Food Safety in Catering
Level 2 Award
Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995
Schedule 1 Chapter V
All food handlers must be supervised/instructed or
trained in food hygiene matters to a level appropriate to
their job
J O Training
Welcome to your
Food Safety in Catering Module
CQC Compliance
CQC Outcome 5 – Meeting Nutritional needs
CQC Outcome 7 – Safeguarding
CQC Outcome 8 - Cleanliness and infection control
CQC Outcome 10/11 – Safety and suitability of
premises & Equipment
CQC Outcome 12 – Requirements relating to workers
Food poisoning and the Law
• Did you know that food poisoning has
increased dramatically over the last ten
years.
• Since 1965 the cases of food-borne
illness has increased from 20,000 to
about 100,000.
• There has been no single identified
cause as to why this number has
increased but this could be because of a
• Change in eating habits
• A greater reliance on re-heated food
• Eating out
• Contamination at source
• Reduction in preservatives
• Increased travel abroad
• Increased shelf life expectancy
• Changes in shopping and eating habits
Every one of us has to eat and drink to stay
alive. That is why it is so important that our
food does not harm us in any way.
You, as a food handler, have a legal
obligation to prepare food that does not harm
the health of consumers in any way and to
keep food safe to eat.
High standards of food hygiene bring
important benefits to everyone: customers,
employees and businesses.
There are very high costs for poor food
hygiene, including pain and suffering for the
individual plus the loss of revenue and
reputation of the business.
Actions which can be taken
by the Environmental Health
Officers
• Initiating prosecutions
• Prohibitions
• Improvements
• Condemnation
• Seizure of food
• Hygiene offences:
Max. £5,000 per offence and/or 6 months in
prison
• Food Safety Offences:
£20,000 per offence and/or 6 months in
prison
• Crown Court:
Unlimited fines and/or maximum of 2 years
in prison
Food poisoning
Food poisoning is caused by eating food
containing poisonous micro-organisms or
substances. Let us look at the symptoms:
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
There are two types of illness derived from
food.
• FOOD POISONING:Caused by eating food contaminated by
harmful substances/bacteria living on food
• FOOD-BORNE DISEASE:
Is caused by consuming food or water
carrying harmful micro-organisms
There are thousands of bacteria all around
us that do no harm at all, but some, known
as pathogenic bacteria, are harmful and can
cause illness, even death, in vulnerable
groups of people.
Such bacteria include:Salmonella
Staphylococcus aureus
Clostridium perfringens
Food poisoning is mainly caused by eating
large numbers of pathogenic bacteria that
are living on food. Examples are:• Viruses and micro-organisms living on and in
people, animals and other organisms
• Moulds and micro-organisms can produce
toxins on food such as nuts, plants and fish
• Red kidney beans, rhubarb leaves, some
fungi (toadstools) and fish that have been
poorly processed
Food poisoning can also occur from
chemicals and metal substances absorbed
into food from unsuitable metal containers or
from cleaning, industrial and agricultural
chemicals used carelessly.
Never put a tin back in the fridge
FOOD-BORNE DISEASE
•
•
•
•
•
•
Many pathogenic micro-organisms are
passed on to humans through food or water
such as:Campylobacter enteritis
Escherichia coli 0157 (E.coli)
Typhoid
Dysentery
A type of hepatitis
Tuberculosis from untreated milk
Only a few of these micro-organisms are
required to infect you.
Incubation period and duration of illness can
be days, weeks or months and can invade
the blood stream and induce long-term
health problems.
The symptoms are similar to food poisoning
and can include kidney failure or paralysis,
which can lead to death.
Who are most at risk?
• The old and infirm
• The very young
• People who are ill, convalescing or have a
weakened immune system
• Pregnant women or nursing mothers
Bacteria are life forms that are invisible to
the naked eye but live on and in our bodies.
There are thousands of different types of
bacteria and many of them are useful to us.
But a few are very harmful and can cause
food-borne illness and encourage food to
perish.
Let’s now look at the helpful and harmful
bacteria which play a part in our lives.
