Kitchen Observation

The kitchen that I observed was the am class at K-9, Intro to A La Carte. Chef Johnson and his students were a clean group that maintained almost perfect kitchen conditions throughout the observation. In K-9, a practice that I observed that can reduce the risk of a foodborne illness was that none of the students picked up their phones or any other foreign objects while in the kitchen. The practice of not using your phone while cooking eliminates the potential for any bacteria on the phone to get onto the ready-to-eat food that is going to get sent out for lunch. One practice observed in K-9 that may increase the risk of a foodborne illness is that most of the students did not wash their hands after changing their work stations. This practice may increase the risk for foodborne
In order to reduce the likelihood of this avoidable problem, the students should wash their hands more often as they change stations. Although the students were wearing gloves, most did not wash their hands before putting on a new pair of gloves as well. Additionally, it is important to wash your hands vigorously for 10-15 seconds before glove use. On the menu was beef stew, which beef can be associated with the pathogen Escherichia coli. Escherichia coli can cause damage to the intestine and is associated with bloody diarrhea and vomiting. The best prevention measure is to properly cook the beef to 160°F, since E-Coli is easily destroyed by thorough cooking. Furthermore, E-Coli can also be prevented by having clean utensils, proper hygiene and by keeping raw foods separate from other foods such as hot held items and ready-to-eat foods. Since there is no current vaccine or medication to treat or get rid of E-Coli, it is vital to follow all the necessary precautions when handling raw