Food Safety Market Blog

A blog with articles related to food handler certification and education on food safety related issues.

Handling gluten allergies and sensitivities

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Handling gluten allergies and sensitivities
food safety allergens gluten
A great deal has been written about celiac disease, gluten allergies, and gluten sensitivity, though much confusion and misinformation continues to make the rounds. Allergens are a common issue faced by food service experts, bringing their own unique barriers that must be overcome in order to provide your patrons with the high quality of service they deserve.   Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada  estimates that nearly one-third of Canadians (around 10 million) are regularly seeking out gluten-free products. This includes around 2.5 million who require gluten-free food products for medical reasons. The growing demand for gluten-free alternatives has led to many Canadian restaurants adopting gluten-free alternatives to cater to all customers.

Introducing Managing Food Safety (MFS)

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Introducing Managing Food Safety (MFS)
food safety food handler certification training virtual learning online training classroom training

Food safety trainers now have access to Managing Food Safety (MFS), a nationally recognized, high quality training program. MFS introduces a variety of new measures to make food safety training more effective, including things like visual case studies that can help trainers to transcend language barriers, opportunities for experiential learning, and detailed regional information. Managing Food Safety has been enthusiastically received by health authorities and food safety trainers around the country, who have said that the program makes the job of trainers easier, and makes learning more enjoyable for participants.

Thawing & Defrosting Food Safely

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Thawing & Defrosting Food Safely
food safety thawing
Freezing food is a great way to preserve large quantities of perishable foods like meat and bread, as well as leftovers. Not only is does it allow you to extend the lifespan of certain foods, but it also allows for increased convenience. Before pulling your next meal out of the freezer, it’s important that you know how to properly thaw and defrost food to reduce the chances of harmful bacteria multiplying while in the “temperature danger zone”, where germs thrive, doubling in numbers in just 20 minutes. Remember to never thaw food at room temperature, as it can make your food unsafe and lead to foodborne illness. Only the following methods of thawing and defrosting are recommended by food safety experts.

Dangerous Food Mistakes

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Dangerous Food Mistakes
food safety food preparation
It’s all too easy to get careless or overconfident in the kitchen, but even making a simple mistake can have serious long-term consequences, especially for foodservice workers or those cooking for large groups of people. No matter how experienced you feel you are in the kitchen, it’s important to be aware of common food safety guidelines - it could help you avoid contracting or spreading serious foodborne illnesses. Here are some of the most commonly made food safety mistakes in the kitchen:

Ontario's Food Premises Regulations

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Ontario's Food Premises Regulations
food safety regulations
Ontario’s new   Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 493/17), under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.7 came into effect on July 1, 2018, bringing with it some important changes for foodservice businesses across the province. Though the Regulation has been in effect since July, the transition to compliance with the new requirements is still ongoing for many establishments. The modernized Regulation has taken the place of the Food Premises Regulation (O. Reg. 562), which dated all the way back to 1967, and tackles issues like food handler training, energy conservation, and more.

New Ontario Regulation 493/17

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
New Ontario Regulation 493/17
food safety regulations

Working with Ontario's Public Health Units to Support the Implementation of the New Ontario Regulation 493/17 

O. Reg. 493/17, the new Ontario Food Premises Regulation, came into effect on July 1, 2018, modernizing the previous regulation which dated back to 1967. The Food Premises Regulation has removed outdated and redundant food premises requirements that no longer apply to modern foodservice establishments, offering foodservice operators more flexibility in areas like safe food preparation procedures, food handling, and cleaning and sanitizing procedures. The Regulation has also made it mandatory that at least one trained food handler be on premises for every working hour that the establishment is open for in order to minimize the risks of food poisoning and poor food safety practices.

Choosing the right thermometer

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Choosing the right thermometer
food safety thermometer

The Complete Guide to Thermometer Food Safety

Food thermometers are an essential tool for use in any kitchen, whether it be at a food service establishment or at home. They are critical for use in the preparation of meat and poultry products to ensure that food is not under-cooked and that food products reach safe internal temperatures, reducing the likelihood of foodborne illness, and helping to avoid overcooking and achieve the highest possible food quality. There are many styles and variations of food thermometers, each of which have different uses and limitations.

Takeout and Delivery Food Safety

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Takeout and Delivery Food Safety
food safety takeout delivery

Food Safety for Takeout and Meal Delivery

In the age of smartphones, Netflix, and Uber, convenience and speed are qualities that everybody wants, especially when it comes to spending a night in with some delicious food. The rise of convenient and inexpensive food delivery apps has made takeout and home meal delivery apps such as Skip the Dishes even more popular than they were in the past. Many people simply don’t have the time to cook a full meal after a full day of work. In this new age of convenience and speed, it’s unfortunately all too easy to overlook one of the biggest issues plaguing the delivery sector: food safety. Here’s what food service establishments, delivery staff, and consumers need to know in order to make every meal delivery a safe one.

Can you serve raw meat?

Picture of Kevin Freeborn
Kevin Freeborn
Can you serve raw meat?
food safety food preparation

Can Raw Meat Dishes Be Prepared Safely?

Dishes containing raw meat products like beef and fish have, and continue to be, a popular choice among Canadians - some of the reasons cited by foodies include taste and tenderness of raw meat dishes. With the popularity of dishes made from raw meat, it’s clear that too few people actually stop and consider the major risks involved with eating raw meat dishes.   Public Health Ontario recently conducted a study  on the subject of raw meat dishes, bringing information to light about the consequences of consuming raw meat and the existing regulations in place to protect consumers.