Food Sanitation Program
Many people do not think about food safety until a food-related illness affects them or a family member. While the food supply in the United States is one of the safest in the world, the CDC estimates that 76 million people get sick, more than 300,000 are hospitalized, and 5,000 Americans die each year from food borne illness. Preventing food borne illness and death remains a major public health challenge.
A three-word definition of Food Sanitation is protection from contamination. With this in mind, all functions and operations must be included in a sanitation program. All food products must be protected from contamination from receiving (and before) through distribution. Sanitation is a dynamic and ongoing function and cannot be sporadic or something that can be turned on once a day, once a week, etc.
Regardless of type of processing or food handling operation, the number one consideration in food sanitation is people. It is people who set the rules, follow the rules, and also break the rules of sanitation. A sanitation program is as good as the attitude, willingness, and efforts of people. That is why the most important aspect of a sanitation program is ongoing personnel training. Here at UTD, the food handling and preparation areas are inspected each semester. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety will be overseeing these reports and following up on incidence of non-compliance. Please feel free to contact the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at x4111 regarding any concerns you may have regarding sanitation and safety in the UTD food preparation areas