Food Handling/Hygiene Policy

Transcription

1 Food Handling/Hygiene Policy Document Type Author Owner (Dept) Food Handling/Hygiene Policy Health & Safety Manager Learning & Development Date of Review March 2016

2 List of Contents Page No 1. Introduction Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points Principles of HACCP Application of HACCP HACCP works by: Food Poisoning First Steps to Establishing a Safe Catering System... 7 Step 1: Hazard Identification... 7 Step 2: Critical Control Points... 8 Step 3: Establishment of Control Measures... 8 Step 4: Monitoring... 8 Step 5: Review How to make HACCP Work... 9 Generic Flow Chart Examples of Risk Assessments Catering by The Mungo Foundation How safe are we? Personal Hygiene Rules Using a Probe Thermometer Target Temperatures Food Which will Require Temperature Control Cross Contamination Record Keeping Form 1: Purchase/Delivery Record Form 2: Temperature Record Blank Forms Monitoring Forms Form 1 Purchase/Delivery Record Form 2 Temperature Record Form 3 - Record of Probe Calibration Form 4 Risk Assessment Page 2

3 Form 5 Training Record Form 6 Pre-Employment Medical Questionnaire Form 7 Staff Illness Report Form List of Main Suppliers Glossary of Commonly Used Food Safety Terms Page 3

4 1. Introduction The Mungo Foundation provides residential, housing and support to vulnerable members of the community. Some of the projects undertaken by the department may involve the preparation and serving of food to individuals we support, whilst in other projects, self-catering will be the normal provision, or a combination of both. The former places a legal responsibility on those involved in the preparation and service of food, to ensure that food operations are conducted in a manner such as not to present even the slightest risk to the health of the individual. To support staff in this role, it is the policy of The Mungo Foundation to provide staff with training in food safety matters. This training, which will be co-ordinated through the Training Department, will be at a level commensurate with an individual s responsibilities, in terms of the catering function. This booklet has been provided to supplement that training by providing guidance and assistance to staff employed by The Mungo Foundation and to others, including individuals to ensure that every reasonable step is taken to provide the highest confidence in the safety of the food prepared in premises under the control of The Mungo Foundation. Although there are technical and legislative differences between the terms Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis, they will for the purpose of this guidance booklet, be treated as being the interchangeable and will be referred to as HACCP. 2. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points For thousands of years, people have been endeavouring to provide safe food. The early religious edicts and sacred laws relating to the handling of food demonstrate this process. Modern Food Safety legislation, which is designed to ensure the provision of safe food at all stages has evolved from those early principles. Today, the approach to food safety is based on the principle of HACCP, which stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. It is not a new concept, having evolved in the late 1950 s as a by-product of the U.S. space race. In the United Kingdom current Legislation governing food safety principles is contained within the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene Regulations) Regulation 4 of those Regulations defines the risk management controls, which must be put into place to protect food safety in all communal establishments. Food may become unsafe to eat in many ways. It could contain harmful bacteria in its raw state, or it could become contaminated with food poisoning bacteria after cooking or it might contain foreign bodies, which could cause dental damage or choking. Both Risk Assessments and the slightly more complicated regime of HACCP are based firmly on the principle of the prevention of food safety incidents. This involves looking at any catering operation, in a systematic manner or step-by-step. It is important to remember that the first step in cooking is not preparation but is in fact purchase. Starting at purchase and proceeding through all the various stages to serving, the object is to identify those stages during which the food could become unsafe to the consumer. Page 4

