by Mary Tyrer

Created on: September 21, 2008   Last Updated: July 04, 2010

Food safety is paramount in maintaining the cleanliness of our food source. In restaurants, stores, processing plants, and agriculture food safety is the most important issue for humanity, to continuue to ensure that the most important aspects of food handlling will continue to keep our food source safe for the health of the world.

If not monitored at all times for cleanliness and proper handling in plants that process our foods the public is at risk. The public relies on authorities like the FDA to hold the highest standards to ensure the public is not exposed to bacteria and other germs that can easily enter the food chain. The standards are high and must remain so in order to take all steps to protect from the mishandling of the foods eaten. This will ensure no diseases will be introduced into the food system.

In restaurants, Health Departments around the United States have standards for employees to follow. Handling food once delivered from processing and packing centers it is easy to teach employees how handle food with proper care. Making sure the employees follow the porceedures is important for management to follow through. Standards are set to maintain food temperature, refrigeration temperature, and hold times of food both raw and cooked. Cleanliness is one of the most important points employers must stress to their employees to maintain food safety. Cleanliness and proper handling will help keep food from becoming contaminated and keep cross contamination from happening and becoming a health hazard. In addition, in  the restaurant industry the importance of teaching general food safety with workers being educated through the health departments on the dangers of improper handling or cleanliness, and other issues taught before people are allowed to enter the food industry. Many states in the United States have programs teaching this, and a person must have a health card or something similar before they are allowed to work in the industry. This is helpful. Yet if no one is diligent about the rules problems will exist even worse.

Farmers must be aware of the water source they are using to grow the fruits and vegetables sent to market. Water born diseases can easily be used in the irrigation process. If this happens, the crops are likely to be contaminated and not detected until coming to market. The bacteria can make people sick and the bacteria can even be deadly. Contaminates can be passed from agriculture to

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