The Secret Ingredient.
Thank you for coming to receive the Secret Ingredient that will make your food taste better, make your family happier, and will have you cooking like a professional Chef!
My name is Leo Griego and I am a Food Service Professional. I am the President/CEO/Executive Chef of Servants House, Inc a food service management and consulting corporation. I am also a certified teacher of ServSafe, an industry standard in Food Safety created by the National Restaurant Association. In the position I have it is my job to be not only aware of but dedicated to Food Safety in every aspect of what we do in our establishment. This is our philosophy in a nutshell:
“In the food service industry, food safety is non-negotiable. The risk of foodborne illness is one faced by every professional in the food service industry. Newly emerging pathogens, changing demographics and an increasing demand for ready-to-eat food products are constant challenges to providing safe food. As Food Safety and ServSafe instructor, it is my responsibility to help our workers and volunteers understand that while food may be attractive and delicious, it can still pose a danger to human health unless the proper procedures are followed. At the SH,Inc, our workers are becoming trained, dedicated professionals, who not only know the proper procedures, they know why the proper procedures are needed.
Food safety is non-negotiable. Serving safe food is NOT an option. It is our obligation as restaurant and food service professionals. Proper training is one of the best ways to create a culture of food safety within facilities operated or managed by SHI. Food safety is an integral element of our culture, which incorporates mutual respect and trust among clients, employees and volunteers.”
So you may say “ That is all very nice to know but what does that have to do with me? I don’t work at a restaurant!!”. Well it has a lot to do with you because one of the first thing we learn in Food safety is that over half of all food borne disease cases reported comes from the home! Notice I said reported as in to the hospital or to the health department… A very old report in year 2000 said an estimated 76 million cases of food borne disease occurred in the US . How many of us have had a mild cases of what we call ...“ Stomach flu” , tummy ache, diarrhea, cramps, gas, discomfort, heartburn, even bad dreams, after a leftover supper or a pot luck at church…or for “unknown” reasons…if we look to the kitchen we may find out the why. Yes minorly agrivating...Yeah I missed a day of work, or school...or two...Yeah I lost money...Oh well!
OK now for the Scary stuff…The truth is that the nature of foodborne diseases is constantly changing. A century ago, typhoid fever, tuberculosis and cholera were common foodborne diseases. pneumonia, polio, and smallpox, were common too. Improvements in science and food safety, such as pasteurization of milk, safe canning, disinfection of water supplies, Antibiotics, vaccines, and aggressive public health campaigns had yielded a string of victories over old enemies and have conquered those diseases. Today other foodborne infections have taken their place, including some that have only recently been discovered. Examples:
the global spread of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the resurgence of tuberculosis, and the appearance of new enemies like hantaviruses, Ebola virus, and E. coli O157:H7 are reminders of the resilience and adaptability of our microbial adversaries. Within the last few years, a "bird flu" virus that had never before attacked humans began to kill people in Hong Kong.
A new variant of a fatal brain disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, was identified in the United Kingdom, apparently transmitted by beef from animals with "mad cow disease."
Staphylococcus bacteria with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin, long the antibiotic of last resort, were seen for the first time. The country has been hit with several major multistate foodborne outbreaks, including those caused by parasites on raspberries; viruses on strawberries; and bacteria in produce, ground beef, cold cuts, and breakfast cereal. E-coli in Spinach...Oy Popeye!..say it ain't so! A new strain of tuberculosis that is resistant to many drugs, and occurs most often in people infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), persists in New York City and some other large cities including one near you probubly... OK?
Newly recognized microbes emerge as public health problems for several reasons: microbes can easily spread around the world, new microbes can evolve, the environment and ecology are changing, food production practices and consumption habits change, and because better laboratory tests can now identify microbes that were previously unrecognized. But the bottom line is that they exist and as such we must be vigilant in not only our awareness but in our actions. There are many reasons this is happening…basically the world is becoming a smaller place. Whatever the cause, the resurgence of diseases attributed to newly emerging microbes poses a continuing challenge for the nation's public health and health-care systems. As pathogens strengthen their hold, broaden their reach, and pierce our defenses, our vulnerability is extending to the most mundane activities. Questions arise such as—Is my tap water safe to drink? Is the food I ordered in a restaurant safe to eat? Are my children likely to be bitten by disease-carrying insects or ticks while playing in the yard? Is it safe to vacation in a tropical country? Is the coughing person next to me on the subway or airplane spreading a deadly strain of influenza or tuberculosis? Remember the kids who died from E. Coli in 93? Well in 96 a toddler died from E. Coli found in Apple juice! They traced the child's infection to unpasteurized apple juice, a brand touted for its natural freshness. And if that wasn’t enough to make you paranoid… in June 1998 it infected 26 small children who played in a contaminated wading pool at a large water park in Georgia. Has anyone seen the commercial for the hand sanitizer where the woman enters the building using her feet and herds her children in protectively? We can be paranoid for sure...I prefer to call it “ Paranoid in a good way…”..OH and I saw an add " Try our Spinach Salad! It's to Die From..." Ha Ha? Not! So what can we do about it?
Well let’s start at the beginning…Lets start with our attitude! Remember the philosophy statement I made at the beginning? I humbly present this to you all for your consideration:
“In my home, food safety is non-negotiable. The risk of foodborne illness is one faced by every parent and care provider in each and every home. Newly emerging pathogens, changing demographics and an increasing demand for ready-to-eat food products are constant challenges to providing safe food. As the primary care provider, it is my responsibility to help my family understand that while food may be attractive and delicious, it can still pose a danger to human health unless the proper procedures are followed. At my home, our family is becoming aware and informed about not only the proper procedures, but why the proper procedures are needed. Food safety is non-negotiable. Serving safe food is NOT an option. It is how we share the love we have for each other. It is how we show how much we care. It is our obligation as parents and care providers. Proper training is one of the best ways to create an environment of food safety within our home. Food safety is an integral element of our culture, which incorporates mutual respect and trust among family members and our extended family…our community.” Vigilance in cleanliness...Paranoid in a good way A few simple tricks can defer alot of heartache and tummy ache! As we strive to live a lifestyle of healthy happy eating we cook with our children, eat with our children and clean up with our children...we are all in this together...I am just pointing out that we are also in this together as members of society. I have a saying at work “Don’t worry about the health department…Worry about me!” They know how I feel about my responsibilities in that aspect of what I do. We are always aware that the health department inspectors can come at any moment…for any reason. Now…You all don’t have that kind of accountability. That is why it’s important to have an attitude of doing your best for your family. We find ourselves connected to the rest of our world in many many ways especially by food.
Part 2 Now that we have the attitude…what do we do? Think back…way back to when you were a child. What do you remember your mother saying the most when time to eat? Wash your hands! Well some things don’t change and that is the most important thing you can do. Not just when you eat but when whenever you are working in the house… cleaning, cooking, anytime you use your hands. A simple change can make life alot less worrisome...It starts with a physical change...Simply installing a Roll of paper towels very near where you wash your hands...and remembering to wash hands properly will keep your family healthier and safer.....Everything from Colds, the flu, and all the food borne illnesses....the risk will be greatly reduced by this simple change. Then with an educational change...I know it sounds bizarre but lets review HOW to was our hands...in the new...old fashioned way. We did good back then but now we have to do better! Lets start with the Prep. As we in the business call Mis En Place...all our ingredients and tools in place and ready to work. Yes it is a job...and should be done as such...but the satisfaction you will have that you have done your best to secure the health and welfare of your family will make up for the time...in many ways.
TBC...