In order to implement the District's Food Safety Program, standard operating procedures should be developed in the following area:

General Safety Considerations

• Prohibit bare hand contact with ready to eat foods
• Store chemicals away from food and food related supplies

Personnel

• Require hand washing after restroom use, sneezing, coughing, or after performing any cleaning activity.
• Develop a policy for restricting or excluding ill employees from food production or preparation areas.

Product Procurement

• Follow recommendations for selecting vendors such as those found in State distributing agency vendor certification procedures.
• Develop buyer product specifications.

Receiving

• Reject all cans with swollen sides or ends, flawed seals and seams, rust or dents.
• Put perishable foods into the refrigerator or freezer immediately.

Storing

• Store all food and paper supplies 6 to 8 inches off the floor.
• Label all food with name of the school and delivery date.

Transporting

• Preheat transfer cart prior to use.
• Limit transport travel time to a maximum of 2 hours.

Holding

• Keep hot foods hot (above 135 °F) and cold foods cold (below 41 °F).

Preparation

• Do not keep food in the "danger zone" (between 41 °F and 135 °F) for more than 4 hours.
• Handle food with utensils, clean, gloved hands, or clean hands. (Bare hand contact with food during preparation should be limited. Bare hand contact with RTE foods should be prohibited.)

Cleaning / Sanitizing

• Use clean water, free of grease and food particles.
• Keep wiping cloths in sanitizing solution while cleaning.

Cooking and Documenting Temperatures

• Record all temperatures when they are taken.
• Use only a clean and sanitized thermometer when taking internal temperatures of food.

Cooling

• Cool rapidly by storing food in small batches in individual containers; cover loosely so that heat can escape quickly.
• Keep cold foods cold by pre-chilling ingredients for salads.

Reheating

• Transfer reheated food to hot-holding equipment only when the food reaches the proper temperature.
• Use only cooking ranges, ovens, steamers, and microwave ovens to reheat foods. Use hot-holding equipment only to maintain temperature and not for rapidly heating food.