Renew your Food License by Dec. 31

Broomfield Environmental Health Specialists keep track of the most common violations that are seen during retail food inspections. It’s been a year since the last review of violations—take a look below for an update on what common issues are being seen and review how to avoid these violations at your business.

1. Proper Cold Holding Temperatures: Foods that require refrigeration, (also known as time/temperature control for safety), must be held at or below 41°F to limit the growth of germs that can make people sick. As a good retail practice, staff should check internal temperatures of food periodically to verify they are cold holding at or below 41°F. If foods have been in the danger zone (between 41°F and 135°F) for more than two hours or an unknown amount of time, they may need to be thrown away. English Resource, Spanish Resource, Simplified Chinese Resource
2. Proper Cooling Time and Temperatures: Foods that are cooked and then cooled must be cooled rapidly. Food must be lowered from 135°F to 70°F or below in 2 hours or less and then from 70°F to 41°F or below in 4 hours or less—6 hours total to fully cool. Use rapid cooling methods– such as keeping food to a thickness of less than 2 inches, uncovered, and put in a walk-in cooler or freezer unit and then checking the temperature of foods to ensure they cool properly. When foods are not cooled correctly and spend enough time in the danger zone (between 41°F and 135°F), germs rapidly grow in a manner that can make consumers sick. English Resource, Spanish Resource
3. Date Marking and Disposition: Foods that require refrigeration, won’t be cooked again (also known as ready-to-eat), and are in your restaurant for more than 24 hours must be labeled as to when they were made or the product was opened. Once opened or made, products must be used within 7 days (day 1 is the day opened or prepared + 6 days). Some germs, like Listeria, can grow in refrigerator temperatures and make people sick—by controlling how long items stay in the fridge, you can help keep consumers healthy. English Resource, Spanish Resource, Simplified Chinese Resource
4. Hands Clean and Properly Washed: Employees working with food must wash their hands anytime they become contaminated and when changing tasks. When removing gloves, hands may need to be washed if there is a change in tasks— for example, if an employee is using gloves to cut raw chicken, they must wash their hands after removing their gloves and before putting on new gloves to prepare a salad. English Resource, Spanish Resource
5. Food Contact Surfaces Cleaned and Sanitized: Food contact surfaces must be properly cleaned and sanitized in one of two ways: 

• Washed in dishwasher that sanitizes with chemicals or with heat (verify by using temperature stickers or dish plate thermometers to verify machine reaches 160°F–do not rely on the machine’s external thermometer) 
• Washed by hand using a three-compartment sink—wash dishes with soap, rinse soap, then use a chemical sanitizer (ensure dishes remain in sanitizer for the minimum contact time listed on the label) and allow dishes to air dry. 

If a surface is in contact with foods that require refrigeration (cutting boards for meat, sandwiches, etc.), they must be cleaned and sanitized once every 4 hours. If a surface is only in contact with foods that do not require refrigeration (like a bread knife or bowl holding chips or whole fruit), they must be cleaned and sanitized once every 4 hours. English Resource

Important Updates:

🍗 Keep the Joy, Ditch the Germs: Your Holiday Food Safety Checklist!

As you prepare those amazing holiday meals, make food safety your most important ingredient! A quick refresh on the core four—Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill—is the key  to keeping everyone at your table happy, healthy, and safe from foodborne illness. Want to learn more?  Visit the FDA website for essential, easy to follow tips.

Food Forum Update 

Broomfield Public Health and Environment’s retail food staff hosted an online forum from October 1-31. BPHE received several comments which are currently being summarized. Full comments remain  available for review under the “Forum” section. Participants who provided  a valid email address were entered into a gift card drawing. Winners have already been contacted. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s Food Forum. BPHE always welcomes feedback by email at publichealth@broomfield.org or by phone at 720-887-2220.