Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Year's Eve

In the United States, New Year's Eve is a major social holiday. Who doesn't like to stay up late, party, and watch the new year ring in? Being more pragmatic, I watch the ball drop in Times Square at 9:00 pm PST and go to bed so I don't loose any sleep. I know, I know, wild times.

By the time New Year's gets to NYC, it's been going on for 17 hours. While I'm sure the Big Apple would like to think the balance of the globe holds their breath until midnight EST, that doesn't happen.

This week, a look at how the rest of the world celebrates New Year's Eve.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." - Carl Bard (Scottish theologian and broadcaster, 1907-1978)

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New Year's Eve

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Dark Days of Winter

December is a month full of special days. Whether you are celebrating Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or Boxing Day, it is a time for family, for friends, and for peace.

Each of these celebrations involves light. It’s time to break of your candles, yule log, advent wreath, oil lamps, menorah or your flame of choice and chase away the darkest time of the year for the northern hemisphere.


This week, a look at the dark days of winter.


TTFN, Fred.

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Quote of the week:
"I heard the bells, on Christmas Day,
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (American educator and poet , 1809 - 1882)

The Dark Days of Winter


Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Five Myths on the Dangers of Dining

Remember the good old days when Americans did not know too much about what they were eating and drinking? People would nod approvingly as they pushed their carts through supermarkets. The fruits and vegetables were piled high in glistening mounds, the pristine boxes and shiny cans crammed on shelves, the chickens sitting plumply in refrigerated cases, and the fish shimmering on crystalline beds of ice. The entire scene seemed drenched in wholesomeness.

Those days are long gone. Anyone who reads newspapers or watches TV knows that invisible dangers lurk in every aisle of the grocery store. Thanks to the Federal Food and Cosmetic Act and countless sanitarians over the last 100 years, these types of appalling conditions do not occur routinely in the US anymore. But given the history, if we let our guard down, the US food industry might just drift back to "the good old days" before regulation.

But how bad is it really, and how much of it is hype?
This week, a look at five myths on the dangers of dining.

TTFN, Fred.


Quote of the week: "Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens." - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring (English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, 1892- 1973)

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Five Myths on the Dangers of Dining

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

National Handwashing Awareness Week (December 7-13)

Rising cases of drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections make the observance of National Handwashing Awareness Week (December 7-13) even more vital than before. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite that hand washing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection. So, remember to wash dirty hands, always wash before eating, and keep fingers out of eyes, nose and mouth.

And who better to talk about washing your hands than…Henry the Hand. This week, a look at, well, Henry.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together." - Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home (American author, storyteller, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist, and radio personality, 1942 - )

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Henry the Hand



Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Fractionation

We've all seen it...a bottle of oil in your kitchen cabinet or a tote in the warehouse where the lower portion of the container is a different color and looks kinda solid. Oils are made up of varying portions called fractions. Given the right conditions (usually cold), they want to separate. This process can also be done mechanically and/or chemically, which is called fractionation.

This week, a look at edible oil fractionation.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." - Mark Twain (US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit, 1835 - 1910)

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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Taking the Gross out of Grocery Carts

Whether you call it a shopping cart, a trolley (Britain, Australia, and New Zealand English), a carriage or shopping carriage (in the New England region of the U.S.), a bascart (in some regions of the U.S.), a basket (in other regions of the U.S.) or a buggy (in the American South and parts of Western Canada), it is a cart supplied by a shop, especially a supermarket, for use by customers inside the shop for transport of merchandise to the check-out counter during shopping, and often to the customer's car after paying as well.

Although recent historical investigations have provided evidence of multiple innovations and controversies between early contributors to the invention of the shopping cart, it is usually considered that the "first" shopping cart was introduced on June 4, 1937, the invention of Sylvan Goldman, owner of the Humpty Dumpty supermarket chain in Oklahoma City.

Now, seventy-one years later, someone has figured out how to clean them.. Imagine that. This week, a look at taking the gross out of grocery carts.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true." - Carl Sagan (US astronomer & popularizer of astronomy 1934 - 1996)

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Grocery Carts

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

World Toilet Day

November 19th is World Toilet Day. Sounds like a joke, but it's deadly serious. The number of people worldwide without access to a toilet -- no public restroom, no outhouse, no latrine, no smallest room -- is a whopping 2.6 billion.

That's four out of ten people who have to use fields, river-banks, beaches, rubbish dumps or city streets. Another billion or so do have access to a toilet, usually some kind of a wooden platform with a hole in it laid across a deep pit, but it's often shared - and filthy.

This week, a look at an organization that doing something about this.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." - Anonymous (sometimes called "Hanlon's Razor")

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World Toilet Day

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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Salmonella

Salmonella is one of the most common intestinal infections in the United States. Salmonellosis, the disease caused by Salmonella, is the second most common foodborne illness after Campylobacter infection.

