How does food become unsafe?
Through four kinds of hazard. Biological: bacteria and viruses. Chemical: cleaning products or pest bait. Physical: glass, hair, a plaster, a bit of packaging.
The fourth is allergens: an ingredient that is harmless to most people can make an allergic customer seriously ill.
Most of the rules in this course exist to stop one of these four getting into food.
Remember
- Biological, chemical, physical, allergen.
- Allergens count as a food safety hazard.
- Every rule controls at least one hazard.
Facts and sources for this section
- Food can be made unsafe by four kinds of hazard: biological, chemical, physical or food allergen. [S3]
What is cross-contamination?
It is when a hazard is accidentally moved from items, people, food or surfaces onto other items, food or surfaces. The classic case: juice from raw chicken dripping onto a cooked ham.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat foods apart at every stage. Use separate storage, separate preparation surfaces and separate equipment.
Where your workplace uses colour-coded boards, knives or cloths, use them correctly. Red board for raw meat means red board for raw meat, even when you're in a hurry.
Remember
- Raw and ready-to-eat never touch.
- Separate storage, surfaces and equipment.
- Follow the colour coding.
Facts and sources for this section
- Cross-contamination is when any of the four hazards is accidentally transferred from items, people, food or surfaces onto other items, food or surfaces. [S3]
- Use separate storage, preparation surfaces and equipment for raw and for ready-to-eat or cooked foods. [S3]
- Use the colour coding system correctly to avoid cross-contamination. [S3]
Which foods are high risk?
Ready-to-eat foods, like cooked meats, sandwiches and salads, are high risk because nothing will cook out any bacteria before the customer eats them.
Raw foods, like raw meat or cheese made from unpasteurised milk, are high risk because they can pass bacteria to other food.
Low-risk foods are dried, or full of sugar or salt: cereals, crackers, biscuits, jam, crisps and coffee granules.
Remember
- High risk: ready-to-eat and raw foods.
- Low risk: dried, sugary or salty foods.
- Know which kind your job involves.
Facts and sources for this section
How do I handle food safely?
Handle food as little as possible. Use tongs, slices and other utensils instead of your hands.
Avoid touching equipment and food surfaces you don't need to touch, and report missing or damaged utensils.
If you are not sure whether a task is high or low risk, ask your supervisor. Knowing the difference is one of the skills this course covers.
Remember
- Hands off: use utensils.
- Touch only what the job needs.
- Ask when you're unsure.
Facts and sources for this section
- Handle food as little as possible and use the right utensils. [S3]
Check what you've learned
Three questions from the test, with explanations. Tap an answer.
Question 1 of 3
A hair falls into a salad. What kind of hazard is it?
Show the answer
Correct: A, Physical. A hair is a physical hazard: something in food that should not be there. That's why hair is covered. [S3]
Question 2 of 3
Which of these is a low-risk food?
Show the answer
Correct: B, Crackers. Dried foods or foods with a lot of sugar or salt, such as crackers, biscuits and crisps, are low risk. [S3]
Question 3 of 3
What is the safest way to put cooked chips into a box?
Show the answer
Correct: C, With a scoop or tongs. Handle food as little as possible and use the right utensils. [S3]