Page 62 - FoodFocusThailand No.183 June 2021

STRONG QC & QA

Before handling food, Before food preparation, Before food consumption, Before
wearing gloves, After using a wash room, After touching raw materials (e.g. raw
meat), After picking nose, After nose blowing, After touching hair, skin, or any part
of the body, After contacting any waste or moving garbage, or After exposing to
chemicals.
Another hygiene practice are cleaning and sanitizing process to all food contact
surfaces used in the preparation and production. Cleaning and disinfecting can
reduce or destroy microbials on the surfaces such as dipping knife periodically in
a sanitizer solution during cutting fresh meat. In addition, the surface must be
clean and dry before further use. It can help preventing the microbial growth due
to a humid condition.
The other practice is to prevent pests from entering food production areas,
food product storage area, and raw material and food packaging storage areas. Photo Source: www.foodsafety.net.au
It is well known that pests such as flies, cockroaches, rats, birds are sources of
pathogens and foreign matters. Their filth such as hair, manure, parts can some foodborne pathogenic bacteria that still grow at
contaminate directly to foods, or food contact surfaces. temperatures below 5 ºC such as Listeria monocytogenes
and Yersinia enterocolitica. Generally, a cooked food
Key 2: Separate Raw and Cooked should not be stored at a room temperature over 2 hours.
Raw materials, especially meat, poultry, and seafood, are often contaminated with Perishable food should be stored immediately below 5 ºC,
pathogenic microorganisms which have a potential for cross-contaminating the but never kept in a long duration. Furthermore, storing
cooked foods during food preparation, or storage. Therefore, the storage of raw cooked food by heating should keep the temperature above
meat, poultry, and seafood should be separated from cooked foods. This concept 60 ºC. Besides, a frozen food should not be thawed
can apply to a separated container, equipment, and tools between raw and cooked gradually by a room temperature.
foods. For instance, keeping foods in containers with a lid on to avoid a direct
contact between raw meat and processed foods. Also, store raw meat in the lower Key 5: Use Safe Water and Raw Materials
position, under the cooked food’s shelves in the refrigerator. Raw materials used in food preparation and production,
such as water and ice, may be contaminated with
Key 3: pathogens or toxic chemicals. In addition, some raw
Cook Thoroughly materials might be toxic from mycotoxin contamination
Sufficient heat for food such as peanuts containing aflatoxins. Thus, choosing
processing can destroy quality and safety raw materials is very important. A safe
almost all kinds of pathogenic or proper treated water must be used in food production.
microorganisms. In general, Always select and purchase raw materials from reliable,
heating food until food or approved production sources. Besides, the raw materials
reaches a temperature of must have the appropriate appearance, avoiding defected,
70°C can ensure that food is rotten, or damaged ones. Always use processed ingredients
safe to consume as this such as pasteurized milk. Do not use the expired raw
temperature destroys even materials for food production. Always wash, clean, and
high numbers of sanitize raw materials before consuming such as fresh
microorganisms within 30 fruits and vegetables. Get rid of any irregular raw materials
seconds. Therefore, meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood should be properly heated such as swollen cans. Always choose to buy raw materials
with the precise check to measure whether the temperature reaches a certain properly stored, such as perishable raw materials kept
level during production. In some cases, it is possible to observe the food under the proper chilling temperature.
appearance such as chicken meat after adequate heating thoroughly. The color
of chicken meat inside shall change from pink to white. Moreover, the cooked
foods which are kept chilled for a certain time should be reheated to an applicable
temperature with a suitable period before consuming.
เอกสารอ้างอิง/References
Key 4: Keep Food at Safe Temperatures World Health Organization. 2006. Five Keys to Safer Food
Most pathogens can proliferate rapidly when food is stored at a room temperature. Manual. Available at www.who.int/foodsafety/consumer/5keys/
en/index.html, May 8th, 2021.
Therefore, the food keeping below 5 ºC, or above 60 ºC can slow down or stop Codex Alimentarius. 2020. General Principles of Food Hygiene
microbial growth. Storage temperature between 5 ºC - 60 ºC range is a danger (CXC 1-1969; Revision 5). Available at http://www.fao.org/
zone because this temperature range is vulnerable for food to get spoiled. Also, fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/codes-of-practice/en/,
May 8 , 2021.
th
it could be harmful to consumers due to the microbial growth. However, there are
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