Most types of bacteria are beneficial to
humans and we would find it difficult to live
without them. There are three groups:• Helpful bacteria
• Spoilage bacteria
• Pathogenic bacteria
Spoilage bacteria
Useful bacteria
Pathogenic bacteria
Helpful bacteria allows us to
• Grow crops and develop new foods
• Digest the food we eat
• Treat sewage to make it safe
• Create medical drugs
• Produce food including yoghurt, cheese and
fizzy drinks
Spoilage bacteria will make food perish. Also
known as rotting and decaying bacteria.
Pathogenic bacteria can transmit illness
such as food poisoning and food-borne
disease.
Examples of contamination
Examples of
causes of food
poisoning
Pathogenic
Source
Typical
Symptoms
Average onset
time
Raw food, shell
fish and
vegetables
Salmonella
Raw poultry,
eggs, raw meat,
milk and animal
Abdominal pain,
diarrhoea,
vomiting and
fever
12 to 36 hours
People, air and
dust
Staphylococcus
Aureus
Human body i.e.
skin, nose,
mouth, cuts and
boils
Abdominal pain
or abdominal
cramp
1 to 6 hours
Dirt and food
Clostridium
Perfringens
Animal and
human excreta,
soil, dust,
insects and raw
meat
Abdominal pain.
Diarrhoea
12 to 18 hours
Other examples
Pathogenic
Source
Typical
symptoms
Duration
Campylobacter
Jejuni
Raw poultry, raw
meat, milk and
animals including
pets
Diarrhoea, often
bloody. Abdominal
pain, nausea.
Fever
46-60 hours
Escherichia coli
(E.coli 0157)
Human and animal
gut, sewage, water
and raw meat
Diarrhoea.
Abdominal pain,
nausea. Fever.
Kidney damage or
failure
12 to 24 hours or
longer
Listeria
Soft cheese,
cheese made from
unpasteurised milk,
salad, vegetables,
pate
Symptoms like ‘flu
1-70 days
Quick recap
What is the maximum amount of fine per
offence, for hygiene offences? Is it:
a. £10,000 per offence and/or 9 months in prison?
b. £5,000 per offence and/or 6 months in prison?
c. £20,000 per offence and/or 12 months in
prison?
Sorry. Have another go
Have another try. A £20,000 fine is
for a food safety offence, not food
hygiene.
Correct! Well done.
Click in this blue box to continue
with the course
Bacteria. Click on the group you
feel is correct
Spoilage Bacteria.
Helpful Bacteria.
Pathogenic Bacteria.
Spoilage Bacteria.
Helpful Bacteria.
Pathogenic Bacteria.
Spoilage Bacteria.
Helpful Bacteria.
Pathogenic Bacteria.
Grows crops, treats sewage, used to
produce food
Makes food perish, rot or decay
Used to make medical drugs
Helps to digest food we eat, makes
cheese and yoghurt
Causes illness such as food poisoning
or food- borne disease
Makes food perish, rot or decay
Makes food perish, rot or decay
Grows crops, treats sewage, produces
food
Causes illness such as food poisoning
or food- borne disease
Well done!
Spoilage Bacteria.
Helpful Bacteria.
Pathogenic Bacteria.
Makes food perish, rot or decay
Grows crops, treats sewage,
produces food
Causes illness such as food
poisoning or food-borne disease
Sorry.
Try again
How does bacteria make us ill
Bacteria food poisoning occurs if food is:
• Eaten after it has been contaminated by
pathogenic bacteria and conditions allow the
bacteria to multiply to levels that cause
illness
• If bacteria are not destroyed by adequate
cooking
How does bacteria multiply?
Bacteria reproduces by dividing in to two by a
process called “Binary fission”.
Bacteria needs only 10-20 minutes to multiply.
It is therefore possible for one bacteria to
produce millions of bacteria in a matter of
hours.
Why does bacteria make us ill?
Some bacteria, such as Staphylococcus
aureus produce toxins in food even before we
eat it.
Others make us ill by forming spores, a
protective coating which allows the bacteria to
survive very harsh conditions, such as high
cooking temperatures, that would normally
destroy them.
What does bacteria need to multiply?
Bacteria will not multiply in dried foods but as
soon as liquid is added to food, such as milk and
eggs, then you have ideal conditions.