Salmonella infection occurs when the bacteria are ingested, typically from food derived from infected food-animals, but it can also occur by ingesting the feces of an infected animal or person. Food sources include raw or undercooked eggs/egg products, raw milk or raw milk products, contaminated water, meat and meat products, and poultry.

It is estimated that 1.4 million cases of salmonellosis occur each year in the U.S.; 95% of those cases are foodborne-related. About 31% of all food-related deaths are caused by Salmonella infections each year.

This week, we look at salmoenlla.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time." - Charlie Brown in "Peanuts", as written by Charles M. Schulz (US cartoonist, 1922 - 2000)

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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Microwave Refresher

You're running late for work. On your way, you stop at the quickie-mart, grab a frozen breakfast burrito and pop it in the microwave on the counter. Later that day, you have to work through lunch. By 3:00 p.m., you're starving, so you grab a snack-pack of microwaveable popcorn from the vending machine and pop that in the break-room microwave. That night, after a really long day, you're simply too tired to grill out, so you dish up last night's lasagna and heat it up in the microwave.

The microwave oven has to rate as one of the great inventions of the 20th century. Millions of homes in America have one. They cook food in an amazingly short amount of time and are extremely efficient in their use of electricity. Used correctly, life is good.

As with anything, misuse can lead to disaster. This week, we look at how to make sure you know your microwave and avoid the food safety issues others fall prey to.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There are 10^11 stars in the galaxy. That used to be a huge number. But it's only a hundred billion. It's less than the national deficit! We used to call them astronomical numbers. Now we should call them economical numbers." - Richard Feynman (US educator & physicist, 1918 - 1988)

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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols, a class of polyols, are commonly added to foods because of their lower caloric content than sugars. However, they are also, in general, less sweet, and are often combined with sugar substitutes. Excessive consumption can result in the need for excessive quality time in the bathroom, so pay careful attention to that Halloween candy you'll get in a few days.

This week, a look at sugar alcohols.

TTFN, Fred.


Quote of the week: "We cross our bridges when we come to them and burn them behind us, with nothing to show for our progress except a memory of the smell of smoke, and a presumption that once our eyes watered." - Sir Tom Stoppard, (British Academy Award winning screenwriter and Tony Award winning playwright, 1937 - )

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Read this document on Scribd: Sugar Alcohols - Polyols


Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Sugar Substitutes

The first artificial sweetener, saccharin, was discovered in 1878 by a scientist who failed to wash his hands before dinner and noticed that his fingers tasted sweet. Other sugar substitutes have also been discovered simply because scientists licked their fingers while testing a new drug or smoked a cigarette that was placed near a sweet-tasting compound. Poor personal hygiene has been the dieting industry's windfall.

Since then, a bevy of others have been produced and used around the world. The consumption of low-calorie sweeteners continues to increase, with consumer demand for low-calorie foods and beverages the major force behind this growth. The increasing interest in a health-conscious lifestyle and advances in food technology are pushing the development of more and better tasting low-calorie foods and beverages.

Depending on whom you talk with, sugar substitutes also go by the terms low-calorie sweeteners, non-nutritive sweeteners, intense sweeteners, high intensity sweeteners, high potency sweeteners, artificial sweeteners or alternative sweeteners. So many names, so little time.

This week, a look at sugar substitutes.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There is no formula for success, except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings." - Arthur Rubinstein (Polish-American pianist who is widely considered as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the 20th century, 1887 - 1982)

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Read this document on Scribd: Sugar Substitutes

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Caloric Sweeteners

Ingredients added to foods and beverages for the sweetness they impart also add functionality. From altering the mouth feel and viscosity to enhancing flavor and humectant properties, sweeteners offer a range of function for every conceivable food or beverage product. Sweetness is something people crave and seek out, and manufacturers are more than willing to supply it.

While probably not many consumers spend much time contemplating their intake of sucrose versus other caloric sweeteners, there are many technical differences and functional considerations regarding the various types of sweeteners available for food and beverage use. We’ll break it down three ways: caloric, sugar substitutes and polyols (better known as sugar alcohols).

Thirty years ago, sugar was the primary sweetener in America’s kitchens and in the products that lined the pantry. This week, we look at caloric sweeteners.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "No man or woman who tries to pursue an ideal in his or her own way is without enemies." - Daisy Lee Gatson Bates (American civil rights leader, journalist, publisher, and author, 1914 - 1999)

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Read this document on Scribd: Caloric Sweeteners

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

An Inconvenient Bag

The green giveaway of the moment -- the reusable shopping bag -- is a case study in how tricky it is to make products environmentally friendly. Just as digital music downloads were the giveaway of choice last year, reusable shopping bags are the new "it" freebie. The Sundance Institute gave out 12,000 fabric bags at its annual film festival earlier this year. Elisa Camahort Page, cofounder of BlogHer, an online community for women bloggers, says she even gave away 150 reusable bags to guests at her wedding last year.

