How to use this pack

Welcome to Safer food, better business for caterers

Is this pack for me?
This pack is for small catering businesses such as restaurants, cafs and takeaways. It has been developed by the Food Standards Agency, working with catering businesses, to be practical and easy to use.

How does this pack help me comply with the law?

Food safety and hygiene regulations say that you must be able to show what you do to sell food that is safe to eat and have this written down. The pack helps you do this. This pack is based on the principles of HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point), but you will not find words such as HACCP or hazard in the pack because we have cut out all the jargon.

Who should take charge of the pack?

The person who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the business is the best person to work through the pack. It is a good idea to involve other staff to help the pack work in your business.

How does the pack work?

The pack contains sheets for you to work through and complete. These are called safe methods. It also contains a diary for you to fill in every day and write down anything different that happens, including anything that goes wrong.

CIN1/03-09

How to use the safe methods

Front

The Safety point column highlights things that are important to make food safely.

The Why? column tells you why the safety point is important.

The How do you do this? column is for you to write down what you do. In some places you only need to tick a box and in other places write a small amount.

Pictures help to illustrate the safety points.

Sometimes the pictures are marked with one of these symbols:

= right

= wrong

Back

Some safe methods have a Check it section, which tells you what to look for to make sure your method has worked.

The What to do if things go wrong column gives practical tips on how to tackle problems.

The How to stop this happening again column tells you how you can prevent problems.

If things go wrong, write down what happened and what you did in your diary. Each safe method reminds you to do this.

How to use the diary

The diary should be filled in every day by the person responsible for running the business. There is also a 4-weekly review so you can look back at previous weeks and identify any persistent problems.

Fill in the date at the start of the week.

Each day, tick here to say you have completed your Opening checks and your Closing checks see the Management section for more information on these.

If anything different happens or something goes wrong, make a note of it under the appropriate day.

Each day, write your name and sign to say that all the safe methods have been followed.

If you do any Extra checks, make a note in the section at the end of the week see the Management section for more information on these.

CIN2/03-09

Questions
What do I do next?
Work through the pack one section at a time and complete all the safe methods that are relevant to your business. It will take you about one hour to complete a section. We suggest you do one section at a time, for example one a week. So that is just one hour of your time to get started. When you have worked through all the sections, make sure you and your staff: follow the safe methods all the time fill in the diary every day

How do I use the Working with food? factsheet and the DVD with the pack?

Use the Working with food? factsheet to train your staff on good personal hygiene on their first day at work. It has been designed to help overcome language difficulties. The DVD will help you use the pack and train your staff on it and there are 16 languages for you to choose from. You do not have to work through the DVD to use the pack in your business, but it will help you do this. If you would like to keep a record of any staff training using the DVD, you can make a note of it on the Staff training record in the diary.

How will I benefit from using this pack?

Using the pack in your business will help you to: comply with food hygiene regulations show what you do to make food safely train staff protect your businesss reputation improve your business, e.g. by wasting less food No, you do not need lots of daily records. Once you have worked through the pack and completed all the relevant safe methods, you only need to fill in the diary each day. This should take just one minute, unless you have something special to write down. It is a legal requirement to keep a record of what food products you have bought, who you bought them from, the quantity and the date. Usually the easiest way to do this is to keep all your invoices and receipts.

Do I need to keep lots of daily records?

Questions
Do I need to use a temperature probe?
You can use this pack in your business without using a temperature probe. However, if you use methods or checks for cooking, reheating, hot holding or chilling that are different to what is recommended in the pack, you will need to use a probe to prove that what you do is safe. You may also like to use a probe for extra reassurance that your methods are safe. See the Prove it safe method in the Management section. For more information on food safety, talk to the environmental health service at your local authority or visit food.gov.uk/catering/foodindustry/regulation/foodlaw For details of Food Standards Agency publications, visit food.gov.uk or call 0845 606 0667.

Where can I get more information?

About this guidance

This guidance follows the Government Code of Practice on Guidance. If you believe this guidance breaches the Code for any reason, or if you have any comments on the guidance, please contact us at [email protected] This guidance was originally published in September 2005. The most recent update is March 2009 and it will be reviewed again in March 2012.

Copyright
The material featured in this publication is subject to Crown copyright protection unless otherwise indicated. You may re-use the information in the SFBB pack (not including the Food Standards Agency logos and photographs that are the copyright of a third party) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence at: nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ This is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the source identified as the Food Standards Agency. Any enquiries regarding the use and re-use of this information resource should be emailed to: [email protected] Or you can write to: Information Policy Team The National Archives Kew London TW9 4DU The permission to reproduce Crown protected material does not extend to any material in this publication which is the copyright of a third party. Authorisation to reproduce such material must be obtained from the copyright holders concerned. Please note that some of the images in this resource are third party copyright, therefore you do not have permission to re-use them. Note that the Agency has produced supporting guidance about the use and re-use of SFBB, which can be found at: food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/guidancelaadaptingsfbb.pdf

CIN3/03-09

Cross-contamination

Cleaning

Chilling

Cooking

Management

Diary

Diar

Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. It happens when harmful bacteria are spread onto food from other food, surfaces, hands or equipment. These harmful bacteria often come from raw meat/poultry and eggs. So it is especially important to handle these foods carefully. Other sources of bacteria can include: staff pests equipment cloths Do not forget that you should also protect food from physical contamination (where objects get into food, e.g. broken glass or pieces of packaging) and chemical contamination (where chemicals get into food, e.g. cleaning products or pest control chemicals). This section also includes information on food allergies.

CC1/02-08

Safe method:

Personal hygiene
It is vital for staff to follow good personal hygiene practices to help prevent bacteria from spreading to food.

Safety point
Staff should always wash their hands before preparing food. (See the Clear and clean as you go method in the Cleaning section.) All staff should wear clean clothes when working with food. Ideally, they should change into clean work clothes before starting work and not wear these clothes outside food preparation areas. Ideally, work clothes should be long-sleeved and light-coloured (to show the dirt) with no external pockets.

Why?
Handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading.

How do you do this?

Are all staff trained to wash their hands before preparing food? Yes No Do your staff wear clean work clothes? Yes No Do your staff change clothes before starting work?

Clothes can bring dirt and bacteria into food preparation areas. Wearing clean clothes helps to prevent this.

This prevents skin from touching food and helps to stop hairs, fibres and the contents of pockets (which can carry bacteria) getting into food.

Yes

No

Describe your staffs work clothes here:

It is a good idea for staff to wear clean or disposable aprons over their work clothes, especially when working with raw meat/poultry or eggs.

Aprons help to stop dirt and bacteria from getting onto work clothes and they can be removed easily for washing, or thrown away if disposable.

What type of aprons do you use?

Which tasks do you use them for?

It is good practice for staff to keep hair tied back and wear a hat or hairnet when preparing food.

If hair is not tied back or covered, it is more likely to fall into food and staff are more likely to touch their hair.

Do staff keep hair tied back? Yes No Do staff wear hats or hairnets when preparing food? Yes No

Staff should not wear watches or jewellery when preparing food (except a wedding band). Staff should not smoke, drink, eat or chew gum while handling food. Staff should also avoid touching their face or nose, or coughing and sneezing.

Watches and jewellery can collect and spread dirt and harmful bacteria, or fall in the food. All of these lead to staff touching their face or mouth. Harmful bacteria can be spread from someones face or mouth to their hands and then onto food.

Do your staff take off watches and jewellery before preparing food? Yes No Are staff trained not to do these things? Yes No

Fitness for work

Safety point
Staff should be fit for work at all times. This means that they must not be suffering from, or carrying, an illness or disease that could cause a problem with food safety. Any member of staff who has diarrhoea and/or vomiting should report it to their manager immediately and either stay at home or go home straight away. Staff who have had diarrhoea and/or vomiting should not return to work until they have had no symptoms for 48 hours. Staff should tell their manager if they have any cuts or sores and these should be completely covered with a brightly coloured waterproof dressing.

Why?
People who are not fit for work could spread harmful bacteria to food.

People suffering from these symptoms often carry harmful bacteria on their hands and can spread them to food or equipment they touch. Even if the diarrhoea and vomiting has stopped, someone can still carry harmful bacteria for 48 hours afterwards.

Cuts and sores can carry harmful bacteria. Covering them prevents bacteria spreading to food.

What to do if things go wrong

If staff are not fit for work, move them out of food handling areas or send them home. Throw away any unwrapped foods they have handled.
Diary

How to stop this happening again

Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.
Why?
This is so they understand how some types of illness can affect the safety of food and that they must tell their manager if they have these types of illness. Clothes could be a source of bacteria if they are left lying around.

Diary

Manage it
Make sure that all staff understand the importance of being fit for work and what they need to report. It is a good idea to have a separate area where staff can change and store their outdoor clothes.

How do you do this?

Make a note in your diary of when you have trained staff on this safe method.

Where do staff change and store their outdoor clothes?

It is good practice to keep a clean set of work clothes or disposable aprons for visitors.

Anyone entering the kitchen can bring in bacteria on their clothes.

Where do you keep clean uniforms/disposable aprons?

CC2/03-09

Safe method:

Cloths
Cloths can be one of the top causes of cross-contamination in the kitchen. It is essential to use them safely to prevent bacteria from spreading.

Safety point
Use single-use cloths wherever possible, and throw them away after each task.

Why?
This will make sure that any bacteria picked up by the cloth will not be spread.

Always use a new or freshly cleaned cloth to wipe work surfaces, equipment or utensils that will be used with ready-to-eat food.

It is especially important to protect ready-to-eat food from bacteria. This is because the food will not be cooked, so any bacteria on the food will not be killed.

Take away re-usable cloths for thorough washing after using them with raw meat/poultry, eggs or raw vegetables and surfaces that have touched these foods.

Raw meat/poultry and eggs are more likely to contain harmful bacteria than other foods. The soil on vegetables can also contain harmful bacteria.

If using re-usable cloths, make sure they are thoroughly washed, disinfected and dried between tasks (not just when they look dirty). Ideally, wash cloths in a washing machine on a hot cycle. If you wash and disinfect cloths by hand, make sure all the food and dirt has been removed before you disinfect them. Use hot water to disinfect the cloths.

Using dirty cloths can spread bacteria very easily.

A hot wash cycle will clean the cloths thoroughly and kill bacteria (disinfect). If food or dirt is still on the cloths, this will prevent the disinfection process from being effective, so harmful bacteria might not be killed.

How do you do this?

How do you clean re-usable cloths?

