Posts by bashir@probeit.ca

When handling food it is important that we recognize that unsafe food will not always appear as unsafe. Pathogenic micro-organisms will not provide a smell, a taste or colour. They are invisible and the only way to protect ourselves from them is by taking extra precautions when handling food. By ensuring food does not stay…

The next series of food safety blogs will be related to food handler behavior. Personal habits of food handlers can have a direct impact on the safety of food. Food handlers can unintentionally become carriers of pathogenic micro-organisms to food or food contact surfaces. A few common personal hygiene behaviors are provided below for food…

The second blog in this series is about bad habits. Have you ever heard the expression “bad habits, die hard”? Well, its true! Bad habits can take several days, months or years to completely rid your self from them. However, when working with food these habits can results in serious illnesses. It is important to…

The third blog in this series is about snacking while handling food. Food handlers should eat in an approved designated break room. Snacking while handling food can trigger allergic reactions. Think about it, if a food handler is snacking on almonds while preparing a garden salad. Trace amounts of the almond remains on their hands.…

The final blog in this series of food handler behaviour relates to clean hands. Food handlers should constantly be aware of their hand hygiene. Food handlers can prevent bacteria and other contaminates from building up beneath their nails by keeping nails clean, trim and avoiding wearing fake nails and nail polish. Additionally, jewelry that is…

Why is food safety important? That is a question you might not hear often. Depending who is being asked you might get different response. A stay at home mother might tell you “because I don’t want my kids or husband to get sick”. A food manger might tell you “because not taking care of food…

2017 has been a busy year in food safety. The principal federal agency with regards to food safety is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The CFIA is responsible for inspecting and regulating federally registered food production facilities. CFIA also issues food recalls and removal of products from shelves. The CFIA classifies recalls based on…

Most food handlers and food safety professionals can almost all agree that the in-class food safety training and certification can be long, boring, and inconvenient. This is why people have decided to search for new options of becoming certified – ONLINE. Now the question remains “How do I choose the right course?” DO NOT CONSIDER…

Throughout the years as a Public Health Inspector, I have been instructing food handler training and certification courses and I’ve noticed two things: Many clients would have to take a day off work, usually without pay. They commuted hours to attend the session. I was amazed at the demand and need for the course, what…

Depending on how you handle your food, it can be either be a nutritional meal or recipe for intestinal disaster. This is why it is important to practice food safety throughout the food handling process; from purchase and storage to cooking and serving. Ignoring the basics of safe food handling can result in you and…