But where do these bags come from? And are they as good for us as they seem? This week, we look at reusable shopping bags.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." - Leonardo da Vinci (an Italian polymath, having been a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician and writer, 1452 – 1519)

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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

The Smell of Coffee

It's amusing to discover that coffee was once touted as a ground-breaking treatment for the Plague in 18th century Europe. Okay, so it didn't work, but look at what it can do.

Its been nothing but roses over the last year for us coffee drinkers needing a scientific reason to validate our habit. The past 365 days have yielded no less than four separate studies on the beneficial health effects of drinking coffee: reducing the risk of liver cancer, protection from age-related memory decline, cutting the risk of colon cancer in half, and caffeine plus exercise might contribute to lower risk of skin cancer.

This week, we look at a study that shows even just the smell of freshly brewed coffee can help relieve stress, something I've known all along.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative." - H. G. Wells (English author, historian, & utopian, 1866 - 1946)

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Early Frozen Food History

The almost limitless forms of frozen foods are a part of our daily diet. Little thought is generally given to the complexities involved in their processing and marketing or to the difficulties that beset the industry during its developmental years.

Successful launching of the frozen food industry required not only the development of appropriate freezing equipment and processing procedures, but also the development of varieties of raw products specifically suited to freezing, packaging materials, facilities for handling, storing, transporting, and displaying frozen foods, a product line of sufficient depth to meet the desires of most consumers, and finally, favorable consumer attitudes, all of which had to happen at the same time.

Hard to believe it even happened, but it did. This week a look at the early history of frozen food.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered." - G. K. Chesterton (English writer whose prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography and fantasy, well noted for his "Father Brown" stories, 1874 - 1936)

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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Chemistry of Autumn Colors

Summer is waining, although with the typical warm September weather you wouldn't know it. In a few days we'll celebrate the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of fall. Last year at this time we looked at why leaves fall from trees and how once the trees decide to go dormant, the foliage fireworks

This week, we look at
the chemistry of those blazing autumn colors.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth, are never alone or weary of life." - Rachel Louise Carson (American marine biologist and nature writer whose writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement, 1907 - 1964)

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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Kitchen Science 101

Time consumed on a beautiful Saturday morning at the muffler shop: 2 hours.

Cost of the work done to an aging Ford Explorer: $144.38.


Finding a nearly year-old issue of Popular Science that contained an article on food...priceless.


This week, we look at
some Kitchen Science advice.

TTFN, Fred.


Quote of the week: "Not everything that is more difficult is more meritorious." - Saint Thomas Aquinas (scholar, theologian and philosopher, 1225 – 1274)

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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

September is National Food Safety Education Month

Normally the attachments are limited to one or two pages, but I just couldn't pass up the entire activity booklet. Remember, do these on your own time!

TTFN, Fred.


Quote of the week: "A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ." - John Steinbeck (one of the best-known and most widely read American writers of the 20th century, 1902 - 1968)

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Read this document on Scribd: Be Food Safe Activity Book

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Is Smarter Better?

Debating the intelligence of animals can be as unsatisfying as arguing over free will. Which animals? What do you mean by intelligence? My cats may be smarter than I am, as they get free room and board and sleep all day.

The animals that are studied the most are the ones most like us. Over the past few decades it has become clear the great apes can learn some aspects of language and syntax, as can parrots and dolphins. Those animals are certainly smarter than most people thought they were. They learn.

A recent study shows that, to some species, learning is not necessarily better. Until someone proves to me learning it a bad thing for humans, I'll keep doing it.

This week, a look at if smarter is necessarily better for all animals.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering." - Ben Okri (Nigerian poet and novelist, 1959 - )

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

HACCP Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping and Documentation Procedures

For a successful HACCP program to be properly implemented, management must be committed to a HACCP approach. A commitment by management will indicate an awareness of the benefits and costs of HACCP and include education and training of employees. Benefits, in addition to enhanced assurance of food safety, are better use of resources and timely response to problems.

Record-keeping and documentation procedures should be simple to complete and include information that illustrates that the established standards are being met. Employees need to be trained on the record-keeping procedures and why it is a critical part of their job. Examples of records include time/temperature logs, checklists, forms, flowcharts, employee training records, and SOP's.

