What You Want to Know About High-Risk Food Handling

The United States alone sees an estimated 48 million cases of food poisoning each year. This is enough proof that the roles of a food handler are crucial to the health and well-being of the general public. While any type of food will cause food poisoning if not handled correctly, some foods are higher-risk than others.

That’s why it’s essential to understand how to use and properly store high-risk foods to keep your customers safe and avoid the awful repercussions of non-compliance. So, whether you are interested in becoming a food handler or are already one, here’s what you should know about high-risk food handling.

Food Handling at the Basic Level (Low Risk)

Food handling at the basic or low-risk levels typically refers to interacting with low-risk foods or interacting with food indirectly. For instance, a food handler can be a low-risk handler if they are involved in the transportation of food in a food processing chain.

In most cases, however, basic-level food handling is all about preparing and storing foods that aren’t likely to harbor harmful bacteria and other pathogens. Such foods are usually stored at room temperature due to their inherent properties or processing. Good examples of low-risk foods include baked goods, dried foods, preserved foods, and some fruits and vegetables.

Even though low-risk food handling is quite straightforward, you still need to take Food Handler Certification courses from a top provider like RocketCert. That’s because any type of food should be handled with care to keep the consumers safe.

So, What’s High-Risk Food Handling?

This type of food handling involves interacting with high-risk foods, whether fresh or cooked, and also in the intermediary stages. Foods are considered high-risk if they support the growth of harmful bacteria. Such foods typically have a relatively neutral pH, high protein level, and medium to high moisture content.

In most cases, they don’t undergo further treatment to destroy pathogens or create conditions that make it hard for them to thrive. For this reason, they must be refrigerated. Some of the perfect examples of foods in this category are:

• Eggs
• Meat
• Dairy products
• Seafood
• Poultry

These foods should not only be stored in optimal conditions, but they must also be handled with greater care when preparing them. The increased potential to grow bacteria at an accelerated rate makes it easier for them to cause food poisoning.

Which Consumers Are at Risk?

High-risk foods may not look all that dangerous when you consider that our bodies’ immune systems are capable of combating a wide range of ailments. Still, anyone and everyone is at risk of food poisoning whenever they consume poorly handled foods.

However, certain groups of people carry a higher risk, and these are people with pre-existing conditions, the elderly, children, and pregnant women. The worst part about food poisoning is that it can become fatal in some cases. That’s why it’s vital to handle high-risk foods with care, consistently.

Keep Your Customers Safe With the Right Certification

Kitchen users need to be up to speed with the basics of food handling at all times to ensure the safety of consumers. Failing to do so means you’re taking risks that often come with dire consequences, such as hefty fines or even the cancellation of your license.

RocketCert makes it possible to avoid such situations by offering certification courses that teach you everything you should know about food handling. That way, you are sure your customers are consuming wholesome food that will keep them coming back.