FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO

November 7, 2019
Introduction & Housekeeping

2
FOOD SAFETY RISKS FOR OLDER ADULTS

• Jennifer J. Quinlan, Ph.D., Professor

Department of Nutrition Sciences

College of Nursing and Health Professions

Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA
AGENDA

• Review of foodborne pathogens and the foods 

associated with them

• Review of foodborne pathogens associated with 

food handlers

• Identification of steps to prevent foodborne illness

• Consumers at higher risk for foodborne illness

• Identification of high risk foods to avoid

• Take home messages
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify pathogens and the foods that they are 

commonly associated with 

• Identify food handling practices that can reduce 

the risks for foodborne illness

• Identify foods that older adults should limit/avoid
MAJOR PATHOGENS – FOOD ASSOCIATIONS

• Salmonella – raw poultry, raw meats, eggs

• Campylobacter – raw poultry, raw meat, raw milk

• E. coli O157:H7 and other enteropathogenic E. coli –

undercooked ground beef, raw milk, unpasteurized 

apple cider
MAJOR PATHOGENS – FOOD ASSOCIATIONS

• Listeria monocytogenes

• Can grow at refrigerated temperatures

• Illness in older adults more likely to lead to 

complications that result in serious illness or 

death
MAJOR PATHOGENS – FOOD ASSOCIATIONS

• Listeria monocytogenes

• Food potentially contaminated 

• Lunchmeat 

• Raw hotdogs

• Pre-packaged leafy greens

• Dairy products, especially when made with raw 

milk
MAJOR PATHOGENS – PREVENTION

• Don’t consume raw foods 

– Raw milk

– Cheeses made from raw milk

– Undercooked hamburger 

or ground poultry

– Runny yolk eggs

– Raw hotdogs
MAJOR PATHOGENS – PREVENTION

• Don’t cross contaminate

• Keep raw meats, poultry and seafood away from 

other foods

• Use separate cutting boards or prepare directly 

in packaging

• Use separate knives, utensils, etc.

• Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw 

meat/poultry/seafood
MAJOR PATHOGENS – PREVENTION

• Don’t cross contaminate
MAJOR PATHOGENS – PREVENTION

• Use a thermometer to make sure meats are 

cooked to the appropriate temperatures.
MAJOR PATHOGENS – PREVENTION

• Make sure refrigerator is working properly and cold 

enough

– 40oF or less
MAJOR PATHOGENS – PREVENTION

• Throw away foods in a timely manner

– Deli sliced or open lunchmeat – 3-5 days

– Meat and poultry leftover – 2-3 days

– Raw poultry – 1-2 days 
MAJOR PATHOGENS – MISHANDLING ASSOCIATIONS

• Norovirus

• Hepatitis A

• Shigella

• Staphylococcus aureus

• These are viruses and bacteria that individuals 

carry and may or may not show symptoms of the 

illness themselves

• They get into food when the individual that carries 

the pathogens prepares/handles food
MAJOR PATHOGENS – MISHANDLING ASSOCIATIONS

• Prevention:

• Handwashing before any preparation or 

handling of food

• Don’t allow sick individuals to prepare or 

handle foods
CONSUMERS AT GREATER RISK FOR FOODBORNE ILLNESS

• Children

• Pregnant women

• Immunocompromised individuals

• Older adults
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS

• Diabetes

• Liver or Kidney disease

• Organ transplants

• HIV/AIDS

• Chemotherapy or Radiation treatment
OLDER ADULTS (55 YEARS AND OLDER)

• Immunity starts to decrease at 55 years

• More likely to have medical complications and 

death from common foodborne illnesses

• Listeria monocytogenes – incidence is increasing 

among older adults as it decreases in pregnant 

women
HAZARDOUS FOODS/FOOD SOURCES

• Foods all consumers should avoid: 

• Raw milk

• Raw Seafood

• Unpasteurized apple cider/fruit juices

• Undercooked ground beef or turkey

• Runny yolk eggs
HAZARDOUS FOODS/FOOD SOURCES

• Foods consumers at high risk (older adults) 

should avoid:

• Sprouts

• Lunchmeat (turkey!)

