Preventing Food Poisoning

Transcription

1 Food hygiene guide

2 Preventing Food Poisoning The ten main reasons for food poisoning are: - 1. Food prepared too far in advance and stored at room temperature. Prepare food as near to it being eaten as possible and keep it in a refrigerator in the meantime. 2. Cooling food too slowly and for too long before refrigerating it, especially large joints of meat, turkeys and bulky items cooked in advance. Cool quickly and use small joints. Use shallow trays for faster cooling. 3. Undercooking food. Cook to 75 C for 30 seconds. 4. Not reheating food to a high enough temperature. Reheat to 75 C for at least 30 seconds. 5. The use of foods contaminated with food poisoning bacteria, e.g. not brought from reputable suppliers. Check your supplier takes as much care as you do. Your reputation relies on you having the confidence in the food they sell you. 6. Cross contamination from raw food or ready to eat food in the kitchen during preparation or in the fridge during storage. Separate raw food from cooked, use different utensils, sanitise surfaces, keep food covered and wash hands before and between all tasks and when handling different food products. 7. Inadequate thawing of frozen food before cooking, especially poultry. Thaw in the bottom of the refrigerator for the time recommended on the label. 8. Keeping food `warm below 63 C so allowing bacteria to grow in the food. Remember the `danger zone for bacterial growth is between 5 and 63 C. 9. Infected food handlers contaminating food or poor personal hygiene. 10. Use of shell eggs in recipes requiring only light cooking or no cooking at all. Always cook eggs well.

3 Purchasing Food Items In compliance with HACCP procedure it is imperative that all food items can be sourced back to the original retailer and producer. Where possible it is preferred that major supermarkets are used to source food items. If smaller local sellers are used then please ensure that they are reputable and that all receipts (from any retailer) are kept as a document of proof of purchase. We request that all purchases are recorded on the supplied monitoring sheet. Storing Food Items Food items must be stored safely and in compliance with Food Hygiene Legislation prior to preparation. All ambient produce (tins, packets, bread etc) should be stored below 25 degrees C. All refrigerated items should be stored between 1 5 degrees C. All Frozen items should be stored below 18 degrees C. All food should be covered and dated. Raw and cooked foods must be separated. Raw Foods must always be stored below cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination. We request that all food storage methods and temperatures are recorded on the supplied monitoring sheet. Cooking Dishes To minimize the risk of bacteria growth or food spoilage, cooked dishes should be prepared no more than 48 hours in advance of service, 24 hours or less is preferable. House of Bread requests that no prepared foods are frozen prior to service; this is to ensure that there is a minimized risk of potentially harmful bacteria growth whilst defrosting. Cooked dishes must reach a minimum core temperature of 75 degrees C for at least 30 seconds. The Danger Zone for bacteria growth is between 5 degrees C and 65 degrees C. It is best practice to ensure that all foods reach 75 degrees C to ensure that all harmful bacteria are eradicated. Use a clean/sterile food probe thermometer to ensure that all foods reach the required temperature and record the temperature on the provided monitoring sheet.

4 Cooling Dishes Cooling foods quickly will prevent and control bacteria multiplying. Cooling can be carried out as follows: Use long shallow containers to decrease cooling times. Cook smaller portions which can be cooled quickly Stir food regularly during cooling with a clean utensil Use fans to blow heat off the food (foods should be loosely covered beforehand) Run under cold running water (used for rice, potatoes, vegetables and pasta) Use large refrigerators or fan assisted refrigerators to cool foods - these must only be used for cooling foods to prevent other stored foods from warming up. Hot foods may be allowed to cool at normal ambient temperatures for a maximum period of 30 minutes to allow excess heat to escape. After this time one of the methods described must be introduced. We request that cooling times are recorded on the supplied monitoring sheet. Personal Hygiene It is vital that good standards of personal hygiene are maintained by food handlers. Contaminated hands will spread bacteria around a kitchen very quickly. To prevent cross contamination of food it is essential to wash your hands frequently. Examples include: before starting work before handling food between handling raw and ready to eat foods after going to the toilet after handling raw foods after handling waste after eating, drinking or smoking, coughing, sneezing or touching your face after taking a break after handling chemicals In addition, it is important that food handlers maintain a high degree of personal hygiene with regard their personal habits and clothing. For example: no smoking in food areas no coughing, sneezing, spitting over food no strong smelling perfumes should be worn when handling foods no nail varnish should be worn when handling food All cuts, wounds, sores should be covered with a waterproof dressing. Over-clothing should be clean and present no risk of contamination to food. Hair should be tidy and covered where necessary to prevent the risk of it falling into food. Volunteer cooks should report to HoB Management prior to cooking if they have had symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, abdominal cramps or fever. Cooks should also inform Management prior to cooking if they have infected cuts or wounds, boils or sores that may lead to the contamination of foods.

5 Cleaning and Sanitizing Food Thermometers The temperature probe of the thermometer must be cleaned and sanitised between usages when measuring the temperature of both raw and cooked foods. If the probe is not properly cleaned and sanitized, food particles and potentially dangerous bacteria may be transferred from one food item to the next. Cleaning and sanitizing the probe of a thermometer should be carried out by: Wiping away any visible food waste Washing the probe in warm water and detergent Sanitizing using an appropriate sanitizer (alcoholic swabs are often used) or by using hot water (at least 77 C or above) Rinsing with hot water (if sanitizer is used) Allowing the probe to completely air dry or thoroughly drying with a single use paper towel before reusing it.