5 2.1 Principles of HACCP Hazard Analysis is based on the principle of preventing anything occurring which may make any food item unsafe to eat. As HACCP is pro-active, it is fast, easy to monitor and is cost effective. Most importantly, the very people involved in handling the food, control its operation. The system operates best by concentrating efforts on those points, which are essential to the maintenance of food safety. These are known as Critical Control Points (CCP s). Creating awareness amongst food handlers as to the hazards associated with the food, personnel, equipment and processing can produce a safer food item. As such the opportunity for illness or injury is reduced. Whilst it is very important to clearly identify Critical Control Points, caution must be taken to ensure that these are kept at a minimum for safe food production. If too many are created, the process becomes very difficult to operate efficiently, leads to lack of attention and ultimately failure. This could create a situation, which in a genuine manner could affect the Social Service Registrations held by the department, and is clearly a situation that cannot be allowed to arise. You may be asking How does this affect me? I only serve food to residents in the care of The Mungo Foundation, I am not selling food. The answer is simple. In terms of the Food Safety Act 1990, your operations are classed as being commercial. As such, Food Safety Legislation is not only applicable but must be complied with. There is, of course, also obligation to use the best practice available to ensure that any food which we serve to others is safe to eat. Equally so you may be saying, This is too complex for me and is out-with my normal duties. The truth of the situation is the very opposite. You will not be asked to do anything difficult or in the main different from that which you have done in the past. The main difference will be that you will be required to keep simple records to prove to the Local Authority that food preparation is being conducted in a safe manner. These records will only take a few minutes each day to complete and will afford considerable legal protection to The Mungo Foundation and yourself. 2.2 Application of HACCP By advance planning for food safety in simple straightforward steps, we can have confidence in the safety of the food which we provide, irrespective of the complexity of the operation HACCP works by: Anticipation or identification of what may go wrong usually referred to as a hazard. A hazard is usually contamination caused by microbial, physical or chemical sources; Working out the chance or likelihood of something going wrong with the food is known as the RISK. Hence the term risk assessment. We all carry out Risk Assessments every day as part of our normal lives and they are nothing to be afraid of. For example every time you cross the road you effectively assess the risk of being knocked down; Page 5

6 Ensuring whatever actions as may be necessary to prevent something going wrong are always taken. These are known as control measures. This simply means following good practice and is what a good food handler will be doing anyway; Checking to ensure the system is always operating properly by carrying out simple checks. This is known as monitoring and is often as simple as recording the temperature of cold storage equipment to ensure that it is working properly, or recording details of food served and cooking temperatures; Keeping the system up-to-date and by other measures, such as training of personnel to operate the system effectively. This is known as Review. The above five steps are a legal requirement of the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 and are often referred to as the obligation to provide a Risk Assessment. 2.3 Food Poisoning Food poisoning is a growing concern today due often to the changes in lifestyles, which we lead and there is hardly a day passes when food safety issues are not in the media. As the tragic events of the Wishaw incident showed food poisoning is no respecter of people, age or venue. The World Health Organisation has stated: Illness due to contaminated food is perhaps the most widespread health problem in the contemporary world It is very important to realise that food poisoning does not just happen. It is caused or allowed to happen and recent events have shown the very serious consequences of failure to obey some very basic rules. Often the cause of an incident is a very simple oversight or a failure to follow what you may have been taught but the consequences can be anything but simple. Please remember: CARELESS HANDLING OF FOOD CAN AND DOES KILL It is accepted by everyone that catering premises, irrespective of their size or complexity, must be clean. However, avoiding food poisoning outbreaks is not just about cleanliness. It is often not fully appreciated that the methods used in the preparation, cooking, storage and serving of food are very often the most important steps in the prevention of food poisoning. The most common causes of food related diseases are: Preparing food too far in advance of consumption; Page 6

7 Incorrect temperature storage (either not keeping food under refrigeration or hot enough); Taking too long to cool food; Failing to reheat food to sufficiently high temperatures. As a rule reheating should always where possible be avoided; Permitting cross contamination to occur between cooked food or foods which are to be eaten without any further heat preparation, (these are known as high risk foods) and raw food; Poor hygiene practices of the food handlers; Undercooking of food; Not fully thawing poultry and meat before cooking, with the consequent result that the food is insufficiently cooked; Storing food at room temperature. Food Safety Legislation requires that all premises where food is handled or served as part of a commercial operation, always maintain reasonable standards of food hygiene. This does not only mean that the premises are to be kept clean, but that the food must be carefully handled from purchase to consumption and that those involved in handling the food have adequate training. If food is not fit to be eaten, or has caused illness, or if standards or hygiene are poor, legal action may be taken against those responsible. It is very important to realise that this may also mean proceedings could be taken against an individual if it can be shown that they have failed to follow good practice or have not followed their training. The consequences of such an event are, of course, very serious and could include bad publicity, loss of confidence, financial loss, closure, a fine of up to 20,000 or even imprisonment for up to two years. 3. First Steps to Establishing a Safe Catering System All catering operations from the simplest to the most complex follow a similar pattern. This will involve purchasing, delivery, storage (dry and cold storage), preparation, cooking and serving. There may, depending on the operation, be other intermediate steps such as cooling, freezing, reheating and storage after cooking. Step 1: Hazard Identification At each step it is essential to identify possible food safety hazards and these are always described as: Biological: e.g. Salmonella in chicken, E-coli in raw beef, Staphylococcus passed on from an infected handler. Physical: e.g. A finger plaster covering or jewellery in food, a drawing pin from a kitchen notice board. Chemical: e.g Cleaning chemicals spilled on a food product or failing to use cleaning chemicals as directed by the manufacturer Page 7

