Keeping Food and Guests Safe

Bacteria needs time, food and moisture to grow; but they won’t grow when the temperature of the food is colder than 41º F or hotter than 140º F. This temperature range differs slightly in different jurisdictions. The area between these temperatures is the Danger Zone. The goal is to keep food out of the danger zone until just prior to serving. Caterers, especially off-premise caterers, usually prepare food ahead of serving time, store it, travel with it, reheat it and then let it stand ready for guests.

Check with your health department to make sure that your staff has taken all the education and received all the certificates obtainable from your city or state. Hire sanitation experts to visit your location and check your facility and watch your staff at work to discover any incorrect procedures. The health department will do this for free.

Obtain and study your health department’s codes. They generally are multiple pages and may be filled with hard-to-understand information. A few samples from one state’s health code:

Critical violations creating an imminent danger to public health means those critical violations in which at least one of the following conditions exists:

(a) Food and drink is spoiled, unwholesome, or contaminated with pathogenic or fecal organisms, toxic chemicals, insect or rodent parts or excreta, or other harmful substances or articles;

(b) Potentially hazardous foods have been kept at temperatures above 45 degrees F. and below 140 degrees F. for four (4) hours or more; (this range also varies by jurisdiction)

(c) Food employee has a reportable disease or medical condition.

Critical violations creating a significantly increased risk for foodborne illness include:

(a) Potentially hazardous foods at improper temperatures.

(b) Cross contamination of raw to ready to eat foods.

(c) Poor personal hygiene and handwashing.