Different cloths for different jobs Jobs

Holding hot items (e.g. oven trays) use tea towel or chefs cloth Washing up dishes use a dish cloth

The best cloth for the job

Do you If not, what do you do? do this?

Yes

Yes

Use single-use cloths or paper towels for the following jobs: Wiping surfaces Yes

Mopping up spills

Yes

Wiping hands

Yes

Wiping sides of dishes before serving Drying ingredients

Yes

Yes

What to do if things go wrong

If you notice dirty cloths in the kitchen, remove them for cleaning immediately or throw them away. If you think your staff have used a dirty cloth, wash, disinfect and dry any equipment, work surfaces or utensils it has touched.

How to stop this happening again

Consider using single-use cloths if you are not using them already. Increase your supply of single-use/clean cloths. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve supervision.
Diary

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.
Why?
This is to prevent them being re-used before they have been washed.

Manage it
Have a special place in the kitchen for dirty re-usable cloths.

How do you do this?

Where do staff put dirty re-usable cloths? Where do you keep new/ clean cloths?
CC3/02-08

Always keep a good supply of single-use/clean cloths in your kitchen.

Staff are more likely to use clean cloths if plenty are available.

Safe method:

Separating foods
Separating raw and ready-to-eat foods is essential to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading.

Safety point
Delivery Plan delivery times so that, if possible, raw meat/poultry arrive at different times to other foods. Unload deliveries in a clean, separate area. Remove outer packaging and throw it away. Before you do this, make a note of any cooking instructions or ingredient information, if you need to. Sometimes the information is only on the outer packaging. Defrosting Keep foods that are defrosting in the fridge in a covered container, below ready-to-eat foods, or in a separate area of the kitchen away from other foods. (See the Defrosting method in the Chilling section.)

Why?
This helps to prevent harmful bacteria spreading from raw meat/poultry to other foods. This will prevent dirty outer packaging or leaks from deliveries from spreading bacteria. Packaging can also contain pests.

How do you do this?

When do deliveries come?

Make a note in your diary.

When foods are defrosting, the liquid that comes out can contain harmful bacteria, which could spread to other foods.

Where do you defrost foods?

Storage Store raw and ready-to-eat foods separately. If they are in the same fridge, store raw meat/poultry below ready-to-eat foods. Cover cooked foods and other ready-to-eat foods.

This helps to prevent harmful bacteria spreading from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods.

How do you make sure raw and ready-to-eat foods are stored separately?

Safety point
Preparation Prepare raw meat/poultry and other foods in different areas. If this is not possible, separate by preparing them at different times and clean thoroughly between tasks. Never use the same chopping board or knives for preparing raw meat/poultry and for ready-to-eat food (unless they have been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected in between). Cooking e.g. grill, barbecue When you add raw meat products, make sure they do not touch or drip onto the food already cooking.

Why?
This helps to prevent harmful bacteria spreading from one food to another. Harmful bacteria from raw meat/poultry can spread from chopping boards and knives to other foods.

How do you do this?

How do you separate raw meat/poultry and other foods during preparation?

Bacteria could spread from the raw meat to the other food and stop it being safe to eat.

How do you keep raw meat separate from food already cooking?

Think twice!
Covering foods It is important to keep food covered to help protect it from harmful bacteria. This is especially important for cooked food and other ready-to-eat food. Always use containers or bags that have been designed to store food (food grade). Suggested food coverings include kitchen foil, cling film, plastic boxes with lids or freezer bags. Do not store food in opened tins. When you are covering food: Check the manufacturers instructions to see if the covering is suitable for what you are using it for. Always make sure that the food is properly covered. Take care not to let the covering fall into foods. Never re-use foil, cling film or freezer bags. Make sure that plastic boxes are washed, disinfected and dried between uses.

What to do if things go wrong

If you think that ready-to-eat food has not been kept separate from raw meat/poultry throw away the food. If equipment/surfaces/utensils have been touched by raw meat/poultry wash, disinfect and dry them to prevent harmful bacteria from spreading.

How to stop this happening again

Re-organise delivery times, storage and food preparation to make it easier to keep food separate. Make sure you have enough storage space and it is well organised. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.
Diary

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

CC4/03-09

Safe method:

Pest control
Effective pest control is essential to keep pests out of your premises and prevent them from spreading harmful bacteria.

Safety point
Check your premises regularly for signs of pests.

Why?
Pests carry harmful bacteria.

How do you do this?

When do you check for pests?

One option is to employ a pest control contractor. See the Suppliers and contractors safe method in the Management section. Check deliveries thoroughly for signs of pests. Do not accept a delivery if it shows signs of pests such as gnawed packaging or insects, e.g. beetles. Pests could come into your premises in a delivery. How do you check deliveries?

Keep external areas tidy and free from weeds. Make sure bins have close-fitting lids and are easy to clean.

Weeds and rubbish can attract pests and provide them with food and shelter.

How often do you check external areas?

Type of pest
Rats and mice

Signs of pests
Small footprints in dust, droppings, holes in walls and doors, nests, gnawed goods or packaging, grease or smear marks, urine stains on food packaging Bodies of insects, live insects, webbing, nests, droning or buzzing, maggots

Flies and flying insects e.g. moths

Type of pest
Cockroaches

Signs of pests
Eggs and egg cases, moulted skins, the insects themselves, droppings

Ants

Small piles of sand or soil, the insects themselves, flying ants on hot days

Birds

Feathers, droppings, nests, noise, the birds themselves

Beetles and weevils

Moving insects, particularly in dry food, small maggots

What to do if things go wrong

If you see signs of a pest infestation, call a pest contractor immediately. Write the contact details for your pest contractor on the Contacts list in the diary. If you think any equipment, surfaces or utensils have been touched by pests, they should be washed, disinfected and dried to stop harmful bacteria from spreading. If you think food has been touched by pests in any way, throw it away.
Diary

How to stop this happening again

Make your pest checks more frequent. Improve staff training on recognising signs of pests and encourage them to report problems immediately. If you have persistent problems with pests, consider employing a pest contractor, if you do not have one already.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

Think twice!
Never let pest control bait/chemicals, including sprays, come into contact with food, packaging, equipment or surfaces, because they are likely to be poisonous to people.

Manage it
Make sure no food or dirty plates etc. are left out at night these are a source of food for pests. Make sure that checks for pests are carried out regularly. Put reminders of when to check for pests in your diary. If you have a pest contractor, keep a record of their contact details and visits in your diary, as well as any feedback or action points they recommend. Make a note of when you have carried these out.
CC5/02-08

Safe method:

Maintenance
Effective maintenance is essential to allow you to clean properly and keep pests out.
Safety point
Repair structural damage as soon as it happens e.g. damp/chipped plaster, broken tiles, holes in walls or windows.

Why?
Structural damage can make your premises harder to clean and can attract pests.

Check extractor fans and filters regularly to make sure they are working properly and are free from grease and dirt. Replace chopping boards that are scratched, pitted or scored.

This is to make sure the fans and filters can do their job properly.

Dirt and harmful bacteria can collect in any areas where the board is not smooth.

Repair or replace any equipment or utensils that are damaged or have loose parts.

Dirt and harmful bacteria can collect in damaged equipment/utensils. Loose parts may fall into food.

Throw away any cracked or chipped dishes and other tableware.

Dirt and harmful bacteria can collect in cracks or chips.

Make sure your cooking, hot holding and chilling equipment is well maintained and working properly. Temperature probes should be checked regularly to make sure their readings are accurate.

If it does not work properly, food may not be kept safe.

If your probe is not accurate, then it will not give a reliable measure of whether food is at a safe temperature. (See the Prove it safe method in the Management section.)

What to do if things go wrong

If you think that equipment might not be working properly, check it straight away. Do not wait until it has broken down. Check that staff are using the equipment properly. Look at the manufacturers instructions to see if there is a troubleshooting section. Contact the equipment manufacturer or your maintenance contractor, if you have one. Use alternative equipment until the fault has been corrected.

How to stop this happening again

Make your maintenance checks more frequent. Encourage staff to report any structural damage or problems with equipment, so you know about problems early. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.
How do you do this?
Do you do this? Yes Write any details here:

Diary

Manage it
Check your premises regularly for any structural damage or problems with equipment. Put problems right as soon as possible, before they get worse or affect food safety. Make a note in your diary of what you do. Put reminders in your diary of maintenance checks and make a note of any repairs you make.

CC6/02-08

Safe method:

Food allergies
It is important to know what to do if you serve a customer who has a food allergy, because these allergies can be life-threatening.
Safety point
If someone asks if a dish contains a certain food, check all the ingredients in the dish (and what they contain), as well as what you use to cook the dish, thicken a sauce and to make a garnish or salad dressing. Never guess. A customer may also give you a chef card listing the foods that they are sensitive to.

Why?
If someone has a severe allergy, they can react to even a tiny amount of the food they are sensitive to. You can find out more about allergies, including chef cards, at food.gov.uk/safereating/allergyintol/guide/ This is so you can check what is in them.

Keep a copy of the ingredient information of any ready-made foods you use. When you have been asked to prepare a dish that does not contain a certain food, make sure work surfaces and equipment have been thoroughly cleaned first. Make sure staff wash their hands thoroughly before preparing the dish. Give detailed information in the name or description of dishes on the menu, especially if they include the foods listed below, e.g. chocolate and almond slice, sesame oil dressing. Remember to update the menu when recipes change.

This is to prevent small amounts of the food that a person is allergic to getting into the dish accidentally.

This allows people with food allergies to spot that dishes contain certain foods.

Type of food
Peanuts

What to look out for

Peanuts, also called groundnuts, are found in many foods, including sauces, cakes and desserts. They are common in Thai and Indonesian dishes, e.g. satay sauce. Watch out for peanut flour and groundnut oil too. Flour or seeds from the lupin plant are used in some bread, pastries, pies, waffles, pancakes, battered products and doughnuts. People with nut allergy can react to many types of nut, including walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews and pecans. Nuts are found in many foods, including sauces, desserts, crackers, bread and ice cream. Watch out for nut oils, marzipan and ground almonds too. People with milk allergy need to avoid foods containing milk, yoghurt, cream, cheese, butter and other milk products. Watch out for dishes glazed with milk and ready-made products containing milk powder. Eggs are used in many foods including cakes, mousses, sauces, pasta and quiche. Sometimes egg is used to bind meat products, such as burgers. Watch out for dressings containing mayonnaise and dishes brushed with egg.

