THE
COMPLETE
GUIDE TO
FOOD SAFETY
CONTENTS
Food legislation in New Zealand
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The Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 …
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Food Hazards …
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What is food borne illness?
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More about bacteria …
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More about viruses
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More about metals and chemical contaminants
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High risk foods and lower risk foods …
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Food storage …
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Preparing food
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Serving or displaying food
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Leftovers
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Good housekeeping practices …
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The premises itself
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Pest control
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Premises cleaning
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Personal hygiene
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Definitions
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1
FOOD LEGISLATION IN NEW ZEALAND
In New Zealand we have numerous pieces of legislation that link together to
provide insurance that food available to New Zealand consumers and
overseas importers of our food stuffs are guaranteed safe product.
The Food Act 1981 includes regulation about:
What constitutes “sale” of food
Administrative appointments for implementation of the Act
Sales and advertising restrictions
Enforcement
powers and duties of officers regarding seizure and
sampling of items
- penalties, liability and defences relating to offences
under the Act
The Food Regulations 1984 include regulation about:
Labelling requirements - lettering
- datemarks
- statements of ingredients
- relating to particular foods
Standards for particular foods. For example:
”may contain…”
“shall be comprised of…”
“permitted substances include…”
Food additives
Part V Protection and Safety of Food s.261 provides a direct link to the
Food Hygiene Regulations 1974
This piece of legislation is supplemented by a new ANZFA agreement
between New Zealand and Australia covering all the same matters
consistently between the two countries, easing import of each other‟s
products. It also includes new requirements regarding labelling of food made
with genetically modified organisms.
The Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 include regulation about:
Registration of premises that sell or supply food to the public
Conduct and maintenance of premises
Conduct of workers and food handlers
Specific requirements for certain types of food premises
The Health Act 1956 s. 117 (1) (w) requires the production of safe food for sale
or supply to the public.
The Building Act 2004 includes a code for best practicable solutions for
design and construction of food premises to ensure safe food production
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Many Local Authorities also have Bylaws requiring food handlers to hold
training qualifications in food safety. These will vary between Local
Authorities. South Taranaki does not currently have any food training bylaw.
The structure of responsibility between these pieces of legislation is
something like this:
FOOD ACT
HEALTH ACT
FOOD REGULATIONS
BUILDING ACT
FOOD HYGIENE REGULATIONS
BYLAWS
From 1 July 2002 the New Zealand Food Safety Authority links the
responsibilities of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry (MAF, who deal with our food export requirements) to ensure a
standard food quality from the paddock, or ocean, to the plate for all food
consumed here in New Zealand and exported overseas. They are completely
reviewing the domestic food regulatory system to provide a more consistent
and affordable approach to food safety.
Food safety requirements in New Zealand are currently directly related to the
Food Hygiene Regulations 1974 as they include instruction of which premises are
required to be registered and how they and the food handling must be conducted.
From July 1997, an amendment to the Food Act 1981 brought in an alternative to
Registration with the Local Authority. Food businesses can choose to apply for
exemptions from the requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations and register
a Food Control Plan with the NZ Food Safety Authority instead.
This Programme must be based on a system of Training in food safety is
obviously a vital part of food safety programme development and
implementation.
This system provides a range of Food Control Plan options, based on Hazard
Analysis and Critical Control Points – HACCP, which ensure that each stage
along the food production process is examined to identify potential hazards, the
risk involved, how they may be controlled, which controls are the most vital and
how they are ensured to be working to provide safe food. These Plans will
require registration, verification and independent auditing. The new system will
require a great deal more administration on the part of the business owner and
proven commitment to controlled food safety.
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THE FOOD HYGIENE REGULATIONS 1974
Any premise used for the manufacture, preparation, packing, storage or sale of
food to the general public must be registered with the Local Authority. That is,
the City or District Council.
Therefore:
premises used by the Crown or Local Authority,
partially exempted premises; where the provision of food is secondary to the
main purpose of the premise, such as hospitals, retirement homes, schools or
work cafeterias,
occasional food premises such as church halls, market stalls and sausage
sizzles,
and any premise not open to the general public such as some clubs,
do not require registration .
Before any premise requiring registration can open for business they must be
inspected by an Environmental Health Officer to ensure that the premise
construction complies with the Food Hygiene Regulations and any relevant
Bylaws, and the registration fee must be paid for the Certificate of Registration to
be issued.
Opening Inspection will include:
Construction of physical aspects – floors, walls, ceilings, lighting, ventilation,
space, changing facilities, toilet accommodation, wash hand basins, water
supply, sewage disposal and yards.
Notices to be displayed
First-aid facilities
Cleaning and maintenance of the premises - facilities, equipment and
programmes
Restricted use of rooms to protect food from contamination
Pest control measures
General duties of the occupier
Equipment – condition, sufficiency and appropriateness for maintenance and
cleaning.
Once open, registration is required to be renewed each year, or when the business
changes ownership. Regular inspections by the Environmental Health Officer can
also be expected, regarding the above matters as well as:
Conduct of workers – food handling, food protection, clothing and behaviour
of workers and food vehicles
Pest control practices
Cleaning programmes
Staff training
Requirements specific to certain types of premises – bakeries, delicatessens,
eating houses, meat and fish sales, milk and yoghurt sales, ice-cream and
frozen confections, food vending machines, breweries, wineries and sale of
liquor hygiene aspects.
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FOOD HAZARDS
Some foods are harmful right from the start, such as poisonous mushrooms,
rhubarb leaves and some berries. Some foods become harmful due to changes
that occur in them, such as diseases or contamination with foreign substances.
For instance, some grains can become diseased with a fungus that produces very
poisonous toxins. Some foods (especially in countries like Africa) become
contaminated from unsafe water supplies that have parasites and diseases in
them. Food hazards can come from the following sources:
Bacteria
Bacteria may get into food via soils or water in plants,
or via the skin or gut of an animal at slaughter.
Depending on the type of bacteria, they may cause
illness simply by being present, or they may produce
toxins in the food or later in the person who ate that
food. In New Zealand, most of our food borne illness
is caused by bacteria. These will be discussed in
more detail shortly.
Fungi & moulds
Fungi and moulds can also grow on many food
types. Some are not harmful, but others can make
toxins in the food that are very poisonous. It is
neither safe nor appropriate to sell or serve food that
has become mouldy with fungus, unless it is
supposed to be, such as with blue cheeses.
Viruses
Viruses are becoming a more likely cause of food
borne illness in New Zealand. They are most likely
to get into food from water or unsafe food handling
by an unwell food preparer. More on these later also.
Parasites
Parasites such as gut worms, protozoa such as giardia
and cryptosporidium and other parasites are likely to
get into food from contaminated water or from soil
dust, or poor food handling by an ill handler.
Chemicals & Metals
Chemicals are most likely to get into food from
cleaning agents, pest control agents or as metals from
improper storage in tins and such.
Toxic Algae
If shellfish have consumed toxic algae, they will
become poisonous themselves if eaten. Harvesting
sites must be monitored for safety.
Foreign Objects
Physical hazards may get into food by contamination
from equipment failure, poorly maintained premises,
inadequate personal hygiene or sometimes even
sabotage.
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WHAT IS FOOD BORNE ILLNESS?
There are many types of food borne illness. Illness can be due to spoilage,
contamination, infestation, bacterial load or toxins produced by bacteria or
moulds.
Wholesomeness
Let‟s face it, you‟re in the food business, you want to make
money from your food. It makes sense to have that food
look good as well as taste good so that it attracts your
customers in the first place. Sandwiches that have started to
curl at the corners or a hunk of steak that‟s green and slimy
just aren‟t attractive – and they might be harmful to eat.
Food that doesn‟t look good may or may not be harmful, but
it will certainly turn off your customers anyway. And the
fresher the food, the less likely it has gone through harmful
changes.