However if enough sugar and salt is added to
foods such as bacon, savoury biscuits and
jam/confectionary, this will absorb the available
moisture in the food so the bacteria cannot
multiply easily.
Warmth and the “danger zone”
Most bacteria multiply at temperatures
between 5°C and 63°C. Room temperature
tends to be within this range.
The ideal temperature to multiple is 37°C.
Above or below the “danger zone” bacterial
growth slows down or stops but resumes when
conditions are more suitable.
Freezing suspends bacteria. It never kills it.
Time
When food poisoning
bacteria are left in the right
conditions (the right food
and moisture) they
multiply (double) every 1020 minutes. This
knowledge is important.
Bacteria and the danger zone
Cooking at high temperatures for long enough
kills most bacteria (at least two minutes at
70°C right through to the centre or the thickest
part of the food).
Some bacteria can survive even higher
cooking temperatures including dehydration
and disinfection.
Bacteria do not multiply when they are in spore
form, but resume when conditions allow.
So......
Keep high risk and perishable food out of the
danger zone.
This includes room temperature, heated slowly,
cooked slowly or left in the sun such as a shop
window.
Be aware of hot sauce poured onto cold food.
REMEMBER: Keep cold food really cold and
hot food really hot.
Quick recap
How do bacteria multiply?
Have
babies
Lay eggs
Divide
What do bacteria need in order to multiply?
Warmth,
moisture,
time & food
Food,
moisture,
time, dirt
Time, food,
pests,
warmth
Between what temperature is the danger zone
70°c – 83°c
5°c - 63°c
-18°c - 5°c
Wrong. Sorry. Please have
another go
Well done! Next question.
Correct! Well done. On to
the next slide.
Contamination and how to
prevent illness and harm
Contamination is not only caused by bacteria it
can also be caused by something harmful or
unpleasant in our food or drink.
There are three groups of contaminants:-
1. Physical (leaves, pips, egg shell, stones,
insects, string, plastic packaging,
fingernails, hair, plasters, tops of pens,
insects, droppings)
2. Chemical (industrial, agricultural chemicals,
pest bait, pesticides)
3. Microbial (the main cause of food-borne
illness: viruses, parasites)
Sources of microbial contamination
At slaughter. Skin and flesh may be
contaminated by pathogenic bacteria.
When minced for burgers the bacteria
can spread throughout the food.
Shellfish are filter feeders. If the water is
polluted by incorrectly treated sewage
the shellfish can absorb harmful
bacteria and other micro-organisms or
micro-virus particles.
People
Spread through hands, ears, hair,
sneezing and coughing, cuts, boils and
spots.
Compounded by not washing your
hands before handling food.
Poor personal hygiene, such as not
washing your hands after using the
toilet, can spread food-borne illness.
(Know as faecal-oral route).
Contamination
Pets and pets
Flies, cockroaches, mice, dogs, cats, hamsters,
reptiles carry harmful bacteria on their bodies
Feathers, fur, eggs, droppings and nesting material
may contaminate food
Air and Dust
Carries millions of microscopic particles of dead skin,
food and debris that carry pathogenic microorganisms which will settle on uncovered food
Water
Poor/untreated drinking water such as rivers, lakes,
ponds or reservoirs, can carry pathogenic microorganisms that cause food-borne disease
Soil
Fruit, vegetables, grain (rice) and pulses that have not
been washed usually carry soil and dirt that can
contaminate food
Food waste
Bacteria from food waste and pests that scraps of
food attract can contaminate food
How does contamination occur?
Whether direct or indirect it can happen at any stage
From the start of the chain: growing, slaughtering,
harvesting, catching, processing, packing, delivering,
storing, preparing, cooking, displaying, serving and
selling.
We can see or bite on a screw which has dropped off of
some machinery but we cannot see the microbial
contamination that occurs when raw food such as
poultry and vegetables are contaminated by bacteria.
But bacteria needs to get to its source first.
This is via a ‘vehicle of contamination’ such as
people, animals, equipment and utensils.
Hands, work surfaces, containers, cutlery and
crockery, chopping boards and dish cloths and
any food contact that has not been thoroughly
cleaned between uses.