• Raw hotdogs

• Buffets/takeout food not thoroughly heated

• Bagged salads/greens 
TAKE HOME MESSAGES

• Wash hands regularly and thoroughly

• Cook raw foods thoroughly

• Don’t cross contaminate ready to eat 

foods with raw foods

• Ensure refrigerators are 40oF or below

• Throw away foods/leftovers in a timely 

manner

• There are certain foods that older adults 

should avoid
REFERENCES

• The Partnership for Food Safety Education 

http://www.fightbac.org/

• U.S. Department of Agriculture resources for older 

adults 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/fo

od-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-factsheets/at-risk-populations/older-adults-and-foodsafety/ct_index

• https://drexel.edu/dontwashyourchicken/
THANK YOU!
Q & A

25
FOOD SAFETY RISKS ACROSS THE FOOD CHAIN AND 

HOW TO REDUCE THEM

Rohan V. Tikekar, PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Nutrition and Food 

Science

University of Maryland, College Park
AGENDA

• Review the nature and sources of hazards across the 

food chain;

• Discuss critical control points across the food chain 

where food safety risks are heightened;

• Describe tools and strategies that senior nutrition 

program providers can leverage to insure appropriate 

temperature control during food delivery.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify biological, chemical and physical hazards 

across the food chain 

• Identify a range of tools and techniques to reduce 

the risk of foodborne illness

• Discuss opportunities to control temperature 

during food delivery
NATURE OF HAZARDS

• Biological

• Bacteria, viruses

• Chemical

• Allergens, pesticide residues, antibiotic residue, heavy metals, 

mycotoxins

• Physical

• Foreign matter, glass, metal shavings 
SOURCES OF HAZARDS

• Ingredients

• Known relationships between ingredients and hazards

• Process

• Validated processes reliably control the hazards. Cooking, acidulation, 

temperature control.

• Environment

• Clean and sanitary environment reduces the re-contamination of food after 

cooking.

• People

• Can be the first line of defense against contamination but can also be a 

source of contamination
BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

Ingredients

Evaluate the risk of 

individual food 

ingredients

Egg- Salmonellause pasteurized 

eggs

Develop a supplychain program to 

ensure the 

ingredients do not 

pose these risks

Certificate of 

analysis, certificate 

of guarantee

Process

Use validated 

processes to 

ensure pathogens 

are inactivated

E.g. Poultry, minimum 

internal temperature of 

71 ◦C for at least 1 s.

Where to find this 

information?

-Food Code

-FDA guidance 

document

Environment

Cleaning and 

sanitation of 

food contact 

AND non food 

contact surfaces

Develop SOP, Follow 

manufacturer’s 

recommendations

Consider 

environmental 

monitoring 

program

Listeria, Salmonella

People

Training

Servsafe, FDA HARPC 

training

Training

Food safety 

culture
TEMPERATURE CONTROL DURING TRANSPORTATION

• Critical across the entire food system

• Avoid food to remain between 40 and 140 F for 

extended time: The danger zone

• Delivery mode and time highly variable: within 1 hr is 

the target
POLL #1

How do you ensure that your customers receive a 

warm meal?

A. Schedule short routes

B. Recruit more volunteers

C. Monitor temperature during transit

D. Use insulated packaging

E. Some combination of the strategies mentioned 

above
STRATEGIES TO CONTROL AND MONITOR TEMPERATURE

Insulated delivery boxes

• Anticipate variability during delivery: storage in vehicle cabin 

vs trunk.

