BASIC & PERSONAL HYGIENE
(Answers)
OBJECTIVES
By the end of this section you will understand:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
1.
Why hygiene is important?
What causes bacteria to multiply?
Ways to destroy bacteria.
How to avoid cross contamination in food?
How to store cold foods and maintain the cold chain?
How to store dry foods?
Correct dress codes and uniform requirements.
THE IMPORTANCE OF HYGIENE
(6)
Hygiene is a vital aspect of our business, as guests will not patronize our store is they believe it
unhygienic, as they will fear for their health.
Poor hygiene practices can affect a business the following manner:-
1. Guests will not return, resulting in lost business.
2. Guests who become ill from food eaten in our business, will tell others. These stories will spread and
stop other guests from supporting Spur.
3. Unhygienic conditions cause unnecessary wastage of product, which will result in increased food costs.
Good hygienic practices benefit a business due to the following factors:-
1. A clean environment, with clean equipment, gives bacteria less chance to breed, which in turn keeps all
healthy.
2. Everybody works more effectively in a clean environment as it promotes harmonious relationships.
3. A clean environment promotes a pest free environment.
The three factors that contribute towards good hygiene are as follows:1. Cleanliness ensures that everything in the store is dirt free, not just things that are visible to the eye.
Things like lights, ventilators & extractor fans must be cleaned regularly. Utensils, hot-rock trays,
boards, hoyans, chopping boards, etc must be scrubbed regularly and sterilized.
2. Hygiene - In order to ensure that the store is germ-free, it is important to sanitize as you clean.
Sometimes soap and water is insufficient to rid items of bacteria. Ensure that hands are washed and
sanitized after visiting the toilet, as handling food with dirty hands is one of the fastest ways to spread
germs.
3. Organisation - If all areas and items are kept tidy and stored in the right manner, it makes it easier for
everyone to keep those areas clean.
2.
FACTORS THAT ENCOURAGE BACTERIAL MULTIPLICATION
(8)
In order to prevent bacteria growth, one needs to understand what causes bacteria to breed.
Four factors that bacteria need in order to multiply are:-
1.
2.
3.
4.
Specific temperature – between 5 and 65 degrees Celsius (temperature danger zone - TDZ).
Time – under the right conditions bacteria can double in quantity every 20 minutes.
Moisture – water, blood, condensation, etc all aid bacteria growth.
Food – dirt, blood, urine, faeces or food will assist their growth.
NOTE: If one of the above factors is removed, bacteria will remain dormant or die.
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
Here are several examples that demonstrate unsound hygiene practices and solutions to
avoiding these pitfalls:Temperature:
Example: if sauce is taken out of the fridge and placed straight into the bain-marie without heating it first,
this will cause bacteria to thrive and can make guests ill if they consume that sauce.
Prevent by: heating the sauce quickly to 75 degrees Celsius and above for at least ten minutes before
placing it in the hot bain-marie. (Note: Salmonella is only destroyed when food is heated above 72 degrees
Celsius. Bacteria Spores are destroyed when food is heated above 100 degrees Celsius)
Moisture (wet or damp conditions):
Example: neglecting to regularly clean and dry the drip trays of the ice-cream, soda and coffee machines,
giving the bacteria the MOISTURE and TIME they require to multiply.
Prevent by: checking the drip trays and cleaning and drying them twice a day. Wipe any liquid spilled
around the machine and sanitize the area with a clean cloth and sanitizing liquid.
Example: place mats that are not wiped clean regularly or that are piled up in a heap while they are still
damp.
Prevent by: regularly wiping down both sides of the placemats with hot soapy water and an anti-bacterial
solution and then drying them well with paper towels.
A Food Source:
Example: food that should be kept in the fridge and is left out of the fridge for an extended period of time.
Food that is left uncovered.
Prevent by: making sure that all cold items of food are returned to the fridge straight after use. Making sure
that all food is covered or stored in clean sealed containers
Other examples: Salads on the Valley, garnish in top fridge inserts or Salad Dressing & BBQ sauces left in
the TZD.
Time:
Example: deliveries that are left on the kitchen floor at the ‘temperature danger zone’.
Prevent by: checking the temperature of all goods on receiving them & packing them away immediately in
cold storage facilities.
Other examples: chopping boards, guests’ tables, dustbins, utensils lying in buckets of water - that are only
cleaned at the end of a shift.
Remember: If we remove just one of the four factors that bacterium needs in order to multiply
(temperature (TZD), time, food or moisture) then bacteria remains dormant.