Pathogenic bacteria are transferred from raw
food to high risk food directly (using the same
knife) or indirectly (liquid or juices from raw
food touching another).
Cross contamination might occur when bacteria
are carried by the food handler’s hands,
utensils or from raw food to high risk food.
Bacteria can only travel small distances on their
own. They need help to travel!
These vehicles of contamination move pathogenic
bacteria from a contaminated source, such as raw meat,
to a place where the conditions are ideal for
multiplication. That is food which is high in protein,
moisture, warmth and given sufficient time to multiply.
Bacterial contamination is responsible for most cases of
food poisoning. It is particularly important to ensure that
raw and high risk foods are kept apart at all times; this
includes storage, transporting, preparation, display and
point of sale.
All surfaces should therefore be thoroughly
cleaned and disinfected after use.
One good way is to use colour-coded
preparation equipment such as chopping
boards and knives, each colour designated for
a particular use, i.e. red for raw meat, green
for vegetables.
This helps to remind food handlers to separate
the preparation of raw and high risk foods.
Prevention check list
Keep food covered
To prevent sneezing onto food or
air contamination
Do not touch food with your hands
unless absolutely necessary
Use utensils such as tongs, forks,
slices to move food
Do not keep pens behind ears, in
top pockets or hats
Or wear jewellery, loose fastening
buttons, name labels on clothing.
This can drop into food.
Follow strict personal hygiene
habits
Do not smoke, eat, drink, chew
gum in food areas as you can
transmit bacteria from your mouth
to your hands and then to food
Which type of contamination
would you class in this list
as being?
String, plastic, egg shells,
finger nails, sticking plasters,
nuts and bolts, insects
Food poisoning bacteria,
viruses, microscopic parasites
Industrial processing
chemicals, agricultural and
cleaning chemicals
Microbial
Physical
Chemical
Physical
Microbial
Chemical
Microbial
Chemical
Physical
Sorry, not quite right. Please
have another go
Correct! Well done. Click to go
back to finish the recap.
Well done!
Right again.
Ready to move on or would you
like a break?
Temperature control
Food items may already be contaminated
when they are delivered to your workplace.
Your role is to do everything possible to
prevent food-borne illness by controlling
conditions that will encourage bacterial
multiplication.
By keeping food under proper control you will
destroy many pathogenic micro-organisms
through temperature control.
Your role in temperature control
Basic rules of good practice are:• Restrict the time that high-risk foods
spend in the danger zone (5°C - 63°C
degrees)
• Keep cold food really cold (5°C degrees
or under)
• Keep hot food really hot (63°C degrees or
over)
Remember!
Food passes through the danger zone whilst it
is being cooked, thawed or heated, therefore it
is essential to check food is at a safe
temperature when delivered to your work place
and...............
• Refrigerate raw, highly perishable and high
risk foods immediately after delivery or
shopping
• Keep refrigerated food in place until it is
needed for preparation or serving
• Cook food thoroughly
• Cool food rapidly so that it spends as little
time as possible in the danger zone
Thaw frozen food in the fridge
so that the outside temperature
of the food cannot reach danger
zone temperatures whilst still
frozen inside.
Remember - re-heat food to at
least 82°C for 2 minutes to kill
most pathogenic microorganisms.
Destroying micro-organisms
Pathogenic micro-organisms can be destroyed
by chemicals or heat, or by combining the two.
Cooking at a temperature of 70°C or hotter for
sufficient time kills most pathogenic bacteria
although some bacterial spores can survive at
higher temperatures.
Food must be cooked thoroughly right through
to the thickest part.
Some processes which use very high
temperatures such as sterilisation and ultra
heat treatment (UHT) can kill greater
numbers of bacteria than ordinary cooking
temperatures but can alter the taste of food.
There are a range of chemicals designed to
destroy micro-organisms which we will
explore later in the course.
Checking temperatures
Temperatures may be monitored automatically
by giving a read out by using a probe.
All food businesses must check food
temperatures regularly and keep records of the
readings.
If it is your job to check a temperature, you
must be trained on how to do this and told the
readings to take and action if the readings are
unsafe.
