Coconut Creek Little League
	Safety Manual 2005 Play Hard - Play Safe League ID Number: 309-10-25
Concession Stand & Food Handling Tips.

12 Steps to Safe and Sanitary Food Service Events’

The following information is intended to help you run a healthful concession stand.  Following these simple guidelines will help minimize the risk of food borne illness.  This information was provided by District Administrator George Glick, and is excerpted from “Food Safety Hints” by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health.

1.   Menu.  Keep your menu simple, and keep potentially hazardous foods (meats, eggs, dairy products, protein salads, cut fruits and vegetables, etc.) to a minimum.  Avoid using precooked foods or leftovers.  Use only foods from approved sources, avoiding foods that have been prepared at home.  Complete control over your food, from source to service, is the key to safe, sanitary food service.

2.   Cooking.  Use a food thermometer to check on cooking and holding temperatures of potentially hazardous foods.  All potentially hazardous foods should be kept at 41^oF or below (if cold) or 140^oF, poultry parts should be cooked to 165^oF.  Most food borne illnesses from temporary events can be traced back to lapses in temperature control.

3.   Reheating. Rapidly reheat potentially hazardous foods to 165^oF.  Do not attempt to heat foods in crock pots, steam tables, over Sterno units or other holding devices.  Slow-cooking mechanisms may activate bacteria and never reach killing temperatures.

4.   Cooling and Cold Storage.  Foods that require refrigeration must be cooled to 41^oF as quickly as possible and held at that temperature until ready to serve.  To cool foods down quickly, use an ice water bath (60% ice to 40% water), stirring the product frequently, or place the food in shallow pans no more than 4 inches in depth and refrigerate.  Pans should not be stored one atop the other and lids should be off or ajar until the food is completely cooled.  Check the temperature periodically to see if the food is cooling properly.  Allowing hazardous foods to remain unrefrigerated for too long has been the number ONE cause of food borne illness.

5.   Hand Washing.  Frequent and thorough hand washing remains the first line of defense in preventing food borne disease.  The use of disposable gloves can provide an additional barrier to contamination, but they are no substitute for hand washing!

6.   Health and Hygiene.  Only healthy workers should prepare and serve food.  Anyone who shows symptoms of disease (cramps, nausea, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, etc.) Or who has open sores or infected cuts on the hands should not be allowed in the food concession area.  Workers should wear clean outer garments and should not smoke in the concession area.  The use of hair restraints is recommended to prevent hair ending up in food products.

7.   Food Handling.  Avoid hand contact with raw, ready-to-eat foods and food contact surfaces.  Use an acceptable dispensing utensil to serve food.  Touching food with bare hands can transfer germs to food.

8.   Dishwashing.  Use disposable utensils for food service.  Keep your hands away from food contact surfaces, and never reuse disposable dishware.  Ideally, dishes and utensils should be washed in a four-step process:

1.   Washing in hot soapy water;

2.   Rinsing in clean water;

3.   Chemical or heat sanitizing; and

4.   Air drying.

9.   Ice.  Ice used to cool cans/bottles should not be used in cup beverages and should be stored separately.  Use a scoop to dispense ice; never use the hands.  Ice can become contaminated with bacteria and viruses and cause food borne illness.

10.  Wiping Cloths. Rinse and store your wiping cloths in a bucket of sanitize (example: 1 gallon of water and ½ teaspoon of chlorine bleach).  Change the solution every two hours.  Well sanitized work surfaces prevent cross-contamination and discourage flies.

11.  Insect Control and Waste.  Keep foods covered to protect them from insects.  Store pesticides away from foods.  Place garbage and paper wastes in a refuse container with a tight-fitting lid.  Dispose of wastewater in an approved method (do not dump it outside).  All water used should be potable water form an approved source.

12.  Food Storage and Cleanliness. Keep food stored off the floor at least six inches.  After your event is finished, clean the concession area and discard unusable food.

Clean Hands for Clean Foods

Since the staff at concession stands may not be professional food workers, it is important that they be thoroughly instructed in the proper method of washing their hands.  The following may serve as a guide:

·   Use soap and warm water.

·   Rub your hands vigorously as you wash them.

·   Wash all surfaces including the backs of hands, wrists, between fingers and under fingernails.

·   Rinse your hands well.

·   Dry hands with a paper towel.

·   Turn off the water using a paper towel, instead of your bare hands.

·   Wash your hands in this fashion before you begin work and frequently during the day, especially after performing any of these activities.

·   After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean, exposed portions of arms.

·   After using the restroom.

·   After caring for or handling animals.

·   After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue.

·   After handling soiled surfaces, equipment or utensils.

·   After drinking, using tobacco, or eating.

·   During food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross-contamination when changing tasks.

·   When switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food.

·   Directly before touching ready-to-eat food or food-contact surfaces.

·   After engaging in activities that contaminate hands.

Top Six Causes

From past experience, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list these circumstances as the most likely to lead to illness.  Check this list to make sure your concession stand has covered these common causes of food borne illness.

·   Inadequate cooling and cold holding.

·   Preparing food too far in advance for service.

·   Poor personal hygiene and infected personnel.

·   Inadequate reheating.

·   Inadequate hot holding.

·   Contaminated raw foods and ingredients.

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