The sea-side resort of Southport has just been named the best performing town for food hygiene ratings in the UK, with an average of 4.92 out of 5 from its 400 premises. Impressive!
If you prepare or serve food, you’ll know it’s important to make sure you’re up to date on the latest regulations. If you are just starting out or would find a refresher helpful, here’s a look at some of the basics of professional food hygiene, and what you can do to stay compliant within the rules.
Who regulates food hygiene?
While most workplace health and safety is regulated by the HSE, food hygiene is one of the areas which has its own specialist regulator. The FSA (Food Standards Agency) has a wide remit, covering everything from farming practices to imports and exports. It also carries out spot inspections of restaurants and provides public safety advice.
What are the basics of food hygiene?
Food hygiene rules are detailed and complex, but it’s important not to lose sight of the basics. A lot of it comes down to The Four Cs: cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination. Let’s take a look at each in turn.
Cleaning
Keeping food preparation areas clean should always be a priority. In fact, not cleaning properly is a major reason why food businesses are prosecuted. Good cleaning practice includes:
- Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and equipment between tasks, especially if you are handling raw food.
- Cleaning up spillages immediately.
- Disposing of food waste regularly.
- Setting up a cleaning schedule to ensure tasks aren’t neglected.
Cooking
Cooking food thoroughly is the best way to destroy bacteria. This is especially important for many types of meat where the danger of food poisoning is greater. Basic competencies include:
- Understanding which meats must be cooked through and which can be left rare.
- Knowing the relationship between core cooking temperatures and time at those cooking temperatures.
- Maintaining hot food at the right temperatures and reheating food effectively.
Chilling
Chilling or freezing food can check the growth of bacteria. You can help ensure food is stored correctly by taking the following actions:
- Put food that needs to be chilled in the fridge immediately.
- Cool cooked food and then put it in the fridge as soon as possible.
- Wait until the last possible moment to take chilled food out of the fridge.
Cold foods can be removed from the fridge for a maximum of four hours. After this, they should be returned to the fridge or thrown away. Fridges must legally be kept below 8°C, but it’s safer to keep them at 5°C or lower.
Some food may also be frozen and defrosted at a later date. This is a great way to lengthen its lifespan, but only if it’s done correctly:
- Freeze food as soon as possible.
- Divide food into smaller containers for freezing.
- Always freeze food before its use-by date.
- Defrost food in the fridge if possible.
- Make sure food is thoroughly defrosted before cooking.
Cross-contamination
Bacteria can spread from one food to another, especially if raw food comes into contact with cooked food. This can be avoided with a few simple precautions, such as:
- Don’t use the same equipment to prepare raw and cooked food.
- Clean all equipment that has come into contact with raw food.
- Wash hands thoroughly after touching raw food.
- Disinfect surfaces that have been used to prepare raw food.
- Keep raw and cooked food separate at all times.
- Use different cloths and sponges in areas where raw and cooked food are prepared.
Don’t forget about personal hygiene
The biggest food contamination hazard comes from the food itself, but employees can also spread germs. It’s important for everyone to maintain a high standard of personal hygiene when working with food. This means:
- Wearing clothes that are suitable, clean and protective.
- Keeping long hair tied back and covered.
- Not wearing watches or jewellery.
- Avoiding touching the face and hair.
- Refraining from smoking or chewing gum.
- Regularly washing hands.
Need some expert help?
Food businesses are often fast-paced, with so much to get right. If you would like some expert help in ensuring that you are complying with the latest food rules and safety guidelines, including training courses, please do not hesitate to get in touch with your local HS Dept office.