Poor practices
Always remember that poor temperature
control frequently leads to food poisoning
usually caused by:o Preparing/leaving out food too far ahead of
sale or service and keeping it at ambient
temperatures instead of refrigerating it;
o Cooling food too slowly before refrigeration;
o Under-cooking meat and poultry;
o Thawing food insufficiently;
o Holding food temperatures below 63°C for
periods of time that allow multiplication to
happen (remember bacteria doubles every 10-20 minutes);
Recap
What should the temperature
be in the freezer?
-5°C or
lower
-18°C or
lower
-30°C or
lower
When hot food is on display, at
what temperature should it be
kept?
63°C
minimum
36°C
minimum
72°C
minimum
When food is reheated, what
temperature should it reach for
at least two minutes?
63°C or
higher
30°C or
higher
82°C or
higher
Good guess but not quite
right.
Please try again
Correct!
Well done
Next question
Well done!
Ready to continue?
Please take a break if you
wish before continuing.
Preparing and presenting food
Whenever you can, cut large joints and poultry
into smaller portions to ensure they cook evenly
through to the centre.
Cook stuffing separately so it does not prevent
the meat or poultry from cooking through to the
centre.
Stir stews and casseroles during cooking to
make sure there are no cool spots at
temperatures in the danger zone.
Thawing Frozen Food
Some food may be cooked from frozen, but
always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Most raw foods such as meat and poultry must
be completely thawed before cooking.
Inadequate thawing often causes food
poisoning. The surface of food may cook while
the inside temperature remains in the danger
zone temperature, ideal for bacterial growth.
If you have to use the same fridge you use for
other foods always put the food you are
thawing in a container, on the bottom shelf,
covered, to prevent juices from dripping onto
other foods and contaminating them.
Microwave ovens can be useful for thawing
some items, provided that the manufacturer’s
instructions are followed carefully.
Plan your work to allow time for food to defrost.
Precautions for re-heating
Food re-heated inadequately is a common
cause of food poisoning, especially if the initial
cooking, cooling and storage was inadequate.
Remove food from the refrigerator just before
re-heating and serving and not any earlier.
Re-heat food to core temperature of at least
82°C for 2 minutes. Never re-heat more than
once and discard any left-overs.
Displaying food
Displayed food must be protected against all
sources of contamination by lids or sneeze
guards.
Packaged food must be securely wrapped.
In self-service areas there should be food
servers such as tongs, spoons or slices
available so that customers are less likely to
touch the food with their hands. Replace these
regularly.
Where staff use scales to weigh raw meat,
poultry or fish or any high risk food, they should
place a clean sheet of food paper on the
weighing platform first.
This helps to prevent cross contamination.
Spoilage and Prevention
Gradually all food will go bad through the
natural process of aging. This is called
spoilage.
Different techniques combat spoilage: salting,
smoking and drying. This can prolong the
length of time the food is safe, palatable and
nutritious to eat. We will now look at what part
modern prevention methods play in food
safety.
Spoilage
Starts from the moment the food is harvested
or slaughtered.
Some foods spoil faster than others but the
spread of deterioration can be controlled by
preservation methods and safe food handling
practices.
Food spoilage is accelerated by careless
handling, inappropriate storage (temperature)
and contamination (pests or chemicals).
Fungi
Fungi are used in food production such as blue
cheese and soy sauce. Yeast is also a fungi
and used for making bread, beer and vinegar.
But the mixture of unwanted yeast or mould,
some of which can produce toxins, can spoil
food, making it unfit for human consumption.
Recognising spoilt food
Sometimes this is easy to
recognise.
The smell of mould is often
unpleasant.
Texture and flavour of food
changes including
wrinkling/drying, softening and
becoming pulpy.
Preventing spoilage
The bacteria, yeasts and moulds that cause
spoilage also need food, moisture, warmth and
time to reproduce.
The steps to prevent bacterial contamination
and multiplication also apply to food spoilage.
Covering food, temperature and moisture level
control, all play a part in delaying spoilage and
keeping food safe and appetising to eat.
Preservation
Food manufacturers and processors play a
major role in protecting food from spoilage.