• Know-how from ‘meal kit delivery companies’

• Insulated box liners $1-2/liner retail depending on size,

• Possibly re-usable

Scheduling the route: Technology

Amazon.com

Optimoroute.com
STRATEGIES TO CONTROL AND MONITOR TEMPERATURE

Green LED when acceptable, Red LED when 

temp falls or exceeds programmed 

temperature for programmed time, 

~$9/unit, fully re-usable, 2-yr life

http://www.tiptemp.com/Products/Seven-Event-Reversible-TemperatureLabel/TLCSEN006-Temperature-Label-7-Level-Strip-4.html

http://www.tiptemp.com/Products/F9od-Service-Transportation-FridgeElectronic-Recorders/ESCREC013-K1-1-Intelligent-Transit-Temperature-AlertIndicator.html

7-level reversible temperature 

indicator, ~$1/unit
STRATEGIES TO CONTROL SANITATION

• Develop Standard Operating 

Procedures

• Determine cleaning and sanitation 

frequency

• Verify the efficacy of sanitation

• Invest in sanitizable food contact 

equipment

• Environmental monitoring program

• Diligently look for indicator microbes within 

your facility

ATP tests to verify sanitation

Hygiena.com, 3M.com

Luminometer: $1000-2000, per test 

$1-2
POLL #2

Do you have an environmental monitoring 

program in your kitchen?

A. I know what it is and do have one

B. I know what it is but don't have one

C. I don't know what it is and don't have one

D. Not sure
POLL #3

Are food allergies among the clients you serve an 

issue for your program?

A. Yes 

B. No

If yes, please type into the chat box the kinds of food 

allergies that your clients experience.
CHEMICAL HAZARDS: ALLERGEN

Ingredients

Evaluate the 

allergen profile of 

the ingredients

-Carry through allergen 

information, “May 

contain” labeling

Process

Proper storage of 

allergens

Separation of 

allergenic from nonallergenic ingredients, 

accurate labeling with 

pictures, use of color 

coding

Color coding of 

handling 

equipment

Scheduling the 

food 

manufacturing to 

reduce crosscontamination

-Label review

Environment

Minimize dusting 

of allergens

Pay attention of 

facility set-up, 

product flow, air 

flow

Develop and 

verify cleaning 

procedures for 

shared 

equipment

People

Training

Servsafe-Allergen, FDA 

HARPC training

Training

Food safety 

culture
ALLERGEN VERIFICATION TOOLS

Hygiena, Pro-clean, 

Can detect 20 μg of 

protein within 10 

minute, ~$3/unit

3MTM Clean-TraceTM 

Surface Protein Plus 

Test Swab PRO100, 50 

μg of protein, ~$3/unit 

Tests for specific 

allergens such as almond, 

peanut, milk, shell-fish, 

more expensive, more 

specific
TAKE HOME MESSAGES

• Develop a food safety culture within your operation

• Continued food safety training is critical

• Evaluate your ingredients, operations and transport 

from food safety perspective

• Use cooking steps that adequately ensure inactivation 

of pathogens

• Ensure that your kitchen environment is not the source 

of contamination

• Evaluate the allergen profile of your operation
THANK YOU FOR THE 

GREAT WORK YOU DO!
Q & A

43
Overview of 

Food Safety on the Go 

Resources

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FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – THEN AND NOW

• The goal of home-delivered meal programs is to help 

homebound adults remain independent in their 

communities of choice.

• In 2012, researchers at the University of Maryland 

College Park collaborated with Meals on Wheels 

America, with funding from the U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, to create Food Safety on the Go.

• With added support from the NRCNA, we are pleased to 

release a refreshed version of this resource.
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – GOAL & DESIGN

• Food Safety on the Go is the first of its kind, a practiceinformed and research-informed training resource for 

home-delivered meal programs.

• Its goal: to improve food safety knowledge and 

practices of home-delivered meal program staff, 

volunteers, and clients. 

• It is comprised of 6 Modules from which staff can select 

trainings needed to meet their needs. 

• All staff and volunteers should complete Module 1, 

as well as other relevant modules.
DISCUSSION QUESTION VIA CHAT BOX

• Please share what food safety staff/volunteer 

training needs you have? 