Spoilage
Food spoilage occurs mainly as a result of chemical reactions
involved in the process of aging and decay, through the
action of bacteria, or through a combination of both.
In addition, drying, staling, contamination and damage by
pests can assist in food spoilage.
Chemical food spoilage in food aging is caused by enzyme
reactions natural to the living organism, continuing on after
it has been slaughtered or harvested. For example, ripening
once picked, continuing on to rot level. Initially these
changes in meat make it more tender and flavoursome, but
then it continues on to „sogginess‟ and putrefaction if not
stored at the correct temperatures. Also in meat, the fat may
become rancid through oxidation. This causes what is most
commonly recognised as „off‟ flavours in cooked meat. Fish
is much more susceptible, as being a cold blooded animal, it
requires much colder temperatures to delay the decay
process.
Microbial food spoilage may be due to either bacteria or
moulds and yeast, but the more harmful tend to be the
bacteria. Food spoilage is due to changes in the food caused
by their feeding on it, and their waste products. However,
in many cases the food spoilage is not as harmful as the
simple presence of the bacteria. Microbial contamination
usually comes from damage to the food. In meat it usually
occurs at slaughter when natural bacterial infestation of the
skin and intestines of the carcass contaminates the meat
itself.
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Spoilage isn‟t necessarily harmful – rubbery carrots aren‟t
likely to cause illness – but it might be and you can‟t always
tell.
To avoid food spoilage, eat it fresh, store it refrigerated, cook
it soon after purchase, eat it soon after cooking. Choose fruit
and vegetables with clean, intact skins, meat that isn‟t slimy,
green or smelly, and other foods that aren‟t mouldy or
dusty.
Contamination
There are three possible types of contamination to be
avoided.
Physical contamination
Chemical contamination
Microbial contamination
Physical contamination
Physical contamination is basically the presence of a
foreign object that shouldn‟t be there. It could be
harmful, like a piece of broken glass; or it could be
merely offensive, like a freshly washed slug on your
salad. Many foreign object contaminations can be
both harmful and offensive, such as hairs, broken
fingernail, dead insects, and others that you can‟t
even tell what they were! It doesn‟t matter – if it
looks as if it shouldn‟t be there it will offend your
customers and you could be liable for an Offence
against the Food Hygiene Regulations or the Food
Act.
Be aware that even something harmless but offensive
can make people violently ill – the body recognises
WRONG! – EJECT! and deals with it on a
subconscious level. You just lost a customer, and
many of that person‟s friends as well.
Chemical contamination
Chemical contamination usually comes from
inappropriate storage of cleaning solutions and pest
control poisons. Make sure any non-food items are
always stored in a marked container so they cannot
be mistaken for anything else.
They must also be stored somewhere away from
food and food items so any leakage of the containers
cannot contaminate any food or food item.
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One restaurant was brought to a close forever by
making a whole night‟s customers very ill indeed by
contaminating food with dishwashing liquid because
it had leaked from one shelf down to another and
contaminated a commonly used ingredient.
Microbial contamination
Microbial contamination is the most common form of
contamination and the most potentially harmful.
Contamination could be by bacteria, viruses, yeasts
and moulds or other microscopic “bugs”. Some
foods will be naturally laden with bacteria, such as
raw meats, but most foods get their microbial
contamination from the food handler, pests or from
cross-contamination from other food items via things
such as knives, cutting boards and slicers that have
not been properly used. (More about prevention of
cross-contamination below).
Illness resulting from excessive bacterial growth can
be of two types:
Food Infection
Food infection is illness caused by the presence of the
bacteria itself, usually due to multiplication of the
bacteria to large numbers over a length of time.
Illness may not occur until sometime after
consumption of the contaminated food. Symptoms
of the illness will be specific to that bacteria.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning is illness caused by toxins released
from the bacteria. Illness is likely to be more severe
and have a more rapid onset. Prevention of bacterial
contamination and control of growth are essential
because some of these toxins are resistant to average
cooking temperatures.
Moulds may also cause food spoilage activity, but
still be desirable and harmless to eat, such as in blue
cheeses. Meats, breads and sweet foods are also
likely to be attacked by moulds. These are not
generally harmful, but like bacteria, moulds can
release toxins - especially those found on nuts and
cereals, so it is best not to eat them.
Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination occurs when contamination,
usually microbial, occurs between food items
themselves. Often this will be when raw meat juices
contaminate a ready to eat food, thus making it
harmful. This can happen when ready to eat foods
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are prepared in or on a surface that hasn‟t been
adequately cleaned and sanitised since a high risk
food was prepared. Or similarly, by the use of
unsanitised hands or utensils on different foods.
Slicers, cutting boards, knives, hands and bowls are
frequent culprits here. Storage is also important.
Ensure raw foods cannot drip on cooked foods and
that they cannot touch each other when stored or on
display.
Most food contamination is caused by crosscontamination between foods during storage or
preparation. See „high risk and low risk foods‟ later
and ensure you keep them separate at all times and
employ good cleaning, sanitising and personal
hygiene practices to prevent cross-contamination.
In New Zealand, our biggest cause of unsafe food is bacteria. If you prevent
and/or control the harm from bacteria, you will probably control the other
potentially harmful sources. In some cases you will be preventing them getting
into the food in the first place. Or, you may be controlling their numbers so that
they are not harmful, or you may be actively killing them off. Whatever the
circumstance, food must be ensured to be safe to eat at all times.
MORE ABOUT BACTERIA
Bacteria are microscopic (can only be seen through a
microscope) living cells that are found naturally in the air, in
the soil, in the water, on work surfaces and on people,
animals and insects. They are around us, on us and in us
everywhere and all the time. Most bacteria are harmless;
indeed we need them to stay healthy. Bacteria help our guts
to digest food; they are used to make many foods such as
cheese, wine, beer, yoghurt and medicines such as penicillin.
Many of our body‟s bacteria fight harmful bacteria and keep
us healthy.
Some bacteria are what we call pathogenic, or disease
causing. Some are what we call opportunistic – in the right
place in the right numbers they are harmless or even
beneficial, but in the wrong place or at the wrong numbers
they can take advantage of the opportunity to become
pathogenic. Many of the „gut bugs‟ or intestinal bacteria are
opportunistic – in the gut they help digest food, but once
they get back into the food and are themselves being
digested they become pathogenic and cause illness.
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Bacteria need a warm, moist environment to survive in with
a food source and they may or may not need oxygen from
the air. If we provide these things for them bacteria will not
only survive but multiply in our food to levels where they
are harmful to the person who eats that food. And they
multiply incredibly rapidly. They can be in their billions
within hours of colonising a site.
Some bacteria can survive cooking by forming spores, or
protective shells around themselves like an insulating coat.
After the heat is off they can then turn back into their normal
form and begin multiplying again.
Some bacteria can also make toxins or poisons and release
these into the food while they are multiplying, thus making
the food very harmful to eat. Some bacteria do not make
their toxins in the food but in the person who eats them.
When the bacteria laden food gets into the person‟s stomach,
which is acidic, they release toxins as they forms spores to
protect themselves from the acid, thus making the person
very sick indeed.
Some of the bacteria common to food borne illness in New Zealand include:
Salmonella
Salmonella may be already in any meat, eggs or shellfish or
raw milk as it can get there from the skin or intestine of the
animal at its slaughter (or at milking in the case of raw milk).
It doesn‟t make spores or toxins so it should be easy to
prevent by simply cooking the food properly. It will be
destroyed at 75 – 80oC. It is also likely to get into any food
from the food handler not washing their hands or utensils
after handling raw meat or dairy products.
Symptoms of illness include fever, headache, abdominal
pain, diarrhoea and vomiting. Illness is likely to begin 12 –
36 hours after eating the food and may last for 1 – 8 days.