Many preservation methods delay spoilage or
kill the spoilage organism that destroys food.
These are..................
Heat treatment in cooking, canning, bottling,
sterilising, pasteurising and ultra heat
treatment (UHT)
Low temperatures and freezing of perishable
foods
Drying (dehydration) including fish, meat,
fruit, soups, vegetables, stocks and
beverages
Chemical preservation such as curing,
salting and pickling
Vacuum sealing, vacuum packing, sous vide
(in the bag)
Smoking fish, meats, (especially ham and
sausages) and poultry
Irradiation. A method of preservation that
kills spoilage and pathogenic bacteria
microbes.
Some processes, such as sterilisation and
UHT may alter the taste of the food.
Date marks
Once preserved food has been opened, the
contents must be stored and handled as if they
were fresh.
Highly perishable packaged food is always
labelled with a use by date indicating the
period when the food is safe to eat.
Any food past the use by date is likely to be
unfit to eat and could cause food-borne illness.
It is against the law to sell or serve food that
has passed the use by date.
Less perishable items such as frozen food,
dried fruit, flour, cakes, cereals and canned
food must carry a best before date. This
indicates when food is in the best condition.
The aim of storage
Most food businesses have to store food, even
if that storage may be brief.
Correct storage is when food is kept in the right
conditions, at the correct temperature for the
appropriate period.
Because ....
• This helps to prevent food-borne illness
• Preserve the taste, appearance and nutritional
value of food
• Provide adequate supplies when they are
needed
Continued..........
• Avoid spoilage and wasted food
• Keep to budget
• Keep within the law and avoid prosecution
for selling unfit food
Storage
Place food in the appropriate storage areas,
following any storage instructions on the labels
or boxes.
Protect food from contamination.
Always store food off the floor, on shelves or
pallets.
Continued.......
Use clean, dry containers and wrappers if food
needs to be divided into smaller quantities or
re-wrapped.
Stack shelves carefully, do not overload, leave
enough space between goods to enable air to
circulate.
Keep storage areas clean and dry, clean up
any spillages immediately.
Check food regularly and always before you
use it.
Rotate stock to keep food in date.
Inform the manager of any signs of pests.
Store cleaning materials separately.
Stock rotation
Whenever you store food you should always
use the stock with the shortest shelf life.
Throwing away out of date food is expensive
and unnecessary.
So bring stock with the shortest shelf life to the
front so that it will be used first.
But still check the date mark, packaging and
condition of the food before use.
Fridge storage
High risk and perishable food must be
refrigerated because food kept at 0°C to 5°C
will prevent or slow down bacterial
multiplication.
Examples of foods to be refrigerated are:• Raw, cooked and vacuum packed meat,
poultry, fish, seafood, pies and patés
• The contents of opened cans, once they have
been transferred to a suitable container
• Unopened pasteurised canned food, such as
ham
• Milk, dairy products and products containing
them (i.e. quiche)
• Anything labelled for refrigeration, such as
bottled sauces without preservatives
• Prepared salads
• Eggs should be kept in a fridge provided
there is no chance of contamination
Stacking the fridge
Always store raw meat, fish and poultry on the
lowest shelf so that blood or juices cannot drip
onto other foods and contaminate them.
Stack shelves neatly and allow room for air to
circulate.
Do not leave fridge doors open as the
temperature inside the fridge will rise causing
condensation, which can cause contamination
by dripping onto other food.
Stacking the freezer
Treat the same as you would in a fridge. Stock
rotate, store raw foods below high risk foods to
avoid contamination.
Never put unwrapped food in the freezer. It
could become contaminated or damaged by
freezer burn.
Storing dry or other goods
Dry goods must be stored in cool, dry, well
ventilated conditions.
The goods must be kept off the floor with
sufficient space around them to allow air to
circulate and for you to check the goods.
Keep food in secure packaging or containers
as many dry foods attract pests.
Recap
Where should the following foods be stored?
Tea, coffee, spices,
canned food, bottled
food, cereals, grain
Fridge
Dry store
Chemical
store
Lettuce, tomatoes,
cooked meats, cheese,
yogurts
Dry store
Fridge
Chemical
store
Bleach, washing up
liquid, disinfectant
Fridge
Chemical
store
Dry store
Not quite right.
