Oneida Nation Food Handler's Course

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Oneida Food Service Code

The Oneida Food Service Code was adopted with the goal of ensuring safe prepared food sales within the Nation to prevent foodborne illnesses. The most current FDA Food Code Model requirements are incorporated within the Oneida Food Service Code. Per code requirements, for profit prepared food sales must be licensed and inspected to protect public health. Vendors that must obtain a license are separated in three different categories, all requiring three different licenses:

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• Temporary Food Vendor -Vendors that sell at a one-time event. After a successful inspection, licenses are issued on site and are only good for the duration of the event.

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• Independent Food Vendor- Vendors prepare food off-site, independent of a permanent establishment, at or within a location approved by the Department (unless you qualify for a cottage food operator exemption, sales from food prepared in homes are prohibited) and are selling throughout the year. After a successful pre inspection, licenses are issued for the fiscal year (October 1-September 30). If licenses are issued in the middle of a year, the fee will be prorated so that the vendor is only paying for the remainder of the license term.

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• Permanent Establishment-Full-time operation restaurants, mobile food trucks, bakeries, convenience stores, Oneida Nation food service programs, delis, etc. After a successful pre inspection, licenses are issued for the fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sept. 30).

If licenses are issued in the middle of a year, the fee will be prorated so that the vendor is only paying the remainder of the license term.

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License applications can be obtained at: https://oneida-nsn.gov/food-safety-vendor-licensing- and-cottage-food-operators/ or by contacting the Sanitarian, Brittany Nicholas at 920-869- 4554 or bnichola@oneidanation.org .

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Food Safety is Important

A foodborne illness is a disease that is transmitted through food, to people. Approximately 48 million people get sick from food eat year in the U.S. according to CDC statistics. Foodborne illnesses are almost always preventable. There are three categories of hazards that can make food unsafe and result in a foodborne illness:

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1. Biological-Different types of pathogens. This can include bacteria, parasites, fungi, or viruses.

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• Chemical-Chemical contaminations such as cleaners, sanitizers, degreasers, etc.

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• Physical-Actual physical objects that may fall into food. This may include glass, hair, bandages, or jewelry.

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The Keys to Keeping Food Safe

As a food handler, it is your role to do what you can to keep food safe. The four keys to keeping food safe include:

1. Good Personal Hygiene: Foremost, properly wash your hands.

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• Control the Time and Temperature of Food: Prevent bacterial growth

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• Preventing Cross-Contamination: Prevent transfer of germs from one surface or food to another

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• Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing: Cleaning removes visible dirt/debris and sanitizing reduces the number of germs to a safe level.

Oneida Nation Food Handler's Course

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Good Personal Hygiene-Handwashing Steps

Proper handwashing is the simplest and most important way to keep food free from contamination. Handwashing must be conducted at a designated handwashing facility. Each facility is required to have at least one designated handwashing sink. "Designated" means that the sink is used for ONLY handwashing. The sink needs to be stocked with hot and cold running water, soap, paper towel, and a trash container. It should also have posted signage.

Handwashing should take 20 seconds to complete from start to finish at a minimum. If you are washing your hands inside a restroom, make sure to use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the restroom door. The steps to handwashing are:

1. Wet hands and arms using as hot as water as you can comfortably stand and is safe.
2. Apply soap and build a good lather.
3. Scrub for 10-15 seconds.
4. Rinse with warm running water.
5. Dry hands with a single use paper towel or approved forced air dryer. Absorbable clothes and clothing are not permitted.

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*The use of hand sanitizer in place of hand washing is not allowed in Oneida.

If you choose to use hand sanitizer, you must do so after you have washed your hands.

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Good Personal Hygiene-When Are You Required to Wash Your Hands?

The Oneida Food Service Code requires that proper handwashing practices are in place to

prevent the transfer of pathogens from people to food. The following examples are times when you MUST wash your hands:

1. Before the start of work

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• After touching any part of your exposed skin or hair

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• After going to the bathroom

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• After eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum or tobacco

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• After taking out the trash

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• After handling chemicals or money

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• After bussing tables

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• After handling raw meat or fish

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• Before putting on a new pair of gloves

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• After touching anything that may contaminate your hand

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Good Personal Hygiene-Glove Use

Ready-to-eat foods may NOT be handled with bare hands. This means that foods that will not be cooked and are going right to the customer to eat are "ready-to-eat", and proper methods to prevent bare hand contact must be adhered to. This may include glove use, use of utensils, deli sheets, etc.

