Learning about the history of food service, sanitation, and food safety

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cookyourheartout

Assistant Cook
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
38
Location
Ottawa
Hi there Everyone!

I have read the first two chapters of my Professioal Cooking textbook and it is very interesting to learn about the people who started out food service industry and all of the hard working people who have made what it is today.

One thing that I have wondered about and realized that sanitation is something is not only very important in the kitchen not only for the the people who are cooking and who are eating the food. There is a lot to learn about food safety and sanitation that many people do not realize. Santiation is something that is very iimportant and it is something that helps us stay healthy and food safety is something that helps us stay safe in the kitchen.

cookyourheartout
 
Hi there Everyone!

I have read the first two chapters of my Professioal Cooking textbook and it is very interesting to learn about the people who started out food service industry and all of the hard working people who have made what it is today.

One thing that I have wondered about and realized that sanitation is something is not only very important in the kitchen not only for the the people who are cooking and who are eating the food. There is a lot to learn about food safety and sanitation that many people do not realize. Santiation is something that is very iimportant and it is something that helps us stay healthy and food safety is something that helps us stay safe in the kitchen.

cookyourheartout

A simple task of washing your hands can make a big difference in your kitchen. And a good wipe down of your countertops with bleach wipes doesn't hurt either. Although my hands are ultra sensitive to household chemicals. I will often wipe my hands with the bleach wipe.

If I have been handling raw chicken, I try to stay to the task at hand. I make sure I have everything I need before I even start. It is so easy to go to the fridge or a cabinet and then you have raw chicken juices on the handles without even thinking. More areas to wipe down when you are done. If you remember to do it or even where you had your hands. :angel:
 
Sanitation

A simple task of washing your hands can make a big difference in your kitchen. And a good wipe down of your countertops with bleach wipes doesn't hurt either. Although my hands are ultra sensitive to household chemicals. I will often wipe my hands with the bleach wipe.

If I have been handling raw chicken, I try to stay to the task at hand. I make sure I have everything I need before I even start. It is so easy to go to the fridge or a cabinet and then you have raw chicken juices on the handles without even thinking. More areas to wipe down when you are done. If you remember to do it or even where you had your hands. :angel:

Something I have been doing when prepping is to start with the least dangerous first. Vegetables first, then up through the list. Chicken is always last.

Even though I use two prep boards, hands and knives and boards get frequent washes.
 
Something I have been doing when prepping is to start with the least dangerous first. Vegetables first, then up through the list. Chicken is always last.

Even though I use two prep boards, hands and knives and boards get frequent washes.

When I'm preparing a meal, I always have one side of the sink filled with hot water and detergent so I can wash stuff as I go. I hate leaving a stack of prep knives, cutting boards and bowls by the sink to clean later. The less I have to do after eating, the better.

I'm not always that picky about order either. At times, the meat has the longest cooking time, or needs to be browned first, so often makes sense to prep it first. As long as I wash the cutting board and knife in between, it's not a big deal. In fact, if everything is being well cooked, that "contamination" isn't really a factor as long as you don't let the dirty cutting board sit out for 2 hours in between. However, I can usually find time in the normal flow to wash a couple of items here and there as necessary, and my hands generally get washed several times during the process.
 
Something I learnt at cookery class at school (alas, now no longer taught), that I still do......when washing up, clean the cutlery first (when water is at its cleanest). I always rinse everything too but not sure how common this is. (Dislike the thought of soapy residue).

I just realised that this info is probably of less value now what with dishwashers. Well, I don't have one or want one!
 
Something I learnt at cookery class at school (alas, now no longer taught), that I still do......when washing up, clean the cutlery first (when water is at its cleanest). I always rinse everything too but not sure how common this is. (Dislike the thought of soapy residue).

I just realised that this info is probably of less value now what with dishwashers. Well, I don't have one or want one!

I have a dishwasher but I still hand-wash some items. I think it's pretty common to rinse soap off after washing. I don't like the taste of soap residue even more than I don't like the thought of it.
 
Something I learnt at cookery class at school (alas, now no longer taught), that I still do......when washing up, clean the cutlery first (when water is at its cleanest). I always rinse everything too but not sure how common this is. (Dislike the thought of soapy residue).

I just realised that this info is probably of less value now what with dishwashers. Well, I don't have one or want one!

I always rinse when I am washing the dishes. I don't know of anyone that doesn't. I use the hose with the hottest water available to me. For the elderly they have the temperature set lower than what the general public has. But Pirate is a plumber and was able to raise the temp in my kitchen and bathroom. So when I have to rinse, the water is way too hot for anyone.