Campylobacter
Campylobacter is very similar to Salmonella in that it is
likely to be present in meats, shellfish, raw milk and foods
contaminated by the food handler. It does not make spores
or toxins and can be killed at temperatures of 75 – 85OC. The
difference is that we need a large number of Salmonella
bacteria in the food to make most people ill, but we only
need a small number of Campylobacter bacteria to make
most people ill. Because of this it is also possible to get
Campylobacter bacteria into us from hand to mouth contact
with an infected person.
For example: they have
Campylobacter and haven‟t washed their hands after going
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to the toilet, you shake their hand as you greet them, then
put your finger in your mouth for some reason. Hey presto
– now you have Campylobacter too!
Symptoms of illness include fever, headache, nausea,
vomiting, haemorrhagic diarrhoea and severe abdominal
and muscular pain.
Illness is likely to begin 1 – 10 days after eating the food and
may last between 2-3 days but relapses can occur.
Listeria
Listeria is an extremely common bacterium found in water,
soil, plants and faeces. Foods affected by Listeria are most
likely to be shellfish, vegetables, raw milk and highly
processed foods such as soft cheese, hams, pate etc. The
trouble with Listeria is that it can still multiply quite happily
in the fridge (which would usually be too cold for most
bacteria). However it is killed easily at temperatures of 75 –
80OC.
Symptoms of illness in a healthy adult are very similar to the
„flu‟ and many people may not even realise they have a food
borne illness. However, the very young, very old or
immunocompromised may develop the full symptoms of
septicaemia or meningitis, which can kill. This also applies
to unborn babies. Mum may not get much more than slight
„flu‟ symptoms, but her baby may die before it‟s even born.
You may not be able to protect all your customers from
Listeriosis, depending on the type of food you produce, but
you should still be aware of its dangers, even if only for your
own use.
Clostridium perfringens
This bacteria does form spores to survive heating and
produces toxins in the gut of the consumer. It is
commonly found in the intestines (gut) of animals
and humans and can be assumed to be present on
raw meat from contamination at slaughter. It is also
commonly provided by the unwashed hands of a
food handler. Flies can also contaminate food with
clostridium perfringens by bringing it in on dust and
soil.
The time spent in between hot and cold is the most
vital time to be controlled to prevent this bacteria
being harmful. The raw meat must be assumed to
have the bacteria present. If it is cooked properly,
most of them will have been killed but some must be
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assumed to have survived by forming spores. If the
meat is then left at room temperature for too long,
these surviving bacteria will begin to multiply again.
If they are then eaten, as they meet the acidic contents
of the stomach they form spores to protect
themselves and release toxins as they do, thus
making the person who ate them very sick.
This could have been prevented by either eating the
food as soon as it was cooked, keeping it hot at over
65OC until it was eaten, or cooling it rapidly and
either eating it cold or reheating it to over 80OC. It is
the time at room temperature that must be
minimised to ensure the bacteria cannot begin
again to multiply in the food.
Symptoms of illness include abdominal pain and
diarrhoea and may begin 6-24 hours after the food is
eaten and last 12-24 hours.
Clostridium botulinum
This bacteria is another member of the clostridium
family but is much more dangerous. This one
releases its particularly poisonous toxin in the food if
it is allowed to begin multiplying again at room
temperature after surviving cooking by forming
spores. As it is commonly found in soils, foods likely
to be affected are those that have come in contact
with the soil – vegetables and filter feeding shellfish.
It has been previously associated with incorrectly
preserved meats, seafood and vegetables.
Symptoms of illness include diarrhoea, then vision,
breathing and speech difficulties. Fatigue, dizziness,
double vision and paralysis may result with death
within 1-8 days likely unless the antitoxin is given.
This is one of the most toxic toxins on the planet –
only a very small amount is needed to cause lifethreatening illness. Symptoms are likely to appear 24
–72 hours after the food is eaten. Again it is the time
at room temperature that allows the toxins to be
produced. Also, growth can be prevented by
ensuring the preserves are sugary, salty or acidic
enough (see later under high risk and low risk foods).
Staphylococcus aureus
This bacteria can only get into the food from unsafe
handling by the food preparer.
It is commonly
found in the nose, throat and sinuses of humans and
in pimples, boils, and infected cuts and burns of the
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skin. It gets into the food from sneezing, coughing,
dribbling or unwashed hands and skin.
It then releases its toxin as it multiplies in the food at
room temperature.
Symptoms of illness include severe vomiting,
abdominal pain, diarrhoea and collapse; usually
starting 2 – 6 hours after eating the food and lasting
for 6-24 hours.
Bacillus cereus
This bacteria is another spore forming bacteria that
releases its toxin into the food as it multiplies at room
temperature. It is commonly found in soils and
dusts, thus the most likely foods affected are rice,
grains, vegetables and reheated meat dishes. Again,
prevention is simply a matter of ensuring that if the
food is not to be eaten straight after cooking, it is
either kept hot at over 65OC or cooled down rapidly
and chilled at below 4OC until eaten or thoroughly
reheated to over 80OC.
Symptoms of illness include vomiting for 1 – 5 hours
and / or diarrhoea for 6 – 15 hours, likely to start 1 –
15 hours after eating the food and lasting 1 –2 days.
Yersinia
Yersinia is a non-spore forming bacteria which
causes illness merely by its presence, similar to
Salmonella and Campylobacter. It is commonly
found in meats, seafood and water. Prevention is
mostly a matter of personal hygiene of the food
preparer and prevention of cross-contamination
between food types.
Symptoms of illness include watery diarrhoea,
intense abdominal pain, headaches, fever and
vomiting. Illness is likely to begin between 24 and 36
hours after consuming the food or water, and last or
1 – 3 days.
Escherischia coli
E. coli is also a non-spore forming and non toxin
producing opportunistic bacteria. It is commonly
found in the gut, but if it gets into food causes a food
infection illness.
There are many different types of E. coli, causing
slightly different symptoms, but they are typically of
a vomiting and diarrhoea with abdominal cramps
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type illness. Prevention is mainly by control of
personal hygiene of the handler and crosscontamination between food types. It is most
commonly found in meats – especially highly
processed selections, fish, vegetables and dairy
products.
Symptoms are likely to begin around 18 hours after
consumption of the contaminated food and last for
an average of 2 days, longer for some of the nastier
versions of the bacteria.
These illnesses can kill. In severe cases, especially in children, the elderly or
immunocompromised, death by dehydration can occur. There is no excuse for
illness caused by these bacteria. The required preventative measures include:
Thoroughly cook properly thawed food to at least 80OC
Minimise time at room temperature (to less than ½ -1 hour) before putting the
food in a chiller, if not being eaten immediately or kept hot until it is.
Don‟t handle food if you are ill with a cold, „flu or any vomiting or diarrhoea
Wash hands thoroughly and frequently (see the personal hygiene section later
for details).
Wash and sanitise all utensils and equipment according to the risk of the food
being prepared (see cleaning section later for details).
Prevent cross-contamination between food types
Pest control
Wash fruit and vegetables before using them
Once preserved foods have been opened, keep them in the fridge
MORE ABOUT VIRUSES
Viruses are also microscopic, but are not actually live
cells. Viruses need to combine with a live cell where
they act like a parasite, taking over the cell and
changing its nature and function to something
harmful. They are likely to get into food in similar
ways to bacteria and can affect any food type. They
don‟t multiply in food; they just use the food as a
vehicle to get around.
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Some of the viruses common to food borne illness in New Zealand include:
Rotavirus
These can cause fever, vomiting and watery
diarrhoea starting 24 – 72 hours after consumption
lasting 4 – 6 days.
