Food safety is a matter of public health and it puts everyone at risk when food becomes unsafe. Food becomes unsafe when it becomes contaminated by things like bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemicals.
Every year, an estimated 600 million people worldwide become sick after eating contaminated food, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).1
Fortunately, many of these illnesses are preventable. Whether you work in a restaurant, grocery store, school cafeteria, healthcare facility, or catering business, understanding how food becomes unsafe is one of the most important parts of protecting your customers.
Most food safety hazards fall into five common categories. Learning to recognize and prevent these risk factors is the foundation of every effective food safety program.
The FDA Food Code identifies five primary food safety risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness. Here's what they are, and how to prevent them.
Poor cleaning and sanitizing
We’ve talked about the differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting in the past and food safety is one of the places where the importance of these differences shines through.
If a food contact surface is not cleaned AND sanitized properly, it creates an unsafe environment where pathogens can rapidly multiply and contaminate food the next time they are used.
Understanding how to properly use the three compartment sink method to clean and sanitize, set up and use dishwashing machines, and correctly dispose of garbage are essential to keeping both food contact surfaces and non-food contact surfaces safe from pathogens that make food unsafe.
Signs this risk factor is occurring include:
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Food debris left on equipment
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Improper sanitizer concentration
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Skipping the sanitizing step after cleaning
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Using dirty wiping cloths throughout the day
Best Practice: Clean first to remove visible debris, then sanitize using an approved food-contact sanitizer according to manufacturer directions.
Time-temperature abuse
Time-temperature abuse occurs when time/temperature control safety (TCS) foods are allowed to enter and remain in the temperature danger zone.
What is the temperature danger zone? In In commercial food service, the temperature danger zone is between 41°F and 135°F. Harmful bacteria multiply most rapidly within this range, making proper cooking, cooling, reheating, and cold holding essential.
The best way to prevent time-temperature abuse is always to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold–namely out of the temperature range of 41 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit.
TCS foods in particular can be a breeding ground for pathogens in the temperature danger zone, so it is a good idea to have a regular schedule for checking the temperatures of in-use ingredients and stored foods as well as adequate training to ensure all foods are cooked, cooled, and reheated properly.
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination happens whenever harmful bacteria, allergens, chemicals, or foreign objects are transferred from one surface, food, or person to another.
The three types of cross-contamination include: biological, physical, and chemical.
Common examples include:
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Using the same cutting board for raw chicken and vegetables
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Storing raw meat above ready-to-eat foods
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Using the same gloves for multiple tasks
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Failing to sanitize food-contact surfaces between uses
Cross-contamination (and foodborne illnesses in general) can easily be prevented by separating foods properly during prep, effectively cleaning and sanitizing equipment, and consistent glove use.
Poor personal hygiene
The leading cause of foodborne illnesses is actually due to food handlers coming to work while sick. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the norovirus spreads easily and causes about half of all food-related illnesses.2
Establishing a clear and supportive sick policy for staff can easily prevent this cause of foodborne illness.
Other common hygiene mistakes include:
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Improper handwashing
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Touching ready-to-eat food with bare hands
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Improper glove use
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Dirty uniforms or aprons
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Eating, drinking, or smoking in food preparation areas
In order to protect customers, the onboarding process for new staff should always review proper handwashing habits and designate where staff can safely snack.
Unsafe food sources
There is no way to make contaminated foods safe for consumption. This is why it is absolutely critical for foodservice establishments to buy their foods from approved, reputable suppliers.
Approved suppliers should:
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Follow applicable FDA or USDA regulations
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Provide food from inspected facilities
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Maintain proper transportation temperatures
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Deliver food in clean, undamaged packaging
Remember, just because food looks and smells safe, that doesn’t mean that it is. Purchasing from safe food sources should always be the first step in a business’ food safety plan.
How can food handlers prevent food from becoming unsafe?
Preventing foodborne illness doesn't require complicated procedures. It just requires consistency.
As a food handler, you can dramatically reduce risk by washing their hands properly, preventing cross-contamination, monitoring food temperatures, cleaning and sanitizing equipment, and purchasing ingredients from approved suppliers.
Together, these practices form the foundation of every successful food safety program.
Stay ahead of food safety violations
Food safety rarely fails because of one catastrophic mistake. More often, foodborne illnesses occur when several small breakdowns happen at the same time: improper temperatures, poor hand hygiene, contaminated equipment, or unsafe food sources.
Understanding these five food safety risk factors helps food handlers recognize problems before they lead to contamination.
With proper training with Trust20 and consistent procedures, food service teams can significantly reduce the risk of foodborne illness while protecting both customers and their business.
**Editor's Note: This blog was originally posted in January 2022 and has been reviewed for accuracy and updated to include more details.
FAQ
What are the five food safety risk factors?
The five primary food safety risk factors are poor cleaning and sanitizing, time-temperature abuse, cross-contamination, poor personal hygiene, and obtaining food from unsafe sources.
What is the biggest cause of foodborne illness?
One of the leading causes of foodborne illness is poor personal hygiene, particularly food employees working while sick or failing to wash their hands properly.
What causes food to become unsafe?
Food becomes unsafe when it is contaminated by harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals, allergens, or physical objects. Improper food handling practices allow these hazards to spread.
What is cross-contamination?
Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria, allergens, chemicals, or foreign materials from one food, surface, or person to another.
What is time-temperature abuse?
Time-temperature abuse occurs when food remains in the temperature danger zone long enough for harmful bacteria to multiply.
Why is food safety training important?
Food safety training helps employees recognize food safety hazards, prevent contamination, comply with regulations, and reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks.
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