SAFE MEAT HANDLING

One of the most hazardous foods to prepare is meat.  Whether dealing with beef, pork, or chicken, these items require strict temperature controls to ensure proper quality and safety of the meal.  A restaurant I inspected was well known for its hamburgers.  It was nicely decorated but the name left something to be desired.  It was called the Black Burger Palace.  Not too appetizing a thought, but the burgers served weren’t black and the restaurant has since gone out of business.  Another restaurant in the same town was well known for their rack of lamb.  The owner had set up his restaurant for a career change with little knowledge of how to handle food safely.  My most memorable inspection was walking into the kitchen and discovering raw lamb ribs piled two feet high on a prep table!  This is one example of how a food poisoning can occur rapidly.  My inspection was at 2 pm that day.  If the lamb was left out until used, it would easily have been over the two hour limit.  Needless to say, the meat was removed and thrown out since the owner confirmed my suspicions of leaving the meat out since 9 am.  This restaurant also closed down as the owner left town.  The rack of lamb problem moved away with him.