equipment, chemical are mis-place adjacent to food etc. When there is a possibility of cross contamination, food handler should separate the handling or food from another.    

 

Food temperature and storage

When food temperature is in between 5 – 63oC, the bacteria in the food could multiply in every 20-30 minutes. The survival of bacteria in long period would resulting the excretion of toxin which would spoil the food.  Thus, food handlers should plan the food handling properly, such as how to defrost, when to cook, where to keep, how to store, when to deliver, how to deliver and so on.       

    

Prevention of pest and animals 

Pest and animals bring varies of contaminants, including bacteria. Those contaminants would contaminate premise, equipment and food.  Thus, food handlers should prevent pest and animals from entering the food premise.  Food handlers should always make sure the premise is clean so that there is no “food” to attract the pest and animals.   

Use clean water source

Food handlers to use clean water source (from government water).  It is better that the incoming water is passing through a filtration system so that it is save and free from hazardous bacteria. Contaminated or untreated water contains various of bacteria, heavy metals and chemical that could contaminate the food.

Waste management 

The food handler team should make sure the waste is managed well so that there is no waste in or outside of premise that could attract pest and animals. I was once passed by a night market and saw food waste is thrown on the floor. Even the waste is kept into plastic bag, but very quickly the plastic bag is teared by dogs as the sting smell attracts the animal. The sting smell could also attract pest like mouse and giant lizards. 

The correct food handling practice helps food business owners to maintain the business operation.  When every food handler is competent in food handling, the food safety measures would be maintained and business owners would have a peace of mind every day and focus on the food business.

3+1 DOCUMENTS THAT MALAYSIA FOOD BUSINESS OWNERS SHOULD HAVE

Food business is always a demanding industry as food is a basic needs for everybody.   Before starting a food business, Malaysia food business owners ought to know the documents that Health inspectors would inspect during premise inspection. Even when you are running a food business, you should make sure the documents are maintained up-to-date.
 

Food Business Owner who had a premise should  register his food premise in Food Safety Information of Malaysia (FOSIM).  The definition of food premise including premise that  
 
1. premise that involved in manufacturing of food.
2. premise that catering or mass catering of food.
3. premise that food is prepared, processed, stored or serve for sales.
4. vehicles from which ready-to-eat food is sold.
 
Firstly, the premise owner can register as a FOSIM user. Next is to key in company information and follow by keying in the premise information. When all information is updated and submitted, a premise registration slip would be generated in PDF form in 5 second. Very easy.  Applicant can print out the slip, frame it and hang it in the premise where can be seen easily. Remember to prepare IC and trading license's softcopy before applying it.  The registration should be renewed every 3 years. When doing the renewal, applicant just need to update premise registration.  So far, Health department does not charge fee on premise registration.
 

Each food handlers should obtain Food Handlers Training certificates by attending a 3-hours Food Handlers Training course.  There are 2 training mode of the course - Face-to-face and online class.  Food handlers are free to choose either one of the training mode with the same price.  Anyway, we would recommend ONLINE course as it is more convenience. Food handlers can choose any time and any in-house places (the pre-requisite is the environment should be quiet) to attend the online course.  After the course, a soft-copy of the certificate will be sent to every food handler or the company PIC and we will courier the hard-copy the next day.  Isn’t it convenient? Should you like it, kindly register to lock your seat (as only 15 seats is available for a class...)
 

Each food Handlers should also have Anti-Typhoid Vaccination document.  The document should contain not lesser than followings
 
1. Food Handler’s detail
2. Anti-Typhoid Vaccination detail
3. Vaccination date
4. Next vaccination date
5. Doctor’s chop and signature
 
Normally the vaccine efficiency is 3 years. Bring the vaccination document from Doctor after vaccination and keep the card in food premise.
 

If you are food processor, you ought to have a minimum Food Safety Assurance Program to assure your products are produced in accordance to the requirement of every food safety elements.  The program should be documented and implemented at all time. External audits would be held periodically to ensure the program is implemented correctly and efficiently.  The basic program that food processor can start with is Makanan Selamat Tanggungjawab Industri (MeSTI).  This program contains minimum food safety requirement such as Infrastructure design, sanitation and maintenance, food handlers, training, raw material control, processing control, packaging control, finish product storage control, chemistry control, transport and distribution control and traceability control.  
 
The food safety personnel would create standard operation procedures based on actual food processor practices and the food safety requirement.  Checklist would be used for food handler to do routine check on the food processing practice.  Third party document such as test reports, calibration reports, Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) would be needed to support the food safety program.  
 
Both food business owners and food handlers should take the responsbility to obtain the 3+1 documents (only food processors need MeSTI certificate). Failing to have those documents could result penalties or imprisonment based on the regulation 3-7, 9-10, 30 & 31 of Food Hygiene Regulations 2009.  Thus, food business owners ought to pay attention on this matter.
 
 
Jacky Chung

FHC Trainer

JACKYZ SOLUTION

 

HOW TO PREVENT CHEMICAL FROM CONTAMINATING FOOD?

