Food Safety and the Law

As food safety is so important to everyone, you as food handlers have legal, ethical and economic responsibility to keep food safe to eat. Rules cover the handling of food have existed for centuries, in modern times, laws have been developed to cover every aspect of the handling and sales of food. General speaking the legislation aims to protect consumers from illness and injury by requiring food to be wholesome and fit to eat.

The approach to food safety required by law is to anticipate food safety problems before they actually occur, and take appropriate steps to prevent them, there is a recognized system, known as HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point). There is also a legal requirement for companies working with food to take every reasonable care in all food safety issues. This can usually be achieved by following good working practices.

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Keywords for Food Safety

·       Contaminated Food – Food that could be harmful to health because it contains something that should not be there.

·       Food – Anything that people normally eat or drink, including ice and alcohol.

·       Food Handler – Anyone whose work involves food or whose work involves food, or whose actions or inaction could affect food safety.

·       Food Poisoning – A general term for an illness caused by eating contaminated food.

·       Food Safety – The protecting of consumer health & well being by safe guarding food from anything that could cause harm to the consumer.

·       Food Risk – The Likelihood that harm will be caused and it’s severity.

Importance of Food Safety

Food safety protects consumers’ health and will being by safeguarding food from anything that could harm. High standard of food safety enables everyone to enjoy their food without illness, injury or other problems. But poor standards can lead to all kind of harm and even death. This food safety program looks at the impacts of illness caused by food and introduces the part that the food handlers play in food safety.

Cleaning Program

Remove germs that cause food poisoning. Dirt and dust build up can be a home to germs and attract flies and other insects.

·       Dirt and dust build up can be removed by cleaning

·       Clean your catering facility and equipment thoroughly

·       Use a detergent to remove dirt and dust

·       Use a sanitizer to kill germs

If you don’t use both, then you are not cleaning properly. Always follow these steps to keep your catering facility clean. CLEAN AS YOU GO is a good motto. Remember at all times when using chemicals to clean you must wear gloves

When to clean?

Make a cleaning roster and keep it on display. Tick off the jobs as you do them. This way you cannot forget to clean.

How to Use Cleaning Equipment

Brooms and mops:

A flat or hairless (no bristles) broom makes cleaning hard and you will leave dirt behind.

·       Store brooms head (bristles) up to dry. The bristles will stay soft and make cleaning easier

·       Empty mop bucket water in the outside drain, not in the sink or the basin

·       Replace brooms and mops regularly

Cleaning cloths:  

These spread germs easily. They trap dirt and food, are normally wet, are kept at room temperature all day and are used for many jobs.

·       Always use a clean, dry cloth

·       Sanitize cloths at least daily.

·       Single use cloths or paper towels should be used

·       Paper towels are best because they are used once then thrown away

·       Use paper towels for wiping the tables after sanitizing solution has been applied

·       Use paper towels for wiping up spillages

Wash with a detergent then sanitize

Detergent:

A detergent is a chemical that helps to loosen dirt and food by breaking down fats and grease. It can be easily mixed with hot water.

Always read the label of the detergent container and follow the instructions sanitizer:

·       A sanitizer is a chemical that lowers germs numbers to a safe level after a detergent has been used

·       Sanitizers are recommended for use benches and other work surfaces

·       Read the label of the sanitizer and follow the instruction.

·       Allow the washed area to air dry

Cleaning Equipment

Keep your premises clean to help stop poisoning by caring for your cleaning equipment, using the right cleaning equipment and cleaning properly.

CARING FOR YOUR CLEANING EQUIPMENT

·       Look after your cleaning equipment – it won’t work if it’s worn out.

·       Store all cleaning equipment away from food

CLEANING HAS THREE STEPS:

·       Loosen the dirt and dust build ups

·       Wash with a detergent, then sanitize

·       Allow to dry

How to Use PPE?

Gloves

·       Change gloves and wash your hands before handling raw and cooked food

·       Change gloves as often as you would wash your hands

·       Wearing gloves correctly needs constant reinforcement

Aprons & overalls

·       Wear clean protective clothing daily

·       Change into protective clothing after arriving to work

·       Remove protective clothing before going out side, do not smoke or use the toilet whilst wearing protective clothing

Head Cover

Why wear a hat?

Hats should be worn to prevent food contamination. Bacteria that lives on hair and scalp, as well as dandruff, dust, perspiration collected in the hair and the hair itself all can cause bacteria and psychical contamination.

Hats:

·       Prevent food handlers from directly touching hair and scalp with fingers, and passing bacteria from the hair to the food

·       Prevents dandruff and hairs from falling into the food or onto utensils and work surface

·       Protect food handler’s hair from flames, smells, grease and steam

·       It promotes a positive image to the customer

Kinds of hair covering

·       Hats with hair nets attached

·       Baseball style hats which contain all of the hair

·       Disposable hats

·       Hair nets

Good Practice of Using PPE

Good practice PPE should be:

· Clean

· Washable

· Light colored

· No external pockets

Prior to putting on any protective clothing you must wash your hands.

When washing hands:

· Use the hand basin, not the sink

· Use liquid antibacterial soap

· Remember to wash the backs of your hands, your wrists and between your fingers

· Avoid using cloths as they are usually full of germs

· Throw paper towel in the bin after use

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Why wear protective clothing?

Bacteria can be transferred from plants, soil, pets, and people ete…onto your clothes and then brought into the catering facility. By putting on clean protective clothing when you get into work, you can reduce the number of harmful bacteria being brought back into the catering facility. Remember protective clothing is designed to protect the food from you, not the other way around.

Storage of Food

Germs and pests can line and grow in stored food.

Check your dry food stock regularly to ensure that:

· It has not passed its ‘use by’ date (if it has, remove it from the catering area)

· It is stored in the correct conditions as shown on the label.

· The package is not broken

· It is not in a dented or rusted can (damaged cans my have tiny holes that let germs in)

· All dry foods are stored on clean, dry shelves, not on the floor

Chilled and frozen food

At all times make sure that:

· It has not passed its ‘use by’ date ( if it has, remove it from the catering areal)

· Meat, dairy and fruit and vegetables are kept segregated

· All foods are properly stored, free of ice accumulation

· Chilled food is kept below 5˚C

· Frozen food is kept below -18˚C

Food and Bacteria

Germs get into your catering facility on:

· Food you receive in the catering facility

· Raw food

· Equipment

· Store foods

· Your hands and clothes

· Flies and Vermin

When your food is delivered:

· Record the time and date it arrived

· Don’t let food sit outside

· Ensure that cold foods are cold (use a thermometer to check that the food is below 5˚C) and frozen foods are hard frozen (at least -16˚C)

· Check that the packaging is intact and clean

· Record and remove damaged items from the catering facility.

Handling Food

Germs move easily. You can stop this with good food handling.

· Wash your hands before and after handling food

· Keep different food categories separate

· Handle all fruit and vegetables in a safe manner

Equipment

Germs can hide in cracked or chipped equipment that is used for food handling or storage. Regularly clean the catering facility equipment.