Grace Eyre POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Transcription

1 HS07 Grace Eyre POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOOD HYGIENE POLICY Date approved: June 2016 Approved by: BT Date for Review: June 2019 Contact Person: Deputy Chief Executive Who is the policy for? Who is the policy for? All GEF & GEH Staff: Shared Lives Carers: Volunteers: Purple Playhouse YES NO YES YES HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June

2 Food Safety and Hygiene Introduction Where facilities are provided for food preparation at Grace Eyre premises, it is important that appropriate guidelines are followed in food safety and hygiene. Grace Eyre is responsible for ensuring adequate facilities are provided for the preparation of food and that these areas are maintained to be hygienic to prevent the spread of bacteria which could lead to food poisoning. Where Grace Eyre premises hold working kitchens, we will offer appropriate training in food hygiene to staff and for people with learning disabilities where appropriate. Where Grace Eyre staff or shared lives carers offer support in food preparation, relevant food hygiene training should be provided. Office Accommodation Most Grace Eyre offices have a small kitchen area for the storage of personal food and preparation of hot or cold drinks. It will normally contain a number of small domestic appliances such as a kettle, microwave and fridge. (These appliances should be maintained in accordance with guidelines set out in the Electrical Safety Policy). It is the responsibility of individual teams to maintain high standards of hygiene in this area. Active Lives Through its day activity programmes Grace Eyre will offer cooking lessons to people with learning disabilities as part of their life skills training programme and these services will have a working kitchen facility for this purpose. In addition to the normal small electrical appliances, it may also contain a cooker. Again any appliances used should be maintained in accordance with guidelines set out in the Electrical Safety Policy. Where Grace Eyre services offer cooking as part of life skills training, it is recommended that staff and people with learning disabilities undertake training in basic food hygiene. Shared Lives / Supported living The safety of people with learning disabilities, visitors and staff should be a prime consideration. The equipment should be clean and used safely, and areas kept clean so that it minimises the possibility of accidents or food poisoning. Service users who use these areas independently and with the support of staff should receive training on food hygiene. Food from External Providers From time to time food may be purchased from outside for consumption at meetings. This food should be prepared by a reputable company in a kitchen that has received approval as a commercial food preparation area by the relevant local authority. All food brought into premises in this way should be kept at temperatures that will not promote the growth or multiplication of bacteria that will cause illness. HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June

3 Special Events Grace Eyre may carry out special events to promote the services it offers to communities such as barbeques or other social events. These circumstances should be subject to a specific risk assessment by the manager. There may be other risks associated with this type of event such as increased fire risk and advice should be sought from an appropriate source in good time to ensure the safety of all attending. Food Poisoning According to the Foods Standards Agency, it is estimated that up to 5.5 million people in the UK are affected by food poisoning each year. The majority of food poisoning is caused by food or drink which is contaminated with bacteria either by crosscontamination or by incorrect preparation. The most common types of bacteria are Campylobacter, E.Coli and Salmonella. It is not always obvious when food or drink is contaminated as it may smell and or even taste normal. In most instances the effect of food poisoning is mild and the person generally recovers quickly however more serious infections may require medical assistance and even hospitalisation. Prevention of food poisoning is quite simple and requires basic attention to detail with regards to hygiene. Consideration for hygiene needs to be made for the food preparation area as well as the people using the area as it is always too easy to pass bacteria to food which is being handled. Food poisoning can also be caused by not cooking food properly or at a high enough temperature to kill bacteria. This is especially true for meats such as chicken or pork where salmonella and e-coli are often prevalent and need to be thoroughly cooked to kill off any bacteria. Food should also not be kept beyond its use by date. The guidelines below should be followed in all instances of food preparation: Food Preparation Careful consideration should be made when preparing food to ensure that it is done safely and to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading and growing. Wash your hands Washing your hands is an important part of preventing the spread of bacteria in the kitchen. Your hands should be washed thoroughly with warm water and soap and rewashed as required throughout the process. Your hands should be washed: before starting to prepare food after touching raw meat, including poultry after going to the toilet HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June

