To avoid food-borne illnesses, know the risks. The most common risks include poor personal hygiene (e.g., failure to wash hands after touching contaminated foods), cross-contamination by using tainted equipment on several food items, inadequate cooking (time or temperature), and improper storage or holding temperatures. Federal Occupational Health’s (FOH) food sanitation experts can help agencies reduce these risks and keep employees healthy and safe.

Hundreds of federal employees as well as members of the community eat at federal facilities each day. Food-borne illnesses at one of these facilities can have a major impact. FOH’s registered environmental health specialists conduct food safety inspections in cafeterias and snack bars in General Services Administration (GSA) operated buildings. Using the latest recommendations as outlined in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Code, FOH food safety professionals assist food service facility operators in identifying potential problems. FOH’s professionals provide facility operators with clear instructions on how to correct potential problems at their site and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses.

FOH Food Safety professionals will:

• Conduct inspections
• Provide consultation on issues involving food security
• Provide recommendations for improvement
• Provide follow-up inspections, if necessary
• Provide food safety training
• Provide recommendations for construction design of new food service facilities
• Provide inspections of temporary food service facilities, such as those set up following hurricanes Katrina and Rita