Food safety at weddings and other large functions is left up to the caterer to follow proper methods to ensure that food does not spoil prior to eating. Because many large functions occur outdoors and in the warm weather, the chances of food spoiling quickly increases.

If you are planning a large function or are planning to attend one, there are things you should keep in mind.

Hire a caterer and plan a menu that will not spoil. If you are eating outdoors, keep food in covered areas out of the sun, and ensure that anything with quickly spoiling foods (such as mayonnaise) are kept cold and are on a time limit. Discuss food safety with the caterer and ask how they will ensure your guests’ safety.

If you are attending a function, avoid foods that tend to spoil quickly, and only eat foods that are fully cooked.

Food Handler provides officially approved, food handler card and Liquor License in Texas.

This is the first video in a series about catering and food safety.

Many parents still prefer to pack their children’s lunch so that they know what their children are eating for lunch, and that the food is safe and healthy. There are many steps you can take to ensure that the lunch you send your children to school with is fresh and safe to eat by the time the lunch bell rings.

It’s important to remember that most schools do not offer refrigeration for lunches, and it’s always best to assume that they don’t so that the food you choose is safe at room temperature for an extended period of time.

• Use an insulated lunch bag that you have washed thoroughly after every use
• Pack a gel pack or frozen juice box/water bottle in the lunch to keep it cool
• Choose foods that will not spoil, such as peanut butter and jam sandwiches, granola bars, apples, bananas, cookies, carrot sticks, pickles
• Avoid food that has mayonnaise or meats that will spoil quickly when not refrigerated
• Explain to your children that any food that will spoil should not be eaten after school if they don’t finish it at lunch
• Get your children involved in designing their lunches so they learn about food safety too

If your child eats a school –prepared lunch, ask about their food safety measures. There’s nothing wrong with taking a tour and finding out what your children are being fed.

Here is a great video about packing safe school lunches.

Whether it is a flood, hurricane, tornado, long power outage, or fire, you need to know the proper ways to prevent foodborne illnesses from making you or your loved ones sick.

It’s important to be aware of the length of times that food will remain safe in your refrigerator and freezer. Food will stay cold in your fridge for about 4 hours if you don’t open it. In the freezer it can stay cold for up to 48 hours if it’s full. Any foods that reach 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than 2 hours should be discarded.

Any food that comes into contact with flood water should not be eaten and cans must be sanitized fully before opening. After a fire all food must be thrown out due to chemicals that are used to extinguish flames and the heat that may have affected the food.

Be sure to have an emergency food package and bottled water in your home, preferably on a high shelf in case of a flood.

Here are further tips.

The TABC and food handlers in Texas often overlap in their roles, and many employees are required to obtain licenses from both the TABC and health departments within the state to carry out their roles in their employment.

Both licenses require approved courses and tests in order to obtain certification, and for anyone employed in the food or beverage sector, it can be valuable to have both certifications.

The TABC Texas clearly defines when and to whom alcohol can be served, while the food handler’s license ensures that employees are aware of and follow safe food handling practices. Both of these help to keep the public safe from underage drinking, intoxicated customers, unsafe food and reduced chances of illness due to food borne pathogens and bacteria.

Inexpensive and readily available, the courses for these licenses can be taken online or in person, and are an excellent way to improve your resume.

In order to obtain TABC certification in Texas, you will need to take a course and pass a test. These courses can be taken in person or online, and once successfully passed you will take a test and be able to print your certificate as proof of completion.

Earning your TABC certification online is generally the most convenient option for many people, cutting out travel time and allowing you to take the course according to your own schedule. Be sure to take an accredited course so that you don’t waste your time or money on a course that is not properly recognized.
It’s Your Duty

1. Use different cutting boards for different foods, such as raw chicken, fish, fruit and vegetables, cheese etc.

2. Wash hands before and after handling food, or wear gloves and change them between changing food types.

3. Be sure that food is stored properly and at the correct temperatures to reduce or eliminate bacteria growth.

4. Store different types of food away from others, for instance, do not store raw chicken beside vegetables in the refrigerator.

5. Wash and disinfect counter tops frequently.

6. Be sure that foods are cooked to the proper temperature to kill off any bacteria, parasites, or viruses.

7. Certain foods should not be thawed at room temperature as this will result in bacteria growth. Learn which ones these are and thaw according to safety standards.

8. Avoid cross contamination with foods that are known allergens such as peanuts, and shellfish.

Texas food handler offers officially approved, quality food handler certificate courses and TABC Certification in Texas.

Take a peek at this video to see these tips in action.

For food handlers, taking the test to obtain the food handler’s card is a fairly simple process. It can be taken online or in person and once completed, you’re on your way to legally working in all types of food preparation and food services.

Before taking the test, and even if you’ve completed the training, it’s a good idea to review what you’ve learned in this field from time to time to ensure that you keep up to date on any new methods of safety in the food service industry.

You will need to renew your card according to legal requirements so it’s important to continue to re-educate yourself every once in a while.

This video demonstrates how food industry practices can change.

