Guideline to deal with the food hazards issues: identify, control and check.
Identify⎯Be as systematic as possible. Look at everything you do and look for three kinds of hidden hazards:
(a) Microbiological: Could bacteria be present? Could it contaminate other foods? Could it survive the cooking process & remain dangerous?
(b) Chemical: Could chemicals get into the food?
(c) Physical: Could things like broken glass or insects get into the food?
Look for hazards during the Critical Control Points; these can be:
• Purchase and delivery of food
• Storage of food
• Preparation of food
• Cooking of food
• Storage after cooking
Control⎯Controlling food hazards is not difficult, as long as your controls are practical, understood by all your staff, and carried out routinely. Typical controls of hazards include:
• Buying supplies from reputable sources
• Routinely checking your raw materials for contamination
• Rotating stock and using food within date marks
• Keeping different food types separate to avoid cross
• Contamination
• Correct cooking and reheating
• Storing/displaying at correct temperatures
• Regular, recorded, food hygiene training
Check⎯ Identifying and controlling hazards will only be effective if you check and check again that your procedures are working properly. Simple records may be all that is necessary – but make sure you do check, and record that you have checked. For example, check the temperature of refrigerators regularly and record it on a chart with date and time. Check that foods are being stored in the appropriate place, and record that too.
Reference: blue paper, Foster www.fosterrefrigerator.co.uk