Elderly are more sensitive when the temps of water are too high. A lot of times they don't even realize just how hot it is. Unfortunately, in this building, the water is not hot enough to even sterilize. :angel:
 
I have a dishwasher but I still hand-wash some items. I think it's pretty common to rinse soap off after washing. I don't like the taste of soap residue even more than I don't like the thought of it.
Same here. I think the dish washing liquid and friction loosens the grease and germs and rinsing gets them off.

I have eaten in a few homes where they don't rinse. I didn't get sick and I didn't taste any soap residue, but I still consider rinsing important.
 
I'll be honest - I never heard of anyone not rinsing the soap off. Even when I was a kid and we went to our rather primitive summer lake cabin in Wisconsin with no running water, we still rinsed. I carried a bucket to the pump in front of my aunt's cabin about 100 yards away, pumped the pail fill, then carried it back to our place. For dishwater Mom had a large tea kettle that she heated water in on the stove, made hot soapy water in a basin, washed in that, put the clean dishes in a rack, then dribbled hot water from the kettle over them to rinse. That was how we did it for most of my first 17 summers, except that when we were old enough, us kids did the kitchen cleanup.

In any event they were always rinsed, even when it was a bit more of a chore to do it.
 
I'll be honest - I never heard of anyone not rinsing the soap off. Even when I was a kid and we went to our rather primitive summer lake cabin in Wisconsin with no running water, we still rinsed. I carried a bucket to the pump in front of my aunt's cabin about 100 yards away, pumped the pail fill, then carried it back to our place. For dishwater Mom had a large tea kettle that she heated water in on the stove, made hot soapy water in a basin, washed in that, put the clean dishes in a rack, then dribbled hot water from the kettle over them to rinse. That was how we did it for most of my first 17 summers, except that when we were old enough, us kids did the kitchen cleanup.

In any event they were always rinsed, even when it was a bit more of a chore to do it.
Yeah, when I lived in a log cabin, we had a spring well and running cold water in summer. In winter we had to take the concrete top off the well, poke a whole through several inches of ice, and then scoop out water into a big bucket. We still rinsed dishes. I would fill two basins with water, some hot from the kettle and some cold. I would put detergent in one and wash in that one and rinse in the other one. When the rinse water didn't look clean enough, I would pour the soapy water into the toilet to flush it and put detergent and some hot water in the rinse water. I'd wash out the first basin and fill it with clean water for rinsing.
 
I'll be honest - I never heard of anyone not rinsing the soap off. Even when I was a kid and we went to our rather primitive summer lake cabin in Wisconsin with no running water, we still rinsed. I carried a bucket to the pump in front of my aunt's cabin about 100 yards away, pumped the pail fill, then carried it back to our place. For dishwater Mom had a large tea kettle that she heated water in on the stove, made hot soapy water in a basin, washed in that, put the clean dishes in a rack, then dribbled hot water from the kettle over them to rinse. That was how we did it for most of my first 17 summers, except that when we were old enough, us kids did the kitchen cleanup.

In any event they were always rinsed, even when it was a bit more of a chore to do it.


As a kid, I went to Girl Scout camp. I so well remember that pump. It was outside and if you wanted water in the middle of the night, it would be pitch black. Most of the girls were afraid, but not me. If the pump went dry, you had to prime it to get any water. So there was always a big pitcher of water that was not to be touched under the threat of death. And like you we had to heat the water I remember that huge aluminum tea kettle so well. I loved using the pump. I thought it was the neatest thing. So I volunteered all the time. I was given the title of "Water Girl." It wasn't until years later that I understood the significance of that title. I loved that pump. Happy memories for me. :angel:
 
I always rinse when I am washing the dishes. I don't know of anyone that doesn't. I use the hose with the hottest water available to me. For the elderly they have the temperature set lower than what the general public has. But Pirate is a plumber and was able to raise the temp in my kitchen and bathroom. So when I have to rinse, the water is way too hot for anyone.

Elderly are more sensitive when the temps of water are too high. A lot of times they don't even realize just how hot it is. Unfortunately, in this building, the water is not hot enough to even sterilize. :angel:

Just curious, Addie....how was Pirate able to override the set system for the elderly in your building? Do you have your own water heater?
 
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Just curious, Addie....how was Pirate able to override the set system for the elderly in your building? Do you have your own water heater?

