Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Recent Food Safety Regulations In Massachusetts

By Dennis Gray


To guarantee safe food handling, distribution and consumption in Massachusetts, authorities have instituted very strict measures. Massachusetts food safety guidelines and regulations enable authorities to implement policies and interpret them in a way that safeguards the lives and health of residents. The regulations also involve extensive scrutiny of workers and facilities in the industry.

Among the main areas of focus is the mandatory presence of a Certified Food Protection officer in every eatery. Such an officer must be above 18 years of age and hold necessary accreditation. Such accreditation is given after passing necessary examinations accredited by the Department of Public Health. Some of these tests and examinations are administered by restaurant associations.

Certification is required for the person responsible for overseeing daily preparation and serving of foods. There is no examination that is mandatory for the officer, but there are several training programs that will warrant certification. The programs revolve around the safety of foods and how to prevent illnesses and diseases that are related to food preparation, distribution and serving. It is safer for all employees to get necessary training and be certified in order to improve the quality of services provided.

Employees working within the industry and who contract illnesses that can be spread in the process of handling need to report as early as symptoms emerge. Some of the danger signs that need to be reported include fever that is accompanied by sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, and any open cuts or wounds.

It is also important to be sensitive about the health of people you live with or come into regular contact with. This enables you to maintain the highest standards of hygiene and avoid contacting or spreading the disease to other people especially your clients. This requirement is put in place in recognition of the fact that when employees are exposed to diseases or ailments, they are likely to spread them to so many clients. Early notification will prevent spread especially when action is taken early.

The regulations require that such employees be restricted from preparation or any handling. In fact, they should be stopped from working until the condition has been cleared. In case a manager has doubts on the steps to take, he should consult with the local board of health. The basic requirement is to prevent exposure as much as possible to guarantee the safety of other employees and customers.

Regulations also exist to ensure safe handling of RTE. Anyone is prohibited from handling the foods with bare hands. The apparatus to be used include tongs, gloves, deli tissues, and spatula, among others. Jewelry when preparing or handling foods directly is restricted. The only exception is a plain ring like what is used during weddings. Your hands and arms should be free of jewelry and make-up.

A hotel or eatery should suspend business if it detects danger signs like illness among workers. The next step should be to send notification to regulators for inspection purposes. Some of the conditions that warrant closure include contamination with toxic substances, fire, disease outbreak and prolonged power interruption. You only resume work when the situation has been corrected and authorization received.




About the Author:



0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home