8 Step 2: Critical Control Points Identify those points, which are essential to ensuring the maintenance of food safety. These are known as, Critical Control Points or CCP s as mentioned earlier. Examples will include cooking, cooling or re-heating which are always CCP s but there may depending on the operation be others. Great care must be taken in choosing these. The full definition of a Critical Control Point could be described as:- The inclusion of non-essential Critical Control Points: a. Defeats the purpose of the system; b. Increases documentation; c. Draws attention away from the very important points essential to food safety; d. Makes the system difficult to operate and de-motivates those who have to make it work; e. Places un-necessary demands on staff. The lack of essential Critical Control Points could permit the preparation and service of un-safe food. Step 3: Establishment of Control Measures This involves listing the appropriate Control Measures to ensure that despite a potential hazard being identified, the food will remain safe for consumption if the controls are applied. Examples may include the storage of food under refrigeration, achieving adequate cooking temperatures, maintenance of good personal hygiene standards, inspection of deliveries, checking dates when purchasing food, staff training. Normally control measures are simple common sense and are not to be feared. Step 4: Monitoring A step in the system at which a loss of control would lead to an unacceptable health risk and one which would not be remedied This simply involves proving that your system is operating effectively and as such is promoting food safety. This is a very important part of the operation as it could mean the difference between getting into trouble with the various Inspection Agencies or staying out of it, in the unfortunate event that your organisation is involved in an incident or indeed, is simply subject to a routine inspection. Page 8

9 This will involve the keeping of easy to complete records in connection with factors such as equipment temperatures, food temperatures, meals served and suppliers etc. This need not be difficult and if care is given to the design of the monitoring forms they should be quick and easy to complete. It is at this stage, which indicates if your food safety systems are being properly operated. These records will play a very important part in any inspection of your facilities. These simple records also permit identification of any defects in the system, which can then be put right. Step 5: Review This is perhaps the simplest part of all and involves regular review of the system to take account of any changes which may have occurred e.g. new suppliers, new personnel requiring training. It only requires to be carried out once per year or if there is a significant change in the catering operation. 3.1 How to make HACCP Work The outstanding benefit of the HACCP system of food safety is its flexibility. It can be applied equally well to large scale catering as to a small home cooking operation. Differing types of catering operations exist within the premises operated by The Mungo Foundation. These can be summarised as: The preparation of food by full time employed staff; The preparation of food by individuals under the supervision of employed staff; The preparation of food by individuals we support themselves. The methods of food preparation from purchase to consumption are however very similar in each case. Although each project operates as a separate entity and may have its own manner of doing things there will be a very many similarities. With this fact in mind a model Risk Assessment has been constructed as shown on the next pages. Each project should use this as a basis for their own catering arrangements, making amendments as required. Page 9

10 Generic Flow Chart Purchase Storage Freezer Ambient Preparation Refrigerated Hot Food Cold Food Freezing Thawing Service Wash up Page 10