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Gloves need to be single-use, cannot be reused or rinsed, and must be changed when:

1. Whenever they become soiled or torn.
2. After handling any raw animal products.
3. After any type of interruption

(i.e., using the computer, stepping away from the food prep area, etc.).

4. In between task changes.
5. Before preparing an item for a customer who has expressed they have a food allergy.

**You are required to wash your hands every time you change your gloves**

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Good Personal Hygiene-Apparel and Eating/Drinking

1. Hair must be covered in food preparation and dish washing areas. This may include hair nets, hats, or bandanas.
2. All jewelry must be removed when working food prep areas EXCEPT a single plain band ring and eyewear.
3. Eating, drinking, chewing gum or tobacco is prohibited in food preparation, dishwashing, and service areas.

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Good Personal Hygiene-Staff Illnesses and Medical Conditions

Employees must be restricted from working with food and in food contact areas if they:

1. Have an infected wound that cannot be properly covered.
2. Have a sore throat with a fever (if working with high-risk populations like children or elderly, staff should be excluded from the establishment).
3. Are sneezing, coughing, or have a running nose that cannot be controlled.

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Employees must be excluded completely from working in the establishment if they have one of the following symptoms from an infectious disease:

1. Diarrhea
2. Vomiting
3. Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes or skin

Food employees are required to report to the Person-In-Charge (PIC) any of the symptoms above and/or diagnosis of and/or exposure to the following foodborne illnesses: Norovirus, Hepatitis A virus, Shigella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Typhoid fever (caused by Salmonella Typhi) or Salmonella (nontyphoidal). PIC will restrict or exclude affected employees as appropriate.

Oneida Nation Food Handler's Course

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Controlling Time and Temperature=Temperature Danger Zone

There are certain foods that must be held at specific temperatures to reduce bacteria growth. These are called TCS foods, which stands for time and temperature control for safety. Examples include:

1. Dairy products
2. Eggs
3. Fish and shellfish
4. Beef, pork, lamb and poultry
5. Heat treated plant food (such as cooked white corn, cooked wild rice, baked potato)
6. Cut melons/tomatoes/leafy greens
7. Raw seed sprouts
8. Untreated garlic-in-oil mixtures
9. Tofu (soy)

These foods must be kept out of the temperature danger zone. The temperature danger zone is from 41-135 F. This means that cold food must be held at 41 F or lower and hot food must be held at 135 F or higher. Food held in the temperature danger zone (time/temperature abuse) for more than four hours must be disposed of. This means you must check the temperature of

your foods at least every four hours. If you do not know when the last time a temperature was taken and the food is in the temperature danger zone, you must throw it away ("When in doubt, throw it out"). Stored frozen foods shall be maintained frozen.

All prepared TCS foods must be date labeled. You must use these foods within 7

days of being prepared, then they must be disposed of.

All commercially processed TCS foods, once opened and held for more than 24 hours, should be used and datemarked within 7 days of opening.

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Controlling Time and Temperature-Cooking Temperatures

1. Poultry, Wild Game, anything stuffed -165F for <1 second
2. Non-Intact Meat* (including ground fish and commercially raised game animals), eggs that will be hot held (not immediately served), and ratites - 155F for 17 seconds
3. Whole (intact)* seafood and commercially raised game animals (not ground), eggs that will be immediately served-145F for 15 seconds

*“Intact Meat” means a cut of whole muscle(s) MEAT that has not undergone COMMINUTION, MECHANICAL TENDERIZATION,

vacuum tumbling with solutions, reconstruction, cubing or pounding.

4. Steaks, chops, roasts, or other Intact Meat (whole meat roasts may vary from this temperature depending on length of cooking time and equipment used) - 145F for 15 seconds
5. Foods from plant or fruit products (such as Kanastole or white corn bread, or white corn for corn soup, rice)-135F

If you are an establishment that wishes to offer customers the option of ordering "to-order" undercooked steaks, burgers, or eggs (i.e. "sunny side up eggs", "medium rare" steaks) you MUST place a consumer advisory warning on menus. Any facility that serves or sells raw, or undercooked animal food in a ready-to-eat form must have a consumer advisory. Facilities that serve high risk populations are NOT allowed to serve any undercooked products.

