Food Sanitation Essay

2122 Words9 Pages
SANITATION While the terms are often used interchangeably, cleaning and sanitation have two entirely different purposes. Cleaning is the removal of unwanted material (commonly called soils) from production equipment and production areas. Removing leftover particles eliminates many microbes, their food source and other physical debris that can contaminate future batches of food. Appropriate cleaning chemicals may be applied manually or mechanically to equipment. Sanitizing is the treatment of a clean surface with a chemical or physical agent (e.g., heat) to reduce microorganisms that cause disease and/or spoilage to levels considered safe for public health. Sanitizing a food contact surface must reduce the population of specific bacteria by 99.999 per cent in 30 seconds. FOOD SANITATION – PROTECTION FROM CONTAMINATION The word “sanitation” is derived from the latin word “sanitas” meaning “health”. Food Sanitation is the creation and maintenance of hygienic and healthful conditions. Food sanitation is the application of science to provide wholesome food processed, prepared, merchandised and sold in a clean environment by healthy workers; to prevent contamination with microorganisms that cause food borne illnesses; and to minimize the proliferation of spoilage microorganisms. Sanitation is a dynamic and ongoing function and cannot be sporadic or something that can be turned on once a day, once a week, etc. Sanitation is more than just cleanliness. Done properly, it can improve the appeal and hygienic conditions of restaurants, food industry and home kitchens. From the moment that food is harvested to the time that it is eaten, it is vulnerable to contamination. Food products must be protected from contamination from receiving (and before) through distribution. Temperature Control The primary rule of sanitation is to pay strict attention to food
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