Unsafe Food

Unsafe food is food that is contaminated, adulterated, improperly processed or otherwise likely to cause illness or injury when consumed. Hazards may be biological, chemical, physical or allergenic. Food can be unsafe even when it looks, smells and tastes normal, so sensory inspection alone is not a reliable safety test.

Common causes

• Biological hazards: pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, pathogenic E. coli and norovirus.
• Temperature abuse: food held, cooled or reheated outside required time-temperature controls.
• Cross-contamination: transfer of pathogens or allergens from raw foods, hands, equipment or surfaces.
• Chemical hazards: cleaning chemicals, pesticides, toxins or undeclared allergens.
• Physical hazards: glass, metal, plastic, stones or other foreign objects.

Examples in a restaurant

Examples include cooked rice left under unsafe conditions, raw poultry juices contacting ready-to-eat salad, food containing an undeclared allergen, or fish from an unverified source intended for raw service. Some hazards, such as histamine in susceptible fish, may not be detected by smell or appearance.

Prevention and response

Use approved suppliers, receiving checks, safe storage, hand hygiene, separation of raw and ready-to-eat foods, validated cooking and cooling controls, sanitation and allergen management. If food is suspected to be unsafe, stop service, isolate the product, assess it under the food-safety plan and discard it when required. Document the incident and corrective action.

Chef’s note: do not taste food to determine whether it is safe. When safety is uncertain, follow the food-safety plan and seek guidance from the person responsible for food safety or the local health authority.