Home • Newsletter • Meeting Information • Membership • Officers
|
Home • Newsletter • Meeting Information • Membership • Officers |
| 2007 | ||
| Typhoid Mary - 2007 | ||
Modern Typhoid Mary?By Anonymous |
2007 Article Links Benefits of ASM Membership | |
Could a present day ‘Typhoid Mary’ spread and infectious disease like typhoid to children in our schools? “Not likely,” says Katherine Martinez, a baker and cook at Chelwood Elementary. There are stringent requirements on cafeteria workers, the food preparation and serving procedures to prevent an outbreak of food-borne illness. Cafeteria workers wash their hands and wear gloves when preparing and serving food. If a worker is suffering from allergies or a sneeze attack, they are instructed to sneeze in the crease of his or her arm. If the hands come in contact with the pathway of the sneeze, the worker must re-wash their hands and put on new gloves. Workers are not allowed to chew gum because of the risk of it falling out of their mouth, not only is the risk of the gum falling into the food a hazard, but the saliva that is on the gum is also a risk for contamination. |
When preparing menu items for the day, all different types of food must be prepared separately to prevent cross-contamination of the different foods on the utensils. All foods must be kept within certain temperatures, depending on the food, to prevent food-borne illness. The 40-140 danger zone is the standard used, where cold food is kept below 40°F and hot food above 140°F. Parents trust their children will receive a nourishing healthy meal that will promote learning, and cafeteria workers like Katherine are dedicated to making that a reality without risking health. Guess that mean old cafeteria lady is not really so mean after all! |
|
Rio Grande Branch of the American Society for Microbiology |