Norwalk
These can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,
abdominal pain, muscle pain and headache, fever
and general malaise starting 10 – 50 hours after
consumption lasting 24 – 48 hours.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A symptoms include fever, malaise,
jaundice, lack of appetite, nausea and abdominal
discomfort starting 15 – 50 days after consumption
lasting from a couple of weeks to several months.
The infected person will be contagious before they
are showing any symptoms at all.
You will note that viral illness tends to show itself faster than many bacteria,
much like a toxin, or food poisoning. They also tend to last longer and are more
severe. It is believed that many food borne viral illness go unidentified as such
and that viral contamination of food is becoming much more prevalent than it
used to be. It is therefore even more important for premise cleaning and personal
hygiene measures to be used thoroughly, stringently and frequently.
MORE ABOUT METALS AND CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS
Metallic compounds are naturally present in many foods in low concentrations
that are not harmful. But some excessive amounts get into foods via herbicidal,
antifungal and insecticidal sprays of fruit and vegetables, plumbing pipes for
drinking water reticulation or from ceramic glazing, tin can coatings or trade
waste contaminated waters in which seafood are harvested.
Some metals that can become food contaminants in these ways include:
Copper
Lead
Zinc
Antimony and cadmium
Aluminium
Mercury
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Some other food borne chemical contaminations include arsenic, selenium
sodium nitrite, from meat pickling, algae toxins and some other pesticides. Your
local Health Protection Officers from the Ministry of Health will periodically
sample foods at the point of processing, and recreational waters, to test for
harmful levels of these contaminants to ensure the Food Regulations (or new
ANZFA regulations) are not breached.
To help prevent illness from chemicals and metals you must ensure that:
all fruit and vegetables are thoroughly washed prior to use,
all metal cook ware and utensils are of high quality and in good condition,
you use a council supplied water source (as opposed to a private one) so that
the water will be tested for chemicals and metals,
do not use crockery that has been imported without customs and MAF
checking to ensure the glazes are safe to eat from,
you must be particularly careful with the storage of acidic foods as these can
cause leaching of the metal from the container.
you must also be sure that any shellfish have been harvested from proven safe
waters.
and that any pickled meats you purchase have come from licensed butchers to
ensure that their pickling solutions are of the correct concentrations.
All the remaining sections of this text combine to show you how to prevent food
borne illness.
Contamination is an aspect of food safety that there is no excuse for. What is not
already there naturally must not be allowed to get there, and what is there
naturally must be controlled. Knowledge of the risks associated with different
food types will help you decide how to treat each food item you deal with and
prevent the three different types of contamination at all times.
HIGH RISK FOODS AND LOWER RISK FOODS
Different foods carry different risks of becoming harmful to eat depending on
factors such as water content, sugar levels, acidity, salt content, protein levels,
natural bacterial load, exposure to air and how we prepare and eat them. Foods
may be considered to be stable, semi-perishable, perishable, raw or cooked. For
example:
Toast is more stable than bread because the lower moisture content doesn‟t
support mould and bacterial growth as well. Similarly, raw meat will rot faster
than cooked meat, but – here‟s the trick – the cooked meat is more risky as it is
16
likely to be eaten as is, whereas the raw meat is likely to be cooked and rendered
safe. You must consider foods that are ready to be eaten as the most risky as any
abuse of them may not be over ridden before they are eaten.
High risk foods include:
Cooked meat and poultry
Cooked meat products such as pies, gravy, sauces, soups and stocks
Processed meat products
Some meat cuts eaten raw or rare
Shellfish
Milk , cream and other dairy products
Cooked rice
Eggs, especially if raw, egg products, custards, mayonnaise
These foods are readily perishable due to being excellent food sources for
bacteria and therefore prone to spoilage and infection. Many of the
bacteria associated with these foods are also toxin producing, leading to
food poisoning also.
Lower risk foods include:
Jams and chutneys
Pickled foods
Foods preserved in brine (salt)
Dry foods such as flour and grains
Foods preserved in alcohol or oil
This is because bacteria need a warm (room temperature), moist environment to
survive in that provides some food source. Bacteria cannot live in any food that is
high in sugar, acid, salt, alcohol or oil.
Some bacteria need a supply of oxygen, some don‟t, so it is difficult to use air
supply as a control tool for food safety.
Food preservation by drying, salting and smoking, sweetening and acidifying
provides environments that bacteria cannot survive in. But they must be done
properly to avoid toxin production. Preservation by heating as in canning and
17
pasteurisation kills off the harmful bacteria. Sealing to prevent re-contamination
is essential. In some countries, food is preserved by irradiation. Although there
has been shown to be no residual radiation, with excellent preservation results,
this is not allowed in New Zealand or its imports.
FOOD STORAGE
Inspect supplies on arrival for damaged packaging, thawed frozen foods, insect
or rodent damage or other contamination and the coldness of refrigerated foods.
Ensure food is stored quickly and in the correct area.
Where and how to store
Non-perishable foods such as cans, unopened bottles
and dry foods are alright to be stored at room
temperature in a cupboard or pantry. Packets are
best in sealed, airtight containers with labels, so that
they last longer and pests cannot get at them. Dry
goods storage should be dry, cool and well
ventilated. It must be cleaned regularly as the rest of
the premise and ensured to be pest free. Food should
be stored above the floor to facilitate cleaning. Foods
should be organised to ensure stock rotation. That
is, first in, first out. Keep an eye on use-by dates. It is
best to keep stocks to a minimum and buy fresh
frequently.
Perishable foods such as meat, dairy foods, eggs, wet
foods, vegetables and left-overs need to be kept in the
fridge or freezer depending on the required storage
time. They should also be covered and easy to
identify. Raw foods should be stored below cooked
foods and not touching or dripping on each other.
Again, stock rotation must be ensured and some
foods will require date marking to ensure they are
not left too long.
Time and Temperature
Fridges are required to ensure the food is stored at
less than 4OC. A walk in chiller for meat or fish
should ensure the food is stored at less than 2OC.
Note my specific wording regarding temperatures. I
don‟t just mean the fridge should be set to operate at
less than 4OC, you must ensure that whatever the
fridge is set at the actual food is at less than 4OC, by
checking it with a mobile thermometer, not just
checking the dial of the fridge. There is often a vast
difference in temperatures throughout appliances,
18
and the dial may not accurately represent what is
going on at different places inside.
Readily perishable foods should not be kept in a
fridge longer than about three days. Less perishable
foods like vegetables will last longer, but their
nutritional value and appeal will diminish. Fresh is
always best, for appeal, wholesomeness and safety.
If protected from freezer burn by wrapping they
should last much longer in a properly used freezer.
Freezers must ensure the food is at less than –18OC.
Just because it is frozen solid does not mean it is
safely stored. At –18OC no bacteria can continue to
multiply, thus you have a longer storage time. But
they will not all be killed by freezing. If your freezer
is not cold enough, even though the food is „frozen‟,
bacteria can still multiply and render the food unsafe
to be eaten.
Make sure the freezer and fridge aren‟t overloaded.
There must always be room for free-flow air to
circulate to maintain the temperature. Overloading
and too much frost will mean the appliance is
struggling to do its job and probably costing you lots
more in your power bill to do so.
Fridges and freezers should be commercial
appliances. A commercial premise puts too much
strain on a domestic appliance for it to do its job well.
In between hot and cold
Minimising the time in between hot and cold is
essential to avoid bacteria that survived the cook
stage by sporulating to begin multiplying again and
possibly making toxins in the food.
In transferring heated food to cool storage, once
removed from the heat, leave the food (covered
lightly to prevent contamination) at room
temperature for no longer than ½ to one hour before
putting it in the fridge or freezer. If you leave this
stage too long, bacteria in the food can begin to
multiply and make the food unsafe to eat, either due
to bacterial load or toxins produced in the food.