11 Examples of Risk Assessments Step CCP Hazard Control Measure Corrective Action Monitoring Responsibility Purchase Microbial Buy from reputable supplier only Change Supplier Visual Contamination Strict temperature controls Smell Date competent Storage Microbial Contamination/ Growth Store High Risk foods below 5 o C Re-chill quickly if temperature rises above 9 o C or dispose Temperature checks Physical Contamination Rotate Stock Keep Covered Authorised personnel only in storage area Use First in First Out Cover Exclude Visual Visual Visual Cooking YES Microbial Achieve core temperature of 75 o C for 2 minutes Increase Temperature Temperature checks Microbial Survival Microbial Growth Reheated food must reach a core temperature of 82 o C (Reheating must be avoided where possible) Keep above 63 o C Increase temperature/time Increase Temperature Temperature checks Temperature checks Microbial Cross Contamination Physical Contamination Personal Hygiene Policy Authorised personnel only in kitchen areas Kitchen free of potential contaminants, pins, clips Personal hygiene dress and jewellery code. Authorised personnel only in storage area. No illness, septic wounds, throat infections Retrain/Exclude Retrain Exclude Visual Visual Visual Visual Visual

12 Example Risk Assessment Page 2 of 3 Step CCP Hazard Control Measure Corrective Action Monitoring Responsibility Cold Food YES Microbial Growth Keep High Risk foods refrigerated Review Operations Temperature checks Microbial/Physical Contamination Keep Covered Cover Visual Reheat YES Microbial Growth Core temperature 82 o C Increase core temperature Temperature checks Freezing YES Microbial Growth Rapid freezing Date Food Dispose Retrain Visual Observation Date food Avoid home freezing if at all possible Thawing YES Microbial Growth Follow date policy Discard Food/Retrain Adhere to manufacturer s directions Retrain Allow adequate time for full defrost Increase time Physical Contamination Keep covered Recover Page 12

13 Example Risk Assessment Page 3 of 3 Step CCP Hazard Control Measure Corrective Action Monitoring Responsibility Service Microbial Contamination Good Standards of Personal Hygiene Retrain Visual Observation by Senior Person No illness or Skin Infections Do not handle food Visual Observation Equipment sanitised as per chemical suppliers recommendations Rewash and sanitise Visual Observation No direct handling of foodstuffs Provide appropriate utensils Weekly check Microbial Main food temperature above 63 o C Growth Reheat to minimum 82 o C Visual Observation Physical Contamination Keep Food Covered No Jewellery Personal Hygiene Policy Recover Retrain Retrain Visual Observation Visual Observation Visual Observation Page 13

14 Catering by The Mungo Foundation How safe are we? It is appreciated that particular difficulties do exist when food is being prepared in premises which are trying to provide a catering service whilst also trying to enable individuals we support to be encouraged to be fully independent. In certain projects this will be a real challenge nevertheless, every effort should be made to achieve a balance between creating a home environment and maintaining food safety. It is essential that food safety is put first and this may mean re-appraisal of existing methods, long established as they will have been, to reduce the risk of an unfortunate event occurring. In this respect, periodic consideration ought to be given to addressing issues, which may affect catering safety. Some examples of such issues are listed below: How do we choose from where raw materials are purchased? What measures do we have in place to ensure full confidence in the people preparing the food? How do we ensure stock is properly rotated? What records do we keep of meals served so that accurate information is always available? How do we determine if we have sufficient refrigeration or heating facilities on site? How do we keep un-authorised persons out of the kitchen? How do we measure the temperature of food and how is it recorded? What measures have we taken to ensure our food handlers are aware of their responsibilities? Which individual oversees all catering arrangements on site? Does the site have an incident book and how is it used? How do we ensure our house documentation is up-to-date? What policy do we have in place to control self-catering or food brought in by residents? How do we control summer barbeques organised by residents?

