Author: esalyer

Environmental
Health

Food Safety

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Safe food temperatures

Checking temperatures is a critical step for food safety in the kitchen. You should always use a food thermometer to check whether cooked foods have reached a safe minimum internal temperature that is hot enough to kill harmful germs that cause foodborne illness. Some meats also need a rest time after cooking. Rest time is important for certain meats because it allows the innermost parts and juices of the meats to become fully and safely cooked. There is a rest time of 3 minutes for beef steaks, roasts, and chops along with pork raw ham, steaks, roasts, and chops. The Health Department has many food safety posters available at request if you would like to have some available in your kitchen for reference when cooking. Please follow the guidelines below for how to cook raw meat, poultry, seafood, and other foods to a safe minimum internal temperature.

Food Safety Training will be held Friday February 24, 2023 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, at the Vinton County Community Building 31935 State Route 93, McArthur, Ohio. Please RSVP buy 2-22-2023 by calling (740) 596-0473. We will be discussing hand washing and temperature control.

Important dates

moakley@vintonohhealth.org
briley@vintonohhealth.org
esalyer@vintonohhealth.org

31927 St. Rt. 93
McArthur, Oh 45651
Phone: (740) 596-0473
Fax: (740) 596-5837

FSO and RFE license applications and fees are due to Vinton County Health Department before March 1, 2023

Updated Covid Isolation Requirements

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If you have COVID-19, you can spread the virus to others. There are precautions you can take to prevent spreading it to others: isolation, masking, and avoiding contact with people who are at high risk of getting very sick. Isolation is used to separate people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 from those without COVID-19.
Regardless of vaccination status, you should isolate from others when you have COVID-19. You should also isolate if you are sick and suspect that you have COVID-19, but do not yet have test results. If your results are positive, follow the full isolation recommendations below. If your results are negative, you can end your isolation.
When you have COVID-19, isolation is counted in days, as follows:
If you had no symptoms
Day 0 is the day you were tested (not the day you received your positive test result)
Day 1 is the first full day following the day you were tested
If you develop symptoms within 10 days of when you were tested, the clock restarts at day 0 on the day of symptom onset
If you had symptoms
Day 0 of isolation is the day of symptom onset, regardless of when you tested positive
Day 1 is the first full day after the day your symptoms started
If you test positive for COVID-19, stay home for at least 5 days and isolate from others in your home. You are likely most infectious during these first 5 days. Wear a high-quality mask if you must be around others at home and in public. Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask. Do not travel. Stay home and separate from others as much as possible. Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (like trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.
End isolation based on how serious your COVID-19 symptoms were. Loss of taste and smell may persist for weeks or months after recovery and need not delay the end of isolation. If you had no symptoms, you may end isolation after day 5. If you had symptoms and your symptoms are improving you may end isolation after day 5 if you are fever-free for 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medication). If your symptoms are not improving continue to isolate until you are fever-free for 24 hours and your symptoms are improving. If you had symptoms and had moderate illness (you experienced shortness of breath or had difficulty breathing) you need to isolate through day 10.
Severe illness (you were hospitalized) or have a weakened immune system you need to isolate through day 10 and consult your doctor before ending isolation.
Regardless of when you end isolation, until at least day 11 avoid being around people who are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19. Remember to wear a high-quality mask when indoors around others at home and in public. Do not go places where you are unable to wear a mask until you are able to discontinue masking.
After you have ended isolation, when you are feeling better (no fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and symptoms improving), wear your mask through day 10 or if you have access to antigen tests, you should consider using them. With two sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, you may remove your mask sooner than day 10.

FREE
At home Covid-19 tests available at
The VC Health Dept.