Temperature
-18°C
4°C
5°C - 63°C
Conditions
Freezers
Cold stores and Fridges
73°C – 100°C
Room temperature (10°C - 36°C)
Body Temperature (37°C)
Warm Food (38°C - 63°C)
Storing hot food (food must be
preheated to 90°C before it is stored at
this temp)
Cooking temperatures
Above 100°C
Boiling food and pressure cookers
64°C – 72°C
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
Bacterial Action
Dormant – not able to multiply
from -2°C
Most Bacteria unable to
multiply
Bacteria able to Multiply
Safety
Safe
Safe
DANGER =
TDZ
Most bacteria can’t multiply
Safe
Most bacteria die (NB
Salmonella is destroyed when
exposed to temp above 72°C)
Most bacteria and bacterial
spores are killed
Safe
Safe
3.
WAYS TO DESTROY GERMS
(10)
The two ways in which we can kill germs and bacteria are:-
1. With heat – if we heat food, cutlery or other utensils to above 75 degrees Celsius, we will kill the
bacteria.
2. By sterilizing with anti-bacterial chemicals or highly acidic liquids.
We can slow down bacteria growth by:-
1. Storing food at lower or higher temperatures than the “danger” zone (below 5 degrees Celsius and
above 65 degrees Celsius)
It is important to sterilize food, which is going to be consumed in its raw state, like salads and
garnish. Methods that can be used to prevent bacteria growth when preparing food items are:1. Washing garnish and salad items in a salt water solution. (rinse all salt from produce before prepping)
2. Drizzle lemon or orange juice over the fruits on the salad valley such as apples, bananas, paw-paws etc.
The high natural acidic levels in these citrus products prevent bacterial growth and discolouring in other
fruits.
Prevent bacteria growth when storing food items by:1. Freezing food when storing food for long periods of time: Food must be frozen at –18 degrees Celsius. It
can then be stored for a period of up to 3 months.
2. Storing fresh food (meat, fruit and vegetables etc), between 1 and 4 degrees Celsius.
NOTE: Make sure the fridge doors are not left open for long periods, as this will allow warm air to enter the
fridge, which will raise the temperature inside the fridge and allow bacteria to start breeding.
4.
AVOIDING CROSS-CONTAMINATION
(7)
Cross-contamination, is the transfer of bacteria from one source to another.
The various ways in which cross-contamination can occur in our stores are:
1. By not washing and sanitizing our hands after visiting the toilet, and then handling food.
2. By using dirty, damp cloths to wipe down tables and other surfaces like placemats. The bacteria are
then transferred from the cloth to the surfaces just wiped.
3. By chopping garnish with the same knife that was used to cut meat, or by chopping garnish on a
chopping board that was used to cut meat or chicken.
4. By storing chicken in the same container as red meat.
5. By tasting food with our fingers.
6. By using the same spoon to taste or stir different products.
7. By practicing poor personal hygiene.
4.1. PERSONAL HYGIENE
(7)
If good personal hygiene is practiced it will prevent contamination of food products.
Then following personal hygiene disciplines are to be instilled in all:
HANDS:
1. It is important to wash them regularly, as it the most common way in which bacteria are transferred.
2. Must be washed before touching food, after emptying bins or cleaning and after eating or taking a
break.
3. Must be washed in a basin meant for hand washing only! No food or equipment may be stored or
washed in this basin.
4. Must be washed under hot running water and a liquid anti-bacterial soap is to be used. Soap bars trap
bacteria and are unacceptable.
5. Must be dried using paper towels only. Cloth towels are unacceptable as they also trap bacteria and
hand dryers are ineffective as they do not dry hands adequately.
6. Hand gel sanitizer dispensers must be available in all kitchen sections to allow staff to sanitize their
hands whenever necessary.
7. Wash hands immediately after coughing or sneezing.
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
Other:
1. It is important to wear a cap in the kitchen area to prevent hair from falling into food. At Spur,
everyone will wear a cap in the kitchen.
2. No nail varnish or jewellery is to be worn when working with food. Food and dirt can become
trapped in or under a ring, for example, and bacteria can then be transferred to food products.
3. No smoking is allowed in food preparation areas.
4.2. HANDLING FOOD CORRECTLY
(20)
Handling food correctly prevents cross contamination:If food products are stored & prepared correctly the risk of cross contamination is greatly reduced.
1. Raw foods and cooked foods must never be stored together.
2. If storing both raw and cooked foods in the fridge, the cooked food always goes on the shelf above the
raw food. This is to prevent any contaminated juices or blood from the raw food dripping onto the
cooked food.