15 Personal Hygiene Rules Where possible, always avoid directly handling prepared foodstuffs, especially ready to eat foods; Handle food as little as possible; Clean protective clothing should be worn. An apron or plastic apron would be suitable in many instances; Avoid wearing any jewellery, which may contaminate the food. Preferably only a plain wedding band should be worn; Perfumes and aftershaves can taint food and should not be worn; Smoking in any area where food is handled is prohibited; Care must be taken not to lick fingers when trying to separate wrapping materials e.g. greaseproof paper. Do not try and separate paper by blowing either and obviously never sneeze or cough over food; A tissue should be used for blowing the nose. Hands must be washed afterwards, preferably using liquid hand soap; Keep fingernails short and clean and do not wear nail varnish or false nails; No one must handle food, if they or any member of their family or friends with whom they have contact, is suffering from gastric infections or skin infections; Cuts and abrasions must be covered with a blue waterproof dressing; Maintain strict separation between raw and cooked foods. Remember to always wash hands before touching any foods, which will be eaten without any further heat treatment. This is essential after handling raw foods of any type; Remember, you must wash your hands:- Before starting to handle food; After visiting the toilet; After handling refuse; After coughing into your hand or using a handkerchief; After smoking, eating or drinking; After carrying out cleaning or handling cleaning equipment; Before handling high risk or ready to eat foods. Appropriate food safety training should be provided; Do not permit pets in the kitchen. Page 15

16 Using a Probe Thermometer A probe thermometer need not be excessively expensive but it provides an ideal method for measuring the temperature of food and for checking the operating temperatures of fridges and freezers. Ideally, separate probes should be used where both cooked foods and raw foods, such as meat, are handled on the same premises. Identify what food each unit is to be used for. To use the probe: Keep it in a clean condition at all times; Store it in a clean place when it is not in use; Ensure the battery is operating; Clean and wipe with a sanitised wipe before use and with a second wipe after use; If sanitised wipes are not available, a bactericidal agent at the correct strength may be used. Dry with a disposable towel; Take the temperature from the centre of the food; Exercise great care not to cause cross-contamination between foods; Ensure the unit is operating accurately by checking it monthly by either:- * Placing in a container of melting ice. Unit should read between -1 o C to +1 o C when point of probe is in the water. * Taking great care, place the probe into a kettle of boiling water. Unit should read between 99 o C and 101 o C. If readings are outside these ranges, repeat checks; Replace battery and repeat checks; If still out-with these ranges, the unit may need to be replaced; Take a note of the readings. Page 16

17 Target Temperatures Guidance Temperatures Fridges Target Below 5 o C Upper limit: Up to 9 o C if in constant use Freezer Target Below -18 o C Upper limit: Up to -14 o C if unit if constant use Fresh Meat/Fish on Delivery Below 5 o C Tolerance 9 o C Cooking Core temperature of at least 75 o C for minimum of two minutes Reheating (Always to be avoided) At least 85 o C 82 o C IS THE LEGAL MINIMUM REQUIREMENT Hot Food Maintained above 63 o C Note Carefully: Avoid keeping high-risk foods at room temperature for any longer than is essential. Avoid reheating at all costs. Avoid the need to cool food unless it can be done very quickly and the food kept cold. Avoid cooking food too early. Page 17

18 Food Which will Require Temperature Control Raw meat, fish and associated products Includes prepared meals, meat pies, sausage rolls, quiches, pâté, tuna, salmon Tins of pasteurised meat Typically catering cans of ham or cured shoulder Any cooked dish containing egg or cheese Flans, pastries, quiches Salads and salad dressings Includes mayonnaise Cooked fish Includes smoked salmon, trout and Mackerel Sandwiches If filled with any of the above Pasta dishes Includes all rice dishes Desserts and cream products Includes trifles, sauces dairy desserts and cream cakes Page 18

19 Cross Contamination Cross Contamination occurs when bacteria are transferred from a contaminated source to un-contaminated source, usually from raw food to cooked food. Examples of how cross contamination can occur may be: Use of poorly sanitised equipment; Failure to use separate equipment and work surfaces for cooked and raw products e.g. knives and chopping boards; Failure to wash hands after handling raw products, especially chicken and meats; Failure to contain defrost liquids; Unnecessary touching of food; Use of dishcloths and wipe cloths; Drip Contamination; Pests; Use of soiled cleaning cloths; Wearing of soiled clothing or inappropriate protective clothing; Failure to adhere to designated working area; Permitting access of unauthorised personnel to food preparation areas; Use of soiled cake soap or dirty towels; Careless washing of raw meat or poultry before cooking; Careless handling of eggs and failure to wash hands after use; Incorrect storage arrangements; Handling food whilst ill or having a skin infection; Failure to supervise individuals we support adequately. This list is, by no means, exhaustive. Page 19

