A Food Handler Discovers a Container of Cubed Ham: Proper Safety Steps

As a food handler you may encounter many types of food safety situations that require quick thinking and action. One scenario is discovering a container of cubed ham that has no date label or other identifying information. While cubed ham may seem harmless, unknown storage times and temperatures can present real food safety hazards.

So what should a food handler do upon finding unlabeled cubed ham? What actions protect public health while preventing food waste? Read on for a detailed guide to properly handling the discovery of unmarked cubed ham in a commercial kitchen.

Assess the Scene

Upon initially finding a container of cubed ham with no labels, take a moment to objectively assess the situation before taking any action:

• Note the location where the ham was discovered. Is it in the walk-in cooler, refrigerator, preparation area, etc?

• Visually inspect the ham, Does it appear fresh and normal in color/texture? Is there any obvious spoilage like mold or sliminess?

• Feel the exterior of the container. Does it feel cold or is it approaching room temperature?

• Is the ham in contact with any other products that could be cross contaminated?

Making these initial observations provides key information to determine next steps. Never hastily discard food without a smart assessment first.

Isolate the Unknown Ham

Once you’ve gathered some initial information, the next priority is to isolate the unlabeled ham:

• If refrigerated, keep the ham chilled while handling it.

• If found at room temperature, immediately place it in the cooler.

• Put the ham in a dedicated preparation area away from other food products and traffic.

• Avoid any cross contamination by keeping the ham container separate.

Isolating the ham is critical because the safety is still unknown. Treat it as potentially hazardous until proven otherwise.

Call for a Supervisor Inspection

After isolating the questionable cubed ham, the next step is to call over a supervisor or the person in charge:

• Notify the kitchen manager on duty about the situation.

• Allow them to visually inspect and feel the ham firsthand.

• Provide any observations you made about the location, condition, temperature, etc.

• Ask when and where they believe the ham may have come from.

• Let the supervisor make the judgement call on safety and proper handling.

As a food handler, passing the responsibility to a supervisor is appropriate here. They have the experience and authority to decide if unknown ham can be safely used or must be discarded.

Assess Safety Factors

During the supervisor inspection, consider all the relevant factors that can clue them in on the ham’s safety:

• Source – Was the ham likely produced and packaged in-house where handling can be verified? Or is the source completely unknown?

• Time – How long has the ham likely been refrigerated? When is the last time the area was fully cleaned and sanitized?

• Temperature – Is the ham still chilled? Ham must remain at 41°F or below to control bacteria growth.

• Appearance – Does the color, smell and texture appear unspoiled and normal? Signs of sliminess, stickiness, or foul odors may signal spoilage.

• Contamination – Is the container sealed? Has it come into contact with any unsafe items?

Considering these criteria allows the supervisor to make an informed decision on safety.

Decide Safe Handling

Once all the evidence has been evaluated, the supervisor must make a final determination on how to handle the unmarked cubed ham:

• Discard ham – If safety is questionable based on the assessment, the proper protocol is to discard the ham.

• Use immediately – If found to still be safe, the ham should be used immediately within the same shift.

• Date & label – If plating up for service, the ham must be clearly labeled with a use-by date and ingredient info.

• Enhance inspection – Improved storage and dating practices may be needed if unknown ham is a recurring issue.

Proper training and experience prepares supervisors to make the right call in these gray area situations balancing safety and waste.

Review Policies and Procedures

Besides handling the immediate ham issue, this discovery process also highlights larger areas for improvement:

• Date labeling – All prepared foods must be consistently labeled with preparation/use-by dates.

• FIFO system – First In, First Out rotation needs reinforcement so older products get used first.

• Storage organization – All foods must be stored logically and neatly so mystery items don’t get abandoned.

• Prep logs – Maintain detailed logs of food prep batches so unknown foods can be traced back.

• Equipment checks – Verify refrigeration units are operating at proper temperatures.

• Staff training – Reinforce safe food handling, labeling, dating, and storage procedures with employees.

Identifying where the process broke down can lead to positive changes to prevent recurrence of unlabeled cubed ham or other foods.

When in Doubt, Toss it Out!

Food safety always trumps waste. If there is any doubt after a thorough assessment about the freshness and safety of unlabeled cubed ham or other abandoned foods, remember:

• Don’t take risks with public health over food costs.

• It’s better to discard questionable foods than risk a foodborne illness.

• Focus efforts on enhancing labeling, dating, storage, and inspection policies.

• Empower staff at all levels to identify and isolate unlabeled foods.

• Have managers make the final call on whether unmarked foods are safe to serve.

By reinforcing smart, cautious practices for handling suspect hams or other foods, facilities can improve safety while reducing waste over time. Stay vigilant!