Mr.+Fasone+(Kroger)

NOTES FROM MR. FASONE, Oct. 10, 2011

v ** Farms ** v ** Processing ** v ** Transportation ** v ** Distribution Center **
 * Contamination **
 * Antibiotics for sick cows
 * Need time frame that allows for elimination of antibiotics before processing/consuming
 * The fur and parts have to be separated
 * Meat is processed
 * Hamburger risk is due to grinding of leftovers
 * E-Coli
 * Temperatures greater than 41 degrees will allow e-coli to grow in transportation vehicles
 * Meat has to be stored properly


 * Random Testing ** is done at the processing plants by on-site inspectors.

Æ **//Useful Innovation: It would be helpful to have a test that could be used by the stores and/or a test for consumers.//**

v **Cross-contamination**: If one batch of hamburger is contaminated, there can be cross-contamination with other batches or other foods/produce if not handled properly.

v **4 Essential Steps in handling hamburger** ü Including hands, surfaces, equipment ü Some hamburger is made in the store, scraps from the butchering process are ground up. ü Meat from different batches can’t be mixed and ground up together (batch sizes can vary) ü Hands have to be washed and equipment and surfaces sanitized after each batch is finished ü Batches of meat have to be handled and kept separate from each other and other products to avoid cross-contamination ü Meat has to be cooked to proper temperatures in all dishes ü Meat and meat dishes have to be refrigerated quickly to the proper temperature
 * //Clean/Sanitizing//
 * //Separate//
 * //Cook//
 * //Chill//

v **If Kroger discovers a bad batch of hamburger** or any other product, products are removed from the shelves. Customers who have Kroger loyalty cards and who bought the contaminated product are alerted through robocalls.

v Food safety danger zone is between 41-135 degrees. Bacteria can double in population every 20 minutes.

v Acidity level affects growth. Remember FATTOM. Sushi rice for example – cooks have to record the Ph level of the rice regularly to make sure it stays within acceptable range.

v High risk populations can be susceptible to even mild spoilage and contamination. These include pregnant women, preschool age children and younger, the elderly, the infirm, those on certain medications, chemo-therapy patients, people with compromised immune systems.

v The consumer is still the weakest link in the farm-to-fork sequence.
 * Farms are inspected by federal and local officials and by buyers
 * Shippers – there are also inspectors for the shipment process

v Identifying an outbreak: v Sick people would call the Health Department
 * 2 or more people
 * Exhibiting the same symptoms
 * Having eaten the same food
 * Interviews are conducted to record the sick person’s diet over the last 5 days
 * Officials start tracking the foods through the food chains

v **//What would be most helpful to Mr. Fasone as a food safety manager?//**
 * **//More ability to test at the store//**
 * **//Process for products that would kill contaminants//**

v Kroger does computer-based training. v Employees keep temperature logs. v Grocery stores are inspected, must meet Ohio Health Safety Code.

v Four safe ways to thaw food:
 * Microwave
 * Cold running water
 * Refrigerator
 * Cooking

v Food traceability – think about salad for instance with a large number of ingredients and many storage and shipping containers involved

v Organizations involved in tracing foods:
 * CDC – Centers for Disease Control, involved in tracing the source of contamination when illness occurs
 * USDA – US Department of Agriculture
 * FDA – Food and Drug Administration
 * Local/State Departments of Argriculture
 * Researchers – such as the food scientists at OSU Food Sciences Department
 * Industry professionals throughout the process

v //**Where in the process could new innovations have the most impact?**//
 * //**Probably at the processing stage. If we could assure that meat leaves the processing plants free of contamination, it would really reduce the possible points of contamination and narrow down the task of tracing the source of contamination when it does happen.**//