KNOW ABOUT FOOD SAFETY & HYGIENE

Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent food borne illness.

Hygiene is a set of practices performed for the preservation of health

To implement food safety in the food business there are some management systems are there. For some examples: HACCP, ISO22000, FSSC 22000 etc.

 HACCP: Hazard analysis and critical control points or HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe, and designs measurements to reduce these risks to a safe level.

The HACCP system can be used at all stages of a food chain, from food production and preparation processes including packaging, distribution, etc. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) say that their mandatory HACCP programs for juice and meat are an effective approach to food safety and protecting public health.

ISO 22000 is a standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization dealing with food safety. It is a general derivative of ISO 9000.

The ISO 22000 international standard specifies the requirements for a food safety management system that involves the following elements:

•           interactive communication

•           system management

•           prerequisite programs

•           HACCP principles

ISO 22000 can be applied independently of other management system standards or integrated with existing management system requirements.

ISO 22000 integrates the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

FSSC: Food Safety System Certification. The FSSC 22000 Food Safety Management System provides a framework for effectively managing your organization's food safety responsibilities. FSSC 22000 is fully recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and is based on existing ISO Standards. It demonstrates your company has a robust Food Safety Management System in place that meets the requirements of your customers and consumers.

Food handlers Training & Managers Food Protection Certification: 

There are number of companies’ officering the food safety training for food handlers and Manager Food Protection certification by Servsafe certified and registered Proctor or Instructors. Ex: Servsafe Food Protection Manager Certification, Servsafe food Handlers certification and culinary certification.

FAQ's:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

What does the ‘use by’ date mean?

 Highly perishable foods (Potentially Hazardous food ) will have a use by date. This is the date that the food must be used by. It is illegal to use food beyond its use by date because it can compromise safety standards

What does the ‘best before’ date mean?

Best before dates often apply to longer shelf life foods and usually relate to the quality of the food rather than the safety. It is common practice to destroy food beyond its best before date because the food will have reduced in quality.

I want to open a new food business. What do I need?

This will depend on the type of food business and its location. You will have to register the premises used for the food business whether it is a building, market stalls or a moveable structure (delivery vehicle). This is required by law.

Registration will allow local authorities to keep an up-to-date record of all those businesses in their area so they can visit them when required. The frequency of the visits will depend on the type of business

 What should I do if I find something in my food (a foreign object) that shouldn’t be there?

 If you have found something in your food that shouldn’t be there keep all the packaging and ideally the receipt. If it is a perishable food it is best freeze the food with the object in place.

In most cases the complaint can be dealt with by returning the food to the store it was purchased in. Sometimes the complaint may need further investigation and you may have to bring the object of your complaint, food packaging and the receipt.

Always put away chilled and frozen food in your fridge/freezer as soon as you can.

Improper storage of food can often lead to food poisoning.

 Beware of poor personal hygiene.

Keep overalls and aprons clean. Don’t wear outdoors clothes in the kitchen. Never chew gum while working with food. Don’t taste food with your fingers and never use a spoon to taste food that has already been in your mouth.

 Keep your kitchen and work tops clean.

Wash utensils and worktops between usages, especially between working with cooked and raw foods.

Wash your hands thoroughly.

This should be done before preparing food, after going to the bathroom, after you have handled raw food and after blowing your nose, sneezing and coughing.

Make sure you food is fully cooked through.

When cooking food, remember that it takes a long time for the temperature in the middle of the food to reach the same temperature as the surface.

Check ‘use by dates’ before using food.

Never use food after it’s used by date.

Keep fridge temperatures between 1°C and 5°C

Monitor fridge temperatures regularly.

Be careful when storing and using high risk foods.

Foods such as cheese, milk, butter and sushi are often served raw. They may contain harmful bacteria if stored or prepared incorrectly.

Raw and Cooked food should always be kept separate.

This includes storage and preparation. This stops bacteria on raw meat, fish and vegetables from contaminating cooked food.

 Clean chopping boards between each usage.

Contaminated chopping boards are one of the most common causes of cross contamination.