NOTE: Whole-Muscle Intact Beef Steak can be served undercooked without a consumer advisory but must be seared to a surface temperature of 145 F or above

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Controlling Time and Temperature-Cooling and Reheating Temperatures

Cooling hot TCS foods for later use must be cooled in a two-step process:

1. 135F-70F within 2 hours; and

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• 70F-41F within 4 hours

Cooled TCS foods must then be reheated up to 165F. Acceptable cooling methods are:

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Putting food in shallow pans

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Dividing food into smaller portions

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Using rapid cooling equipment

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Stirring the food in a container placed in an ice water bath

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Using containers that facilitate heat transfer

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Adding ice as an ingredient

Containers of cooling foods should be loosely covered or uncovered if protected from overhead contamination.

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Controlling Time and Temperature-Safe Thawing

There are four safe ways to thaw frozen TCS foods:

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1. In a refrigerator or cooler at 41F or lower (food must be stored in the lowest part of the cooler to prevent cross-contamination in case it drips)
2. Under COOL running water (the water must be 70F or lower)
3. Cook it immediately
4. In a microwave (the item must be then fully cooked immediately)

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Oneida Nation Food Handler's Course

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Practice Questions: Guess which statements are true. Go to next slide to reveal answer.

1. Baked potato is a temperature control for safety food.

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• The temperature danger zone is from 41 to 135F.
• Chicken soup that is made on 1/6/2023 would need to be date labeled to be discarded on 1/14/2023.

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• You can thaw ground beef safely at room temperature on a prep table.

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• The minimum internal cooking temperature for ground pork is 155F.

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• Cooked ground pork should be kept warm at 135F or higher.
• During receiving, you observe ice crystals inside packaged frozen food. This means no time temperature abuse occurred.

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• Cooked hot food can be cooled in an ice water bath.

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Practice Questions: Guess which statements are true.

1. Baked potato is a temperature control for safety food. TRUE

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• The temperature danger zone is from 41 to 135F. TRUE
• Chicken soup that is made on 1/6/2023 would need to be date labeled to be discarded on 1/14/2023. FALSE

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• You can thaw ground beef safely at room temperature on a prep table. FALSE

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• The minimum internal cooking temperature for ground pork is 155F. TRUE

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• Cooked ground pork should be kept warm at 135F or higher. TRUE
• During receiving, you observe ice crystals inside packaged frozen food. This means no time temperature abuse occurred. FALSE

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• Cooked hot food can be cooled in an ice water bath. TRUE

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Preventing Cross-Contamination

Cross-Contamination is the transferring of pathogens (germs that can make you sick) from one surface or food to another. This can occur during food storage, food preparation, customer self- service, while serving food, and during storage of equipment and chemicals. The following are methods to prevent cross-contamination:

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1. Cover all food while in storage in coolers and freezers.
2. NEVER store chemicals and food in the same area.
3. Store all food and food contact surfaces (i.e. cutting boards, pots, utensils) at least 6 inches off the floor
4. Sanitize all food prep areas and work surfaces before and after use.
5. Prepare raw meats away from other foods. Sanitize all utensils and surfaces that touch raw meat after use.
6. Never let customers re use plates at a buffet.
7. If a utensil in a buffet food item falls into the food, the pan of food must be thrown away.
8. Always carry plates by the bottom surface and glasses around the stem or bottom. Always handle utensils by the handle.

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Preventing Cross-Contamination for People with Food Allergies

Some people are allergic to specific foods and can become seriously ill from their food being contaminated with what they are allergic to. A food allergic response commonly results in hives or other itchy rashes, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and/or diarrhea, wheezing, shortness of breath, and swelling of various parts of the body. Food allergies can be so severe, that they can even result in anaphylactic shock and/or death.

When you are serving customers with food allergies, it is important to take special precautions to ensure you are not contaminating their food with their allergen. Proper handwashing is essential. Also, making sure to sanitize all food surfaces and utensils before cooking their order is important. It may be best to designate a set of cookware and utensils specifically for allergen- free orders.

