Frequently Asked Questions -- Commercial Kitchens

CLOTHING, HAIR RESTRAINTS, AND JEWELRY

• Does a bus driver have to change her shirt when she comes to work in the foodservice area?
• What type of jewelry is allowed?
• Can a worker wear her Medical Alert bracelet?
• Can a smock be worn in place of an apron?
• In hot situations where sweat could drip into food can workers wear a sweatband to prevent this?
• Is a wig considered to be an effective hair restraint?
• Are visors an acceptable hair restraint?
• Are workers allowed to wear their employee/identification badges?

CLEANING AND SANITIZING

• Can we use sponges to wash and/or sanitize surfaces?
• How do I determine the correct operating pressure for my dishmachine?
• Why do we need to monitor the water pressure on a dishmachine?

COOKING

• What are the cooking temperatures for the food we prepare?
• To what temperature does an open-faced toasted cheese sandwich need to be cooked?

FOOD, RECIPES, AND MENUS

• Can we make cake batter ice cream?
• Would an egg salad sandwich be a complex food?
• Can I safely remove mold from a block of cheese?
• Can I use past-dated foods?
• What is a potentially hazardous food?
• I wash fruit early and put it on the serving line and so sometimes it is not dry.  Is it safe to eat?
• Is peanut butter potentially hazardous?
• Is cole slaw potentially hazardous?
• Are there special procedures we must follow if we make food for highly susceptible populations?
• Do I need two different recipes for a tossed salad if sometimes I use sliced tomatoes and sometimes cherry tomatoes?
• What is a heat-treated plant food?
• Can we serve food grown in a school garden?

HANDWASHING STATIONS

• What is the correct temperature for water at a handwashing sink?
• Do employee bathroom sinks have to be monitored daily?

HAZARD COMMUNICATIONS

• For what chemicals do I need a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)?
• What are examples of Hazard Communications training?

HOLDING

• My health department approved our using time as a public health control.  How does this fit into my HACCP Plan?
• Should milk be kept in the refrigerator and brought out as needed because it is often above 44 degrees F?
• Does canned fruit that is on the serving line have to be at 41 degrees F or colder?

HYGIENE

• How should Child Nutrition staff handle bodily fluids, such as blood and vomit?
• Does one have to wear single-use gloves when handling commercially packaged items?
• Can I use hand sanitizer in place of handwashing?
• Can the teacher staff come into the foodservice area to wash their hands after cleaning up after a sick child?
• Can a worker bring soap from home because she is allergic to our soap?

LEFTOVERS

• Do condiments and milk that have been on the serving line have to be used within three days?
• How long can I keep a bag of shredded carrots and other packages of food that I open?
• How long can we keep leftovers?
• Can we save food that has been on a self-service bar?
• Do leftover condiments and milk have to be tracked?
• Does ranch dressing made from a mix have to be used within one day?
• Do deli meats have to used within three days?

MONITORING -- Cleaning and Sanitizing

• Do I record the temperature of the dishmachine or the sanitizer concentration?
• How do I check the temperature of my dishmachine?
• How do I determine the correct operating pressure for my dishmachine?
• If a three-compartment sink is used instead of a dishmachine where do I record information about it?
• I do not have a three-compartment sink so how do I record this on the Daily Inspection form?

MONITORING -- Equipment

• Do I need to use the temperature recording charts that the Department of Agriculture Food Distribution Division (FDD) gave me?
• Can we use our refrigerator and freezer forms instead of the one in the HACCP Plan?
• For which refrigerators do I check the temperature?
• Do refrigerators and freezers need to be monitored during the summer?
• Can we use a temperature alarm system in place of having an individual check the temperature of refrigerators and freezers?
• Can we create a daily inspection form to record the temperatures of the milk boxes?

MONITORING -- Food Temperatures

• For which foods on the salad bar do we take temperatures?
• Do a la carte items need to be identified on the production record?
• How do I record cold food temperatures on the Production Plan?
• Can single-use temperature indicators be used to measure food temperatures?

PEST CONTROL

• Is it okay if the custodian gives us bug spray to use around the dumpsters to kill bees?

PREPARATION

• Is it safe to soak dry beans overnight at room temperature before cooking?
• Do we need to wash raw chicken?

PRE-PREPARED FOODS

• Can I pre-cook foods and then freeze them so I can use them for longer than three days?
• To what temperature do I cook pre-prepared foods?

RECIPES AND MENU

• If I have an electronic database of my recipes, do I need to print a copy?
• Can I print my NutriKids standardized recipes by HACCP Process categories?

RECORDS

• Where are the production plans to be filed after they have been used?
• Can the Production Plan be modified?
• Do a la carte items have to be on the Production Plan?
• The new production form does not have room for documenting milk inventory so where is it to be recorded?
• Should the forms be done in ink?
• Can the Child Nutrition Director keep the "Food Safety Checklist for New Workers" for employees who are substitutes?
• Does the "Food Safety Checklist for New Workers" need to be completed each time a substitute goes to a new school?

RESERVING

• If a student takes food and has no money to pay for it, can we take it back?
• Can milk be reserved?
• What types of foods can be safely reserved?
• Can fresh, uncut fruit that is offered on a self-serving line be safely re-served?

SERVING

• Preschool guidelines state all children must be served milk.  If we know a child will not drink their milk, can we serve it to another child?
• Teachers take several milks from the cooler to serve to younger children who canot reach in.  They then return the rest.  Is this okay?
• Is it safe for a teacher to take uneaten food from a child's tray back to the classroom for an afternoon snack?

STORAGE

• How long can one keep shelf-stable foods?
• Do we have to measure the temperature of our dry storeroom?
• How long can I keep opened containers of condiments?

THERMOMETERS

• When do I need to sanitize my thermometer?

TRAINING

• Are all food safety team members required to be ServSafe certified?

WASTE

• Do my garbage cans need to have lids?

If you have questions, contact Dr. Angela Fraser, Associate Professor/Food Safety Education Specialist, Clemson University, Clemson, SC.

Clemson University is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate against any person or group on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

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