Chemical contamination on food is one of the hazards that would lead to food poisoning and / or resulting human health problem.  We might overlook that our daily used chemical that is available in the food premise is a prime culprit in food contamination. This would resulting acute or chronic health problem in customers. Therefore, food handlers must prevent chemical contamination on food.
 
It always starts from food handler’s mindset.  Food handler must practise good personal hygiene. Nail polish shouldn’t be used while handling food as the chemical could be removed while washing food and contaminating the food.  The cosmetics could be brought with body sweats and contaminating food.  Supervisors or QCs could provide frequent training, especially to new workers.  The personnel could initiate routine check on every food handler before they are entering food premise. When the managerial level is emphasizing to adhere the strict requirement all the time, the food safety culture would be maintained.
 

Do isolate any chemical from where the food is the food premise. Chemical such lubricant, diesel, pesticide, detergent and so on should be kept outside of the food processing, food serving or food preparation area.  All chemical must be stored in a chemical room. The room must be ventilated and away from food premise.  Only designated personnel are allowed to take chemical from the chemical room and distribute to the area in need.  Food handlers should ensure that the usage of chemical does not contaminating food.   Therefore, the place of washing equipment and utensils should be away from the food preparation or food serving area. And the cleaning or pesticide spraying activities should be done only after the food operation to avoid the contamination to the food.
 
All chemical must be in good packaging, no spillage or broken. QCs or personnel-in-charge must check in-coming chemical, before allowing the chemical to be put in the chemical room.  If there is a need to dilute the chemical, the personnel must dilute according to the instruction in label. The diluted chemical must be kept in containers and labelled.  Never use the used food container to store chemical or using used chemical container to store food.
 
Food handlers must check the raw food if it’s clean and free from contamination by any form of chemical before receiving the raw material for food preparation.  The contaminated raw food should be returned to supplier. While preparing food.  Food handler should not use chemical such as liquid paper, ink that might contaminating the food.
 
Prevention of chemical contamination would not only avoid food poisoning, but through the precautious practices, food business owner would avoid food wastage.  Therefore, routine training to food handlers should be done to remind food handlers about the prevention of chemical contamination on food.          

HOW TO PREVENT PEST INFESTATION AT FOOD PREMISE?

Pest is a carrier of food-borne disease pathogen.  They can contaminate the food and food contact surface which is then causing food poisoning.  Thus, food handlers must prevent pest infestation at their food premise.  The pest controlling in food premise is not just setting traps or bait.  There are basic routine tasks that should be maintained every day.   

Food handlers must clean the food premise adequately.  After business hours, food handlers should initiate a thorough cleaning on the premise for removing food scrap (left by customers) or other waste.  It is good to check the cleanliness before leaving the food premise. Food should be stored or covered properly. Food spillage due to improper food storing would attract pest easily.  Wash the equipment as soon as possible after customers leave or after the production works (for food processing factory).

While cleaning the food premise and washing the equipment, food handlers should put the waste and food scrap into rubbish bags, tie and throw it in waste bin.  It is a hygienic practice to use foot-activated waste bin.  Food handlers should make sure that the waste bin is enclosed tightly all the time.  The waste must be thrown outside the food premise in a bigger waste bin every day.  And, the bigger waste bin should be closed properly too to avoid sting smell that could attract pests, such as cockroaches, mouse, lizard. 

We could prevent pest from entering premise by sealing all the gaps.  For instance, installing strong wire mesh on the drainage exit could prevent mouse from entering the premise. Floor traps, gullies and downpipes should be covered with grating.  Food handler must ensure the food premise (especially before leaving the premise) that any gaps, holes and crevices on the wall, ceiling or floor are covered and sealed. For food processing workshop or factory, food business owner can install self-closing doors, air curtains or plastic sheets at the entrance to food preparation area and ensure all doors are always closed.  

While inspecting food premise, food handlers could also check if there are “dead spaces” or unused containers, equipment or machines still available in the food premise. Manage the stuff storage, throw out the unused stuffs would help preventing pest infestations.  Pest would gather in such stuff and reproduce.  Besides, do arrange frequent housekeeping on this place too. 

Quality Control in food processing factory must ensure all incoming raw material, equipment, machineries, chemicals and packaging material are free from any pest, before permitting to moved into food processing area.  Food factory has ample space and so pest control program should be implemented to avoid pest infestation. 

The presence of pest would contaminate food and spreading disease, which then resulting food damage and food poisoning. When this is happening, Food business owner would have to bear the revenue loss and perhaps the legal penalty incurred by Health Department officers. Therefore, steps to prevent pest infestation must be strictly implemented.  

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HOW TO PREVENT FOOD CONTAMINATION BY BACTERIA?

There are good and bad bacteria.  People utilize good bacteria to produce healthy food.  Bad bacteria contaminate food via many ways. So, food handler should initiate appropriate practices to prevent bacteria from contaminating food.
 
