Food Handler cheat sheet

A foodborne illness is sickness caused by eating contaminated food; hazards are biological, chemical, or physical.

Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and molds; bacteria are the most common cause of foodborne illness.

FATTOM is the memory aid for conditions pathogens need: Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, and Moisture.

TCS foods need time/temperature control: milk, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cooked rice and beans, cut melons, leafy greens, and sprouts.

The temperature danger zone is 41°F to 135°F; pathogens multiply fastest between 70°F and 125°F.

Food handlers must tell the person in charge about vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever, or an infected wound.

The Big Six pathogens are Salmonella Typhi, Shigella spp., E. coli O157:H7, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, and nontyphoidal Salmonella.

Approved food sources and potable water reduce the risk of biological and chemical contamination.

Handwashing steps: wet hands, apply soap, scrub for 10–15 seconds, rinse, and dry; the whole process takes about 20 seconds.

Wash hands before starting work and after restroom use, raw meat contact, coughing, sneezing, trash, phone use, breaks, or touching the face or hair.

Hand sanitizer is not a substitute for handwashing; use it only after washing hands.

Wash hands before putting on gloves and change gloves between tasks, after touching the face, and when torn or soiled.

Do not wash or reuse disposable gloves.

Keep fingernails short, clean, and unpolished; artificial nails and polish can harbor pathogens.

Wear hair restraints and do not eat, drink, or smoke in food preparation areas.

Cover cuts with a waterproof bandage and a glove; report infected wounds to the person in charge.

Workers with vomiting or diarrhea must be excluded from food handling.

Cross-contamination is the transfer of pathogens from one food, hand, utensil, or surface to another.

Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood below ready-to-eat foods; keep raw poultry on the bottom shelf.

Use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw animal foods and ready-to-eat foods.

Clean and sanitize surfaces and utensils between uses and between different food types.

The nine major allergens are milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.

Allergen cross-contact occurs when an allergen touches food not intended to contain it; use dedicated utensils and fryers.

Check ingredient labels for allergens and avoid substitutions without approval.

For a severe allergic reaction such as anaphylaxis, call emergency services and follow the emergency plan.

Viruses such as norovirus and hepatitis A spread easily by hands; handwashing and no bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food reduce risk.

Keep cold TCS foods at 41°F or below and hot TCS foods at 135°F or above.

The temperature danger zone is 41°F to 135°F; limit the time TCS food spends in this range.

Cook poultry and stuffed foods to 165°F for 15 seconds, ground meat to 155°F for 17 seconds, and whole meat or fish to 145°F for 15 seconds.

Cool cooked food from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours, then to 41°F within 4 more hours, for a total of 6 hours.

Reheat food for hot holding to 165°F within 2 hours.

Thaw food in the refrigerator, under running water at 70°F or below, in a microwave then cook immediately, or as part of cooking.

Date-mark ready-to-eat TCS food held more than 24 hours and use it within 7 days at 41°F or below.

Use a calibrated probe thermometer and measure the thickest part or center of the food.

Check hot and cold holding at least every 4 hours and discard food that is out of temperature.

Cleaning removes food and soil; sanitizing reduces pathogens to safe levels.

Manual dishwashing: wash in 110°F or hotter water, rinse, sanitize, then air-dry.

Chlorine sanitizer is usually 50–100 ppm, quaternary ammonium 200–400 ppm, and iodine 12.5–25 ppm.

Use test strips to verify sanitizer concentration and follow the label contact time, commonly 30 seconds.

Food-contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after use and at least every 4 hours during continuous use with TCS food.

Sanitizer buckets should be labeled, kept away from food, and changed when the solution is dirty or weak.

Air-dry utensils; do not towel-dry sanitized food-contact surfaces.

Store chemicals below and away from food, utensils, and food-contact surfaces, and never in unlabeled containers.