Dietitians have a very important role in so many areas of nutrition. Keeping food safe is key when working in food service and one of the best ways to keep food safe is by following a HACCP plan. 

The RD Exam is an exam that covers the vast areas of nutrition to make sure dietitians have a basic, entry-level knowledge in nutrition. Food safety and HACCP are fair game on the exam. 

In this episode, I interview Nick Padula, an amazing dietitian with 7 years experience in food service management. Nick has been through many fun and challenging times working in hospital food service. He recently decided to pivot and left food service management to start his own business, LBC Nutrition. You can learn more about him and his business at www.lbcnutrition.com and can find him on Instagram @lbc_nutrition.

This is what you'll learn in this lesson:

• An overview of HACCP and what it stands for
• The types of contaminants that can end up in food and make people sick
• How to easily breakdown scoop sizes
• A little history on why food safety is a priority in food service

One of the goals of this podcast is to break concepts down and make studying easier so Nick and I created a free cheat sheet summarizing the topics covered in this podcast. You can get your free cheat sheet here. 

Here's a glance at this episode:

[00:35] Looking an example of why temperatures are so important and an overview of the proper cooling process for food that is cooked ahead of time.

[04:15] Breaking down HACCP, what it stands for and the critical control points where temperature and time must be monitored to make sure food is safe.

[08:40] Summary of minimum cooking times for various foods as well as the holding temperature requirements. 

[10:00] An easy way to determine the number of ounces in each scoop size.

[11:00] The process and guidelines for receiving food to make sure the food entering the department is safe.

[14:00] Reviewing the order food should be stored on shelves in the refrigerator - a sure thing health inspectors and surveyors will look at.

[16:09] Nick shares a story that resulted in the development of the Meat Inspection Act of 1906 by Theodore Roosevelt.