Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
product is not opened at store level. Such product is received, stored, and displayed
at the appropriate temperature as indicated on the manufacturer's label and rotated
on a First In First Out/First Expired First Out basis. The product inside the package
may be a fi nished/ready-to-eat product (e.g., loaf of bread, processed meat) or it
may be a product that requires in-home preparation (e.g., case-ready raw meat) or
assembly prior to consumption, e.g., cake mix. In some instances, the product may
require refrigeration after opening, e.g., salad dressing.
The potential food safety risks (i.e., biological, chemical, and physical) associ-
ated with these products are largely controlled by the manufacturer at the time of
production and packaging, or, by the consumer by way of in-home handling prac-
tices leading up to consumption, e.g., assembly; temperature control including stor-
age, cooking, reheating.
The management of potential food safety risks associated with grocery products
is largely by way of sourcing and procurement, temperature control and rotation,
protection from damage and potential contamination should damage occur, and the
removal of implicated product from distribution/sale at the time of a recall.
The type of product described here as Grocery may also be sold in other depart-
ments and should be treated appropriately, e.g., if chip dip labelled “Keep
Refrigerated” is sold in the grocery aisle alongside chips, or milk is sold at the
checkout/front end, it would need to be sold from a display unit that maintains the
internal temperature of the product at 4 °C or below.
3.3.2
Produce (Including In-Store Cut Fruit/Vegetables
and Juice)
From a retail perspective, whole produce, including tree nuts, that arrives at the
store and is sold to consumers as whole produce, without any in-store preparation
other than in some instances trimming, is considered low risk. Having said this, it
is important to remember that produce is grown in soil, fertilized, irrigated and
exposed to various environmental factors (e.g., wildlife, pests) and has been asso-
ciated with a number of food safety recalls and outbreaks (
Cyclospora
and basil,
E. coli
and lettuce,
Salmonella
and sprouts, etc.).
It is generally recognized that whole produce should be washed, peeled and/or
cooked prior to consumption. Some whole produce has been washed prior to arriving
at store level, while some has not. It is, therefore, recommended that whole produce
be washed with cool, potable, running water prior to further processing at the store
level (i.e., prior to cutting or juicing). A produce brush is recommended when
washing fi rm textured produce prior to further processing. Sinks, cutting surfaces,
knives, produce brushes, juicers and other food contact equipment should be cleaned
and sanitized at a frequency that minimizes the risk of transfer of microorganisms.
In-store cut produce (e.g., cut watermelon, cut cantaloupe, shredded cabbage, cut
lettuce) and juice made in-store should be refrigerated at 4 °C or below to minimize
the potential growth of pathogens. The Food Marketing Institute (FMI)—
A Total