To increase the speed of food cooling down either
slice it straight away or divide it into flat trays so that
19
more of it is exposed to room temperature to cool it
faster. Trays can also be sat in iced water or on
crushed ice to cool the contents quickly. Whatever
you do, minimise the time in between hot and cold.
Obviously, you also mustn‟t put hot food into fridges
or freezers too soon as then the whole appliance is
heated up and all the food is at risk. Once you can no
longer see steam rising from the food is the best way
to tell it‟s time.
Temperatures should be recorded to show the
ongoing picture of safe food storage (and display see later). These records should be monitored to
ensure appropriate measures are taken immediately
if something goes wrong.
For instance, if there has been a power cut and food
in freezers has thawed out, must it be thrown out?
Can it be sold or used as fresh? Or can it be cooked
and made safe that way? The action taken must
match the risk.
PREPARING FOOD
If food has been frozen, ensure it is completely thawed before it is cooked.
Otherwise it will not receive the actual time and temperature ratio you thought it
did, some of that time will have been spent thawing out, not cooking. However,
some foods may come with cook straight from frozen instructions – this is fine as
extra time has been included. Follow the instructions and probe the food, when
finished, to confirm it has reached the right temperature for kill off of bacteria,
which is 80OC.
Thawing
Thawing must be done either quickly in a microwave or
slowly in a fridge or chiller. Again, the time at room
temperature must be minimised to prevent bacterial growth.
If a microwave is not appropriate for that food type, you are
simply going to have to get more organised to allow the
time it will take to thaw the food in the fridge or chiller.
Some foods can be thawed under running cold water, but it
depends on whether this waterlogs the flesh or not.
Do not refreeze thawed foods. If they have been thawed
accidentally they must be eaten straight away or cooked and
then refrozen if need be.
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Preparation
In preparing foods, raw foods must be kept separate from
cooked or ready to eat foods to prevent cross-contamination
between the different food risk types. You must either:
clean and sanitise your hands, cutting boards, knives,
slicing machines and any other utensils in between
different food types, OR
have separate boards and utensils for different food risk
types, OR
prepare the low risk types before the high risk types to
ensure no transfer of juices from one food to another.
If you taste food while preparing it, ensure a clean spoon
is used each time to prevent cross- contamination.
Cooking
Cooking times and temperatures must be sufficient to
ensure that all bacteria and their toxins are destroyed. If
they are not, multiplication may again occur during cooling
or incorrect storage of cooked food.
Food must be thoroughly cooked right through. Preheat the
oven so that the food has the correct temperature right
through the cooking time and probe the food once you think
it is ready to ensure it has reached the correct temperature.
Juices should run clear, any joints should move freely and it
should be piping hot. This is especially important if the food
has been cooked in a microwave as you cannot determine
what temperature it operated at.
To probe for food temperature, ensure you sanitise the
probe first and insert it into the deepest part of the food. It is
best to check a number of different sites. In poultry, check
the thigh joint, not the abdomen as this may be hollow, and
you‟re looking for the meat temperature not that of the
stuffing.
You also need to check your thermometers against each
other to ensure they are accurate. It is best to get a reliable
thermometer that can be calibrated. Your whole business
hangs on your thermometers‟ accuracy.
Microwaves
When using a microwave, ensure you turn or stir the food
for even cooking, allow the standing time at the end to finish
the process, and check it before it is served to ensure the
cooking has been even and thorough. If using a microwave
it is best to follow microwave specific recipes, as
microwaves are easily misused with resulting unsafe food.
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SERVING OR DISPLAYING FOOD
Foods should be prepared as close to serving as possible to prevent the risk of
recontamination. If foods are prepared and reheated, special care must be taken
with the in between hot and cold time frames and prevention of contamination.
Hot foods
If not eaten immediately but put on display, safe
temperatures must still be maintained. Hot foods on
display must be heated to 80OC before being put into the
display case, which must keep the food at over 65OC. This
must not be for longer than one day on display.
Cold Foods
Cold perishable foods on display must be at less than 4OC or
not out for longer than 2 hours before being disposed of as
unsafe to eat. Many people spend lots of money on chilled
display cases that are not designed to act as fridges and
leave perishable foods in them all day at temperatures like
10 – 20OC. This could be really dangerous and is an offence
under the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974.
It doesn‟t matter whether you use time or temperature to
protect your food, but one of them must be used. Know
what temperatures your display cases provide by checking
them with a thermometer. Then you can assess how long
you may display perishable foods in them. If they are not
cold enough for all-day display, keep a small amount on
display and stock them up from the fridge (which you have
already confirmed to provide less than 4OC!)
Lower Risk Foods
Some foods, which aren‟t readily perishable, such as sweet
muffins and cakes, fruit, vegetable dishes, may not need
chilled display. But all foods on display must still be
covered and protected from contamination.
Ensure foods on display do not touch each other if they are
of a different risk type. Do not allow the bottoms of
containers to touch other foods and ensure serving utensils
are readily available for each dish to prevent crosscontamination by them. In self-serve situations, your
customers may have to be supervised to ensure they
provide no risk to the foods by misuse of utensils or
contamination by poor handling and sneezing and such like.
During preparation and especially once food has finished being prepared, handle
the food directly as little as possible. Use clean utensils, tongs, scoops and the
like, but make sure these aren‟t a source of cross- contamination between foods.
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LEFTOVERS
Leftovers must be thoroughly reheated to piping hot, but only once. Do not make
leftovers out of reconstituted leftovers. The time/temperature ratio will have
been tested too many times to guarantee safety. If left-overs are to be eaten cold,
it should be within three days, assuming they were kept in a fridge at less than
4OC for that time and well protected from contamination.
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING PRACTICES
Contamination of food can be controlled by maintaining good food hygiene and
housekeeping practices. High standards of food hygiene minimise food spoilage
and contamination and help to ensure that when food is eaten it is as wholesome
and free of pathogens as possible.
Good housekeeping practices are essential to ensuring the premises are safe to
prepare food in, both for the food and the food handlers. It is the maintenance of
a clean and tidy workplace.
Good housekeeping:
Is maintenance of a clean and tidy workplace
Promotes wholesome and safe food
Encourages economy
Implies safe working practices
These aspects of housekeeping are all reliant on efficient and effective cleaning
practices that consider:
Physical
Chemical
Biological aspects of
premises, storage, ingredients, handling, display, preparation, cooking, serving
and disposal of food.
This is done by:
Prevention of unhygienic situations – pest control & refuse storage
Cleaning practices – cleansing, sanitising,
contamination and re-contamination
prevention
of
Personal hygiene – ensuring the food handler doesn‟t provide the risk
cross
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THE PREMISES ITSELF
A major part of food safety and good housekeeping practices is the premise itself.
According to the Food Hygiene Regulations and the Building Code, this is
required to be designed in such a way as to facilitate safe food preparation and a
safe working environment. Any food preparation, storage or display area must
come up to the required standard before it can be licensed to sell or supply food.
Essentially all surfaces should be continuously smooth, impervious to water,
clean, readily cleanable, resistant to wear and of a light colour.
Floors are also required to be resistant to wear and coved to the walls and
permanent fixtures.
There must be adequate ventilation to remove odours, smokes, moisture and to
provide a comfortable environment that doesn‟t attract pests.
Lighting must be adequate to allow safe work and so that labels can be clearly
read and dirt can be seen and cleaned up.
There must be a staff changing room so that fresh clothes can be put on in which
to prepare food and outside clothes are not left in the food preparation or storage
areas.
There must be wash hand basins provided convenient to the food preparation
areas and the toilets, and these must be provided with hot and cold running
water, soap, a nail brush and some sort of hand drying device. Disposable paper
towels are often thought to be the best option for this as they prevent
recontamination of hands.
