LOURDES COLLEGE

Higher Education Department

Hotel and Restaurant Management Program

THC 1
(Hazards to Food Safety: A Case #2)

Group: _____________________________________ Score: ___/20

Stephen, the morning prep cook at a local restaurant, was preparing shredded cheese to be used on pizza. His procedure
included cutting the cheese into small blocks and then shredding the cheese by hand. He prepared several 4-gallon
containers and left the containers out at room temperature [70 OF (21OC)] until use. Three of the four containers were used
on pizzas later that day. The next day, the fourth container of cheese was used. On both days, the pizzas were cooked in an
oven set to 500OF (260OC).

Four days later, several people came back to the restaurant and said that they had become ill a few hours after eating pizza
there. Only people who ate on the second day appeared to become ill.

Questions:

1. What foodborne hazard may have been associated with this foodborne illness?

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2. How could this have been prevented?

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Answer

Hazard: The foodborne hazard associated with this illness was likely a toxin produced by the bacteria Staphyloccus aureus.
This organism may have originated from the food worker and was then transferred to the cheese by cross contamination.
Being held at room temperature, the organism had the opportunity to grow in the cheese and produce a heat-stable toxin.
Even after cooking in the 500OF oven, the toxin was not destroyed. People that complained of illness probably had an
intoxication due to Staphyloccus aureus. Also cheddar cheese is drier and salty which provides ideal conditions for
Staphyloccus aureus while inhibiting other microorganisms that might otherwise compete with the Staphyloccus aureus
bacteria.

Prevention: There are three important prevention steps that could have been taken. The first involves any of several personal
hygiene measures. More specifically these are proper handwashing, and scrubbing under finger nails before handling food;
avoiding transfer of saliva from mouth to food by eating, talking, or chewing gum; and not contaminating hands by touching
hair, skin, or nose. The second preventive measure is to ensure equipment is clean and sanitary before using. The third and
most important preventive measure is making certain the cheddar cheese is kept in the refrigerator at 42OF (5OC) or below
rather than at room temperature. Had the cheese been held at temperatures outside the temperature danger zone,
Staphyloccus aureus could not have grown and produced the heat-stable toxin.

In this case study, cooking could not be used as a preventive measure.