Lupin

Nuts

Milk

Eggs

Type of food
Fish

What to look for

Some types of fish, especially anchovies, are used in salad dressings, sauces, relishes and on pizzas. Fish sauce is commonly used in Thai dishes. People who are allergic to shellfish often need to avoid all types, including scampi, prawns, mussels, oysters, cockles, scallops, crab and squid. Watch out for shrimp paste and oyster sauce in Chinese and Thai dishes. When you are checking food labels, look out for the words shellfish, crustaceans and molluscs, as well as the names of the individual types of shellfish. Soya comes in different forms, for example, tofu (or beancurd), soya flour and textured soya protein. It is found in many foods, including ice cream, sauces, desserts, meat products and vegetarian products such as veggie burgers. People who have gluten intolerance (also called coeliac disease) need to avoid cereals such as wheat, rye and barley, and foods made from these. Wheat flour is used in many foods such as bread, pasta, cakes, pastry and meat products. Watch out for soups and sauces thickened with flour, foods that are dusted with flour before cooking, batter and breadcrumbs. Sesame seeds are often used on bread and breadsticks. (Be careful because the seeds can fall off and get into other foods.) Sesame paste (tahini) is used in some Greek and Turkish dishes, including houmous. Watch out for sesame oil used for cooking or in dressings. People who are allergic to celery can react to celeriac (the root of the plant), celery stalks and leaves. Celeriac and celery are sometimes used in salads and soups, or served as a vegetable. Watch out for celery salt and celery seeds, which are used as a seasoning in lots of foods, such as soups and meat products. People who are allergic to mustard will react to any food that comes from the mustard plant, including liquid mustard, mustard powder, the leaves, seeds and flowers, sprouted mustard seeds and mustard oil. Mustard is sometimes used in salad dressings, marinades, soups, sauces, curries and meat products. Some people with asthma can react to sulphur dioxide. This is used as a preservative in a wide range of foods, particularly meat products such as sausages, and dried fruit and vegetables. Sulphur dioxide is also found in wine and beer.

Shellfish

Soya

Gluten

Sesame seeds

Celery

Mustard

Sulphur dioxide

What to do if things go wrong

If you think a customer is having a severe allergic reaction: Do not move them. Ring 999 and ask for an ambulance with a paramedic straight away. Explain that your customer could have anaphylaxis (pronounced anna-fill-axis). Send someone outside to wait for the ambulance.

How to stop this happening again

Make sure all your staff understand how important it is to check all the contents of a dish if asked by someone who has a food allergy. Make sure you keep ingredient information for all ready-made products and staff know to check it. Review the way that staff prepare a dish for someone with a food allergy are they cleaning effectively first and using clean equipment? Improve the descriptions on your menu. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve supervision.

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CC7/03-09

Safe method:

Physical and chemical contamination

It is very important to prevent objects and chemicals getting into food.
Safety point
Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to use and store cleaning chemicals. Store cleaning chemicals separately from food and make sure they are clearly labelled. Keep food covered. This helps to stop things falling into the food.

Why?
This is to prevent these chemicals getting into food.

Make sure you control pests effectively. (See the Pest control safe method.) Make sure that any chemicals you use to control pests are used and stored in the correct way and clearly labelled. Always clear and clean as you go and take care to throw away packaging, string etc. as soon as you remove it. (See the Clear and clean as you go safe method in the Cleaning section.) Repair or replace any equipment or utensils that are damaged or have loose parts.

This is to stop insects, droppings etc. getting into food, as well as preventing the spread of bacteria.

This is to prevent these chemicals getting into food.

Keeping surfaces clear and clean will help prevent chemicals and objects getting into food, as well as preventing the spread of bacteria. Loose parts may get into food by accident.

It is a good idea to have a rule of no glass in the kitchen.

This helps to prevent broken glass getting into food.

Think twice!
Avoid re-using food packaging to store food. Often packaging is designed to be used once with a certain food, so it might not be safe to use it again, or to use it with a different food. If food packaging is used in a way that it was not designed for, chemicals could transfer into the food. Instead, use re-usable containers that have been designed to store food (food grade).

What to do if things go wrong

If chemicals or objects, such as glass or insects, get into food, throw the food away. If you find pests or signs of pests, take action immediately. (See the Pest control safe method.) If you find objects in food that has been delivered, reject the delivery, if possible, and contact your supplier immediately.
Diary

How to stop this happening again

Review how you use and store chemicals in your business. Review your pest control arrangements. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

Think twice!
When you clean work surfaces, make sure that any cleaning chemicals you use are suitable for surfaces touched by food.

CC8/02-08

Cleaning

Cleaning
Effective cleaning is essential to get rid of harmful bacteria and stop them spreading to food. This section tells you about cleaning effectively, how to clear and clean as you go and developing a cleaning schedule.

CL1/02-08

Safe method:

Cleaning effectively
Effective cleaning is essential to get rid of harmful bacteria and stop them spreading.
Safety point
Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to use cleaning chemicals. If you have manufacturers cleaning instructions for a piece of equipment, follow these. Wash work surfaces and equipment thoroughly between tasks. Wash and disinfect them after preparing raw meat/poultry or eggs. See the Clear and clean as you go safe method.

Why?
This is important to make sure that chemicals work effectively.

The instructions will tell you how to clean this particular piece of equipment thoroughly. This will help prevent dirt and bacteria spreading onto other foods from the surface or equipment.

High-priority cleaning
Regularly wash/wipe and disinfect all the items people touch frequently, such as work surfaces, sinks, taps, door handles, switches and can openers. Where possible, allow these to dry naturally at the end of each day/shift. It is important to keep these clean to prevent dirt and bacteria being spread to peoples hands and then from their hands to food or other areas. Drying naturally helps prevent bacteria being spread back to these items on a towel/cloth used for drying. To clean a fridge thoroughly, you should take out all the food and keep it cold somewhere else. If food is left out at room temperature, bacteria could grow. These can be more difficult to clean, but it is important to clean equipment properly to stop bacteria and dirt building up.

Wash and disinfect fridges regularly at a time when they do not contain much food. Transfer food to another fridge or a safe cold area and keep it covered. Pay special attention to how often you clean pieces of equipment that have moving parts. Wash plates, dishwasher-proof utensils, equipment and removable parts in a dishwasher, if possible. If you do not have a dishwasher, wash plates, equipment etc. in hot soapy water (diluted detergent). Remove grease and any food and dirt. Then immerse them in very hot, clean water. Leave to air dry, or dry with a clean disposable cloth.

Dishwashers wash items thoroughly at a high temperature so this is a good way to clean equipment and kill bacteria (disinfect).

Other cleaning
Safety point
Items that do not touch food are not as high a priority but they should still be cleaned effectively. Examples include dry storage areas, floors and microwaves. For equipment or areas that are hard to clean, you may wish to employ a contract cleaner.

Why?
This prevents dirt and bacteria building up in the kitchen.

Contract cleaners have special equipment and experience of more difficult cleaning.

Think twice!
When you are cleaning, remember to move food out of the way, or cover it. This is to prevent dirt, bacteria or cleaning chemicals from getting onto food.

Manage it
Fill out the cleaning schedule in the diary to show how you manage cleaning in your business. (See the Your cleaning schedule safe method.)

Why?
This is to make sure that staff know what to clean, when and how.

How do you do this?

Have you completed the cleaning schedule from the diary? Yes No If no, are you using another cleaning schedule? Yes No

Make sure you always have a good supply of cleaning chemicals, materials and equipment. It can be helpful to put a reminder in your diary of when you should buy more.

Staff are more likely to clean properly if the right cleaning chemicals, materials and equipment are available.

Chemicals, materials, equipment used:

What to do if things go wrong

If you find that any item in your kitchen is not properly clean, wash and disinfect it and allow it to dry.

How to stop this happening again

Review your cleaning schedule, including how you clean and how often. Make sure your cleaning chemicals, materials and equipment are suitable for the tasks you use them for and are being used correctly. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CL2/02-08

Safe method:

Clear and clean as you go

Keeping your kitchen clear and clean makes it safer.

Safety point
Take off outer packaging and throw it away before you bring food into the kitchen or storeroom. Take extra care with how you throw away packaging and food waste from raw meat/poultry and eggs. Clear away small kitchen equipment as soon as possible and put it in the cleaning area.

Why?
Outer packaging could have touched dirty floors etc. when it has been stored or transported before.

Packaging and food waste from these foods are more likely to spread harmful bacteria to food and surfaces. Work surfaces are easier to keep clean when they are not cluttered. It is also important to clear away used equipment to prevent bacteria spreading from it to surfaces or food. This stops dirt building up and helps prevent bacteria from spreading.

Wash or wipe away spills as soon as they happen. Disinfect work surfaces after wiping up spills from raw meat/poultry or eggs. Wash work surfaces thoroughly between tasks. Use a new cloth (or one that has been washed and disinfected) to clean work surfaces before preparing ready-to-eat food.

This will help prevent dirt and bacteria spreading onto other foods from the surface. A dirty cloth could spread bacteria to the surface.

Handwashing
Safety point
Make sure that all staff who work with food wash their hands properly: when entering the kitchen e.g. after a break or going to the toilet before touching ready-to-eat foods after touching raw meat/poultry and eggs after emptying bins after cleaning after touching a cut or changing a dressing

Why?
Harmful bacteria can spread very easily from peoples hands to food, work surfaces, equipment etc. Effective handwashing helps to prevent this.

Washing hands effectively

Step 1: Wet your hands thoroughly under warm running water and squirt liquid soap onto the palm of one hand. Step 2: Rub your hands together to make a lather. Step 4: Rub in between each of your fingers on both hands and round your thumbs, then your fingertips and nails. Step 5: Rinse off the soap with clean water.

Step 3: Rub the palm of one hand along the back of the other and along the fingers. Then repeat with the other hand.

Step 6: Dry hands thoroughly on a disposable towel. Turn off the tap with the towel and then throw the towel away.

Manage it
Clear and clean as you go is the recommended way of keeping your kitchen clean as you work. Do you do this? Yes No If you answered no, what do you do instead?

What to do if things go wrong

If you think a member of staff has not washed their hands, make sure they wash them straight away and emphasise how important it is to wash their hands when working with food. If you find that work surfaces or equipment are not properly clean, wash, disinfect and dry them before using them to prepare food. If you find any packaging or waste lying around, throw it away immediately and then clean the work surface thoroughly.
Diary

How to stop this happening again

Make sure that hand basins are convenient with plenty of soap and disposable towels. Review your clearing and cleaning practices. Review staffing levels. Consider changing the order/timing of tasks to make it easier to keep surfaces clear and clean. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CL3/02-08

Safe method:

Your cleaning schedule

A cleaning schedule is a useful tool to help you clean effectively in your business.

