Food Hygiene

Whilst food safety encompasses all processes which contribute to the safe production and distribution of food, food hygiene relates specifically to the microbiological safety of food products. Microbiological hazards, which include dangers such as foodborne illnesses, risk the health of customers and can lead to catastrophic consequences including death. Preventing microbiological hazards from occurring within your business should be of utmost importance for all food business owners.

Poor food hygiene poses a potential risk to both employee’s and customer’s health. Any serious risk to public health that is identified by the authorities, may result in the immediate closure of your business until the issue is resolved.

Less serious lapses will also affect your business as poor hygiene practices will be reflected in the food hygiene rating awarded to your business. Low hygiene ratings have been shown to dramatically affect the success of food businesses and can negatively impact trading for extended periods of time.

For those that deal directly with the food, there are several ways to minimise the risk of microbiological hazards developing. Most are by correctly managing the four C’s: cleaning, cooking, chilling, and cross-contamination. These good food hygiene practices reduce the risk of potentially dangerous food reaching the consumer and ensure that employees and business are conforming with the most recent guidelines.

Cleaning

All staff, whether they handle food directly or not, can contribute to the cleanliness of themselves and their working environment. As such, all staff should report to work clean, without any illnesses and should avoid eating, chewing, spitting or smoking during their shift.

Furthermore, good personal hygiene should be maintained during working hours through measures such as regular hand-washing. The working space should also be regularly cleaned and disinfected, as should all equipment. This must be performed both on an “as you go” basis during shift and as part of a cleaning rota. This will help ensure that the working environment is safe, secure and free of pests.

Cooking
Thorough cooking will eliminate microbiological hazards by killing harmful bacteria. It super important that the advised cooking temperatures are met, otherwise harmful bacteria may survive. Reheating food should be treated the same as cooking from raw, meaning the required temperatures must be reached again. In some countries such as Scotland, you must heat foods to higher temperatures (82°C) when reheating than when originally cooking. Food must only ever be reheated once.

Chilling

After cooking and/or preparation it is vital that foods are adequately chilled, frozen, or defrosted to minimise the opportunity for bacteria to multiple to harmful levels within the food products. Food that is to be left at potentially dangerous temperatures (e.g., food that is being served via hot holding), must be timed, and disposed of after a certain duration.

Cross-Contamination

Even after following all the above precautions there is still a risk of dangerous food finding its way to the consumer. This is most namely due to cross-contamination, a process whereby bacteria are spread between foods, normally through a medium such as chopping boards, hands, or via direct contact. In order to prevent cross-contamination from occurring products potentially containing harmful bacteria such as raw meats must be kept separate from high-risk foods (normally those eaten without heating). Food should be handled as little as possible, and hands and all surfaces must be cleaned immediately after the food has been prepared. Separate equipment should be used for different foods (e.g., one chopping board for raw meat, another for vegetables) and food should be kept covered when not being served.

Other

Of course, not all good food hygiene practices fit neatly into these subcategories. The appropriate training of all staff, proper disposal of food waste, and measures to successfully control stock are all necessary processes to ensure high levels of food hygiene are maintained.

However, even with all processes in place, businesses can still be awarded poor food hygiene ratings . This is most often due to a failure to provide proof that your systems are implemented, and functioning properly, meaning the hygiene inspectors cannot verify their efficacy. Leafe’s digital records are the easiest way to demonstrate that hygiene processes are in place and that standards are consistently being met. Digital daily checklists, temperature records, and cleaning procedures will all provide hygiene inspectors with the necessary information to maximise your business’s food hygiene rating.

Whilst a specific food handling certificate is not required by law, all food handlers must have a degree of food hygiene training consummate with their workplace activities. As evidence of this training is legally required most businesses prefer to outsource training to specific companies, many of which offer online courses that provide certification of completion. Courses of various complexity are offered to ensure that all staff, regardless of their seniority of workplace role can access the training they need.

As the onus for staff training lands squarely on the business owner and management, these individuals must complete formal training and be awarded a RSPH level three equivalent certificate for food hygiene through an approved qualification. A full list of regulated and government approved qualifications can be accessed here.

All food businesses must have in place some form of food hygiene procedures to ensure the safety of the products they are serving or selling. However, what exact procedures they must put in place depends on a range of variables including business size, type, and location.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is considered the gold standard method of identifying and managing food safety risk, including food hygiene hazards. As the internationally recognised method of food safety control, all businesses can utilise at least some of the HACCP principles within their own business. However, for those that may struggle to implement a full HACCP program alternative guidelines have been provided. Most prominent amongst these is Safer Food Better Business , which provides food safety management systems and food hygiene regulations for small food businesses.

To ensure that food hygiene inspections go well all businesses are advised to have and utilise a food hygiene inspection checklist . This checklist should be used as part of a regular review process that examines your food hygiene practices, providing you with information on how to update and improve your HACCP processes as your business evolves. Leafe , as a leader in the digital HACCP space, provides clients with a means for collecting, reporting, and storing HACCP data allowing these reviews, updates, and improvements to be implemented quickly and easily. Regular improvements will ensure that when inspection time comes your business will have the best chance possible of maximising both its products safety and its food hygiene rating.

In short the answer is yes, all businesses that sell food from restaurants and caterers to care homes and schools need to show that relevant and effective food hygiene procedures are in place. Of course, larger businesses, and those that handle more high-risk products will have to implement more intricate procedures than those selling prepackaged food, such as corner shops who can utilize more simplistic reviewing procedures such as the one found here . However, paper records are at higher risk of being misplaced, damaged, or falsified when compared to their digital counterparts. Leafe believe in taking the hassle out of these arduous and time-consuming procedures by providing a streamlined digital service for all your food hygiene needs. This means you and your team can focus on what you do best, executing service to the highest of standards.