This week, we look at
HACCP Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping and Documentation Procedures.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "There is no formula for success, except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings." - Arthur Rubinstein (Polish-American pianist who is widely considered as one of the greatest piano virtuosi of the 20th century, 1887 - 1982)

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Read this doc on Scribd: HACCP 7-7

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Honey, they've shrunk the grocery packaging

A couple of weeks ago we talked about shrinking groceries and how less costs the same or more than it did before. Not all shrinking packages are a bad thing, as some packages can get smaller and/or use less overall materials without reducing the amount they hold.

This week, a look at shrinking grocery packaging that doesn't mean getting less for more.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Fantasy abandoned by reason produces impossible monsters." - Francisco Goya (Aragonese Spanish painter and printmaker, 1746 - 1828)

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Wednesday, August 6, 2008

HACCP Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures

Examples of the successful implementation of HACCP by food establishments may be found throughout the food industry. During the past several years, FDA and a number of state and local jurisdictions have worked with two national voluntary pilot projects for retail food stores and restaurants. These projects involved more than 20 food establishments and demonstrated that HACCP is a viable and practical option to improve food safety. FDA believes that HACCP concepts have matured to the point at which they can be formally implemented for all food products on an industry-wide basis.

Verification procedures are activities, other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the system is operating according to the plan. An important aspect of verification is to determine if the plan is scientifically and technically sound. Also, that all the hazards have been identified and that, if the HACCP plan is properly implemented, these hazards can be effectively controlled. Verification can be accomplished by expert advice and scientific studies and observations of the flow of food, measurements and evaluations. Another means of verification is an on site review of the established critical limits. Each CCP will have one independent authority. This verification step provides an opportunity to make modifications to the plan if necessary.


This week, we look at HACCP Principle 6:
Establish Verification Procedures .

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Now what else is the whole life of mortals but a sort of comedy, in which the various actors, disguised by various costumes and masks, walk on and play each one his part, until the manager waves them off the stage?" – Erasmus (aka Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, Dutch humanist and theologian, 1466 - 1536)

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Honey, they've shrunk the groceries

Think carefully: when's the last time you actually bought a half-gallon container of ice cream? Many ice cream containers moved from 2 quarts to 1.75 quarts a few years ago. Recently, some have been reduced in size again to 1.5 quarts.

Somebody stop the madness!

This week, we look at the shrinking size of some groceries.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." - Lao-tze (philosopher of ancient China and a central figure in Taoism)

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

HACCP Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions

The Codex Alimentarius (Latin for "food code" or "food book") is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations relating to foods, food production and food safety under the aegis of consumer protection. The Commission's main aims are stated as being to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the international food trade. HACCP was adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1997.

If the criteria for a CCP is not being met, some type of corrective action must be taken. They must meet the standards established in Step 3, must be based on facts for normal working conditions and be measurable. Corrective actions may range, for example, from "continue cooking until the established temperature is reached" to "throw out the product," depending on the severity of the situation. HACCP plans should include who is responsible for implementing the corrective action and what corrective action was/will be taken, and they should be established in advance as part of the HACCP plan.

This week, we look at
HACCP Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects." - Oscar Wilde (Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories, 1854 - 1900)

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Read this doc on Scribd: HACCP 7-5


Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Beware of Bug Bites and Stings


Summer. Warm weather.
Sunny days. Fishing. Bugs in your beer. Mosquitoes. Ticks. Ugh.

Hey, if it were all b
utterflies, dragonflies and lightning bugs, life would be grand. This week, we look at bug bites and stings.

TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Nothing is permanent in this wicked world. Not even our troubles." - Charles Chaplin (British actor, director, & screenwriter, 1889 - 1977)

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Wednesday, July 9, 2008

HACCP Principle 4: Establish Monitoring/Inspection Requirements

Traditional inspection is relatively resource-intensive and inefficient and is reactive rather than preventive compared to the HACCP approach for ensuring food safety. Regulatory agencies are challenged to find new approaches to food safety that enable them to become more focused and efficient and to minimize costs wherever possible. The advantages of HACCP-based inspections are becoming increasingly acknowledged by the regulatory community.

Monitoring is a plan which includes observations or measurements to assess whether the CCP is being met. It provides a record of the "flow of food" through the establishment. If monitoring indicates that the critical limits are not being met, then an action must be taken to bring the process back into control. The monitoring system should be easy to use and meet the needs of the food establishment, as well as the regulatory authority. It is important that the job of monitoring be assigned to a specific individual and they be trained on the monitoring technique.

This week, we look at HACCP Principle 4: Establish Monitoring/Inspection Requirements.


TTFN, Fred.

Quote of the week: "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed." - G.K. Chesterton (English writer whose prolific and diverse output included journalism, philosophy, poetry, biography and fantasy, well noted for his "Father Brown" stories, 1874 - 1936)

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Read this document on Scribd: HACCP 7-4


Read this doc on Scribd: HACCP 7-4