Toilet and hand washing areas must also be maintained in a clean state and kept
stocked up with their required supplies.
If you have a grease trap it must be regularly cleaned out to prevent odours and
attraction to pests.
Smoking must not be allowed in any part of a food preparation, storage or
display area.
Only registered companion dogs are allowed in any food premises. (Believe it or
not, cats are allowed for rodent control purposes as long as they are not providing
any source of contamination - this obviously means keep them outside!).
Refuse must be collected in a lidded container that is cleaned out after each
emptying. It must not be allowed to smell or attract pests. Putrescible (rotting)
refuse must be removed from the premises each day or stored in a chiller (clearly
marked!) until collected.
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PEST CONTROL
You don‟t just have to prevent microscopic „bugs‟ but big ugly ones too. Pests are
pests because they breed rapidly and are a problem in large numbers, because
they are vehicles of contamination – they carry germs around on their bodies, and
because they can be difficult to eradicate or keep out. But in the food industry it is
essential that you control pests, as they can be a real danger to your business.
Some will just be a physical contaminant but others carry diseases harmful to
humans. Either way the presence of pests shows that premises maintenance and
cleaning are not up to the required standard.
You need to know how to recognise their presence, why they are hazardous, how
to control them and how to control the controls.
Rats and mice
The presence of rodents is most often noted by their
droppings rather than actual sighting, as they are
nocturnal. Damage caused by the gnawing of
rodents may also be seen, either on structures or food
containers themselves. Rats tend to develop specific
pathways and may leave behind greasy rub marks
along the walls against which they travel. Sometimes
their odours may be detected.
Rats will have 3 – 5 litters of 7 – 8 young per year.
Mice can have about 6 litters of around 10 young per
year. These young will of course breed quickly
themselves.
Rodents are hazardous both because of damage they
cause and they are excellent vehicle of infection.
They breed prolifically; they are very clever, have no
fear and cover a fairly large territory. They spoil far
more than they eat simply because they live in such
unhygienic environments. For example; rats often
use our sewers as travel routes from one place to
another. They contaminate foods and surfaces
simply by touching them and are known to harbour
numerous bacteria harmful to humans.
Traps can be used to catch them but poisoning works
better as it exposes more rodents at a time. The most
commonly used poisons are warfarin based, which
kills by causing internal bleeding. This usually
means the rodents go back to their lairs and die
without the need for you to dispose of them.
Poison must be laid so that it cannot be accessed by
any other creature. Inspect the bait station for chew
25
marks and continue to replace the poison until it
hasn‟t been touched for a week. Vigilance is required
for repeat infestations. The poison is best secured
into the bait station in some way so that it can be
easily monitored for evidence of taking.
Flies
Flies also carry diseases mechanically and internally
like rodents do. Their presence is much easier to
determine, as they aren‟t nocturnal. Their dirt can be
seen on any surface. If food has been left out,
especially meat, their eggs can be seen and later the
maggots then pupae, before more flies hatch.
Maggots can appear within hours of eggs being laid.
Their breeding cycle is especially efficient in hot
humid weather. Flies don‟t digest solid food but
regurgitate acidic stomach contents to dissolve the
current meal.
Insecticides and electronic insect killers are the most
commonly used control methods. Insecticides can be
contact or residual but contamination of food by
these chemicals must also be avoided. Placement of
electroblitz machines must consider where the
blitzed fly carcasses may fall. These are most efficient
out of direct sunlight.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches, like rodents, tend to be nocturnal. They
can be found in the warm motor compartments of
fridges and behind ovens and hot water cylinders.
Indications of their presence are a characteristic
musty odour, stains from their droppings and shed
exoskeletons.
Expert extermination is best as
different life stages require different types of controls.
Cockroaches have wings but seldom fly. They can
live up to a year and produce 500 young in that time.
They are also known to carry diseases harmful to
humans.
Birds
Birds can also be pests in some places, especially
those with an open layout. Entry should be
prevented, but if this isn‟t practical, try to remove
„perchable‟ surfaces and ensure foods are protected
by a non-peckable cover. This is especially important
for any foods displayed outside your store. Extra
cleaning may be required if birds are able to defecate
inside or on display surfaces.
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Others
Ants, silverfish, moths, weevils and beetles and
spiders aren‟t necessarily carriers of disease but are
still troublesome, offensive and can cause extensive
damage for food supplies. They are a sign that
cleaning is not sufficient, stock rotation is too slow
and can become contamination by their very
presence.
If they don‟t behave themselves, other humans can
be pests too. Keep anyone who isn‟t directly
involved in food preparation or cleaning, out of the
kitchen or they may contaminate food or freshly
sanitised surfaces. Have deliveries left in another
room or made while someone is there to supervise it
(and put things away immediately).
Summary of pest control
Deny access to pests. It is much easier to prevent
them getting in than it is to get them out again. Seal
holes in walls and joinery, screen windows and
doors, have self closing doors, ventilate the premise
with a cool air flow, keep ingredients in well sealed
containers that cannot be eaten and cover drain pies
and roof vent openings with a fine mesh.
Be alert to signs of intruders. Inspect regularly to
infestation of pests and effectiveness of control
measures.
Don’t provide food and harbourage. Ensure no
dripping taps or pools of water are available. Ensure
all foods are inaccessible, including refuse and pet
food. Ensure no accumulation of yard materials such
as bedding or dens. Keep woodpiles tightly stacked.
Ensure rubbish is disposed of tidily and frequently,
including the fat bin where used fat is collected for
removal. Ensure stock is rotated and kept to a
minimum in storage. Keep the premise clean.
Greasy or sticky walls provide a great source of food
for cockroaches.
Make suitable arrangement for prompt destruction
by a trained person when pests are discovered.
This may include neighbouring properties and may
involve leaving the premises while fumes subside.
Ensure any other pets, plants, fabrics etc that may
27
need protection are also considered in the case of
large scale fumigation.
Controlling the controls
If you use pest control chemicals yourselves, ensure
you read the instructions and take all possible
precautions; these things are toxic to us too. The only
difference is it takes more to harm us because we are
bigger. Be aware of the need for special gear to
prevent accidental swallowing, inhalation or skin
absorption of the poison and also be particularly
careful of storage. Never leave poisons in an
unmarked or otherwise marked container.
Sometimes, after pest control in the food preparation
area you may need to do extra cleaning to remove
any chemical residue form high risk surfaces. Ensure
a good communication channel between staff so that
everyone knows when pest control contractors are
due or have been in to prevent the control becoming
a hazard of its own.
PREMISES CLEANING
Now that we have prevented and controlled the macroscopic unhygienic
situations, we will look at how to deal with the microscopic ones. That is,
cleaning practices as part of ensuring safe, wholesome food. Cleaning practices
include cleansing and sanitising.
Cleaning involves three types of energy:
Physical - That‟s you scrubbing and wiping. There is no getting away from it,
cleaning requires effort. The more you put in the greater the effect you
achieve. If you don‟t like cleaning, work harder. That way the cleaning will
be done better and quicker.
Thermal – that‟s heat. Mostly it will be hot water, but in the case of a drier
cycle it will also include hot air. Make the heat work for you; it has some kill
power by itself. The hotter the water the faster the cleaning or the more
efficient the sanitising. Wear some strong rubber gloves to protect yourself
and allow the heat to help you clean.
Chemical - that‟s what does the main part of the work. In theory you can do
all the cleaning you need with hard work and baking soda, but using other
specially designed chemicals will make the work easier and more effective.
The term cleaning really means a number of different things. So, there are
different chemicals available to help you do those different aspects of cleaning
as effectively and efficiently as possible.
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Detergents or degreasers
Detergents and degreasers (sometimes called
surfactants) clean. They work best in a hot
water solution.
