LESSON 4
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FOODBORNE DISEASE: PERSONNEL
4-1.
INTRODUCTION
Lesson 3 discussed the problems encountered in providing safe and nutritious
meals to combat soldiers. This lesson and the following lessons will deal with food
sanitation at full-service facilities (facilities with both kitchen and refrigeration
capabilities). In the field, the main cause of foodborne illness is the mechanical
transmission of harmful bacteria. In contrast, at full-service facilities, the primary source
of foodborne illness is the contamination of potentially hazardous foods. This occurs
because the cooking and food preparation procedures expose potentially hazardous
foods to high risk situations. It is critical, then, that personnel at these facilities practice
measures to reduce the possibility of contamination. It is your job, as an inspector, to
ensure that food service personnel follow proper procedures and precautions when
handling food. These procedures must be followed by employees at all full-service
facilities, both in garrison and in the field.
4-2.
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FOODBORNE DISEASE
Certain factors in the environment of a full-service food facility can cause
foodborne disease outbreaks. These factors are:
a. Food service personnel.
b. The source of foods.
c. Storage.
d. Temperature.
NOTE: Lesson 4 will discuss the first factor, food service personnel, and the role
personnel play in spreading foodborne disease.
4-3.
FOOD SERVICE PERSONNEL AND FOODBORNE DISEASE OUTBREAKS
People working in a full-service food facility are in constant and close contact
with food. They touch and handle potentially hazardous foods during storage, during
preparation, and during serving. This close contact makes food service personnel a
primary source of disease. When you, the preventive medicine specialist, inspect a full-
service food facility, you must check to ensure that the employees maintain both
personal hygiene and sanitary work practices.
MD0181
4-2