While people can be allergic to just about anything, there are NINE items that most people are allergic to. These are referred to as The Big NINE.

1. Eggs
2. Dairy
3. Wheat
4. Fish
5. Soy
6. Tree nuts
7. Peanuts
8. Shellfish
9. Sesame

When a customer tells you, they are allergic to something, search all labels for every ingredient in the item to check for their allergen. If you are not 100% sure of every ingredient in the item, be honest and tell then you cannot be sure it does not include their allergen.

Written notification is required to consumers of major food allergens as ingredients in unpackaged food and in bulk food that is available for consumer self-dispensing. Labels of packaged foods should also state any major food allergens that it contains.

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Practice Question: Guess which scenarios are examples of cross contamination. Go to next slide to reveal answer.

1. You provide customers with one ladle to self-serve three different soups.
2. You clean and sanitize a cutting board used to cut raw chicken and then use it to cut tomatoes.
3. You have raw ground beef stored on a rack above sushi in the walk-in cooler.
4. You have bleach and produce on the same shelf in the dry storage area.

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Oneida Nation Food Handler's Course

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Practice Question: Guess which scenarios are examples of cross contamination.

1. You provide customers with one ladle to self-serve three different soups. CROSS CONTAMINATION
2. You clean and sanitize a cutting board used to cut raw chicken and then use it to cut tomatoes.
3. You have raw ground beef stored on a rack above sushi in the walk-in cooler. CROSS CONTAMINATION
4. You have bleach and produce on the same shelf in the dry storage area. CROSS

CONTAMINATION

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Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing

Cleaning and sanitizing are not the same thing, and it is important to know the difference.

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Cleaning is the removal of visible debris. This can mean wiping with soapy water, dusting, sweeping, etc. All surfaces in the establishment should be clean. Your operation should have an effective cleaning program that includes proper staff training, creation of a formalized cleaning schedule, and monitoring.

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Sanitizing, on the other hand, is actually reducing the number of pathogens on surfaces to a safer level. All food contact surfaces must be cleaned AND sanitized. This includes utensils, cookware, workstations, cutting boards, pots, etc.

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Food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized when:

1. After they are used.
2. In between working with different types of food.
3. Before preparing dishes with customers with a food allergy.
4. After touching raw meat or other animal products.
5. At least every 4 hours if items are in constant use.

Oneida Nation Food Handler's Course

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Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing

Make sure sanitizer directions are followed on the bottle. You will also need chemical test strips on hand specific to the sanitizer you are using so that you can ensure you have the correct amount of sanitizer in the solution. For example, bleach is a chlorine, and would require chlorine test strips.

Original containers of chemicals shall have the manufacturer's label. Working containers of chemicals must be clearly labeled with the common name. Any chemicals should be stored separately from and below food or food equipment.

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What type of sanitizer can I use?

Sanitizer must be approved for food contact surfaces (i.e food-grade or food-safe). This means that the product label should state how to sanitize a food contact surface.

If the label does not have directions for how to sanitize a food contact surface, you should NOT use it on a food contact surface.

The two most common types of sanitizers used in the food service industry are bleach (which is chlorine-based) and QUATS (which is made from different quaternary ammonia compounds).

Always follow the directions for use on the product label.

If you are unsure if a sanitizer can be used on a food contact surface, please consult with the Nation sanitarian at 920-869-4554.

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Proper Cleaning and Sanitizing-Dishwashing

An adequate method for proper dishwashing is required at every operation. A commercial dishwasher may be used for ware washing. It is important to make sure the detergent and sanitizer bottles are full and dispensing chemicals. Also, make sure the water temperature gauges are reaching the required temperatures that are labeled on the machine and use an irreversible registering temperature indicator.

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A three-compartment sink can also be used. Follow these steps to wash dishes in a three- compartment sink:

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1. Rinse, scrape, or soak items before washing them.
2. Wash items in the first sink with detergent in the first sink. Water should be at least 110F.
3. Rinse items in the second sink with plain rinse water.
4. Sanitize items in the third sink in a sanitizer solution. Make sure to test the solution with your chemical test strips to ensure the strength is adequate.
5. Air dry items upside down. Do not wipe with cloths to dry.