4 after touching the bin after touching pets after blowing your nose Handling Raw Meat When handling raw meat in preparation of cooking, it must be kept away from all other foods especially those ingredients which are not going to be cooked, for example salad and bread. Raw meat in particular contains many harmful bacteria which could be spread easily to any food or surface it comes into contact with. To help stop bacteria from spreading: Do not let raw meat touch other foods Never prepare ready-to-eat food using a chopping board or knife that you have used to prepare raw meat, unless they have been washed thoroughly first Always wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat and before you touch anything else Always cover raw meat and store it on the bottom shelf of the fridge where it can't touch or drip onto other foods. Cooking The process of cooking kills harmful bacteria and therefore it is important that food is cooked to its correct temperature and for the correct amount of time. It is important to check that cooked food is piping hot all the way through. Leftovers If food has been prepared that is not going to be cooked straight away, it needs to be cooled as quickly as possible and then stored in a fridge. Leftovers should not be kept for more than two days. When food is reheated, it must be piping hot all the way through. Food may not be safe to eat if it is only warmed. Food should not be heated more than once. Cleaning Cleaning is an important part of food hygiene and the following guidelines should be followed in all areas where food is prepared. Food preparation surfaces HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June

5 Worktops and food preparation surfaces such as chopping boards are a prime area for bacteria to spread and grow. These surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned prior, during and after food preparation. Spilt food should be cleaned up immediately. If you have a dishwasher, this is a very effective way to clean plastic chopping boards. Dishwashers can wash at a very high temperature, which kills bacteria. Otherwise, wash chopping boards thoroughly with hot water and washing-up liquid. It is recommended that a system of coloured chopping boards for different food types be introduced in all services where food preparation is necessary. This further helps prevent of cross-contamination whilst cooking. Cloths Kitchen cleaning cloths and sponges are a prime place for bacteria to breed. Cleaning cloths and sponges should be washed and or changed regularly to ensure that bacteria does not accumulate. Cloths and sponges should be used for the purpose that they are assigned. For example a cloth used to clean the floor should not be used to also clean dishes. Tea towels used for drying up are also a place where bacteria can grow and develop. They should be washed regularly at a high temperature to ensure bacteria is killed. Kitchen utensils and equipment The cleaning regime must also extend to all utensils and equipment used in the preparation of food as bacteria can also grow on these items. Where provided a dishwasher should be used to ensure that items are kept clean. Where small electrical appliances are provided, regular cleaning of these items is also required. This includes underneath and behind fixed appliances such as microwaves and fridges. It is all too easy to wipe around these items, however bacteria will spread and grow in all areas which are not clean. Pulling the fridge out and cleaning underneath and behind should become part of your regular cleaning regime. Storing Food Where indicated as a requirement on food packaging, food should be kept refrigerated at suitable temperatures to help stop the growth of bacteria. Food poisoning can be caused, by keeping high risk foods such as soft cheese, and chicken or fish at the wrong temperature which allows harmful bacteria to multiply. Precautions should be taken to ensure that refrigerators and freezers are: kept in good working order and at suitable temperatures for the food types they are storing are cleaned and defrosted regularly are not overloaded (to allow air circulation) Dry foods may not need to be kept in a fridge, such as pastas and bread. In these circumstances they should be kept in suitable air tight containers or sealed bags. Food should not be stored in the same cupboard as cleaning products and should be kept off the floor. Food waste should be disposed of in suitable containers within the kitchen and transferred to external waste receptacles where provided for regular HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June

6 collection. Kitchen waste is more likely to attract unwanted vermin and so must be managed correctly. Careful consideration should be made when storing meat. Raw meat should be kept in sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge with cooked meat kept on a higher shelf. This will prevent raw meat dripping onto cooked meat, therefore preventing cross-contamination. Where food types such as raw and cooked meat are to be kept in the same fridge, it is recommended that guidance notes are posted on the fridge to identify which shelf products should be kept on therefore minimising the risks of cross contamination. Regular checks The following checklist shows the frequency of actions that need to be taken to assist minimise food safety concerns. This list may not be exhaustive and should be used as guidance only. Daily checks Surfaces and floors swept clean? Ovens and equipment turned off after use? Foodstuffs put away/stored accordingly? Kitchen equipment and utensils stored in their proper place? Waste removed? Weekly checks Walls/tiling and surfaces cleaned/disinfected? Fire safety equipment in it proper place? First aid kit in its proper place? Fridge cleaned (including underneath and behind)? Microwave cleaned (including underneath and behind)? Cooker cleaned (including underneath and behind)?? Floor mopped clean? Monthly checks Extractor fans cleaned? Fridge/Freezer temperature checked and recorded? Dishwasher/washing up equipment sufficient? Sufficient cleaning products? Staff working in food preparation environments should use the Food Hygiene Inspection list to organise the checking of kitchen environments. See appendix 1. HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June

7 Appendix 1 Food Hygiene Inspection Date Name of person carrying out inspection Result of inspection Remedial action Required Date Complete HS07 Food Hygiene Policy updated June