Of the most basic-and perhaps obvious-food handling practices is washing your hands. Even if your place of business requires you to wear protective gloves when handling the food directly it is very important for you to wash your hands before you begin working at all. By not washing your hands you could transfer bacteria or viruses to the surfaces food touches, to the utensils, or to any other kitchenware that food could come into contact with.

Another very basic technique for safe food handling practices is properly washing utensils, kitchenware, and surfaces. This is especially important when you work with raw meats. One of the most dangerous mistakes a food handler can make is allowing a utensil or surface that came into contact with raw meat to come into contact with cooked foods. This type of mistake could lead to food poisonings or other types of foodborne illness.

Lastly, of the most basic and important food handling techniques is the proper way to cook and store food. Many foods such as fish and meat can be dangerous to consume if not cooked or stored properly. For food handlers working in food factories or industrial sized kitchens, it can be easy to ruin many a pieces of meat with a simple mistake. Safe food handling practices concerning proper cooking and storing will most likely be covered in your food handlers courses. Furthermore, meats purchased in bulk will often have detailed instructions on the proper way to cook and store them. It is always important to follow these instructions in preventing foodborne illness.

Safely practicing food handling is important for food services industry employees to follow because food poisoning is a serious health issue and are stressed in courses for online food handlers certification. Texas health departments will expect employees to know all of these techniques so it is important that you know which chemicals and cleaners can be used where and how to properly prepare and store food. Online food handlers courses cover all of these different techniques and procedures as well as referring you to websites and courses where advanced practices are taught.

One of the biggest tips you will get from Texas food handlers courses is to simply pay attention. Always be aware of what you are doing in the kitchen and which utensils touch raw meat. By simply paying attention you can practically eliminate any foodborne illnesses that are caused by negligence.

When preventing foodborne illness in the food service industry you will need to follow the proper cleanliness procedures. Using the right equipment for a food handler will make food handling procedures that much easier and safer. Equipment includes gloves, aprons, hairnets, and any equipment that is used to monitor temperatures, pH levels, and times. Using these pieces of equipment properly will allow for a safe environment in which food will not be contaminated.

Online Texas food handlers card or even a Texas liquor license courses will make sure that you understand all of the cleaning techniques you will need to prevent a foodborne illness from reaching the consumers. When you learn how to prevent foodborne illness you will need to know which brands and types of cleaners and chemicals are safe to use on a surface used for food preparation. This is because chemical contamination can be just as bad as bacterial or viral contamination.

You will also come across the reasons you use food handlers equipment such as gloves, hairnets, and aprons. Gloves will keep any germs that may have escaped your hand washing from getting into the food. It will also keep the food from coming into contact with any cuts that you may have on your hands. This keeps the food handler safe as much as it does the consumer because it keeps bacteria out of your bloodstream. Hairnets have the obvious purpose of keeping hair, and whatever may be on that hair, out of the food. Aprons will keep whatever may be on your clothes out of the food as well as giving you an extra layer of cover against very hot food that could burn through certain fabrics.

Learning how to prevent foodborne illness will not only keep you safe from harm but keep the consumer safe as well. Customers of a food service industry are trusting that the food they are being served or otherwise buying is safe to consume. It is very important to make sure that you understand the ins and outs of cleanliness, proper storage techniques, and proper cooking techniques. Health departments will expect you to understand the procedures behind proper food handling since food poisoning is a serious health issue. Always take the courses on how to prevent foodborne illness seriously because you could be held responsible for any foodborne illness that is linked to negligence.

Therefore, it is very important that when you start looking for a place of business you know what to look for to determine if the business is practicing good health and safety. One of the most important-and most readily visible-factors of determining if the business is following practices of good health is simply cleanliness. You can easily tell if the kitchen is practicing good cleanliness by simply looking around. See if the soaps are available and filled, if the trash is not piled up, and if the kitchen just generally looks clean.

When looking for good safety practices you should look for basic organization, smoke alarms, and many other pieces of safety equipment. Texas food handlers courses will often go through the types of safety equipment you need to know the most about which includes fire extinguishers. When learning what to look for to determine if the business is practicing good health and safety you will most likely come across the equipment most used for fire safety. Kitchens can be susceptible to the dangers of fire or even small explosions so you will want to make sure that the fire fighting equipment is up to date and easily accessible to all of the food handlers in the kitchen.

If you are uncomfortable with asking the kitchen manager or the head chef about the safety measures in the kitchen you can ask the local fire department or the local health department about the regulatory measures that the kitchen should be observing. Furthermore, Texas food handlers certification courses will go over most of these regulatory measures in order to make sure that you fully understand them and ultimately know what to look for.

As you figure out what to look for to determine if the business is practicing good health and safety always keep in mind that there are some safety measures that you could not readily see by simply walking through the kitchen. Do not be afraid to ask questions of your potential employer about the safety and health measures that the kitchen takes to ensure the employees’ and the consumers’ safety. Many of these measures are the responsibility of the food handlers themselves so you should also ask the potential employer about the licenses and certifications that are required of food handlers.