FOOD SAFETY AWARENESS HAS BECOME SECOND NATURE TO ME

After finishing my inspection work in the morning, I had my meal replacement drink and drove to Semporna.  Along the way, I suddenly noticed a traffic police officer hiding behind a tree, checking the speed of passing vehicles.  I looked at the display - 100 km/h.  My heart sank immediately.  I kept thinking about the possible bad outcome and wished I had Stephen Chow's special power: “You can't see me… You can't see me…” 😂  From that point onwards, I carefully kept my speed below 90 km/h.  As a result, I arrived at the small jetty in Semporna about half an hour later than expected.

 

When the boat left the jetty and entered the open sea, we soon encountered some small waves.  It was nothing compared to the frightening sea conditions I had experienced before, but it was enough to make the passengers nervous.  A few passengers could not help making small cries.  At one point, the captain stopped the boat to adjust its balance and asked some passengers to change their seats.  It was only when we were about 10 minutes away from the resort that the boat gradually became stable again.  When we arrived, everyone finally relaxed.

 

After arriving at the resort, I discovered a serious problem.  There was no internet.  The person in charge gave me several WiFi passwords.  After lunch, I tried them one by one.  Finally, one of them worked.  At that moment, I was truly relieved.  I quickly started my remote work and carefully used the WiFi to avoid losing the connection.  After finishing my work, I could finally relax and enjoy the resort.  I looked at the food prepared for the guests.  The hot food was placed on food warmers.  The moment I saw the food warmers, one word came into my mind: temperature. 

 

Whenever I see cooked food, I naturally wonder:  What is the temperature of the food? How long has it been at that temperature?  If cooked food is not kept at a safe hot-holding temperature, its temperature may slowly decrease. When food stays for a long time in a temperature range where bacteria can grow easily, the food safety risk increases.  This is what we often discuss in the Food Handler Training Course — The Temperature Danger Zone.  Each dish also had its own serving spoon or tong for guests to take food onto their plates.  I noticed that when the food was replenished, the food handlers did not simply pour the newly cooked food into the old tray.  Instead, they removed the old tray first and replaced it with a new one.  The amount of food in each tray was also just right.

 

I also liked the way they arranged the plates, forks, spoons, knives and cups.  Everything was arranged neatly.  Everything was clean, dry and in good condition.  I happily took a plate and started choosing my food.  I took a small amount of rice, followed by some meat, seafood and vegetables.  A little of everything was enough. If I ate too much, I would become full too quickly. 😂 After getting my food, I found a table near the food area, put down my plate and went to get a drink.  When I finished eating and left the table to get some pudding, ice cream and fruit, the staff cleared away my used dishes.  The tables always looked clean.  Every time I ate at the resort, I ate until I was full.  I was very satisfied.

 

This time, I was not in such a hurry at the resort.  In the afternoon, I could rest in my room, do some remote work and wait for dinner.  Time passed quickly.  Soon, it was almost time for dinner.  Before dinner, I went to the training room to set up my laptop, projector and training materials.  I also arranged all the training documents for the participants.  After enjoying a good dinner, I returned to the training room.  I was thankful that the client had arranged the training room near the office and also near my room.  Best of all, the room had air-conditioning.  That made things much better.  I could enjoy teaching that night.  I arrived early and waited for the participants.  Actually, I was a little nervous as in the afternoon, the staff had told me that the participants were managers and supervisors from different departments.  I started thinking:  How should I conduct this training?

At around 8 p.m., participants started arriving.  Everyone came into the room.  I politely invited them to take their seats, explained how the training would be conducted and introduced myself.  Then, the class began.  I used everything I could to engage the participants.  I talked with them, designed classroom activities, asked questions and included short tests during the training.  Although I was a little tired, everyone was very cooperative.  The course ended on time, and everyone could return to their rooms for a good rest.

 

The next morning, while checking the test papers, I discovered that one participant had not completed all the questions.  I took a photo as evidence and sent it to the person in charge.  I requested the participant to meet me at the meeting room at 9 a.m. to complete the remaining questions.  After giving the instruction, I went to enjoy my breakfast.

 

I did not eat as much as I had eaten quite a lot at dinner, so I wanted something lighter.  There was no porridge, so I simply had a piece of bread, a small amount of noodles and some eggs, together with a cup of coffee.  After breakfast, I returned to the meeting room.  The participant who had not completed the test arrived.  He looked a little embarrassed and quickly explained why he had not completed the questions.  I understood.  Perhaps he saw everyone else finishing the test and decided to hurry through his answers and submit the paper too.  Maybe he thought he could “get away with it.” 

 

Unfortunately for him, he met me.  I have a habit that is not easy to change:  If something is not completed, I will not let it go.  He had to do it again.  I smiled, took out his answer sheet and asked him to sit down and answer the questions properly.  He finished in less than three minutes.  He thanked me, and we said goodbye before he returned to work.  I then started applying for the certificate numbers and preparing the invoices for the participants.

 

After finishing everything, I leaned back on the sofa and took a short rest while waiting for the boat to return to the jetty.  The sea was calm on the way back.  I could hardly feel the waves.  I could not use the internet on the boat, but shortly after reaching the jetty, I was able to connect again.  I collected my car and drove straight home.  After arriving home, I still had enough time to print the certificates.  Then I drove to the client's company at town and delivered the certificates.

 

During this trip, what I noticed at the resort were the small details in the restaurant:  the temperature of the food, the cleanliness of the utensils, the neat arrangement, and the way the food handlers handled the food.  For someone who has been involved in food safety training for many years, these details naturally catch my eyes and enter my mind.  Perhaps this is what it means when we say:  Food safety awareness has become second nature to me.  It is not knowledge that appears only when I am conducting a training course.  It has become a natural part of my everyday life, even when I simply sit down and enjoy a meal.

 

This business trip went very smoothly.  The client was also very cooperative.  I deeply felt that a client's trust is built on honesty, taking work seriously, good preparation and the ability to handle situations flexibly.  I could also see how seriously the client took the Food Handler Training for their employees.  For such a serious and committed client, I am more than happy to provide my service.