Please try again
Correct! Well done.
Click to return to the recap.
Correct again!
Are you ready to move on
through the course?
Take a break here if you wish.
Personal hygiene
People are a common source of pathogenic
bacteria so everyone who works with food
must have the highest possible standards of
personal hygiene and personal habits to avoid
contaminating food.
Remember - The public react to what they see
so all food handlers must..........
 Shower daily
 Use unscented deodorants as perfume can
taint food
 Do not wear jewellery or watches as bacteria
can live under straps and rings
 Wear appropriate clothing before entering
the food area. Store clothing separately.
Clothes should always be clean and light
coloured to show when dirty.
Appropriate for the task i.e. hair nets,
moustache nets, gloves, gauntlets, body
warmers (cold areas).
A hat or head covering must cover as much of
your hair as possible. Long hair should be tied
or clipped back.
Head covering
Put the head covering on before you put your
clothes on because hair can fall onto your work
clothes and then onto food.
Of course, never brush or comb your hair in a
food area.
Essential hand hygiene
Even if you can avoid touching food by hand,
you will still touch equipment, utensils and
surfaces throughout the working day, so hands
must be scrupulously clean at all times.
Wash your hands frequently throughout the
day.
If you have internet access
please watch the YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD5NchP-B8I
Always wash your hands....
• Before starting work
• Before, during and after touching raw or high
risk food
• After visiting the toilet
• Handling raw eggs in their shells (remember which
part of the chicken then come from!)
• Coughing or sneezing
Hand washing continued
• Touching your hair or face
• Cleaning or touching containers of chemicals
• Dealing with rubbish/waste bins
• Eating, drinking or smoking
• Never test food with your fingers or lick your
finger tip to make it easier to pick something
up
Cuts and spots
Cover cuts, scratches and spots with a blue
waterproof plaster to prevent the spreading of
bacteria to food and to protect the wound or
spot from infection and cross contamination.
Use blue waterproof plasters so they can be
seen if they come off.
Some plasters contain a thin metal strip so
they can be automatically identified by a metal
detector on production lines.
If you do lose a plaster into food tell your
supervisor immediately.
If you have a septic cut, weeping spot or boil,
you must report this to your supervisor before
you start work. Remember, people are the
main source of Staphylococcus aureus food
poisoning
Recap
Why should food handlers wear hats?
To keep their hair
clean
To stop their hair
falling into food
To keep hair out of
their eyes
Why is it a good idea to where coloured plasters?
To let everyone
know you have cut
yourself
To remind you to
keep your finger
out of the way
So it can be seen
if it falls into food
Why should food handlers wear protective clothing?
To protect food
from
contamination
To keep their hair
clean
So all staff look
the same
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Cleaning and disinfection
If you were going to eat in a cafe or restaurant
you would expect it to be clean and your food
cooked hygienically.
Cleaning must be uppermost in our minds if we
are to keep food and the workplace safe.
Cleaning....
Protects food from microbial contamination
Reduces opportunities for bacterial
multiplication by removing food particles
Protects food from contamination
Avoids attracting pests
Prevents accidents on a wet or greasy floor
Create a good impression for customers
Detergents
Help to dissolve grease and remove dirt. With
the use of some ‘elbow grease”, a detergent
and hot water, you may kill some pathogenic
bacteria, but more will survive.
Detergents prevent bacteria from causing foodborne illness although some items and
equipment should also be disinfected after they
have been cleaned.
Steam and chemical disinfectants
Heat disinfection and chemical disinfection are
often combined.
Cleaning chemicals which reduce pathologic
micro-organisms to a safe level are called
disinfectants.
They destroy enough bacteria to safeguard
health, even though they cannot kill all known
food poisoning bacteria and their spores.
Disinfectants must be used after cleaning
because disinfectants cannot remove grease
and dirt.
The disinfectant must be left on the surface
long enough (contact time) to work properly as
per the manufacturer’s recommendation.
Many companies use a sanitizer (combined
detergent and disinfectant) instead of just a
detergent but contact time is still required.
