For more information,
contact Harold LeBouf II
at 978-632-8616,
(C)508-243-3842
or at
FoodSafety@HaroldLeBouf.com
Harold@HaroldLeBouf.com
with your
food safety questions
or for
helpful food safety hints.

Always remember
to handle food safely
both professionally
and at home!

Worldwide
Food Service Safety Month
(WFSSM)

Founded by Harold LeBouf II

Sponsored since 1998 by Sweet & Savory Food Concessions

Annually observed in December,
the Worldwide Food Service Safety Month
is geared toward professional food service safety.
However, it also reminds cooks in homes all around the world
to handle food safely.
People working with food need to
buy, store, prepare, serve, and store prepared food properly.

Annual Food Safety Contest

"Raw Food Safety"
"Baking Safety"
"Dinner Meal Safety"
"Warm and Cold Dessert Safety"
"Outdoor Cooking Safety"
"Roasting Safety"
“Fried Food Safety"

Food Safety Contest Description

contestants write a 100-800 word essay
about a personal experience with handling food safely
that reflects that year's theme.
Anyone over 18 years old who prepares food can enter.
Send essay in the body of your email
to FoodSafety@HaroldLeBouf.com
between November 1st and December 15th.
The winner will be contacted on or about December 31st.
Between January 1st - January 15th,
the winner will be announced and
the winning entry will be published.

Last year's winner was
Onion Ring Chef P A K
who wrote about onion rings.
Here's his entry:
subject: “Fried Food Safety”
title: Fried Onion Rings

Last summer I began to work for a well known food concession. After learning how to set up an outdoor kitchen, I was told that I would be the Fried Onion Cook. I remember thinking that I don’t know how to do that. My confusion must have shown because I was given very detailed directions.

The next day, I showered, put clean clothes on, and combed my balding head. I showed up early to get set up and go over the directions again. I put on a clean chef’s coat, washed my hands, put vinyl gloves on, made up my dry mix, my wet mix and arranged my onion ring table.

Then I checked my onion ring cutter carefully to be sure that it was in good condition and safe to use. After all, if I lost a few fingers, I wouldn’t be able to fry the onion rings. : )

I set up the cutter in a corner area that had very little traffic and was very near to my onion ring table and the onion ring fryerlator. Then I sanitized the cutter and area. I put the bag of onions on a crate on one side and a sanitized container directly in front of the cutter to collect the onion rings. Finally, I put a waste container on the other side to catch all the onion waste. Just as I washed my hands again, put new vinyl gloves on, and began cutting my onions, the boss reminded me that the fryerlator had to be set up.

So…I took off my chef coat and gloves and put on an apron. The first thing I did was carefully pour in fresh canola oil. I was careful because I did not want to get any oil on the roll floor as that might have caused someone to slip. I checked to see if the fire extinguishers were where we left them the night before. When we set up the outdoor kitchen, we set up the gas lines and tested them. But when I turned the gas on, I tested it again. Then I turned the heat on and set the temperature dial.

I took the apron off, put my chef jacket on, washed my hands, and put a new pair of vinyl gloves on. Then I began cutting the onions again. I had been cutting the onions for three hours and I was getting very sore, so I was happy when the boss said that it was time to start frying the onions.

I brought my cut onions to my onion ring table. Then I washed down the cutting area, set up a new sanitized container for cut onions and disposed of the onion waste so the cutting area was ready for me anytime as I was told that it could get really busy.

After I washed my hands again and put on another pair of new vinyl gloves. I checked the fryerlator temperature and began the painstaking process of making my first batch of onion rings. Then I carefully poured them into the fryerlater, carefully timed them, carefully took them out and let them drain. Then I put them on paper towels to cool. And finally into a large French fry boat to serve.

Well, that’s the process and I think I’ve covered the safety areas. My onion rings were a hit. Now people come to the concession asking if the onion ring king is here.

If you decide to fry in a fryerlator or cut with an onion cutter, I suggest that you find out the safety and sanitary procedures before you start the process. Good luck! Or should I say, "Stay safe!"

For more information,
contact founder
Food Connoisseur Harold LeBouf
978-632-8616 or (C) 508-243-3842
or month coordinator
Deb Kulkkula, M Ed, M B A, Hon. Ph D
978-343-4009 or (C) 978-808-8084
FoodSafety@HaroldLeBouf.com
Http://www.HaroldLeBouf.com