What to do
You can use the cleaning schedule supplied in the diary to write down how you clean in your business. This safe method should help you do this. Alternatively, you may already have a cleaning schedule. If so, you can continue to use it, but it is a good idea to look at this safe method and review your schedule to make sure that it covers the right things. It is important to write down how you do your cleaning, so you can show what you do. It is also useful for staff to be able to check how they should clean things, so you may wish to put your cleaning schedule on the wall.

Safety point
Walk through your premises and make a list of everything that needs cleaning. This will depend on what you do in your business. Some items should be cleaned more frequently than others and some should also be disinfected. You do not need to disinfect everything concentrate on those items that will be touched by food and frequently touched items such as door handles. You will also need to disinfect surfaces or items that have been touched by raw meat/poultry or eggs, or leaks or spills from these. See the back of this sheet for information on cleaning terms.

How do you do this?

You may find it helpful to go through the following examples: Items that need cleaning and disinfecting Items that come into contact with food Work surfaces and chopping boards Equipment e.g. knives Fridges Equipment with moving parts e.g. food mixers, slicers and processors Sinks and soap dispensers Re-usable cloths and work clothes Ice machines Frequently touched items Rubbish bins, broom and mop handles Door handles, taps, switches and controls Can openers, telephones Items that need cleaning Floors, walls, ceilings Storage areas and freezers Waste areas and drains Microwaves, ovens, dishwashers, hot-holding and display cabinets Self-service and staff areas

For each item, or group of items, write down what you do on your cleaning schedule.

Include details on: How you clean the item(s) What chemicals you use and how to use them What equipment you use How often you clean the item(s) Train staff on the cleaning schedule, so they know what they have to do, and when. Supervise cleaning.

Review your schedule regularly and check that all cleaning is being done properly.

Example of a cleaning schedule

Fill in details of all the items you clean Item Frequency of cleaning Every shift After use Precautions e.g. wear gloves or goggles Method of cleaning

Weekly

Other Wear gloves

Daily

Work surface

1. Remove any obvious food and dirt. 2. Wash the surface with hot soapy water (detergent diluted according to manufacturers instructions) to remove grease and any other food and dirt. 3. Rinse with clean water to remove the detergent and loosened food and dirt.

4. Apply a disinfectant. Make sure you leave it on for the contact time recommended by the manufacturer. 5. Rinse with clean water to remove the disinfectant.

Ice machine

E
Slicing machine X Cleaning terms

M A X
X Wear gloves Trained staff members only. Use blade guard and gloves.

6. Leave to dry naturally or use a clean disposable cloth.

1. Turn off power supply, disconnect lead.

2. Wash inside ice machine with hot, soapy water and rinse with clean water.

E L P

3. Apply disinfectant, following the manufacturers instructions and rinse. 4. Pay particular attention to corners, drainage grilles, seals and ceilings. 5. Wash and disinfect the outside of the machine and handle. 6. Leave to dry before switching back on. 1. Turn off power supply, disconnect lead. 2. Scrape off food and rinse. 3. Take apart and wash thoroughly in hot water and detergent. 4. Spray with disinfectant. 5. Leave to dry or use a clean disposable cloth.

Detergent A chemical (e.g. washing-up liquid) used to remove grease, dirt and food. Used for general cleaning. Disinfectant A chemical used for disinfecting, which kills bacteria. Check that surfaces are clean of grease, dirt and food before you use a disinfectant. Sanitiser A two-in-one product that acts as a detergent and a disinfectant. If you use a sanitiser, make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions.

Dilution rate Most cleaning chemicals are concentrated, so you need to add water to dilute them before they can be used. It is important to follow the manufacturers instructions on how much water to use with the chemical. This is the dilution rate. If you add too much or too little water, then the cleaning chemical might not work effectively. Contact time This is how long a cleaning chemical needs to be left on the item you are cleaning. It is important to follow the manufacturers instructions on contact time for the chemical to work effectively.
CL4/02-08

Chilling

Chilling
Chilling food properly helps to stop harmful bacteria from growing. Some foods need to be kept chilled to keep them safe, such as milk and cream, desserts, cooked food, food with a use by date and food that says keep refrigerated on the label. This section tells you about storing and displaying chilled food, chilling down hot food, freezing and defrosting.

CH1/02-08

Safe method:

Chilled storage and displaying chilled food

Harmful bacteria can grow in food that is not chilled properly.
Safety point
Certain foods need to be kept chilled to keep them safe e.g. food with a use by date food that says keep refrigerated on the label food you have cooked and will not serve immediately ready-to-eat food such as salads and desserts Make sure that you do not use food after its use by date. For dishes you have prepared or cooked, it is a good idea to use stickers, or another method of labelling, to keep track of when food should be used or thrown away. If you are not sure how long to keep food, ask your environmental health service for advice. Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to use fridges and chilled display equipment. It is important to use equipment properly to make sure food is kept cold enough. Do you follow the manufacturers instructions for using your: Fridge? Chilled display unit? Pre-cool the display unit before you put chilled food in it. Only display as much food as you think you will need. Display food for the shortest time possible. You could also: Use a dummy portion for display (which will not be eaten). Use photographs to show customers what the food looks like. It is important to keep chilled food cold while it is on display to prevent harmful bacteria from growing in the food. What do you do to make sure chilled food is displayed safely? If not, what do you do? Food with use by dates, cooked dishes and other ready-to-eat foods have a limited shelf life. If you keep them too long they might not be safe to eat. How do you keep track of when food should be used or thrown away?

Why?
If these types of food are not kept cold enough harmful bacteria could grow.

How do you do this?

Do you check regularly that these types of food are kept chilled? Yes If not, what do you do?

Check it
It is recommended that fridges and chilled display equipment should be set at 5C or below. This is to make sure that chilled food is kept at 8C or below. This is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, the regulations do not set a specific temperature for cold foods, but foods that need to be chilled should be kept in the fridge or other chilling equipment. You should check the temperature of your chilling equipment at least once a day starting with your opening checks (see the Opening and closing checks safe method in the Management section).

How do you do this?

Some equipment will have a digital display or dial to show what temperature it is set at. You can use this to check the temperature of your equipment. If you do this, you should check regularly that the temperature shown on the display/dial is accurate using a fridge thermometer. How do you check the temperature of chilling equipment? Fridge: Digital display/dial Thermometer Chilled display unit: Digital display/dial Thermometer If you do not do this, what do you do?

Think twice!
Chilled food must be kept at 8C or below, except for certain exceptions. When you display cold food, e.g. on a buffet, you should use suitable chilled display equipment to keep it at 8C or below. If this is not possible, you can display food out of chilled storage for up to four hours. You can only do this once. After this time, you should either put the food back in the fridge and keep it at 8C or below until it is used, or throw it away. If you do take food out of chilled storage to display it, remember not to mix new food with the food that is already on display. This could lead to the older food being left out for too long.

Prove it
If you would like extra reassurance that your chilling equipment is working effectively, you can use a temperature probe to check food as a one-off test to prove that your method keeps food at a safe temperature. (See the Prove it safe method in the Management section for advice on using probes safely.)

What to do if things go wrong

If your fridge or display equipment breaks down, use other equipment, or move the food to a cold area. If you cannot do this, or you do not know how long the equipment has been broken down, contact the environmental health service at your local authority for advice. If food on display has not been kept chilled for more than four hours, throw it away. Remember that some foods need extra care. See the safe method Foods that need extra care in the Cooking section.
Diary

How to stop this happening again

Review your chilled display method and see if you can make it safer (using the front of this sheet). Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision. If you have frequent problems with your chilling equipment, consider whether it is suitable for your business. Generally, commercial equipment will be more suitable for catering.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CH2/02-08

Safe method:

Chilling down hot food

Harmful bacteria can grow in food that is not chilled down as quickly as possible.
Safety point
If you have cooked food that you will not serve immediately, chill it down as quickly as possible and then put it in the fridge. Avoid cooking large quantities of food in advance, unless you need to.

Why?
Harmful bacteria can grow in food that is left to chill slowly.

Large quantities of food are more difficult to chill down quickly, especially solid food.

Options for chilling down food (You can

use one or more of these) Divide food into smaller portions.

Why?
Smaller amounts of food chill down more quickly. The cold water makes the contents of the pans chill more quickly. Stirring helps food chill more evenly.

Tick if you do this

Cover pans of hot food and stand them in cold water.

Stir food regularly while it is chilling down.

Cover hot food and move it to a colder area (e.g. a larder).

Food will chill more quickly in a colder place.

If you have a cool setting on your oven, use it to chill down food. Use a blast chiller to chill down food. If you have another method of chilling down hot food, write the details here:

Some ovens have a cool setting, which can help to chill down food by increasing the air flow around it. (The oven should be cool first.) A blast chiller is specially designed to chill down hot foods quickly and safely.

Think twice!
It is important to protect food from dirt and bacteria at all times (e.g. by covering and placing it in a clean area), whatever chilling method you use.

Prove it
If you would like to compare different chilling options, try them out with the same food. You will only need to do this once. When you have just cooked the food, use a probe to test its temperature. (See the Prove it method in the Management section for advice on using probes safely.) Then test the temperature again at regular intervals to find out how fast the food is being chilled down. Remember to use a clean probe each time you check the food. Repeat the process with different chilling options to find out which is most effective.

What to do if things go wrong

If food has not been chilled down safely, re-cook it, if appropriate, or throw it away. Remember that some foods need extra care. See the safe method Foods that need extra care in the Cooking section.

How to stop this happening again

Review your chilling methods to make sure they are working properly. If appropriate, try out different methods and choose the one that best meets your needs. Make sure you always allow enough time and make portions small enough. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision. If you chill down lots of hot food in your business you may wish to consider using a blast chiller.

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CH3/02-08

Safe method:

Defrosting
Harmful bacteria can grow in food that is not defrosted properly.
Safety point
Food should be thoroughly defrosted before cooking (unless the manufacturers instructions tell you to cook from frozen or you have a proven safe method).

Why?
If food is still frozen or partially frozen, it will take longer to cook. The outside of the food could be cooked, but the centre might not be, which means it could contain harmful bacteria.

How do you do this?

Do you check food is thoroughly defrosted before cooking? Yes If not, what do you do?

