Food Safety Fundamentals: Sanitation, and Control Programs

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This course provides a comprehensive and practical understanding of food safety and microbiology, designed to equip learners with the knowledge and skills required to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure compliance with modern food safety standards. It explores the scientific foundations of food safety, focusing on how microorganisms interact with food and how unsafe handling practices can lead to contamination, outbreaks, and serious public health consequences. Through clear explanations and real-world examples, learners gain a strong grasp of why food safety controls are essential across the entire food supply chain.

The course begins by explaining the importance of food safety standards and the mechanisms behind foodborne illnesses and outbreaks. Learners will study the characteristics of major foodborne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, and understand how these microorganisms contaminate food and survive under different conditions. Special attention is given to factors that influence microbial growth, using the FAT TOM framework to explain how time, temperature, moisture, acidity, oxygen, and nutrients affect food safety risks.

Learners will then examine the major types of food hazards—biological, chemical, physical, and allergenic—and how they can be identified, controlled, and prevented in food handling and production environments. The course explains time and temperature control principles in detail, including the concept of the danger zone and critical limits necessary for safe storage, cooking, cooling, and holding of food. Practical guidance is provided to help learners apply these controls effectively in real-world settings.

A strong emphasis is placed on personal hygiene, sanitation, and facility design as critical components of food safety. Learners will understand the responsibilities of food handlers, proper hygiene practices, illness reporting procedures, and the role of health screening in preventing contamination. The course also covers sanitary facility layout, workflow design, cleaning and sanitizing methods, chemical usage, master cleaning schedules, and integrated pest management systems to maintain a safe and compliant food environment.

The course further introduces food safety management systems and regulatory compliance requirements. Learners will gain a clear understanding of prerequisite programs, the seven principles of HACCP, identification and monitoring of critical control points, corrective actions, verification procedures, and documentation practices. Traceability systems, product recalls, and global food safety standards such as GFSI benchmarking requirements are also explained, helping learners understand how food safety is managed, audited, and enforced at an organizational level.

By the end of this course, learners will have a well-rounded understanding of food safety principles, microbiology, hazard control, sanitation, and management systems.

This knowledge prepares them to apply food safety practices confidently in food service, manufacturing, processing, or regulatory environments, and supports professional development for those pursuing roles in food safety, quality assurance, and compliance.

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