Every food handler ought to maintain personal hygiene all the time.  They should wear appropriate PPE to prevent bacteria and other contaminant to contaminate food. Food handlers also ought to have good practice and knowing the Do and Don’t while handling food. Food handlers should also avoid handling food when they have infectious diseases such as flu and had wound on hand.
 
Food handlers should use clean equipment to handle food.  However, they must check if the equipment is in good condition before using them.  They have to make sure every equipment is washed and dried probably. But they cannot use dirty towel to dry the equipment.  Food handlers must prepare additional set of equipment when handling 2 different kinds of food (high risk food and normal food, raw and cooked food) in the same time. They have to pick only good quality raw food and store them separately from the cooked food.   
 
Food handler should make sure the enclosed premise (like restaurant, café, canteen) does not have holes or crevices to prevent any pest from entering the premise.  Always close the food, or keep the food in an enclosed container to avoid pest and other contaminant to contaminate the food.  Strictly prevent animals from entering the premise too as there are bacteria stays on any animal body.
 
Foot-activated waste bin should be used rather than the normal waste bin.  The earlier waster bin does not require hand touch on the waste bin cover, thus reduce the chances of contamination on hands. However, food handlers must wash hands after handling waste. Each day, the waste should be thrown into a bigger waste collection centre. Keep the waste bin closed and do not allowing the waste being kept in waste bin for more than a day.  Pest could be attracted by the sting smell of the waste.  The filled plastic bag (with waste) should be tied and managed properly to avoid pest infestation.  Do take care the cleanliness outside the premise as the dirty environment could attract pest and to enter the premise. 
 
Raw and cooked food should be kept and handled probably.  They should control the food’s bacteria load by controlling the food temperature and the cooking time. Before cooking the food, practise appropriate thawing so that the raw material is thawed thoroughly.  On delivery, if the food is stored with temperature, food handler should arrange so that the food is delivered with the designated temperature, to prevent the food from spoiled.
 
When we know how bacteria grow, we will know how to plan on food handling to avoid bacteria grow on food.  What are your practices to prevent bacteria from contaminating your food?  Welcome to drop some lines in the comment for us to learn together.      
 
 
 
 

HOW WOULD BACTERIA CONTAMINATING FOOD?

Everybody loves to enjoy food.  Consuming food is not only to fill the stomach but also to generate good emotion and energy to faces challenges throughout a day.  Customer felt satisfactory when they consumed fresh, cooked and delicious food. Nevertheless, it is a nightmare if one had contaminated food that brought to food poisoning. There are many reasons that causing food poisoning.  One of the reasons is the contamination by bacteria.

Bacteria can live anywhere with the right conditions.  Bacteria could stay on food handler. If food handlers do not practicing personal hygiene, very likely the bacteria would contaminate the food during food handling. A person’s ears, nose and mouth contain bacteria. The bacteria from such organs could transmit to hands if food handlers touch the organs. And when they continue to handle food, the food could be contaminated. Coughing and sneezing near food would also allowing bacteria of the body to contaminate food. 

    
Another source of bacteria is at our hair. It contains bacteria and would contaminate food when it is fall on the food. Besides, look at our hands. We touch many things around us and therefore, everybody’s hands have many bacteria. The bacteria load is more if there are wounds on hand.  When food handlers do not wash hand before handling food or do not wash hands after visiting toilet but continue to handling food, the food would definitely be contaminated.

Animal carries dust, dirt and bacteria on bodies. When animals are entering the food premise, it will contaminate the premise, the equipment and the food. When birds able to enter a food premise, there is a possibility that the animal could release the feaces on the food. Pest like mouse, flies and cockroaches would bring bacteria to contaminate the food premise. So, food handlers should do pest control outside the premise.

Solid or Liquid waste in the food premise contains bacteria. the stinged smell would attract more pest and animal.  I remember sometimes ago when I visited a night market, I saw bags of solid waste that are put beside the road.  And, it just about half an hour time, they are dogs attracted by the waste, perhaps the smell. The dogs teared the waste plastic to find food.  The solid waste is spilled out and the smell is getting stronger. I bet mouse might be attracted to the spot soon. When they are pest infestation outside a food premise, it is likely too the pest would enter the premise through holes and crevices.  Always remember that pest bring bacteria and contaminating food premise. 

There are many contaminants in open air. Bacteria could flow by winds and contaminate food easily when the food is not covered.  Night market food sellers should cover their food when they are serving the food on table, waiting to be sold.  Covering the food would also preventing the food from pest contamination, especially when the food had good smell, like seafood, salt fish etc. 

Unclean water (water source from river, well or rain) contains and high-risk food (Raw food with high water content) such as seafood, meat and dairy products contains many hazardous bacteria. Thus, food handlers must use clean water and to handler high-risk food properly. Bacteria at high-risk food could contaminate cooked food easily if they not handled properly. 

Contamination by bacteria is very much affecting food business.  Food handlers have to implement food hygiene and proper food handling to avoid the contamination by bacteria on food.