20 Record Keeping Simple records can be kept to achieve effective monitoring to ensure that catering operations are being conducted in a safe manner. To encourage this operation, records should be easy to complete. There is not need for record keeping too be arduous or time consuming but remember if no documentation can be produced to support your claims as to how you control your operation, then it does not exist. Simple record keeping is the mainstay of your claim to be operating good catering practice. Typical examples are given as follows: Form 1: Form 2: Purchase/Delivery Record This form can be used to provide an overview of the main catering operations. Enter date of delivery or purchase; Enter the time of delivery or purchase; Enter temperature o C of refrigerated or frozen delivered foods; Enter brief description of food items, e.g. fish, meat, eggs; Enter details of supplier of food; Enter signature of person purchasing or receiving goods. Temperature Record Date of cooking; Description of food item; Daily temperature of refrigerator and freezer; Core cooking temperature; Reheating temperature if applicable; Signature of person responsible for cooking of food. Page 20

21 Blank Forms Monitoring Forms FORM 1: PURCHASE/DELIVERY RECORD FORM 2: TEMPERATURE RECORD FORM 3: PROBE CALIBRATION FORM 4: RISK ASSESSMENT FORM 5: TRAINING RECORD FORM 6: PRE-EMPLOYMENT HEALTH DECLARATION FORM 7: ILLNESS REPORTING FORM FORM 8: SUPPLIER LISTING Page 21

22 Form 1 Purchase/Delivery Record Date 1 Time of Purchase/Delivery 2 Delivery Temp 3 Description of Food 4 Supplier 5 Signature 6 Recommended Temperatures Refrigerated Delivery: Less than 5 o C Frozen Delivery: Less than -14 o C Freshly Cooked Food: Core temperature 75 o C Reheated Foods: At least 82 o C

23 Form 2 Temperature Record Date Food Item Storage Cooking Reheat Signature REFRIGERATOR FREEZER Time Temp o C Time Temp o C Time Temp o C Temp o C Page 23

24 Form 3 - Record of Probe Calibration Year: 2000 Temperature Probe Ice 0 o C Boiling Water 100 o C Action Taken Signature Date Probe 1 Probe 2 January February March April May June July August September October November December

25 Form 4 Risk Assessment Step CCP Hazard Control Measure Corrective Action Monitoring Signature

26 Form 5 Training Record Name Dates Course Certificate Awarded In-house Training Number of Hours Signature

27 Form 6 Pre-Employment Medical Questionnaire Have you or any member of your household over the last fourteen days suffered from diarrhoea/vomiting? YES/NO At present are you or have you within the last fourteen days suffered from: a) Skin trouble affecting the hands, arms or face? YES/NO b) Any boil, sty or septic infection? YES/NO c) Any discharge from the eyes, ear, nose or mouth or gums? YES/NO Do you suffer from any: a) Recurring skin, throat, nasal or ear problem? YES/NO b) Any recurring bowel disorder? YES/NO Have you ever had or are you now known to be a carrier or, typhoid YES/NO or paratyphoid? In the last twenty one days have you been abroad? YES/NO In the last twenty one days have you been in contact with anyone, at home or abroad, who may have been suffering from typhoid or paratyphoid? YES/NO Do you suffer from any allergies? YES/NO Please state the name and address of your family doctor for contact in an emergency situation. Page 27

28 Please state the name and address of the person whom you would wish to be contacted in an emergency situation. Telephone:. Signature: Date:. Page 28

29 Form 7 Staff Illness Report Form This form must be completed in the event of illness or infection as stated in item 10 of the General Rules for Food Handlers. Name:... Job Title:.. Department: Employee s Symptoms:.. Date of Appearance of:.. Time of Notification: Symptoms: Date of Notification: Action taken by Manager with Reasons for Action Taken: Employee s Doctor Notified: Yes/No Medical Certificate Obtained: Yes/No Certificate Date:.. Period of Certification: Employee s Signature: Manager s Signature:.. Date: Certified Fit to Return to Work: By Doctor/Manager Date: Manager s Signature: Page 29

30 List of Main Suppliers Provision Name and Address Contact Person Telephone Number Butcher Baker Milk Fish General Groceries Deli Goods Wholesale Vegetables Page 30

