EHA Group Food Safety and Epidemiology Blog

Sneeze Guards

Do people really walk around sneezing onto food? Does it really happen that much? Maybe not, but all the same – Health Departments all require food product that is held on display to be protected from customer cross contamination or other appropriate device. Additionally, if food is considered to be “self serve” tongs, wax paper or other sanitary means must be provided to discourage customers from using their hands.

Taking temperatures properly

There are several different mistakes that are made when taking the temperature of potentially hazardous food items.

These mistakes include: not inserting the bi-metal probe thermometer into the deepest portion of the food, taking temperatures of meats too close to the bone in the space created when meat separates from the bone, not using a calibrated thermometer, and not insuring that the thermometer has been properly cleaned and sanitized prior to use.

These issues can not only provide a false sense of food security, but also may contribute to cross contamination.

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Thermometer use and calibration

There are several inexpensive types of thermometers available on the market today, including bi-metal probe and digital thermometers. Both types are capable of accurately recording internal temperatures of food products during the cooking process, however, one of the most important things is to insure that your thermometer is properly calibrated.