Tag: FDA warnings

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Latest ServSafe Guidelines For Disastrous Listeria

Serve Safe Certification Guide to Listeria

When we prepare for ServSafe certification classes, we monitor food product recalls and FDA warnings concerning food-borne illness outbreaks. In the last three months, nine people have died, and nearly 60 patients have been hospitalized with Listeria. The source of this outbreak was tracked to meats sliced at delis, including Boar’s Head brand liverwurst, which was contaminated with Listeria and sickened people. With Listeria impacting food safety and being prevalent in the news, ServSafe managers must understand this bacterium, how it spreads, and how to prevent it from sickening customers who consume your food products.

ServSafe Certification Guide to Listeria
Image Credit: by jpalinsad360 thru www.flickr.com

ServSafe Certification Guide to Listeria

Listeria is a unique case for food-borne illness suspects because, unlike many other bacteria, it grows and multiplies at much colder temperatures than other contaminants. This means that any product contaminated with Listeria can be dangerous, even if stored in the refrigerator. Listeria bacteria can remain active at temperatures that approach and dip below freezing.

The low breeding temperature of Listeria makes it vital that ServSafe managers handle food properly. Ensure you rinse raw produce thoroughly, cook all prepared foods to the proper temperatures, and always clean and sanitize prep surfaces after preparing raw foods. Some of the most common foods that are responsible for Listeria outbreaks include:

  • Raw dairy and soft cheeses
  • Raw sprouts
  • Hot dogs and deli meats
  • Smoked or cold-cured seafood

Even though these are the most common sources of Listeria, we have noticed an increase in recalls and outbreaks traced back to frozen vegetables and fruits. We urge you to monitor FDA recalls. You can easily do this by viewing the FDA widget on the right-hand side of our blog page.

While ServSafe managers cringe at discussing the effect of Listeria poisoning, it is vital to understand the symptoms to identify the cause of a foodborne illness. Listeria poisoning incubates between a few days to a few months, so symptoms can arise long after tainted food has been consumed. Symptoms can include:

  • Fever
  • Soreness in the neck
  • Disorientation
  • Reduced strength
  • Vomiting

A quick read of Listeria poisoning symptoms closely resembles a list of flu symptoms with a few exceptions. Listeria attacks the nervous system as well as the digestive system. When you hear about these symptoms, there is a chance that Listeria is the culprit.

What to Do If You Have A Listeria Outbreak


If you do have an unfortunate incident involving Listeria at your establishment, it is essential to cooperate with your local health department. The bacteria could have originated from one of your suppliers, so giving the health department all your information can help prevent further cases.

If you want to learn more about Listeria and other bacteria, we offer ServSafe certification classes online or led by a qualified instructor.

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ServSafe Managers and Sprouts

ServSafe Managers and Sprouts

The danger of serving fresh spouts has once again come to national attention as the FDA has recently issued a warning letter to the national sandwich chain Jimmy John’s. Sprouts have often been the culprit in foodborne illness outbreaks, and this recent warning should serve to alert all ServSafe managers to the dangers of serving this popular vegetable.

Servsafe Managers and sprouts on a sandwich

Can ServSafe Food Managers Safely Serve Fresh Spouts?

The FDA’s warning to Jimmy John’s came after 22 people in Iowa were stricken with E.coli after including sprouts as an ingredient in their sandwich. This wasn’t, however, an isolated incident involving one location as sprouts served to customers from several different franchise locations have sickened customers in the past.

This specific sandwich franchise has been implicated in more than its share of outbreaks involving sprouts and E.coli or salmonella. Most recently, the chain was implicated in s February 2019 E.coli outbreak in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in the past was blamed for a six-state outbreak in 2014 and an 11-state outbreak in 2012. As a result, the company has taken steps to stop the outbreak by removing sprouts as an offering at all of their locations.

With such a variety of locations and circumstances, but the same ingredient, what steps could have been taken to prevent the spread of illness?

In cases such as these involving such a sensitive ingredient, ServSafe managers should first look to where they source their ingredients from. Sprouts are commonly contaminated where they are grown and many times rinsing and washing cannot remove the bacteria before the ingredients have been served to guests.

If it’s so hard to prevent the spread of illness from sprouts once the ingredient reaches your establishment, what should ServSafe managers do to keep this ingredient safe?

The first step is to know your source. Keep an eye on recalls and outbreaks from farms and other companies that supply sprouts. If your provider has a track record of shipping contaminated product, you may wish to search for a sprout supplier that hasn’t been implicated in any foodborne illness cases.

Finally, make sure you inspect all incoming spouts and look for signs of contamination. Some signs may include traces of dirt or other contaminants, brown or sickly looking roots and musty smells. These are three common signs that your sprouts may be contaminated or not as fresh as they claim to be. With an ingredient such as fresh sprouts, you’re better off not serving them rather than taking a chance on a shipment that has the potential of sickening your guests.

Do you, as a Servsafe manager, serve sprouts in your establishment?