In this building there are individual settings inside the faucets so that if a resident finds it to hot, it can be turned down. I am not sure if these are special faucets or not. It sounds like it. And for the shower, there is a screw inside the handle that can be adjusted. For this building, it is illegal to adjust the shower temperature. We have a state law that states what the temp. should be and the hottest temp is allowed. I personally think the kitchen sink temp is now too high. But I am not complaining. But every time HUD schedules an inspection, he has to lower the temp in both places and then turn them up again after the inspection is done. You never know if your apartment is going to be chosen or not. I am going to have him lower the kitchen one again. I sometimes forget and just turn the hot on all the way. And within this year or so, the faucet has to be replaced. It is wearing out. And I doubt if they will put in one that can be adjusted. Not if they go according to the law. Pirate tells me that the one I have is illegal now and you can't buy them anymore. :angel:
 
The water temperature is set in the water heater and it loses heat as it moves through the pipes. There is no mechanism in the faucet that makes the water hotter at that point. So you can't make it hotter than the water heater is set for.
 
there are thermostatically controlled mixer valves. because the water loses temperature as it travels miles and lightyears through pipes in very large buildings. the actual hot water heater output is much higher than "safe"

the temp is reduced at some point by mixing cold&hot - could be per floor, per zone, could be per sink/fixture.
 
there are thermostatically controlled mixer valves. because the water loses temperature as it travels miles and lightyears through pipes in very large buildings. the actual hot water heater output is much higher than "safe"

the temp is reduced at some point by mixing cold&hot - could be per floor, per zone, could be per sink/fixture.
That was what I figured.
 
there are thermostatically controlled mixer valves. because the water loses temperature as it travels miles and lightyears through pipes in very large buildings. the actual hot water heater output is much higher than "safe"

the temp is reduced at some point by mixing cold&hot - could be per floor, per zone, could be per sink/fixture.

Considering Addie says it's illegal to allow the temperature to be above a certain level, I think it's unlikely that the mixing happens per sink or faucet or is adjustable at that point.
 
In this building there are individual settings inside the faucets so that if a resident finds it to hot, it can be turned down. I am not sure if these are special faucets or not. It sounds like it. And for the shower, there is a screw inside the handle that can be adjusted. For this building, it is illegal to adjust the shower temperature. We have a state law that states what the temp. should be and the hottest temp is allowed. I personally think the kitchen sink temp is now too high. But I am not complaining. But every time HUD schedules an inspection, he has to lower the temp in both places and then turn them up again after the inspection is done. You never know if your apartment is going to be chosen or not. I am going to have him lower the kitchen one again. I sometimes forget and just turn the hot on all the way. And within this year or so, the faucet has to be replaced. It is wearing out. And I doubt if they will put in one that can be adjusted. Not if they go according to the law. Pirate tells me that the one I have is illegal now and you can't buy them anymore. :angel:

I don't understand why you would have him do that, or why he would follow your instructions. You both have determined you know best and are above the law?
One of the requirements of your HUD housing is that you follow the rules, and most importantly the safety rules. If you are scalded with hot tap water, you'll have each other to blame and you will be removed from HUD housing.
 
I don't understand why you would have him do that, or why he would follow your instructions. You both have determined you know best and are above the law?
One of the requirements of your HUD housing is that you follow the rules, and most importantly the safety rules. If you are scalded with hot tap water, you'll have each other to blame and you will be removed from HUD housing.

Having lived here as long as I have, you see that neither management or maintenance follows the rules of HUD either. It goes both ways. Very few widows open in this building. Never have. Their suggestion is buy a fan. All it would take is some graphite on the window tracks. Pennies for them, dollars for the tenants. When a screen falls out, it stays out. And yet when HUD comes for their yearly inspection these go uncorrected year after year. Before my belongings are removed from this apartment, the water temp will be corrected. But my kids won't be allowed to remove the improvements I had made at my son's cost. Such as having in back of the stove and kitchen sink tiled with expensive tile and done in a lovely pattern, or the new toilet seat that replaced the broken one. Pirate also took up the toilet and replaced the waxed ring. It was leaking bad. They tried to tell me it was my fault. And that there was no mold. It was dirt. You could scrape the mold up. As a result, Spike took up all the tile and replaced it with some he had left over from a job he had of his own. It is a small bathroom and took about 20 tiles at most.

HUD sees these violation yet don't say anything either. Or if they do, management doesn't give a dang. If they don't follow the rules, why should I. I am not the only tenant with issues with management. If you are fortunate and have kids in the trades like I do, you get them to solve you problems. If not, you call someone and pay them. I can't tell you how many time Spike or Pirate have helped a tenant here because calls to management or maintenance falls on deaf ears. At no cost to the tenant. Shall I continue?

Now ask me why! :angel:
 
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