These are your soaps,
dishwashing liquids and anything „sudsy‟.
Once your suds have popped and the water is
cold and grey you are wasting your time
trying to clean anything with it. Get a fresh
bucket. Detergents and degreasers remove
dirt and grease to obtain a “squeaky clean”
surface that supposedly cannot support
bacterial life. But they cannot actually kill
anything. Because at the microscopic level
surfaces aren‟t really as smooth as they seem
to us, high risk surfaces need to be sanitised as
well.
Disinfectants or sanitisers
Disinfectants and sanitisers do have some kill
power but they don‟t work on an unclean
surface. A surface to be sanitised must have
been cleaned first.
There are different kinds of sanitiser to
recognise. These are products like phenols,
like the old lysol soaps; alcohols, such as
methylated spirits or isopropyl alcohol; or
chlorine products. Ammonia products are
really heavy duty cleaners, but they do have
some kill power if allowed a contact time to
do this. You need to know the products you
use to ensure you use them correctly and that
you get your money‟s worth out of them.
Firstly, read the label to confirm that the
product is a cleaner or a sanitiser.
Secondly, read the label to confirm whether it
is likely to give an instant kill effect or it needs
contact time to do its job. Chlorine products
like bleach will have instant kill effect and can
be used concentrated or diluted in a bucket or
spray bottle – just read the instructions on the
container.
Some other products may call themselves a
cleaner and sanitiser. If they do, this probably
means they are more likely to be an ammonia
type product, not a straight out chlorine, and
therefore require contact time to have any kill
29
power. These products are also not likely to
kill viruses, whereas a chlorine product will.
Most of the “spray and wipe” products are
like this. When you simply spray and wipe,
you are cleaning. If you spray, wait and wipe,
you are much more likely to be sanitising
(assuming you cleaned first of course).
It is also important to use the right dilution
strengths. Many people just pour a random
number of gurgles into the bucket and add
some hot water until it is too heavy to lift.
You may be wasting money by putting too
much in the bucket or you may be wasting
your own time and effort by not putting in
enough.
Make the chemical you use work properly
for you.
Sterilising
A steriliser will kill all microbial life, but these
tend to be used in the medical surgical fields,
not the food environment. Food isn‟t sterile,
nor are we. We don‟t need to try and make
the food environment sterile, just sanitised to
control the harmful pathogens. If we killed
off every bacteria, there would be no bacterial
defence against pathogens to help us out.
Which surfaces to clean,
and which to sanitise?
The best cleaning is done by a combination of
physical, thermal and chemical energy by way of
cleansing with a detergent, then disinfecting or
sanitising. In a food premise, all surfaces, equipment,
utensils, appliances and service items must be taken
into consideration.
For instance: floors, walls, ceilings, cupboards,
shelves and benches will be cleaned with a detergent.
But particular attention to sanitising as well as
cleaning would be made to food preparation
surfaces, fridges and freezers, appliances, chopping
boards, dishes, glassware and utensils. Often this
will be done with heat from the dishwasher. Ensure
your dishwasher provides a 10 second rinse cycle of
at least 80OC. This requires a commercial appliance.
30
The oven is also likely to keep itself safe with heat.
Well designed premises and equipment with
continuously smooth, impervious to water and
lightly coloured surfaces makes the job a lot easier.
But don‟t just think of food preparation surfaces.
Remember also to sanitise surfaces that are
frequently handled by food preparers. Surfaces such
as the fridge and freezer handles, light switches, taps,
cupboard and drawer handles, ingredients
containers etc. There is no point carefully washing
your hands if then everything you touch is already
contaminated with food goop.
Also, don‟t forget items such as salt and pepper
shakers, vases, the outside of dusty wine bottles and
other things that might not get regularly cleaned.
Any item, that by its level of damage can‟t be
properly cleaned, such as cracked crockery or cutting
boards, must be thrown out. If a surface can‟t be
cleaned easily, then it must be cleaned with difficulty.
Either way – a safe environment must be provided.
Cleaning equipment
The other important things to keep clean and
sanitised are your cleaning tools. You can‟t sanitise a
food bench with a cloth that is crawling with the
bacteria you wiped off the floor a while ago and you
can‟t safely dry your hands on a towel that is
crawling with bacteria left there from another staff
member before lunch.
Cloths and sponges must be numerous enough that
you always have plenty of fresh dry ones at hand
should one become unclean with risky juices such as
from raw meat. Soak them in a sanitising solution
after they are washed, and dry them in a hot air drier
or in the sun. Rinsing is not enough.
Buckets and mops must also be washed out with a
hot sanitising solution after each use and allowed to
dry in between uses.
If anything is allowed to sit around soggy, you can
guarantee it will be multiplying bacteria at the same
time.
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How to clean?
Although you may think you know how to clean
already, this section is designed to set out the ideal
cleaning method to raise your awareness of what you
are doing so that every time you clean anything it is
done with maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
There is no point wiping something that should have
been scrubbed and there is no point doing the most
important job of a food business ineffectively. You
have to do it so you might as well do it well.
1) Firstly, remove any matter that doesn‟t need
cleaning, such as scraping plates, picking up
spills and „droppings‟.
2) Then, rinse to remove any other residue.
3) Next, wash and scrub in a hot soapy water to
degrease and remove dirt.
4) If the surface is a high risk one, you then
sanitise with a hot sanitising solution and
rinse in hot water.
5) It is best if possible to allow the surface to air
dry to prevent recontamination, but if there is
neither time or space for this ensure that the
cloth used to dry the surface is a fresh clean
one that will not simply wipe back on a
bacterial loading from previous wiping of
another surface.
6) Finally, if the surface is a mobile item, put it
away in a clean storage area. That is, not a
sticky shelf or a drawer filled with crumbs or
somewhere where flies are going to come and
poo on it.
If a piece of equipment can be broken down into parts, do so
and clean each part separately. Parts with direct food
contact must also be sanitised.
Make sure you don‟t leave cleaning product residue behind
on high risk surfaces or you may have swapped a microbial
contaminant for a chemical one.
Always rinse off
afterwards with a hot water solution and a clean cloth.
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Cleaning Programmes
Cleaning practices must be thorough, stringent,
regular and monitored.
A written cleaning
programme allows each person responsible to know
exactly their duty, how to do it, when to do it and it
acknowledges a job well done or whether something
needs to change. A supervisor using a written
cleaning programme to monitor cleaning can tell if a
problem is due to a lack of effort, the wrong cleaning
frequency or method or if a different product may be
necessary.
An effective and efficient cleaning programme
removes attraction to bacteria and pests, allows
sanitation to provide a safe and wholesome food is
produced and ensures a safe and pleasant work
environment for you and your colleagues.
The plan should list each item or surface to be
cleaned, the product and method to be used, the
frequency with which it should be cleaned, who is
responsible, an indication that it has been done and
an indication that it has been checked.
Make the “what to clean” list as detailed as possible,
then less things will be forgotten. If you laminate
your cleaning programmes, with the right felt pen
you can use it like a white board and reuse it each
week or shift. See example below, but remember
you need to make your programme apply to your
premise, staff numbers and food preparation types.
It may vary considerably from this one.
Surface / item
Product used
Method used
Frequency
Floors
Cleaner
Mop
Daily
Walls
Cleaner
Wipe
Weekly
Ceilings
Cleaner
Wipe
Monthly
Dishwasher
As used
Appliances, utensils,
crockery
Benches, boards &
shelves
Cleaner then
sanitiser
scrub
Each time
used
Cupboards &
drawers
Cleaner then
sanitiser
Wipe
Weekly
Fridges & freezers
Cleaner then
sanitiser
Wipe
Weekly
Person
responsible
When
done
Checked
by:
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Display cabinets &
containers
Cleaner then
sanitiser
Wipe
Daily
Handles, Switches &
taps
Cleaner then
sanitiser
Scrub
Daily or
when
soiled
Toilet & Bathroom,
Cleaner then
sanitiser
Wipe
Weekly
Flue
Three
monthly
Vent hood filters
Fortnightly
Grease trap
Three
monthly
Rubbish bins
Cleaner
Scrub
Daily
PERSONAL HYGIENE
Humans may well be the most dangerous pests in the food preparation and
storage areas. As with the rest of the environment, we carry bacteria and viruses
around on our bodies that if not controlled can get into food and cause illness.
