Did You Know?

Colour does not always tell you if hamburgers are safe to eat

Ground beef that has been frozen will often have a “brownish” colour. Also fresh ground beef can turn brown before disease-causing bacteria are killed.

Your burger is done at 71ºC

In some cases there can be some “persistent pink” after the burger has reached a safe internal temperature of 71ºC. To check if the hamburger is done remove it from the grill, pan or oven and use a food thermometer to take the temperature in the thickest part of the meat. Cook until the thermometer reads at least 71ºC (160ºF).

Use of Gloves

Contamination of food by the hands of food handlers is an important cause of foodborne illness outbreaks. For this reason, many food establishment operators have encouraged kitchen staff to wear gloves while handling food. The use of utensils (such as tongs) can also be used to minimize bare hand contact of food.

Avoid the use of latex gloves in food establishments. Food handlers may develop latex allergies through prolonged use of latex gloves (approximately 10% of the population is thought to be susceptible to such allergies).

The following materials are suitable alternatives to latex:

• Polyethylene
• Polyvinyl
• Nitrile
• Chloroprene

What is a Sanitation Plan?

A sanitation plan is a set of written cleaning procedures that lay out what is to be cleaned, when it is to be cleaned, who is to clean it, and with what it is to be cleaned with. The Sanitation Plan helps to ensure the safe and sanitary operation of your food premises through clearly laid out instructions and continued monitoring.