Options for defrosting food

1. Ideally, plan ahead to leave enough time and space to defrost small amounts of food in the fridge. Putting food in the fridge will keep it at a safe temperature while it is defrosting. Do you use this method? Yes How much time do you allow for defrosting?

2. If you cannot defrost food in the fridge, you could put it in a container with a lid and then place it under cold running water.

Cold water will help to speed up defrosting without allowing the outside of the food to get too warm. This is a fast way to defrost food.

Do you use this method? Yes Which foods do you defrost in this way?

3. Or you could defrost food in the microwave on the defrost setting.

Do you use this method? Yes Which foods do you defrost in this way?

Safety point
4. You could also defrost food at room temperature. For ready-to-eat foods (foods that will not be cooked or reheated after defrosting), e.g. cheesecake, follow the manufacturers defrosting instructions. If you are defrosting foods that you have prepared yourself, leave them out at room temperature for the shortest time possible. Ideally, defrost these foods in the fridge.

Why?
Foods will defrost quite quickly at room temperature, but harmful bacteria could grow in food if it gets too warm while defrosting.

How do you do this?

Do you use this method? Yes Which foods do you defrost in this way?

5. If you have another method of defrosting, write the details here:

Which foods do you defrost in this way?

Think twice!
Keep meat/poultry separate from other food when it is defrosting, to prevent cross-contamination. Once food has been defrosted you should use it immediately (within one day).

Check it
When you think food has defrosted, it is important to check to make sure.

Why?
The outside may look defrosted but the inside could still be frozen.

How do you do this?

1. Check for ice crystals in the food using your hand or a skewer. Do you use this check? Yes 2. With birds, check the joints are flexible. Do you use this check? Yes 3. If you use another check, write the details here:

What to do if things go wrong

If food has not fully defrosted, continue to defrost the food until no ice crystals are left. Test again before cooking or reheating. Speed up the defrosting process e.g. by using cold water or a microwave (see the front of this sheet). Use an alternative menu item. If you do not have time to defrost for longer, replace the dish with a similar dish that is ready to serve.

How to stop this happening again

Change your defrosting method and make it safer, e.g. defrost smaller amounts. Make sure you allow enough time to defrost. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision. If you defrost lots of food in your business you may wish to consider creating extra fridge space or using a special defrosting cabinet.
Diary

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

CH4/02-08

Safe method:

Freezing
It is important to take care when freezing food and handle frozen food safely.

Safety point
Put frozen food in the freezer as soon as it is delivered.

Why?
If frozen food starts to defrost, harmful bacteria could grow.

How do you do this?

Is frozen food put in the freezer as soon as it is delivered? Yes No

If you are freezing fresh food, freeze it as soon as it has been delivered or prepared. Freeze hot food as soon as it has been properly chilled down.

The longer you wait before freezing food, the greater the chance of harmful bacteria growing. (See the Chilling down hot food method.)

Is fresh and cooked food put in the freezer as soon as it has been delivered, prepared, or chilled down? Yes No

Divide food into smaller portions and put it in containers or freezer bags before freezing.

Smaller portions will freeze (and defrost) more quickly. The centre of larger portions takes longer to freeze, allowing harmful bacteria to grow. Using containers and freezer bags prevents crosscontamination.

Is food divided into smaller portions to help it freeze better? Yes No

Is frozen food stored in containers or freezer bags? Yes No

How do you do this?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, write down what you do:

Think twice!
When you freeze food, make a note (e.g. on a sticker) of the date it is frozen and the date when it is removed for defrosting. Once food has been defrosted you should use it immediately (within one day).

What to do if things go wrong

If you find that your freezer is not working properly, you should do the following things: 1. Food that is still frozen (i.e. hard and icy) should be moved to an alternative freezer straight away. If there is no alternative freezer, defrost food using the Defrosting safe method. 2. Food that has begun to defrost (i.e. starting to get soft and/or with liquid coming out of it) should be moved to a suitable place to continue defrosting using the Defrosting safe method. 3. Fully defrosted food (i.e. soft and warm) should be cooked, if appropriate (e.g. raw meat and poultry), until it is piping hot all the way through. After cooking, use the food immediately or chill or freeze it safely straight away. If this is not possible, throw it away. 4. Food that has to be kept frozen (e.g. ice cream) cannot be re-frozen once it has started to defrost. You will have to use it immediately or throw it away. Remember, some foods need extra care. See the Foods that need extra care safe method in the Cooking section.

How to stop this happening again

Get your freezer mended or buy a new one. Have freezers serviced regularly and check that they are working properly as part of your opening checks. Re-organise freezers so there is more space and they are kept closed as much as possible. Train staff again on this safe method. Increase staff supervision.

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

RCH2/02-08

Cooking

Cooking
It is essential to cook food properly to kill any harmful bacteria. If it is not cooked properly, it might not be safe for your customers to eat. It is also very important to handle ready-to-eat foods carefully to protect them from harmful bacteria. This is because they will not be cooked or reheated before serving. This section includes information on cooking safely, foods that need extra care, reheating, hot holding and ready-to-eat foods.

CK1/02-08

Safe method:

Cooking safely
Thorough cooking kills harmful bacteria.

Safety point
Where appropriate, follow the manufacturers cooking instructions for food products. Preheat equipment such as ovens and grills before cooking.

Why?
The manufacturer has tried and tested safe cooking methods specifically for its products. If you use equipment before it has preheated, food will take longer to cook. This means that recommended cooking times in recipes or manufacturers instructions might not be long enough. Raw food can carry harmful bacteria, which could spread onto cooked food and stop it being safe.

Do not let raw food touch or drip onto cooked food e.g. when adding food to the grill/barbecue. Never use the same utensils, plates or containers for raw and cooked or ready-to-eat foods. If you serve beef or lamb rare (whole cuts such as steaks and whole joints only), make sure all of the outside surfaces are fully cooked, e.g. by sealing in a pan.

This will kill harmful bacteria on the outside of the meat. Pork and rolled joints should not be served rare.

Turn meat and poultry during cooking.

This helps it cook more evenly.

Make sure liquid dishes, e.g. soups and sauces, are simmering.

This is to make sure the food is hot enough to cook it thoroughly and kill bacteria.

Stir liquid dishes frequently.

This is to help make sure the food is the same temperature all the way through, with no cold spots.

Check it use these checks to tell if food is properly cooked.

Check that birds are cooked properly in the thickest part of the leg. The meat should not be pink or red.

The juices should not have any pink or red in them.

The largest piece of meat in stews, curries etc. should be piping hot all the way through with no pink or red.

Check that whole cuts of pork and processed meat products, such as sausages and burgers, are piping hot all the way through with no pink or red in the centre.

Check that combination dishes are piping hot (steaming) in the centre. If you are cooking a large dish or batch, check in several places.

Check that liquid dishes bubble rapidly when you stir them.

Check that all the outside surfaces of whole cuts of meat and whole joints (beef or lamb) are fully cooked. To check a pork joint or rolled meat joint, insert a skewer into the centre until juices run out. The juices should not have any pink or red in them.

Cut into the centre of fish, or by the bone if there is one, to check that the colour and texture has changed. Whole pieces of fish (e.g. tuna steaks) can be served rare as long as they have been fully seared on the outside.

What to do if things go wrong

Cook the food for longer. Speed up the cooking process, for example by dividing the food into smaller quantities, or using different equipment.

How to stop this happening again

Repair or replace equipment. Review your cooking method. You might need to increase the time or temperature, or use different equipment. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.
Diary

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

CK2/03-09

Safe method:

Foods that need extra care

Some foods need to be treated with extra care to make sure they are safe to eat.

Remember that raw meat and poultry are often the main source of bacteria in the kitchen. Follow the advice in the Cooking safely safe method on how to cook these foods. You should also take care with the following foods.

Safety point
Eggs Cook eggs and foods containing eggs thoroughly until they are piping hot. Use pasteurised egg (not ordinary eggs) in any food that will not be cooked, or only lightly cooked e.g. mayonnaise and mousse. Do not use eggs after the best before date.

Why?
Eggs can contain harmful bacteria. If you cook them thoroughly this kills any bacteria. Pasteurisation also kills bacteria, which is why pasteurised egg is the safest option.

How do you do this?

List the dishes containing eggs that you prepare or cook.

After this date, there is a greater chance of harmful bacteria growing in the eggs.

Do you cook eggs and food containing eggs thoroughly until they are piping hot? Yes If not, what do you do?

Shellfish Make sure you buy shellfish from a reputable supplier. Crabs, crayfish and lobster should be prepared by someone with specialist knowledge.

If you do not use a reputable supplier, you cannot be confident that shellfish have been caught and handled safely. Some parts of these shellfish cannot be eaten and some are poisonous, so it is important to know how to remove these parts safely. If you prepare crabs, crayfish or lobster, are these prepared by someone with specialist knowledge? Yes If not, what do you do?

Safety point
Shellfish continued Shellfish such as prawns and scallops will change in colour and texture when they are cooked. For example, prawns turn from blue-grey to pink and scallops become milky white and firm. Langoustines (also called scampi or Dublin Bay prawns) are pink when raw and the flesh becomes firm and pink-white when they are cooked. If you use ready-cooked (pink) prawns, serve them cold or reheat them until they are piping hot all the way through. Before cooking mussels and clams, throw away any with open or damaged shells. To check that a mussel or clam is cooked, make sure the shell is open and that the mussel or clam has shrunk inside the shell. If the shell has not opened during cooking, throw it away. Rice It is essential to handle rice safely to make sure it is safe to eat. When you have cooked rice, make sure you keep it hot until serving or chill it down as quickly as possible and then keep it in the fridge. You can make rice chill down more quickly by dividing it into smaller portions, spreading it out on a clean tray, or running it under cold water (make sure the water is clean and drinking quality). Pulses Follow the instructions on the packaging on how to soak and cook dried pulses, such as beans.

Why?

How do you do this?

List the types of shellfish you serve or use as an ingredient.

If the shell is damaged or open before cooking, the shellfish might not be safe to eat.

Rice can contain spores of a type of harmful bacteria that may not be killed by cooking or reheating. If cooked rice is left at room temperature, spores can multiply and produce toxins that cause food poisoning. Reheating will not get rid of these.

How do you keep rice hot before serving?

If you chill down rice how do you do this?

Pulses can contain natural toxins that could make people ill unless they are destroyed by the proper method of soaking and cooking. Tinned pulses will have been soaked and cooked already.

Do you follow the manufacturers instructions when cooking pulses? Yes If not, what do you do?

