Food safety and hygiene (microorganisms, food poisoning, HACCP, guidelines and legislation)

Food Safety and Hygiene

Microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses and fungi are everywhere in our environment.
Not all microorganisms are harmful; some are even beneficial in food production like in making cheese and yoghurt.
Pathogenic microorganisms can cause illnesses when ingested, including harmful forms of E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria.
Conditions that influence the growth of microorganisms include temperature, time, moisture, and pH.
The Danger Zone for bacterial growth is between 5°C and 63°C.

Food poisoning is a sickness resulting from consuming foods contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, or chemicals.
Symptoms often include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and may start within hours of eating the tainted food.
Proper food safety practices like hand hygiene, safe cooking temperatures and proper storage can help prevent food poisoning.
Cross-contamination is a significant source of food poisoning, occurring when harmful bacteria are transferred from one item, often raw food, to another.

HACCP is a system designed to enhance food safety throughout the food production process.
The seven principles of HACCP include conducting a hazard analysis, identifying critical control points, establishing critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification, and proper documentation.
The goal of HACCP is to identify, evaluate, and control hazards that could potentially affect food safety.

Food safety in the UK is governed by several acts and regulations to ensure the health and safety of consumers.
The EC Regulation 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs requires food businesses to have a food safety management system in place based on HACCP principles.
The Food Safety Act 1990 is the primary legislation for food safety, making it a criminal offense to sell unsafe food.
The Food Hygiene Regulations 2006 lays out the minimum hygiene requirements for all aspects of your food business, from premises and facilities to the personal hygiene of staff.
Regular inspections are done by enforcement officers from the local authority to ensure food businesses comply with legislation.