Food pests
Pests are attracted to places where food is
stored, prepared, sold, served or thrown away
or to places where there is warmth and shelter.
They can enter buildings through open
windows and doors, or through the tiniest
cracks in walls and around windows and pipes.
A food pest is any creature that
lives on or in human food causing
damage or contamination, or both.
Pests are sources of
contamination.
The main ones are:
• Insects such as flies, moths, ants
• Cockroaches and wasps
• Stored product pests, such as beetles, mites
and weevils
• Rodents, rats and mice
• Birds, mainly feral pigeons, sparrows, starlings
and seagulls
It is important to remember that food premises
are attractive to pests because they contain
everything most pests need to survive. Such
as...........
• Food in storage, under preparation or as waste
• Moisture from condensation, cooking activities,
dripping taps or from stored liquids
• Warmth from heating systems or from
processing activities
• Shelter for sleeping or nesting in any
undisturbed areas, such as under fridges that
has not been regularly moved for cleaning
Pets
Dogs, cats, hamsters and other pets can
contaminate food if they are allowed into food
areas.
There have been cases of food poisoning
where someone has contaminated food after
handling pets.
Unhealthy habits
Many pests inhabit unhealthy places where
they pick up pathogenic bacteria on their
bodies and legs. For example, rats live in
sewers and flies live on food found on rubbish
tips, dustbins, drains and animal dropping.
Some pests also have pathogenic bacteria
living inside their bodies and can spread to
food from their droppings or saliva as they eat.
As well as spreading food poisoning bacteria,
pests can spread food-borne diseases such as
dysentery and other illness such as Weil’s
disease (from water contaminated by rat urine).
Pests also cause physical contamination with
their droppings, eggs, fur, nesting material,
mites, parasites and their own dead bodies.
Problems with pest infestation
Damage to the business’ reputation and profit.
Food contamination and wastage.
Damage to buildings, equipment and electrical
cables, creating a safety hazard.
Non-compliance with the law.
The spread of diseases, including food
poisoning and food-borne disease.
Preventing problems
Effective pest control involved protecting
premises so that pests cannot gain access.
This is known as ‘proofing’.
Protecting food from contamination and taking
swift, safe action to deal with any infestation
that occurs, despite your precautions.
Your employer has the responsibility for
ensuring that your workplace is designed and
equipped to keep pests out.
You can play an important part in preventing
problems by:
 Keeping food covered at all times
 Storing food off the floor in suitable containers
 Never leaving food outside
Further precautions
Keep doors and window screens closed.
Telling your supervisor if you see any holes in
brickwork or around windows, doors, pipes or
any evidence of a problem.
Preventing food pests entering is always best,
but we know this is not easy. Therefore it is
essential to keep a look out for signs of pests.
Look out for.....
 Dead bodies, (mainly insects and rodents)
 Droppings, smears or rat runs
 Unusual smells
 Scratching, pecking or gnawing sounds
 Gnawed pipes or cables and/or paw or claw
prints
 Torn or damaged sacks or packaging,
sometimes surrounded by spilled food.
 Eggs/larvae/pupae, feathers or fur, nesting
material
Dealing with an infestation
It can be dangerous to attempt to deal with a
pest infestation unless you have been trained
and given the authority to do so.
Most organisations use a specialist contractor
to kill pests.
For your own safety and that of others, it is
essential not to touch or interfere with anything
designed to eliminate pests.
Most infestations may be
tackled using:
• Bait and baited traps
• Poisons, pesticides and insecticides
• Electric ultraviolet fly killers
Whatever your role, you will
play an important part in
food safety control by
 Following the rules in your organisation
 Protecting food from contamination
 Following the basic rules of temperature
control
 Looking out for any food hazards
 Reporting faults, problems or possible food
hazards to your manager
There is a multiple choice question paper to
complete as the final part of your module.
Once you have completed the knowledge
test please save to your computer and email
anita.rigler@rbch.nhs.uk who will mark it and
email to you a Food Hygiene Certificate.
Thank you for completing the course and for
your support as a volunteer.
If you have any questions or suggestions for
improvement please let Anita Rigler know.
I hope you will find this course to be helpful.
Answer paper