CK3/03-09

Safe method:

Reheating
It is very important to reheat food properly to kill harmful bacteria that may have grown since the food was cooked.
Safety point
Make sure you use equipment that reheats/cooks food effectively and follow the equipment manufacturers instructions.

Why?
If equipment is not suitable for reheating, or is not used properly, the food might not get hot enough to kill bacteria.

Preheat equipment such as ovens and grills before reheating. If you are reheating food in a microwave, follow the product manufacturers instructions, including advice on standing and stirring. If you use a microwave to reheat food that you have cooked yourself, it is a good idea to stir it while reheating. Serve reheated food immediately, unless it is going straight into hot holding.

Food will take longer to reheat if you use equipment before it has preheated. This means that recommended reheating times in recipes or manufacturers instructions might not be long enough. The manufacturer has tested its instructions to make sure that products will be properly reheated. Standing and stirring are part of the process of cooking/reheating in a microwave and help make sure the food is the same temperature all the way through. When food is microwaved, it can be very hot at the edges and still be cold in the centre stirring helps to prevent this.

If food is not served immediately, the temperature will drop and harmful bacteria could grow.

Think twice!
Remember, reheating means cooking again, not just warming up. Always reheat food until it is piping hot all the way through (you should only do this once). Do not put food into hot holding without reheating it properly first.

Check it
Check that reheated food is piping hot (steaming) all the way through.

Your check
If you use a different check, you will need to prove that it is safe. See the Prove it safe method in the Management section. Give details of your check here:

Types of dish

What to do if things go wrong

How to stop this happening again

Check your equipment is working correctly. Review your reheating method you may need to increase the time and/or temperature, use different equipment or change the size of portions. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

If the equipment seems to be working, reheat the dish for longer and then test it again. Speed up the reheating process by using smaller portions.

Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CK4/02-08

Safe method:

Checking your menu

It is important to show how you check that dishes on your menu are properly cooked.
How to use this sheet
This sheet is for you to show how you check key cooked dishes. It focuses on types of dish where proper cooking is essential to kill harmful bacteria. Before you start, make sure you have read the Cooking safely and Foods that need extra care safe methods. Different checks are suitable for different types of dish. For each type of key cooked dish on your menu, choose a check from the list below and write the type of dish next to the appropriate check. You do not need to write down eggs and pulses (these are covered by the Foods that need extra care safe method), vegetables, potatoes etc, or ready-to-eat foods (but see the Ready-to-eat foods safe method).

Check
If you serve beef or lamb rare (whole cuts such as steaks and whole joints only), make sure all of the outside surfaces are fully cooked. Check that birds are cooked properly in the thickest part of the leg. The meat should not be pink or red and the juices should not have any pink or red in them. Check that whole cuts of pork and processed meat products, such as sausages and burgers, are piping hot all the way through with no pink or red in the centre. Check that liquid dishes bubble rapidly when you stir them.

Types of dish
e.g. steaks, leg of lamb

e.g. roast chicken, turkey e.g. sausages, burgers e.g. gravy, soup e.g. sausages, pork chops

e.g. gravy, soup

Cut into the centre of fish, or by the bone if there is one, to check that the colour and texture has changed. The largest piece of meat in stews, curries, stir-fries etc. should be piping hot all the way through with no pink or red.

e.g. salmon

e.g. curries, casseroles

Check
Check that combination dishes are piping hot (steaming) in the centre.

Types of dish
e.g. lasagne, fish pie

To check a pork joint or rolled meat joint, insert a skewer into the centre until juices run out. The juices should not have any pink or red in them. Check that shellfish such as prawns have changed in colour and texture.

e.g. rolled loin of lamb, shoulder of pork

e.g. prawns in garlic butter

To check that a mussel or clam is cooked, make sure the shell is open and the mussel or clam has shrunk inside the shell.

e.g. moules marinire

Piping hot
Make sure food is piping hot (steaming) all the way through. You should use this check: when reheating food when you cannot find another suitable check for one of your dishes

Types of dish

Probes
You could also use a temperature probe to check that dishes are properly cooked or reheated. See the Prove it safe method in the Management section.

Types of dish

Your check
If you use a different check, you will need to prove that it is safe. See the Prove it safe method in the Management section. Give details of your check here:

Types of dish

If your menu changes substantially, you may need to fill out this sheet again. You can download another copy from www.food.gov.uk/catering
CK5/03-09

Safe method:

Hot holding
It is very important to keep food hot until serving to prevent harmful bacteria from growing.

Safety point
If you need to keep food hot before serving, you should use suitable equipment.

Why?
It is difficult to hold food at a consistent, safe temperature without suitable equipment.

How do you do this?

Do you hot hold? Yes No What equipment do you use?

Bain-marie

Soup kettle

Preheat hot holding equipment before you put any food in it. Food must be cooked thoroughly and piping hot before hot holding begins.

Putting food into cold equipment means it might not be kept hot enough to stop harmful bacteria growing. Hot holding equipment is for hot holding only. It should not be used to cook or reheat food.

Think twice!
Hot food must be kept above 63oC, except for certain exceptions. When you display hot food, e.g. on a buffet, you should use suitable hot holding equipment to keep it above 63C. If this is not possible, you can take food out of hot holding to display it for up to two hours. You can only do this once. After this time, you should either reheat the food until it is piping hot and put it back in hot holding, chill it down as quickly as possible to 8C or below, or throw it away. Remember to keep the food at a safe temperature until it is used. If you do take food out of hot holding to display it, remember not to mix new food with the food that is already on display. This could lead to the older food being left out for too long.

Check it
Make sure food is piping hot (steaming) all the way through from the moment it is cooked to the moment it is served.

If you do not do this, what do you do?

What to do if things go wrong

How to stop this happening again

Check your equipment is working correctly. Review your hot holding safe method. Try using a higher temperature setting or smaller quantities of food. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

If a dish is not hot enough at any point during hot holding: reheat it until it is piping hot and put back into hot holding (you should only do this once) or chill down the food safely (see the Chilling down hot food safe method in the Chilling section) and reheat it later before serving If you cannot do either of these things, throw the food away. Remember that some foods need extra care. See the Foods that need extra care safe method.
Diary

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

Prove it
If you would like extra reassurance that food in hot holding is hot enough, you can use a temperature probe as a one-off test to prove that your method keeps food at a safe temperature. (See the Prove it method in the Management section for advice on using probes safely.)

CK6/02-08

Safe method:

Ready-to-eat foods
It is important to handle ready-to-eat foods safely to protect them from harmful bacteria.
What are ready-to-eat foods?
Ready-to-eat foods are foods that will not be cooked or reheated before serving. These include salads, cooked meats such as ham, desserts, sandwiches, cheese and foods that you have cooked in advance to serve cold.

Safety point
To protect foods from harmful bacteria: keep ready-to-eat foods separate from raw meat/poultry and eggs make sure work surfaces, chopping boards, knives etc. are clean (and disinfected if you have prepared raw meat/poultry) keep ready-to-eat foods covered

Why?
This is to prevent harmful bacteria getting onto the foods. This is especially important for ready-to-eat foods because they will not be cooked or reheated before serving.

How do you do this?

List the types of ready-to-eat food you use:

Follow the manufacturers instructions on how to store and prepare the food, if these are available. When preparing vegetables and salad ingredients: peel, trim, or remove the outer parts, as appropriate wash them thoroughly in clean drinking-quality water If you have prepared vegetables that have dirt or soil on the outside, clean chopping boards and work surfaces before preparing other foods.

The manufacturers instructions are designed to keep the food safe.

Are you confident that you do this for all ready-to-eat foods where instructions are available? Yes

The dirt on vegetables and salad ingredients can contain harmful bacteria. Peeling and washing helps to remove the dirt.

Do you do this? Yes If not, what do you do?

Safety point
Make sure you keep ready-to-eat foods cold enough. See Chilled storage and displaying chilled food in the Chilling section. Do not use ready-to-eat foods after the use by date, if there is one. For food you have prepared, or removed from its original packaging, it is a good idea to have a method of labelling to keep track of when food should be used or thrown away. If you slice cooked meat: make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions when you clean the slicer avoid handling the meat as much as possible it is a good idea to use clean tongs or slice meat straight onto a plate

Why?
If these types of food are not kept cold enough, harmful bacteria could grow. You should never use food that has passed its use by date because it might not be safe to eat.

How do you do this?

Do you do this? Yes If not, what do you do?

Meat slicers need careful cleaning and disinfecting to prevent dirt building up and to stop harmful bacteria growing, in particular on the slicing blade. Hands can easily spread harmful bacteria onto food.

Are staff trained how to clean the meat slicer properly, or supervised? Yes No

What to do if things go wrong

If you think that a food delivery has not been handled safely, reject the delivery. If ready-to-eat vegetables or salad ingredients have not been washed properly, wash them following the advice on the front of this sheet and clean any work surfaces etc. they have touched. If ready-to-eat food has been prepared on a work surface or with a knife that has been used for raw meat/poultry or eggs, throw the food away. If ready-to-eat food has not been chilled safely, throw the food away.
Diary

How to stop this happening again

If you do not think a supplier handles food safely, consider changing to a new supplier. Review the way you receive deliveries. Review the way you store and prepare ready-to-eat foods. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Diary

CK7/02-08

Management

Management
Managing your business effectively is vital for food safety. This section includes information on different management issues, including checks to do when you open and close, suppliers and contractors, stock control, and training and supervising staff. The Management section should be used alongside the diary, which should be signed every day by the person responsible for running the business.

MAN1/02-08

Safe method:

Opening and closing checks

It is essential that you and your staff do certain checks every time you open and close. This helps you maintain the basic standards you need to make sure that your business makes food safely.

Opening checks
You should do these checks at the beginning of the day. You can also add your own checks to the list. Your fridges, chilled display equipment and freezers are working properly. Your other equipment (e.g. oven) is working properly. Staff are fit for work and wearing clean work clothes. Food preparation areas are clean (work surfaces, equipment, utensils etc.) There are plenty of handwashing and cleaning materials (soap, paper towels, cloths etc.)

Closing checks
You should do these checks at the end of the day. You can also add your own checks to the list. No food is left out. Food past its use by date has been thrown away. Dirty cloths have been removed for cleaning and replaced with clean ones. Waste has been removed and new bags put into the bins.

The opening and closing checks are also listed in the diary.

Safe method:

Extra checks
Carrying out extra checks regularly helps you make sure your methods are being followed.