31 Cleaning Materials Page 31

32 Glossary of Commonly Used Food Safety Terms Definitions extracted from The Industry Guide to Good Food Hygiene Practice: Catering Guide Published by Chadwick House Group Ambient Temperature Bacteria Bactericidal Detergent Best Before Date Core Temperature Refrigerator Cleaning Freezer Critical Control Point Cross Contamination The temperature of the surrounding environment commonly used to mean room temperature A group of single cell living organisms. These may be responsible for food spoilage or the cause of illness These are detergents which are used either for hand-washing or equipment cleaning that not only remove soiling but also reduce micro-organisms to a safe and acceptable level. Their effectiveness is often governed by the degree of soiling. Heavy soiling will reduce their effectiveness substantially. For this reason, it is preferable to clean and then disinfect, i.e. use a two stage process. This is a date, which must be shown on foods, which are not normally subject to microbiological spoilage. These foods often have long shelf lives. This form of date marking often relates to when deterioration in the quality of food can be expected rather than food safety. It is commonly used on canned and frozen foods. The temperature at centre of a mass or piece of food at the centre. Equipment used to keep food cool, normally at a temperature between 0 o C to 5 o C The removal of food residues, dirt, grease and other undesirable debris. Equipment is used for keeping food in a frozen state normally with a temperature of -18 o C. The point at which a potential food hazard can be controlled. The transfer of germs from contaminated (usually raw) foods to other foods. This may be by: Direct contact, i.e. they are stored next to each other; Drip one is stored above the other; Food handlers who handle one then the other; Equipment and work surfaces first used for contaminated food. Page 32

33 Detergent/Soap Disinfection Due Diligence Food Handler Food Poisoning HACCP Hazard High Risk Foods Hygiene Materials used for removing dirt during cleaning. Detergent and soaps differ in their composition but have similar action. They do not destroy micro-organisms. Reduction in the levels of contamination on food equipment or in food premises normally by the use of chemicals to kill microorganisms. Disinfectants used must be suitable for use in food premises. This is the legal defence available in terms of Section 21 of the Food Safety Act 1990, that a person took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid the commission of an offence. Anyone in a food business who handles food. Illness transmitted by food. This is usually caused by infection or intoxication. Symptoms commonly include diarrhoea or vomiting, but many other effects are possible. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. A management tool which gives a structured, pre-planned approach to identification and control of food hazards. This is anything, which may cause harm to a person who consumes food. Hazards are normally based on three elements physical, chemical, microbiological. These are normally ready to eat foods. Foods that have already gone through most or all of their preparation steps. There will be a high risk if these are contaminated or allowed to deteriorate because there are no further preparation steps to control the hazard. Examples are cooked meat, pâté, meat pies, prepared salads, soft cheeses. High risk foodstuffs present a hazard even if they are served hot. Measure to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of food. Page 33

34 Low Risk Food Micro organisms Open Food Personal Cleanliness Pest Probe Sanitiser Soap/Detergent during cleaning. Use by Date These are normally raw foods or ingredients that have still to be cleaned or processed. Contamination of these foods is a low risk because later processing should make food safe. Low risk foods may transfer contamination to ready to eat foods and these should be kept separate at all times. Low risk foods may include ambient table foods such as bread, biscuits, cakes and cereals. It does not include cream cakes, which are high risk. Any small living organism, especially bacteria, yeasts, moulds and viruses. Unwrapped food that may be exposed to contamination. Measures taken by food handlers to protect food from contamination. Animal life unwelcome in food premises especially insects, birds, rats and mice. These all may contaminate food either directly or indirectly. Hand held sensor fitted into a metal sheath and often with a plastic handle. The probe is used to measure temperature at its tip. This is the same as a disinfectant. Combined detergent/sanitisers are often used in single stage cleaning. These are materials used for removing dirt. Detergents and soap differ in their composition but have similar action. They do not destroy micro-organisms. This date must be shown on foods, which have short shelf lives as the food will be subject to microbial decay or will support microbial growth if not stored properly. This form of date coding if often applied to perishable pre-packed foods. It is an offence to sell goods after the use by date. Page 34