Food Protection

Food Supplies

All food shall be from an approved source.

Examples:

Shellfish-approved tags kept for 90 days.
Meat & Poultry-government inspected
Milk - must be pasteurized
Home-prepared or home-canned foods are prohibited.

Food Protection - General Requirements
1. Temperature - all potentially hazardous foods shall be maintained at or below 45 F. or at or above 140 F., except during necessary periods of preparation.
2. Indicating thermometers must be provided in all refrigerators, freezers, and be present and operable for checking heating facilities such as steam tables, etc. A separate metal stem-type food product thermometer is required as well for measuring food temperatures.
3. Raw fruits and vegetables must be washed before use.
4. Poultry, poultry stuffing and stuffed meats shall be heated to 165 F. with no interruption in the cooking process; and pork products shall be cooked to at least 150 F. internally. Rare roast beef and/or rare beefsteaks are to be heated to an internal temperature of 130 F. Ground beef shall be cooked to 158 F. unless otherwise requested by customer. Egg products shall be cooked to 145 F. except an individual order by customer request. All other meats shall be cooked to at least 140 F.
5. Unused foods that have been served may not be reused, except those individually packaged and not opened.
6. Toxic materials shall be stored away from food service areas and separately from all other products. They shall be clearly labeled, kept in the original container, and stored in a cabinet used for no other purpose. Insecticides and rodenticides may only be applied by a certified pesticide applicator.
7. Detergents, soaps, and sanitizers shall be stored away from food preparation and food storage areas. They shall be clearly labeled.
8. Personal medications shall be restricted from food service areas.
9. Suitable utensils should be used to minimize handling of raw food during preparation. Eliminate bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food that will not receive any further cooking by using a suitable barrier.
  
  Examples: Gloves, tongs, spatulas, knives, long handle forks, spoons, and scoops.
10. Precooked foods that have been refrigerated shall be reheated rapidly to 165 F. or above and then held at 140 F., until served. Precooked potentially hazardous foods from commercial processing establishments shall be rapidly reheated to 140 F.
11. Frozen foods shall be thawed at 45 F., or below; thawed under potable running water at 70 F. or below; or in a microwave oven when the food will be immediately transferred to conventional cooking facilities as part of a continuous cooking process or when the entire cooking process takes place in a microwave oven.
12. Food storage shall be:
  1. Minimum of 6 inches off the floor.
  2. Covered to prevent contamination from lateral fall of dust, dirt, or other contamination.
  3. Away from pipes carrying liquid wastes
13. Displayed food shall be protected from customer contamination by wrapping, sneeze, shields, or other protective devices. The quantity of potentially hazardous food displayed will be for immediate needs only.
14. Self service foods such as sugar, condiments, dressings, etc., shall be served in approved closed dispensers or single service packages.
15. Transportation of all food shall be in suitable covered containers, or suitably wrapped to protect from contamination. Potentially hazardous food shall be maintained at or below 45 F., or at or above 140 F. during this period.
Personnel
1. Persons affected with any communicable disease, infected lesions (pus-forming), or suffering from vomiting, diarrhea, or respiratory infection shall be prohibited from handling food or food utensils.
2. Employees shall wear clean clothing, wash hands frequently, keep fingernails clean and trimmed, avoid excessive jewelry or cosmetics, and wear effective hair restraints.
3. The use of tobacco in food preparation areas is prohibited.