Today’s blog post is a follow-up to the Will Smith Food Safety Parody we published recently.
It’s a two-song medley: “Microbes, They Might Kill You” and “We Are the Microbes”, a parody of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions,” as performed by Carl Winter.
The animations were produced at New Mexico State University as part of USDA CSREES National Integrated Food Safety Initiative Project Number CD-D-FST-7057-CG.
The message is both valuable and entertaining – enjoy!
I don’t know about you, but nothing beats great gourmet food at a fabulous restaurant.
Whenever that happens, I’d swear this is what my tongue is trying to say… “More, More, More! That way!!!!”
When you’re in the food services sector, as we are, food safety is the top priority, but it’s closely followed by enjoyment of the foods and surrounds. Wouldn’t you agree?
I recently came across these two before and after images in a blog post “You Are What You Eat“. I thought it was funny and relevant enough to include it here.
We have a lot of clients in the fast food service industry and support the adage that too much of anything isn’t good whereas anything in moderation is your choice to make – make it wisely.
Words like, ‘food poisoning’, ‘foodborne illness’ and ‘kitchen accidents’ are very common when talking about food safety in general. What isn’t talked about as much is the science behind all of it.
Since the majority of food safety revolves around foodborne pathogens, scientific research is the foundation of all food safety rules with two main types of research: Laboratory experimentation and investigation.
Because most countries’ governments depend on disease and food surveillance data to regulate their country’s types of foodborne pathogens, different types of testing are required for epidemiology, food microbiology and food technology. All of this falls under laboratory experimentation and provides the types of harmful microorganisms found in food that causes disease along with the level of risk involved.
After this data is discovered and on hand, food safety specialists take on the essential role of investigator to assist the public in awareness and help food businesses keep their industrial kitchens free from foodborne illnesses.
This investigation is extremely important, to say the least, for any well-run food establishment, especially considering there are over 200 known bacterial pathogens that exist in a spore or vegetative cell, viruses, parasites and toxins. That’s a scary number of foodborne pathogens which is why trained professionals are needed to handle this spectrum of the food business!
If not, restaurants may end up doing their own inspections, much like this man:
We’re previously blogged about how important it is to wash your hands. Of course some people need a little motivation – we’re not sure if this will work, but it sure is an innovative approach to improve hand washing!
We often get asked to evaluate and assess food preparation which involves fat, protein, carbohydrates…
But one thing we advise all our clients is NOT to answer the question “Does this make me look fat?”
Thanks to GraphJam for hilarious images like this one – life’s too short to be taken too seriously!
If you come across anything you think is funny, please forward to us. We’d love to post it and give you full credit with a hard back link to your website or blog.
Graphjam.com has done it yet again, eloquently displaying anecdotal statistical data what we all know to be true:
Handwashing Statistics
When asking employees or owners in the food business what their #1 safety hazard in the kitchen is, they’ll always answer, ‘Hands’.
Considering the fact humans have between 2 and 10 million bacteria between the fingertip and elbow and this number doubles after using the toilet. It’s not surprising and in agreement with any health science degree class this is at the top of the list for potential safety hazards in the kitchen.
Nosocomial Infections: Most commonly, E. coli, MRSA and pseudomonas
Airborne Illnesses: Respiratory illnesses such as common colds and flues spread by sneezing and coughing
Noroviruses: Gastrointestinal infections transmitted through the fecal-oral route, i.e. vomiting, nausea, diarrhea
Hepatitis A: A viral infection affecting the liver spread most commonly by food handlers when touching food containers
These foodborne diseases can create havoc in food businesses if the proper steps aren’t taken, leading to destroyed reputations of great dining facilities and experiences.
Washing hands is something everyone has control over and is the easiest and most effective prevention measure to stop bacteria from spreading.
Understanding the dangers that lay in our hands makes it an undeniable fact that washing hands benefits the people who make the food as well as the people who eat it!
Gavin Buckett Food Safety Expert & Former Apprentice Chef of the Year
My name is Gavin Buckett and I have over 10 years experience in this industry and have also practiced as a chef. I have also had the honour of being named Victorian Apprentice Chef of the year. These years of experience mean that I live and breathe food safety.
With friendly, cost effective and practical solutions I will empower your staff to do the right thing around food safety. I will help you put in place systems to ensure your peace of mind in this area.