Food safety and Hygiene
BBC NEWS website- Nov 12
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"Usually there are about 200 times more
faecal bacteria on the average cutting
board than on a toilet seat,"
But the filthiest culprit in our homes is the
kitchen sponge or cloth.
According to Gerba, there are about 10
million bacteria per square inch on a sponge,
and a million on a dishcloth.
Food Safety and hygiene.
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You need to gain knowledge of the following for this unit:
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1. The importance of food safety.
2. Personal hygiene.
3. Cleaning- detergents, sanitizers
4. Preventing contamination- food storage and prep.
5. Temperatures
6. Legislation
7. High risk foods.
8. Vulnerable groups.
9. Food poisoning bacteria
10. Conditions required for bacterial growth
Food safety:
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Protecting consumers from harm.
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As a food handler, you must do everything you can to keep food safe.
How can you do this?
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Storing food products correctly in transportation and final destination,
fridge temp- 0-8, ideal 5c.
Freezing food- minus 18c
Keeping dry store tidy and clean.
Date marking food- best before (non-perishable items), use by.
Using colour-coded system
Follow correct personal hygiene rules.
Getting food safety wrong
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What happens when you get food safety wrong?
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If you work in the food industry, Customers may complain or
become ill and the business may get a bad reputation and have
to close down.
Outbreaks of food poisoning will increase.
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Food poisoning is caused when conditions are right:
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Warmth, moisture, time, suitable pH- usually neutral, food. Find
out more about them- page 181-182
Common food hazards
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Three main types of food hazard that can contaminate food
and cause injury or illness: Physical/Chemical/Biologicalresearch these using text books- page 173-174
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Physical- occurs at any stage of food production.
personal hygiene, handling, equipment, packaging, hair, pests.
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Chemicaldetergents, cleaning, washing up, pesticides, chemicals used in
agriculture and farming methods.
Biological/ Micro-organism spoilage- Yeasts, moulds, viruses,
bacteria.
Physical contamination:
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Caused by: FIND OUT
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FOREIGN BODIES LANDING IN FOOD:
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Bolts, wire-lost in food from equipment in manufacture and production.
Cardboard, string and staples- landing in food on opening packaging.
Earrings, false nails- leave off jewelry and nails etc when preparing food.
Sweet papers, cigarette ends- do not smoke or eat when preparing food.
Glass and china- discard any food from broken or chipped containers.
Cat and dog hairs- keep animals out of the kitchen.
Vegetable stalks- care needed in food prep.
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Biological hazards;
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Cause food poisoning or food-borne illnesses or food spoilage.
There are 4 types: moulds, yeasts, viruses and bacteria. They are
called micro-organisms. FIND OUT ABOUT THEM
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Moulds- Tiny plants or fungi, grow on surface of food. They produce
spores, they are generally harmless but some can produce
MYCOTOXINS which can be dangerous.
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Yeasts- these do not cause food poisoning, but can be capable of
spoiling food. Have beneficial effects however- bread, beer.
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Viruses- they can cause disease as they destroy living cells. They are
carried by human beings and animals. A virus can be passed to food
by an infected food handler.
Cont….
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Bacteria- single-celled and found in water, air, soil and people. Some
are essential in food production- helpful bacteria are used in
production of yogurt, actimel.
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Spoilage bacteria- these bacteria can affect the quality of a food
product.
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Pathogenic bacteria- cause food poisoning, there may be no
evidence of spoilage on the food itself. Pathogenic bacteria include
Salmonella and Staphylococcus Aureus.
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A food borne illness is caused by eating contaminated food or by
pathogenic bacteria living on the food.
Chemical contamination- what is it?
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Care needed when washing up etc.. So that cleaning agents don’t end
up in food.
Also, equipment needs to be thoroughly dried so that no traces of
cleaning agent are left on it, which may end up in food.
Work surfaces need to be carefully cleaned to remove any traces of
detergent, which could land in food.
Fruit and vegetables need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove traces
of pesticides and fertilizers.
Sources of pathogenic bacteria
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Raw foods
People
Pests
Animals
Air and dust
Water
Soil
Food waste
LOOK AT HANDOUT TO CLARIFY THIS.
How can bacteria be transferred from these things to food?
Control
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It is important to control hazards and stop contamination of
food.
You can do this by careful food handling, storage, temperature
control, stock rotation, correct cooking and re-heating.
You can also follow HACCP systems ensuring that Hazards are
assessed and Controls are in place to combat hazard.
Food poisoning
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Caused by eating contaminated food- most commonly contaminated
by bacteria.
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Main types of food poisoning bacteria- FIND THEM- WHAT ARE
THEY? 177-180 textbook
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Campylobacter- most common form of bacterial food poisoning in
Britain, it is a bacterium found in the intestine of birds and animals.
Destroyed by heat.
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Salmonella- present in the intestines of animals, eggs and chicken.
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Listeria- found in soil, sewage, water, animals and people. Pate,
destroyed by heat.
Food poisoning cont..
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E-Coli- found in intestines of animals, capable of causing illness, many
types, raw meat.
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Clostridium Perfringens- found in healthy animals and people, when
consumed, bacteria produce a toxin, raw meat.
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Staphylococcus Aureus- can be found on human skin, destroyed by
antibiotics, meat can carry bacteria. Produces a toxin.
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Bacillus Cereus- found in soil and dust. Produces toxins.
Types of food poisoning bacteria.
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Find out more about the following, page 177180
Campylobacter-
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SalmonellaListeriaE-ColiClostridium PerfringensStapphylococcus AureusBacillius Cereus-
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Now complete activity 3- page 180
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Symptoms of food poisoning
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Abdominal pain
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Nausea
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ACTIVITY 8/9- page 185-186
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People at risk of food poisoning
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The very old or young
Those who are ill or have been ill
Pregnant women or nursing mothers
These people could have a weakened immune system and are
less likely to cope with the symptoms of food poisoning.
