Food Handling
The owner of every catering establishment has a responsibility to ensure that food is prepared and handled in accordance with The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995. The advice below is to assist the proprietor and staff in identifying possible problem areas.
Personal Hygiene
Staff health
- Screening - all persons required to handle or prepare food should be screened for their past history of illnesses and the place and date of any visits abroad.
- Reporting illness - employees that are either ill or in close contact with someone suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting should inform their employer as soon as possible.
Hand Washing
- Hands should be kept clean and washed at frequent intervals in hot water using soap - preferably anti- bactericidal liquid soap. Hands should then be well rinsed and thoroughly dried using clean paper towels.
Protective Clothing
- Food handlers must wear protective clothing when working with food. The protective clothing should be changed daily or more frequently if necessary. Protective clothing should only be worn for catering duties and not for any other activity.
First Aid
- First aid dressing must be available. The procedure to follow in case of accidents should be on display and explained to staff.
- Small cuts, scratches and other minor lesions may be dealt with in the kitchen.
- Dressings on the hands of kitchen staff should be waterproof and changed frequently.
- Plastic finger stalls should be used for cuts on the hand.
Temperature Control
At room temperature and temperatures between 5oC and 63oC, hazardous food (e.g meat, poultry, rice, gravies, milk, cream, eggs and any dishes containing these foods) can become infected with food poisoning organisms. Hazardous foods must be either stored in a refrigerator/freezer or kept hot in a bain marie or hot cabinet. It is essential that you restrict the time that hazardous foods are left out of the refrigerator or oven.
Storage Temperatures
Recommended temperature settings for food storage cabinets:
- Refrigerators (for storing food below 8oC) should be set to a temperature of 5oC
- Freezers should be set to a temperature of -18oC or cooler
- Bain marie, hot cabinets etc. (for storing food at above 63oC) should be set to a temperature of 82oC
Hot Foods
- The safest procedure to avoid food poisoning outbreaks is to cook food thoroughly and serve it immediately to customers.
- As far as possible, leftover food should not be kept and reheated at a later time.
- If however, in exceptional circumstances the cooked food is not intended for immediate consumption you should:
- 1) Store the food for a short period in a Bain Marie or hot cabinet above 75oC
- 2) Allow the food to cool quickly in a clean, well ventilated room protected from contamination. Ideally, the room should be cool in order to lower the temperature of the food sufficiently for it to be placed into a refrigerator within a short period of time. Unless intended for immediate consumption, the food should be refrigerated within 1.5 hours of cooking
- 3) Reheating should be avoided wherever possible. However, if reheating must be carried out the food must be reheated to a centre temperature of at least 70oC. It is recommended that you use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of large pieces of meat such as joints.
Cold Foods
- Cold foods must be stored in a refrigerator (or freezer) until ready for preparation or consumption.
- Frozen foods must be totally defrosted before cooking - this can be checked by pushing a skewer or probe into the centre of the food.
How to Use your Refrigerator
- Keep the door open for as short a time as possible to keep the cabinet cold.
- Leave space for the air to circulate freely around the food.
- Keep all food covered to prevent drying out and odours being absorbed.
- Never put warm food into the refrigerator.
- Keep the refrigerator very clean, including the door seals. Wipe up any spilt food immediately. Do not use strong smelling detergent.
- Defrost the refrigerator regularly.
- Food which smells strong should not be stored in a refrigerator, e.g. onions, very strong cheese, bananas, melons and pineapples.
- Provide a thermometer to ensure the correct storage temperature.
- Ensure that door seals are in good condition.
Cross Contamination
Bacteria need help to get from place to place - this is called cross contamination.
Cross contamination is most likely to occur via hands, overalls, utensils used for raw food and then cooked food, working surfaces, cutting boards, slicing machines, swabs and cloths, can openers, vehicles, handling animals and food, pet food utensils and washing up water.
Raw meat, fish and poultry may be contaminated with harmful bacteria and must be stored carefully:
- Do not store raw meat with cooked food.
- If raw meat is stored in the same refrigerator as other foods, designate a specific area for each type of food and make sure raw meat is kept below other foods in the refrigerator
Cleaning Schedules
A written cleaning schedule is the best way to ensure that all areas are cleaned on a regular basis. Managers should use a checklist to periodically check the schedule is being followed. The schedule should give details of the following:
- All surfaces to be cleaned including structure, fittings and equipment.
- Frequency of cleaning.
- Materials to be used for cleaning.
- Personnel to carry out cleaning.
Infestation
The most common pests in catering areas are ants, cockroaches, rats, mice, flies and wasps. Pets, pigeons and sparrows may also cause problems. They spoil and contaminate food and transmit disease organisms.
A kitchen that is cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis is unlikely to become infested. It's particularly important that food spillages and food residue beneath and behind kitchen equipment are cleaned immediately.
- Check and clean dry food store rooms regularly. Foods should be stored above the floor and flour and grain products should be stored in either plastic or stainless steel containers with lids.
- Check and clean equipment storage areas too - storage areas provide ideal cover for pests.
- Ensure that refuse and food waste are stored outside in covered bins. The waste should be removed frequently to discourage flies, pests or animals.
- Inexpert applications of insecticides or rodent bait is hazardous and may not achieve control. Do not attempt to get rid of pests yourself - you must employ a pest control professional.
Training
Training food handlers in correct handling procedures is an effective way to reduce the risk of food poisoning. Trained staff handle food correctly.
Southwark College organises food hygiene courses which are appropriate for both catering staff and those in management roles. For full details, contact Bernadette Scally on 020 7815 1695.
How to contact us...
This guidance note is intended to be a brief outline of food handling requirements. Further advice or information can be obtained from the Southwark's Food and Health and Safety Unit.
Tel: 020 7525 2000
Fax: 020 7525 5735
Email: food@southwark.gov.uk
Address: Food Team,
Environment & Leisure,
Chaplin Centre,
Thurlow Street,
London SE17 2DG
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