The Fundamental Five of Safe Food Service

These are the five fundamentals for safe, sanitary food service. Although good sanitation includes other details, if any one of these basic five points is missing, the prevention of food contamination is significantly jeopardized.

1. Clean hands: Dirty hands spread germs. Hands and fingernails should be washed thoroughly with soap and water before work, after using toilet and every time they are soiled or become contaminated.

2. Clean service: Handling utensils the wrong way may spread disease. Single service items should be handled carefully to keep them sanitary. Other utensils should be washed clean, sanitized as recommended by the health authority, then carefully stored and handled.

3. Clean food: Food may be infected by coughs, sneezes, handling, dirty equipment, vermin, animals, and wastes. It should be protected during storage, preparation, and service.

4. Right temperature: Cold temperatures slow or stop the growth of germs; heat kills them. Cold foods should be kept cold; hot foods should be kept hot. Prepared food should never be left standing at room temperature except during necessary periods of preparation and service.

5. Healthy personnel: Food service personnel must be healthy to prevent colds and other diseases from being passed to others. Germs from infected cuts, pimples, or boils can contaminate food.