• There is interest in more resources related to 

staff/driver hygiene, auto cleanliness standards, 

rapid food safety assessments for drivers when 

interacting with clients.
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO - REFRESHED

• Goal: to update the 2012 Food Safety on the Go training 

for 2019 and beyond

• The Food Safety on the Go resources provide a training 

opportunity for both:

• Individual learning:

– Through self-directed study

• Group training:

– Through a group session led by a trainer

• Let’s take a quick tour...
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO - MODULES

Module 1: Food Safety Basics

Module 2: Program Director

Module 3: Food Service Management Staff

Module 4: Food Service Workers (Staff and Volunteers)

Module 5: Drivers (Staff and Volunteers)

Module 6: Client Education
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – MODULE REVIEW

Module 1

• Food safety basics for all staff and volunteers

• Food safety essentials for older adults

Module 2

• Emphasizes the importance of food safety training for 

all staff and volunteers

• Review of adverse consequences of foodborne illness 

outbreak

Module 3

• Targeted to food service staff

• Discusses recommended procedures from food 

purchasing to delivery
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – MODULE REVIEW (CONT.)

• Module 4

• Targeted to food service workers

• Focus is one safe food handling

• Module 5

• Targeted to home-delivered meal drivers

• Focuses on procedures for delivering safe meals

Module 6

• Resource for use in creating either a magnet or 

flyer for clients 
MODULE 6 SNEAK PEEK

• Here are examples 

of the templates:
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO 

RESOURCE DEEP DIVE
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – COURSE BOOKS

• Course Books –

provide a written 

overview of each 

module
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – POWERPOINT SLIDES

• Slide Decks -

Provide a 

platform for 

presentation of 

each module
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – ELEARNING MODULES

• Provides a 

platform for selfdirected learning 

in an engaging 

and accessible 

manner for all 

learners.

• Each takes 

between 15 – 45 

minutes to 

complete and 

includes a fun 

activity.
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – PRE & POST TESTS

• Provides an 

opportunity to 

test learning 

following each 

module

• Each 10-item or 

fewer quiz takes a 

minute or two to 

complete
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – TRAINER GUIDES

• Provides a birds-eye 

overview of each 

module for trainers to 

use to prepare and 

deliver presentations.
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – TRAINER WORKSHEET

• Provides an opportunity 

to document the holding 

temperature standards 

applicable to your 

program.
FOOD SAFETY ON THE GO – WEBSITE

• All these resources, links to today’s archived 

webinar, and more can be found in two locations:

• University of Maryland: 

https://nfsc.umd.edu/programs/foodsafety

• NRCNA

www.nutrtionandaging.org/food-safety-on-the-go
GETTING STARTED

• You can review the

archived webinar

recording and/or

PowerPoint slides to

revisit this orientation to

the Food Safety on the

Go resources, or

download the FAQs from

the website.
SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK AND STORIES WITH US

How?

• Email: 

• Nadine Sahyoun – nsahyoun@umd.edu

• NRCNA – resourcecenter@mealsonwheelsamerica.org

• NRCNA website:

• Contact Us

• https://nutritionandaging.org/contact/?subject=feedback

• Share your experiences via NRCNAengage – our 

online social networking community
NRCNAengage

• NRCNAengage is an online venue for senior nutrition programs and 

State Unit on Aging staff across the country to connect, share best 

practices, resources, recipes, and ideas for action!
NRCNAengage

• NRCNAengage is an online venue for senior nutrition programs and 

State Unit on Aging staff across the country to connect, share best 

practices, resources, recopies and ideas for action!

Signing up is easy! 

Visit www.nrcna.mn.co

and click ‘Request to 

Join’!
Q & A

65
Upcoming Webinars

66
UPCOMING WEBINAR

Part 1

• Title: Making the Case for Gluten Free Meals

• When: Thursday, November 14, 2019

Part 2

• Title: Operational Considerations for 

Providing Gluten-Free Meals

• When: Tuesday, November 19, 2019

• To Register: 

Visit www.nutritionandaging.org/training

HOT TOPICS IN MEDICALLY TAILORED MEALS WEBINAR SERIES
UPCOMING WEBINAR

• Title: Nutrition and the Science of Aging

• When: Tuesday, December 12 & 19, 

2019

• To Register:

Visit 

www.nutritionandaging.org/training
Thank You

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