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Contamination Thermometer
Handwashing Mop
Temperature Dishwashing
Allergens Chemicals
Cleaning Hygiene
Food Gloves
Soap Inspector
Gloves

Norovirus

Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness. It is commonly referred to as “the stomach flu”, “the stomach bug”, or “food poisoning”. The symptoms include: diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Outbreaks are very common as the virus spreads very easily from person to person and through contaminated food and surfaces. Outbreaks can occur at any time, but are most commonly reported from November to April. The best ways to prevent Norovirus are washing hands, washing fruits and vegetables, properly sanitizing utensils and surfaces, thoroughly washing soiled laundry and cooking shellfish to the proper temperatures. Per the CDC, people with Norovirus or Norovirus like symptoms should stay home and not prepare food for others while sick and for two days after symptoms stop. Norovirus is one of the thirteen reportable diseases in Ohio under OAC 3717-1-2.1A. When an employee is diagnosed with the virus, they are required to report the diagnosis to the person in charge, and the licensor (Vinton County Health Department) is to be notified. The employee may return to work once released by a health care provider to do so or by approval of the licenser. These provisions are in place to prevent the transmission of the virus to others through food contamination. Facilities with a food license are required to have an employee health policy on file and to educate their employees on Ohio’s reportable diseases and symptoms including Norovirus.

June 7 is World Food Safety Day. The World Health Organization has proposed this day for calling the attention of people everywhere to the risks of contaminated food and water.

Proper handwashing

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Proper handwashing is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent contracting or spreading infectious diseases. It is especially important when working with food. In Ohio food employees must wash their hands in the following situations:
After touching bare human body parts other than clean hands and clean, exposed portions of arms
After using the toilet room
After caring for or handling service animals or aquatic animals
After coughing, sneezing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, using tobacco, eating, or drinking
After handling soiled equipment or utensils
During food preparation, as often as necessary to remove soil and contamination and to prevent cross contamination when changing tasks
When switching between working with raw food and working with ready-to-eat food
Before donning gloves to initiate a task that involves working with food
After engaging in any other activities that may contaminate the hands

Proper handwashing takes place in the facilities designated handwashing sink. The handwashing sink is required to have warm water, soap, towels, and a sign stating that “This sink is for handwashing only”. The handwashing sink may not be used for any purpose other than hand washing and must be accessible at all times. The proper steps for washing hands are:

*Rub hands together to make lather and scrub them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

*Wet your hands with clean warm running water and apply soap.

*Continue rubbing hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice through to a friend.

*Rinse hands well under running water.

*Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.

People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick.

Did you know?

Proper handwashing continued

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When conducting our inspections we always make sure that the handwashing sinks are accessible and properly stocked with the required items. We observe the procedures taking place and ensure that employees are washing hands correctly and at the proper times. Washing hands at the appropriate times and using the proper method is crucial to food safety. If your facility is in need of handwashing signs or educational materials we can provide those to you upon request.

Food Protection Certification

An important issue we come across during our routine food inspections is whether or not facilities have the correct certification for food protection. Person-In-Charge (PIC) Certification in Food Protection is a mandated training for the designated person in charge for each shift of a risk level I, II, III, and IV food service operation or retail food establishment if any of the following apply:
A food service operation or a retail food establishment initially licensed after March 1, 2010 unless the individual has successfully completed an equivalent or more comprehensive manager certification in food protection course (Manager Certification).
A food service operation or retail food establishment has been implicated in a foodborne disease outbreak.
The licensor has documented a failure to maintain sanitary conditions in accordance with section 3717.29 of the Revised Code for a retail food establishment or section 3717.49 of the Revised Code for a food service operation.
The Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code states that each risk level III and risk level IV food service operation and retail food establishment shall have at least one employee with the authority to control food service that possesses the manager certification in food protection. The manager certification in food protection is an extensive training that provides managers with knowledge of proper food safety practices for their facilities.
The Ohio Department of Health’s website has a section dedicated to information pertaining to food safety certification. It lists in detail what exactly the certification is and the requirements for food facilities. Their website also lists approved courses facilities can attend to obtain the certification. Once your facility has had an employee attend a course and receive their certificate for manager certification, they will then need to send in that certificate to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). ODH will then send your employee a certificate from their department.
The ODH certificate that they will send back to you is what our health department looks for when we conduct our food inspections. One good thing about the ODH certificates is that they never expire so once you have completed the class and received your certification it is good for a lifetime. If your facility ever has any questions about who should be certified or upcoming classes feel free to ask us and we would be happy to explain any concerns you may have.