3. All food items must be stored in sealed containers or covered with foilene or cling wrap. This helps to
keep bacteria OUT.
4. Food may not be stored in containers that are made from: wood, pottery, tin, cardboard or paper – as
these materials are porous & are impossible to keep clean.
5. When checking the weights of meat portions: always place different types of meat on different platesbefore weighing, to prevent contaminating the scale.
6. All fruit and vegetables (including garnish and Salad Valley items) must be washed before being stored.
This is especially important for root vegetables such as potatoes or carrots. They contain dangerous soil
bacteria and must be washed well.
7. “Cold” items such as ribs or chips may not be left near the grill for long periods of time as this gives the
bacteria the “heat” they need in order to multiply.
8. Wherever possible, use tongs to handle food.
9. Use the F.I.F.O stock rotation method when storing food items.
FIFO stands for: First In, First Out. When storing stock the following process is to be followed:
1. Newer food must always be packed behind older food to ensure that the older product is used first.
2. If all food packaging is marked with a ‘received by’ and ‘use by’ date before storing, it ensures that the
older stock is never left to spoil.
3. It ensures that patrons always receive a good quality product.
4. If FIFO is practised it helps to keep track of the stock in store and helps prevent theft, as people are
aware that stock is regularly checked.
5. FIFO also has a positive effect on food costs as it minimises waste.
4.3. HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND UTENSILS CORRECTLY
To prevent cross-contamination, different colour-coded chopping boards are used to prepare
various products. Namely:1. Brown is used for Ribs and Pork Products
2. BLUE is used for prepping Fish
3. RED is used for preparation of meat such as beef and lamb.
4. GREEN boards are used for fruit, vegetables and garnish.
5. YELLOW is used for all chicken products.
6. WHITE boards are used for prepping bread and cheese.
After use, the correct way to clean these boards, are as follows. Boards must be:1. Scrubbed in hot soapy water and sterilized with antibacterial solution after each use.
2. Stacked on the sides when storing to allow all moisture to drain from the boards.
NOTE: Don’t store different coloured boards together – they are to be stored separately in their designated
sections in a board rack.
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
Cutting boards accepted in Spur:
We use Teflon boards and replace them when cutting marks appear on the board. These grooves trap dirt
and harbour bacteria.
Wooden chopping boards may not be used as they cannot be cleaned properly and house bacteria.
5.
HANDLING CLEANING EQUIPMENT CORRECTLY
(6)
Each area has a designated colour for cleaning equipment to ensure that, for example, the same mop, which
is used to mop the toilet floor, is not used to mop the floor in the kitchen or grill section, as bacteria are
spread in this manner.
The various items of equipment needed in each section are:
1. A mop with a colour coded handle
2. Colour coded cloths
3. A heavy duty scrubbing brush
4. Two buckets – one colour is to be used for soapy water and the other for clean rinsing water.
5. A scraper, so that steak knifes are not used for scraping gum off the bottom of tables or for scraping
muck off the floor.
6. Sanitiser spray bottles.
7. The grill section is always supplied with its own grill brush to remove carbon from the grill.
The colour of the cleaning equipment that is used in each section is:1. The Grill Section
RED
2. Chicken & Seafood (Ex Tex Mex)
YELLLOW
3. The Making Section
BLUE
4. The Kitchen
GREEN
5. The Toilets
BLACK
6. Front of House
WHITE
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
It is necessary to sweep an area before it is mopped because:1. Sweeping gets rid of the dirt, where as mopping cleans the floor. If we do not sweep before we mop we
are simply moving dirt from one area to another.
2. At the end of each shift, all mops must be washed in hot soapy water and placed in a sterilizing solution
over night, in order to destroy bacteria.
NOTE: Alternatively, should the store posses a mop rack, the sanitised mops should be hung up to dry.
NB
6.
:
Do not store or wash food in cleaning containers!
COLD FOOD STORAGE
(10)
The best way to store food products and keep them from spoiling is to refrigerate or freeze
them.
 The correct temperature for fridges is 1 to 4 degrees Celsius. Anything above this will allow bacteria to
multiply. This also applies to the bar and walk-in fridges.
o If food is stored below 1 degrees Celsius, it will freeze and spoil the product e.g. meat, lettuce,
tomatoes etc.
 The ideal temperature for freezers is –18 degrees Celsius. Food stored in freezers must not be frozen for
longer than 3 months.