Incidence and pattern of food poisoning
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There has been an increase in the number of food poisoning
outbreaks since 1980. There are many reasons for this:
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Increased awareness- consumers over-reacting to just a stomach
upset, maybe.
Changing shopping habits- food is stored in the home for longer
Increased consumption of cook-chill foods. If not re-heated properlybreeding ground for bacteria.
Hot weather and more bbq food. May not be correctly cooked inside.
Eating out has increased.
More foreign travel.
Advances in science- to trace food poisoning.
Emergence of new strains of micro-organisms.
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Keeping clean and tidy
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Bacteria can be spread from one place to another on your
hands, clothes or utensils- vehicles of contamination.
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Find out what DIRECT and INDIRECT food contamination ispage 185 textbook.
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DIRECT- source of bacteria in direct contact with person.
INDIRECT- source moves to vehicle of contamination to
person.
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COMPLETE ACTIVITY 9- page 188, and 13- page190.
Wash your hands regularly
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Before you start work
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Before you handle any food
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Between tasks- i.e. after handling raw meat.
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After you use the toilet
Reporting illnesses
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You must not work with food if you have food poisoning or any
other illness with similar symptoms, as you may contaminate
food- if you have a virus this could be passed to food also.
You must tell your supervisor if you, or anyone you have been
in contact with, has food poisoning or an illness with similar
symptoms.
ACTIVITY 14/15- page 191/195
Detergent;
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Used to remove dirt and dissolve grease, but does not
remove any bacteria.
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Disinfectant;
Reduces bacteria to a safe level. Chemical disinfectants
can be used. Although, very hot water can kill most
bacteria.
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SANITIZERS remove waste food and kill bacteria.
What to disinfect:
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Food contact surfaces- chopping boards, machinery, containers, production
belts.
Hand contact surfaces- handles, taps, switches.
Contamination and bacterial multiplication hazards i.e.. Cloths and mops, waste
bins and their lids.
Cleaning chemicals
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Handle hazardous substances with care.
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CLEAN AS YOU GO
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Be careful to clean surfaces thoroughly, but do not leave traces
of detergent as this causes chemical contamination.
The aim of cleaning.
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Protect food from microbial contamination.
Reduce opportunities for bacterial multiplication.
Protect food from physical and chemical contamination.
Avoid attracting pests.
Maintain a safe environment.
Create a good impression to customers
Carry out legal obligations to keep food safe.
Storage and disposal of waste
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Keep small bin clean and lined with a bag, empty when full.
Tie bag securely and put in large outside bin
Make sure lid is closed, and no bags are left on the floor.
Food pests.
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Animals or insects that contaminate or damage food.
Rodents, birds and insects.
Pest control:
Food premises can provide pests with food, moisture, warmth
and shelter.
To help prevent an infestation, keep work areas clean and tidy.
Tell the supervisor if you see any signs of food pests at your
workplace.
In worse cases inform EHO.
Contamination occurs:
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When something harmful ends up in our food.
When hazards (physical, chemical or biological) are not properly
controlled.
Cross contamination:
When bacteria from one place are transferred to another by someone
or something.
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Preventing contamination: the key to food safety, follow the rules to
control hazards.
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Use the colour-coded system.
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Find out what it is?
Preventing cross-contamination;
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Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart.
Do not use the same knives and boards for preparing raw and
ready-to-eat foods.
Wash your hands and clean food-contact surfaces each time
you finish a task.
Use the colour-coded system.
Time and temperature control is
essential:
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To prevent bacteria multiplying and therefore reduce the risk of
food poisoning bacteria.
The danger zone (Where bacteria multiply easily) is
between 5c and 63c.
Storing food at cold temperatures will slow down multiplication
of bacteria, but will not kill them. (2-5c) (minus 18- 22)
Cooking at 70c for at least 2 minutes will kill most bacteria.
Legislation
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Find out what the following are, and what they cover, page 191195
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The Food Safety Act, 1990-
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General Food Law Regulations-
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Food Hygiene Regulations 2006-
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HACCP-
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EHO-
Legislation
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Food Safety Act 1990It is concerned with all aspects of food production and sale. It
ensures that all food produced in the food industry is safe to
eat.
General food law regulationsThis covers the export and import of food into the EU. It also
covers food safety and presentation. The labelling and
advertising of food must not mislead customers.
Continued….
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Food hygiene regulations 2006These apply to all food businesses and cover all activities
involved with food. Food should be stored and handled
correctly and premises should continue to be kept clean and
hygienic. A HACCP plan needs to be put in place here.
HACCP- this is a risk assessment system that has been
adopted by the food industry and is widely used in catering and
food retailing. It identifies hazards and ways of minimising
them.
Continued…
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EHO- these help develop, co-ordinate and
enforce public health policies. They are
employed by local councils and work in
specialist areas such as food safety, health
and safety at work or environmental
protection. They can visit premises without
notice and can serve a hygiene improvement
notice if they are not happy with hygiene
standards in any establishment.
Continued- EHO
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Investigate outbreaks of food poisoning.
Collect samples for testing.
Protect Public health
Maintain a safe environment.
Pest control.
Food Standards Agency
Their role is to:
Advise the government on all aspects of food hygiene policy.
 They support investigations into food-borne illness.
 Try and protect public from food poisoning
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There are 4 key strands:
Policy advice and Legislation
Research and Surveillance
General food law enforcement
Public information and education
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Other focuses of FSA are food intolerance, nutrition and farming.
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