Food Safety

Understanding Food Safety

  • Food safety involves handling, storing, and preparing food to prevent infection and ensure the food is safe to consume.
  • It’s paramount to prevent foodborne diseases, which are caused by consuming contaminated food items.

Personal Hygiene

  • Hand washing must be thorough, using soap and warm water before handling food, and in between handling different food types, especially raw and cooked foods.
  • Hair should be tied back and long sleeves rolled up to stop them coming into contact with food.
  • Food handlers should not be suffering from any illnesses such as colds, flu, or other infectious diseases.

Cleaning

  • Work surfaces, utensils, and equipment should be thoroughly cleaned before use to prevent cross-contamination from harmful bacteria.
  • Using a separate chopping board for raw and cooked food helps to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria.

Food Handling

  • Always wash fruits and vegetables as they can carry harmful bacteria.
  • Raw meat should be stored separately from other foods to prevent cross-contamination.

Temperature Control

  • Keep hot food hot (above 60°C) and cold food cold (below 5°C) to discourage bacterial growth.
  • Food that is meant to be served cold should be cooled as quickly as possible.

Food Storage

  • Leftovers should be stored in the fridge within two hours.
  • All food products should be stored according to their storage instructions to ensure they remain safe to eat.

Food Spoilage

  • Best before and use-by-dates should be adhered to. Eating food that is past its use-by-date can put you at risk of harmful bacteria.
  • As food spoils, changes in colour, smell or texture can indicate it is no longer safe to eat.

Food Preparation

  • Avoid undercooking food, especially meats. Consuming undercooked meat can lead to foodborne illnesses.
  • Use a food thermometer to check that you’re cooking at the proper temperature.

Common Foodborne Diseases

  • Common foodborne diseases include salmonella, E.coli and listeria which can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
  • Food can become contaminated at any stage during its production, distribution and preparation. Therefore, everyone along the production chain, from producer to consumer, has a role to play to ensure the food we consume is safe.