by Vanessa Cumber

Created on: March 09, 2007   Last Updated: May 15, 2007

Before you take a bite of a fast food hamburger or munch a few fires, do you ever stop to consider what has been involved in the preparation of the food? Who has handled your food and how sanitary was the process? Do you ever stop to consider that you could be putting yourself at risk each and every time you choose to trust others in the preparation of your food?

Sure, that last question may seem a bit extreme, but fast food does not automatically mean properly handled food. Cases of food poisoning arise on a daily basis even though the fast food business is flourishing. Fast food has become the American way it seems and we go blindly forth ordering with the illusion that the food has been prepared in sanitary conditions.

From bug problems to breeding bacteria, fast food restaurants have countless dirty secrets behind their counters, and although the rules are put into place and enforced by management, inspectors, the Food and Drug Administration, and so forth, there are still numerous neglected areas.

One of the most common causes of food poisoning is bacteria transfer due to food not being properly cooked or kept at the proper temperature. With such a demand for fast food, it is too easy for the employees to compromise their duties for the sake of saving time, and before they know it, they've served a meal that will give its eater a nasty case of food poisoning. The rules should be followed every time, not some of the time, as is most often the case.

It is up to the management to see that the employees are properly doing their job, and, of course, effective management makes all of the difference. Close supervision is a necessity to help ensure that work is being performed properly. Employees must care about their job and in return feel valued so that they will be more willing to perform their job correctly. Too often low pay, long hours, and little recognition makes employees more likely to do less than what is expected of them. Also, improper training leads to improper fulfillment of job duties.

Unclean areas like counters or tables where food has been can also spread bacteria and cause food poisoning. That is why it is important for employees to clean up after themselves and make sure that their work space is kept clean. Also, containers that haven't been properly washed and food that hasn't been properly rotated are havens for bacteria.

Employees who don't wash their hands before returning to their shift can unknowingly spread bacteria and other diseases. That

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