Some of the safe methods in the rest of the pack advise you to check certain things regularly. These are less frequent than the daily opening and closing checks. You might find it helpful to have all these checks written down in one place. In the table below there are examples of some extra checks. Write down the details of extra checks that you do and how often you do them. You can add other checks below. When you carry out extra checks, do not forget to make a note of them in the diary.

What to do
Deep clean (example) e.g. Clean behind equipment, vents, walls, ceilings, outside waste areas etc.
e.g. Clean behind equipment, vents, walls, ceilings, outside waste areas etc. e.g. Clear drains, clean extractor fans/filters and fridge/freezer condensers. If you use a probe, check regularly that it is accurate.

Details of check
Deep clean of whole kitchen area and outside waste area including walls, ceilings, extractor fan, vents

How often?
Every 6 weeks usually on a Thursday

Deep clean

Maintenance

Temperature probe

Pest control check

e.g. Look for signs of damage to walls, doors etc. that could let in pests, and signs of pests.

MAN2/02-08

Safe method:

Prove it
Sometimes you might want to use a probe to prove that your methods are safe.

Safe method
Cooking and reheating

What to do
The Cooking safely and Reheating safe methods in the Cooking section tell you how to check that food is thoroughly cooked/reheated. If you do a different check then you will need to prove that it is safe. You only need to do this once. The food is safe if it has reached a high enough temperature for a long enough time.

How to do it
If you want to check the temperature of a food, use a clean probe. Insert the probe so that the tip is in the centre of the food (or the thickest part). Examples of safe time/temperature combinations include: 80C for at least 6 seconds 75C for at least 30 seconds

Hot holding

The Hot holding safe method in the Cooking section tells you how to hot hold safely. It is a legal requirement that hot food must be kept above 63C. The Chilling down hot food safe method in the Chilling section tells you how to chill down hot food safely and the Chilled storage and displaying chilled food safe method tells you how to keep food cold. It is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that certain chilled foods must be kept at 8C or below. In Scotland, the regulations do not set a specific temperature for cold foods, but foods that need to be chilled should be kept in the fridge or other chilling equipment. Sometimes there might be more than one way of chilling down hot food that is suitable for what you are doing. Then you might want to compare different options to find out which is most effective. Compare different chilling options by trying them out with the same food.

To check that food in hot holding is above 63C, use a clean probe. Insert the probe so the tip is in the centre of the food (or the thickest part). To check that food is at 8C or below, use a clean probe. Insert the probe so that the tip is in the centre of the food (or the thickest part).

Chilling down hot food Chilled storage and displaying chilled food

When you have just cooked the food, test its temperature with a clean probe. Start to chill it using one option and test the temperature again at regular intervals to see how quickly it is dropping. Repeat this with other options to see which is fastest.

You can record what you have done to prove your methods on the Prove it: records sheet in the diary.

Using temperature probes

Probe type
Dial thermometer

Where to use the probe

These are commonly used to test meat. Some are oven-safe and can be left in the meat while it cooks. Others are not oven-safe and are designed to be inserted when you have cooked the meat.

How to use the probe

If the probe is not already in the meat, insert it and leave it for up to two minutes before taking a reading. Clean the probe thoroughly and disinfect it before you use it again. This helps to prevent cross-contamination. Insert the probe. Wait for the display to stabilise before taking a reading. Clean the probe thoroughly and disinfect it before you use it again. This helps to prevent cross-contamination.

Digital thermometer

These are generally easy to use and accurate. They can be used with lots of foods, but they are not suitable to go in the oven.

Checking your probe

It is essential to know that your probe is working properly, so you can rely on its readings. So you should check it regularly. The manufacturers instructions should include details of how often a probe needs to be checked and how to tell if it is accurate. A simple way to check a digital probe is to put it in iced water and boiling water: The readings in iced water should be between -1C and 1C. The readings in boiling water should be between 99C and 101C. If the reading is outside this range, you should replace your probe or return it to the manufacturer to be calibrated.

Looking after your probe

It is very important to keep your probe clean, otherwise it could spread dirt and harmful bacteria to the food you are testing. When a probe has been inserted into food, clean it with hot water and detergent. You need to look after your probe to prevent it from getting damaged and help keep it working properly. Do not leave a digital probe inside your fridge or freezer, or on hot surfaces. When you are not using it, store it safely, away from extreme temperatures and liquids. Keep the probe in its case, if it has one. Avoid banging or dropping your probe. If the battery is low, replace it immediately.

MAN3/02-08

Safe method:

Training and supervision

It is essential to train and supervise your staff effectively to make sure they handle food safely.

You should train your staff in all the safe methods that are relevant to the job they do. You should also supervise them to check they are following the safe methods properly.

What to do
Once you have worked through them, use the safe methods in this pack to train staff. You need to be sure that each member of staff knows the safe methods for all the tasks they do. Make sure you know what training each member of staff has received. Watch the member of staff when they are carrying out a task as part of their work. When a member of staff has completed a task, ask them about how they followed the safe method, to help you find out if they did it correctly.

How?
Show the member of staff what to do, question them carefully on their knowledge and then ask them to show you.

Make a note on the Staff training record in the diary every time you train a member of staff. Make comments and observations to help the member of staff improve the way they work. Reward good performance by giving positive feedback when the member of staff has followed the safe method successfully. If the safe method is not being followed by the member of staff, tell them how they are going wrong and why it is important to follow the safe method.

What to do if things go wrong

If staff are not following a safe method properly, train them again and make sure they understand why it is important to follow the method.

How to stop this happening again

Use the 4-weekly review in the diary to identify any problems with how staff are following safe methods and plan your training to address these.

Manage it
When you sign the diary you are confirming that you have supervised all the staff involved in making food that day. This means making sure that your staff follow your safe methods and that any problems are being solved and recorded in the diary. If you are away from the business, you can give responsibility for the diary to a member of staff. Sometimes there may be more than one person responsible during the day, e.g. when there is more than one shift, and in these cases the diary may need more than one signature. Make a note in the diary of those members of staff who have been given this responsibility and train them on all the relevant safe methods, including any in the Management section. Staff must understand how the diary works. If something different happens, or something goes wrong, they will need to take action and make a note of what they have done in the diary. You should still complete the 4-weekly review yourself.

Safe method:

Customers
Customer feedback is a good indication of how well you are managing your business.

Keeping your customers happy and protecting their health with good food hygiene is essential to the success of your business. So it is very important to pay attention to any complaints.

What to do
Listen to complaints.

How?
Listen to any complaints carefully and write down the details. These could point out a problem in your business. Work out how the problem arose. This is especially important if it is a problem affecting food safety. If a customer complains of being made ill by your food you should investigate carefully. Review the relevant safe methods. You may need to change how you do things. Note any changes in the diary. It is important that staff know how to respond to customer feedback and what action to take.

Find the source of the problem.

Solve the problem.

Train staff on how to deal with customers.

MAN4/02-08

Safe method:

Suppliers and contractors

How you handle suppliers and contractors is important to food safety.
What to do
Choose suppliers carefully.

Why?
It is important to have suppliers that you can trust to handle food safely, as well as delivering on time etc.

How do you do this?

Make sure you choose suppliers you can trust. Ask the following questions: Does the supplier store, transport and pack their goods in a hygienic way?

Choose contractors carefully.

Services such as pest control can be valuable in helping you to make food safely. It is important to have contractors you can trust to deliver these services effectively. The starting point for making food safely is to be confident about the safety of your raw ingredients and any ready-made products you buy in.

Does the supplier/contractor supply fully referenced invoices? Do they have any certification or quality assurance? Ask other businesses for recommendations. Check that the supplier has a food safety management system. Carry out regular delivery time, temperature and quality spot checks. If you buy goods from a cash and carry, make sure that the vehicle you use to transport them is clean and that you bring chilled and frozen food back as soon as possible and put it straight into a fridge or freezer.

Make sure that your raw ingredients have been handled safely.

Keep a record of what food products you have bought, who you bought them from, the quantity and the date.

This is a legal requirement and is so that you or an enforcement officer can check back to see where a food came from.

Usually the easiest way to do this is to keep all your invoices and receipts. Or you might want to record the information in a different way. Keep these records in a way that makes it easy for you or an enforcement officer to check them.

Choose equipment carefully.

To allow you to make food safely, it is very important for equipment to work effectively.

Buy equipment from reputable dealers. Make sure it has a guarantee/warranty.

What to do if things go wrong

If you do not think that the food a supplier delivers has been handled safely (for example, if you think it has not been kept cold enough) reject the delivery, contact your supplier immediately and write the details in the diary. If you have repeated problems, you can do the following things: 1. Contact the supplier/contractor by phone. 2. Write a formal letter of complaint. 3. Change supplier/contractor. 4. Contact your local authority.

Safe method:

Stock control
Effective stock control is an important part of managing food safety.
What to do
Go through your menu and estimate how much of each ingredient you will need.

Why?
Working through the menu allows you to plan for your specific needs.

How do you do this?

Review your menu regularly and how it affects your needs for stock. Discuss your needs with your supplier. Plan the stock you need for each shift. Make sure staff know the stock requirements for each shift. Use a supplier who understands your business needs and supplies stock on time. Do a stock check before placing an order. Train your staff in what to look for when checking deliveries. Have a written agreement with your supplier about your delivery requirements. Carry out spot checks on the deliveries yourself. Use the diary to record any issues or problems with deliveries. If you move food from its original packaging to another container, make sure you make a note of the name of the food, the ingredients and the use by or best before date.

Plan ahead to make sure you have the right amount of stock and order carefully.

Not having too much stock is best for food safety and your profits.

Check all stock when it is delivered to make sure that: it is within its use by date it has been kept cold enough it has not gone off the stock is clean and not damaged, e.g. throw away any punctured vacuum packs, swollen packs or badly dented cans and check that tops are secure on bottles and jars and seals are unbroken Carry out regular stock checks and throw away any food that has passed its use by date.

These checks are all to make sure that food is safe for you to use. Damaged packaging could mean that food will not be safe to use. Swollen or blown packs can be a sign that bacteria have grown in food or drinks. If bottles or jars have been opened, or if seals have been broken, the food or drink might not be safe to use.

You should never use food that has passed its use by date, because it might not be safe to eat.

Follow the first in, first out system of stock rotation, so that older stock is used first. This helps to avoid waste. Train your staff in stock control and make sure they know in what order to use foods. Check regularly that stock control is being carried out effectively. Record stock checks in the diary.