This is especially so in the case of opportunistic pathogens that may be harmless
or even beneficial to us but disease causing if they get back into food and are
consumed, or if they produce toxins in the food.
To prevent being the source of food borne illness or contamination, follow the
following personal hygiene rules:
Hands
Always wash your hands:
Before beginning to prepare food
After handling rubbish
After going to the bathroom
After smoking
After touching or scratching your hair or skin
In between high risk and low risk foods
After handling cleaning or pest control chemicals
After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
After licking your fingers
Whenever your hands become obviously dirty
After handling money
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When washing your hands, use warm water and lather your
hands all over with soap. Ensure you vigorously rub all
surfaces of your hands, fingers and wrists – back and front
and in between fingers. This should take at least 30 seconds.
Time yourself next time you wash your hands. Holding
your fingers under a trickle of cold water for a few seconds
is not washing your hands!
You also need to pay particular attention to your nails.
These should be kept short and clean with no nail polish
and must be scrubbed with a nail brush when the hands are
washed.
Keep your hands out of your pockets and away from your
nose. Use disposable tissues rather than a handkerchief if
you have a runny nose. Then wash your hands of course!
Jewellery
Jewellery must not be worn on the hands or wrists to
facilitate proper hand washing and to prevent the jewellery
becoming a source of cross contamination when gunk is
transferred from one food to another via the jewellery.
Gloves
If you have a flaky or wet skin condition or are wearing a
wound dressing of some sort it may be advisable to wear
gloves. However, these are easily abused and must be worn
with care. You may feel nice and clean inside your glove
but that doesn‟t mean that you are protecting the food from
whatever you just touched. Hands must be washed before
the glove is put on and either washed or the gloves changed
with the same frequency as the hand washing list above.
Remember, the outside surface of the glove is no cleaner
than your hand would have been if you weren’t wearing
the glove.
Illness
You must not prepare or serve food if you are ill with a cold
or „flu‟ where you are dribbly, sneezy or coughing as these
„productions‟ are a great source of bacteria, especially Staph.
aureus.
You must also not prepare or serve food if you are ill with
any sort of vomiting or diarrhoea, unless it is confirmed by
your doctor to be caused by a non-microbial reason (such as
pregnancy or irritable bowel syndrome). If you do get ill
with vomiting or diarrhoea, you should see your doctor and
have a faeces sample sent away for analysis to determine
which bacteria or virus is causing your illness. This will
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then decree how long you must wait before returning to
food handling.
Many food borne microbial illnesses are notifiable. This
means that the lab or your doctor will notify the local
Community Health team so that they can trace the source of
the illness to ensure no risk to the general public. You may
be contacted by them to ensure you are following the correct
procedures and staying away from work, or in a safe
alternative job while you are at risk.
Clothes
Freshly cleaned clothes should be worn each day. You may
even need to keep a spare outfit at work if you are likely to
get really dirty during the day. These clothes should be put
on at work not worn from home, to ensure you don‟t bring
dog hairs, road dust and other „outside‟ contamination into
the food preparation area. Don‟t wear fluffy clothes that
could shed into food. Be sure you are comfortable so that
you don‟t get sweaty or itchy and need to touch yourself.
The level of clothing protection depends upon the level and
type of food preparation. Some places need to wear a full
covering uniform, others an apron will suffice. Just make
sure what you wear is right for the job. Remember you are
protecting the food from you, not you from the food.
Hair
Hair is required to be “adequately restrained” when
preparing or serving food to ensure it cannot be a source of
contamination (even clean hair will gross out any customer).
This is something that is commonly ignored in food
premises and hair complaints are common. It is not just a
matter of tying back long hair, short hairs fall out too.
Whatever method you choose must be used thoughtfully. A
trendy baseball cap sits on your head and itches, it doesn‟t
actually restrain anything, especially with the pretty curls
left hanging down the sides.
Mouth
The mouth and teeth can be a good source of bacteria that
may be then breathed over food or food preparation
surfaces. Keep your teeth healthy and clean. Don‟t bite
your nails or lick your fingers, don‟t cough or sneeze over
food and don‟t smoke in a food area or before handling food
without washing your hands.
First-Aid
You are required to have a first-aid kit in all food premises.
If someone sustains a wound at work, ensure the wound is
properly cleaned and dressed and remains covered until
healed. Someone with an infected or suppurating wound
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on the hands or wrists should not handle food. Ensure any
surface on which blood has been spilt is cleaned and
sanitised with a chlorine solution. Throw away any food
contaminated with human blood.
The trick with personal hygiene measures is to remember why you are doing
them : to stop yourself being a source of contamination, cross-contamination or
recontamination to the food you are handling.
Wash your hands,
Wear a clean uniform that has been put on at work
Only taste food with a clean spoon, not your fingers
Don‟t wear jewellery
Keep your body and mouth clean
Keep your hair restrained
Don‟t handle food when unwell
Don‟t touch, scratch or itch yourself
Cover wounds with a firm, waterproof dressing
Work in an environment that doesn‟t make you sweaty
Use „hands off‟ methods of food service whenever
possible
I recommend that you set up a buddy system with the people you work with, so
that when one of you notices another doing something that could be a risk to food
you advise them nicely, without fear of recrimination, and they can go and do
what is needed to remove the risk. For example, „you just touched your nose; you
should wash your hands now‟. Often we touch ourselves without realising we
have done it. That is normal. But we must make sure that we remove the risk
from the action. A buddy system can help us do this.
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The premises cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene and general food safety
measures are intertwined. None of them works without the others also in place.
All must be done carefully and stringently to ensure safe food.
PERSONAL HYGIENE
- hands
- hair
- clothes
- illness
- mouths
FOOD PROTECTION
- time / temperature
- covering and separation
- safe handling
- stock rotation
CLEAN PREMISES
- cleaning
- sanitising
- refuse control
PEST CONTROL
rodents
insects
birds
people
38
DEFINITIONS
Algae
a very simple plant-like material growing in water
ways. Some produce toxins in the gut of shellfish that
consume them. These shellfish are then poisonous to
eat.
Calibration
an independent confirmation of a device‟s accuracy.
Contamination
something that shouldn‟t be present, and would not
normally be present, has got into the food
HACCP
hazard analysis and critical control points – a system of
identifying food hazards at every stage of production
and applying controls to those hazards at critical points
along the way – the basis of food safety programmes.
Immunocompromised
people who due to illness or medication cannot fight
off disease as healthy people can e.g. people with
HIV/AIDS
Infestation
usually refers to presence of pests such as rats, mice,
insects etc.
Malaise
a general feeling of being unwell.
Microbe
a thing only able to be seen under a microscope e.g.
bacteria and viruses (as opposed to a macrobe which
can be seen with the human eye).
Nocturnal
active mainly at night time rather than day time.
Parasites
parasites cannot live by themselves but must live as
part of another live being. Some will harm that being
by “stealing” their food (as a gut worm might) some
will cause illness (as giardia and cryptosporidium do)
some are not noticed at all.
Probing
in this case, insertion of a thermometer probe into food
to check its internal temperature.
Toxin
poison – harmful or deadly depending on the dose.
Vermin
rodents – rats and mice.
Wholesomeness
safe and healthy to eat (or drink).