The following practices will ensure that refrigeration works effectively and in turn, reduces the
growth of bacteria in food products:1. Fridge doors are to remain closed. Ensure the curtain to the walk in fridge/freezer is not damaged or
broken. Never hang the curtain over the door of the fridge as this will damage the curtain.
2. All fridge seals are to be in a good condition and securely fitted to prevent cold air from escaping.
3. Food stored in the fridge or freezer is to be well covered. These covers prevent freezer burn and crosscontamination.
4. Do not overload fridges and freezers. Overloading prevents cold air from circulating around the food
and allows bacteria to thrive.
5. Defrost fridges and freezers regularly. Increased ice build-up places unnecessary strain on the motor
and will result in excess repairs and maintenance costs.
6. Empty overflow catchments daily. The water collected in these containers is a breeding ground for
bacteria.
7. Do not store hot food in the fridge. This will cause condensation inside the fridge, which causes crosscontamination. The temperature will also rise to above 5 degrees Celsius.
8. Keep fridges clean! There is not point in storing good quality food products in a dirty fridge!
It is important to issue the correct amount of product to the front section fridges as the fridges
are continuously opened and closed during a shift and this causes the temperature to fluctuate.
1. Items stored in the under bar fridges therefore have a limited shelf life.
2. If excess stock is issued to the front fridges, it is more likely that food will go off, as it will not be used
quickly enough.
7.
MAINTAINING THE COLD CHAIN
(7)
The term, “The Cold Chain” refers to:Keeping food at the correct temperature- constantly (all the time,) under hygienic conditions – to ensure
that it remains fresh & ‘safe’ until served to guests
Our suppliers are also responsible for maintaining the cold chain! To ensure that food products
are received in a clean and sterile condition, the following factors must be checked before
accepting deliveries:-
1. Check that all frozen goods delivered to the store are frozen at –18 degrees Celsius - before you accept
them. Use a digital thermometer to check the temperature.
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
a. Return the goods if they are not delivered at the correct temperature.
2. Ensure that all packaging is dry and intact (not broken). If packaging is damaged or damp - this means
that the food has been contaminated or stored in the TDZ.
a. Make sure the supplier knows that you will only accept goods delivered in the correct condition.
3. Once you accept delivery of these products, pack them in the fridge or freezer immediately. Leaving
them in the TDZ will dramatically reduce their shelf life.
NOTE: For every hour that food is stored at the “TDZ” i.e. 50C to 650C, it looses 4 hours of shelf life.
When defrosting frozen products for prepping purposes, it is vital to maintain the cold chain.
The defrosting procedures are as follows:1. Remove the item from the freezer.
2. Discard all cardboard packing, place the product it in a waterproof container and cover it.
3. Place the container in the walk in fridge until the food has defrosted sufficiently for prepping.
NOTE: Do not place frozen foods in hot water or under a hot grill/salamander in order to defrost - this will
destroy the quality of the product!.
8.
HYGIENIC STORAGE OF DRY GOODS:
(8)
The food items which fall in the “dry goods” category are items such as:1. Flour
2. Sugar
3. Rice
4. Coffee & Tea, etc.
Dry goods are to be stored as follows:1. There is to be no moisture or water in the area where dry goods are stored.
2. The area needs to be well ventilated – do not place boxes or containers in front of the air vents.
3. No direct sunlight is allowed to enter the storage area as this will cause products to deteriorate, due to
the increase in temperature.
4. The area should have plenty of shelf space as products may not be stored on the floor.
5. Shelves must be well labelled to ensure the room remains organized. Pack the storeroom from left to
right according to the stock sheet. This will assist in stock takes, as the counts will be more accurate –
due to a well-organised storage facility.
6. Discard empty boxes.
7. Do not store food in open tins. Rather place the food in sealed, airtight containers. Make sure these
containers are washed and dried on a weekly basis to minimise the risk of bacteria growth.
8. Do not store chemicals and food products together. If there are any chemical spillages or leaks, food
products will be contaminated .
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011
9.
CLOTHING AND UNIFORMS
In order for all staff to look clean and neat, Spur has developed a uniform, which all staff
members are required to wear.
Uniform maintenance requirements for Spur staff are as follows:1. Never travel to work in uniform. Lockers are provided for all production staff, which allows staff to
change into a clean uniform on arrival, before their shift.
2. Make sure uniforms are ironed and clean before each shift.
3. All damaged or faded uniforms are to be replaced immediately.
4. All staff are to be issued with a minimum of 3 uniforms. This will ensure that staff always have a clean
uniform available.
NOTE: Staff must take great care of the uniforms as they are expensive.
Basic & Personal Hygiene – September 2011