What to do if things go wrong

If you find that you have more food in stock than you need and you do not think you will use it all before the use by date, you could freeze some of it to be used in the future. If you find that food that has passed its use by date has not been thrown away, throw it away immediately. If you do not think that a food delivery has been handled safely, reject the delivery if possible. Do not use the food and contact your supplier immediately.

How to stop this happening again

Review your ordering process. Review your stock rotation system. Review your agreement with your supplier. Train staff again on this safe method. Improve staff supervision.

MAN5/03-09

Safe method:

Product withdrawal and recall

Responding quickly to any problems with food products you use or sell is an important part of managing food safety in your business.

Sometimes there will be a problem with a food product that means you will need to withdraw it (when you should stop using/selling it) and/or recall it (when customers are asked to return/destroy a product). You may find out about a problem with a product from: a manufacturer of the product a supplier or wholesaler a notice in newspapers your local authority a trade association the Food Standards Agency If you hear about a problem with a product, you should stop using/selling it straight away. You might also need to tell your customers. There are a number of reasons that a product might be withdrawn or recalled. For example, it could have been found to: contain harmful bacteria be physically contaminated, e.g. with pieces of glass or metal be wrongly labelled, which could be a problem for people with food allergies You or your staff may also notice a problem with a food product that means it may not be safe to eat. If this happens, you should stop using/selling it straight away and tell your local authority and the Food Standards Agency.

What to do
Make sure you know the details of the problem. As soon as you find out about a problem with a product, stop using/selling it.

How?
If a manufacturer or supplier has issued a product withdrawal or recall, make sure you know which product and which batches are affected. Remove the affected product from anywhere you use, store or sell it and label it clearly to show it should not be used/sold. Remember to check if you have used the product as an ingredient in any food you have prepared and stored, e.g. in the freezer if you have, ask your local authority for advice. This is so your staff know what to do and do not use/sell the product.

Make sure your staff know about the problem. Tell your customers if you need to.

If the problem is with a product that your customers might not eat or drink straight away, you may need to let them know that the product is being recalled and why. If the manufacturer or supplier asks you to put up a recall notice, you should do this. If you are not sure what to do, contact your local authority.

Think twice!
It is a legal requirement to keep a record of what food products you have bought, who you bought them from, the quantity and the date. Usually the easiest way to do this is to keep all your invoices and receipts. You should keep this information in a way that makes it easy for you or an enforcement officer to check back to see where a product came from.

MAN6/03-09

Safe method completion record

To complete the pack you need to work through each section and complete all the safe methods that are relevant to your business. Most small caterers will need to fill in all the methods. But if, for example, a business does not hot hold food then the Hot holding method will not be relevant to them. It does not matter in what order you work through the safe methods. As you complete each one, fill in this record. When you have completed all the safe methods that are relevant to your business, this sheet will show that you have worked through the pack.

Safe method

Date

Signature

Safe method not relevant to my business tick if this is the case

Cross-contamination
Personal hygiene Cloths Separating foods Pest control Maintenance Food allergies Physical and chemical contamination

Cleaning
Cleaning effectively Clear and clean as you go Your cleaning schedule

Chilling
Chilled storage and displaying chilled food Chilling down hot food Defrosting Freezing

Safe method completion record (continued)

Safe method

Date

Signature

Safe method not relevant to my business tick if this is the case

Cooking
Cooking safely Foods that need extra care Reheating Checking your menu Hot holding Ready-to-eat foods

Management
Opening and closing checks Extra checks Prove it Training and supervision Customers Suppliers and contractors Stock control Product withdrawal and recall

MAN6/03-09

Diary

DRY1/09-06

Diary
Name: Business: Address:

Diar

Start date:

End date:

Introduction
How does this diary work?
The diary is specially designed to help you run your business effectively. It contains: week-to-view diary pages checks to do every day when you open and close 4-weekly review staff training record suppliers list cleaning schedule The manager should sign the diary every day to say that: the opening and closing checks have been done your safe methods have been followed

Diar

The diary should take about one minute a day to complete, unless you have something special to write down. If anything different happens, or if something goes wrong, you should make a note in the diary of what happened and what you did. This is so you can show that you have taken action to make sure that food is safe to eat. If the manager is not in, he or she can give responsibility for the diary to another member of staff. See the Training and supervision safe method in the Management section.

4-weekly review
The 4-weekly review gives you the opportunity to look back at previous weeks and identify any persistent problems. Write down details of these and how you decide to tackle them. You might need to train staff again on certain safe methods and/or change how you do things. You may find it useful to read the 4-weekly review before starting to use the diary. It will give you an idea of the kind of things you might need to write down during the week.

Opening and closing checks

It is essential that you and your staff do certain checks every time you open and close. Make sure you have worked through the Opening and closing checks safe method in the Management section. You might find it helpful, on a daily basis, to use the list of opening and closing checks in this diary (see over).

Opening checks
You should do these checks at the beginning of the day. You can also add your own checks to the list.

Your fridges, chilled display equipment and freezers are working properly. Your other equipment (e.g. oven) is working properly. Staff are fit for work and wearing clean work clothes. Food preparation areas are clean (work surfaces, equipment, utensils etc.) There are plenty of handwashing and cleaning materials (soap, paper towels, cloths etc.)

Closing checks
You should do these checks at the end of the day. You can also add your own checks to the list. No food is left out. Food past its use by date has been thrown away. Dirty cloths have been removed for cleaning and replaced with clean ones. Waste has been removed and new bags put into the bins.

Extra checks
Extra checks are less frequent than the opening and closing checks. See the Extra checks safe method in the Management section. There is a box at the end of each week in the diary pages for you to fill in any extra checks you have done.

Staff training record

For each member of staff, make a note of when they have been trained on different safe methods.

Diar

Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination Date Initials

Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination Date Initials

Cleaning

Cleaning

Chilling

Chilling

Cooking

Cooking

Management

Management

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Staff training record (continued)

Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination Date Initials Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination

y Diar

Date Initials

Cleaning

Cleaning

Chilling

Chilling

Cooking

Cooking

Management

Management

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Staff training record (continued)

Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination Date Initials Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination

Diar

Date Initials

Cleaning

Cleaning

Chilling

Chilling

Cooking

Cooking

Management

Management

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Staff training record (continued)

Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination Date Initials Name: Telephone no: Address: Safe method On first day: Working with food? sheet Opening and closing checks Cross-contamination

y Diar

Date Initials

Cleaning

Cleaning

Chilling

Chilling

Cooking

Cooking

Management

Management

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Other training or retraining e.g. DVD

Suppliers list

Diar

Business name:

Delivery day(s): Lead time for placing an order e.g. Mon for Wed

Contact name:

Telephone:

Goods supplied:

Address:

Business name:

Delivery day(s): Lead time for placing an order e.g. Mon for Wed

Contact name:

Telephone:

Goods supplied:

Address:

Business name:

Delivery day(s): Lead time for placing an order e.g. Mon for Wed

Contact name:

Telephone:

Goods supplied:

Address:

Suppliers list (continued)

y Diar

Business name:

Delivery day(s): Lead time for placing an order e.g. Mon for Wed

Contact name:

Telephone:

Goods supplied:

Address:

Business name:

Delivery day(s): Lead time for placing an order e.g. Mon for Wed

Contact name:

Telephone:

Goods supplied:

Address:

Business name:

Delivery day(s): Lead time for placing an order e.g. Mon for Wed

Contact name:

Telephone:

Goods supplied:

Address:

Cleaning schedule
Fill in details of all the items you clean Item Frequency of cleaning Every shift After use Precautions e.g. wear gloves or goggles Method of cleaning Fill in details of all the items you clean Item Frequency of cleaning Every shift After use Precautions e.g. wear gloves or goggles Method of cleaning

Diar

Weekly

Weekly

Other

Work surface

Wear gloves

1. Remove any obvious food and dirt. 2. Wash the surface with hot soapy water (detergent diluted according to manufacturers instructions) to remove grease and any other food and dirt. 3. Rinse with clean water to remove the detergent and loosened food and dirt. 4. Apply a disinfectant. Make sure you leave it on for the contact time recommended by the manufacturer. 5. Rinse with clean water to remove the disinfectant. 6. Leave to dry naturally or use a clean disposable cloth.

MPLE EXA

Other

Daily

Daily

Contacts list

Diar

You can use this sheet to write down the contact details of different services or people who you might need to contact from day to day, or in an emergency. For example: environmental health service electrician plumber pest control contractor refuse collector/recycling service

Environmental health service Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Food hygiene Pest control Drainage Noise and odour control Product withdrawal and recall

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Useful for advice on: Contact name: Telephone: Address:

Prove it: records

Diar

Sometimes you might want to prove that a method is safe, for example if you use a method that is different to those recommended in the pack, or if you would like reassurance that a method is working properly. See the Prove it safe method in the Management section.

Safe method

How did you prove it?

Date

Notes

y Diar

Notes

Diar

Notes

y Diar

Notes

Diar

Week commencing:
MONDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

TUESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

WEDNESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

THURSDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

FRIDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SATURDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SUNDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

EXTRA CHECKS

We have performed the following extra checks this week.

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________

Signed __________________________

Week commencing:
MONDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

TUESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

WEDNESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

THURSDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

FRIDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SATURDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SUNDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

EXTRA CHECKS

We have performed the following extra checks this week.

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________

Signed __________________________

Week commencing:
MONDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

TUESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

WEDNESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

THURSDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

FRIDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SATURDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SUNDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

EXTRA CHECKS

We have performed the following extra checks this week.

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________

Signed __________________________

Week commencing:
MONDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

TUESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

WEDNESDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

THURSDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

FRIDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SATURDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

SUNDAY

Any problems or changes what did you do?

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________
Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.

Signed __________________________

EXTRA CHECKS

We have performed the following extra checks this week.

Opening checks

Closing checks

Notes

Name __________________________

Signed __________________________

4-weekly review
You should regularly review the methods used in your business to check that they are up to date, and still being followed by you and your staff. You can use the checklist below to help you. Look back over the past 4 weeks diary entries. If you had a serious problem, or the same thing went wrong three times or more, make a note of it here, find out why and do something about it. Did you have a serious problem or did the same thing go wrong three times or more? Yes Details: No

What did you do about it?

Did you get a new member of staff in the past 4 weeks? Were they trained in your methods? Have you changed your menu? Have you reviewed your safe methods? Any changes/new methods?

Yes Yes Yes Yes

No No No No

Have you changed supplier/bought new ingredients? Do these affect any of your safe methods?

Yes

No

Are you using any new/different equipment? Does this affect any of your safe methods?

Yes

No

Other changes/notes:

Notes

Diar