What is a food hazard?
A hazard is anything that can make food harmful. There are three families: biological, chemical and physical.
Biological hazards are bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. Chemical hazards are, for example, traces of detergent, bleach or pesticides. Physical hazards are things that should not be there: glass, pieces of bone, metal, hair, jewellery or dressings.
Allergens are a separate case and we give them the last module.
To remember
- Biological: microbes and parasites.
- Chemical: cleaning products, pesticides.
- Physical: glass, metal, hair, jewellery.
How does food get contaminated?
Food can be contaminated at any stage: when it arrives, when it is stored, when it is prepared or when it is served. The law requires it to be protected against any source of contamination that could make it unfit or harmful.
The most common sources are people (hands, coughs, wounds), unwashed raw materials, dirty surfaces and utensils, pests, non-drinkable water and cleaning products.
Always think about the journey: where the microbe comes from and how it could reach the plate.
To remember
- People, raw materials, utensils, pests, water and chemicals.
- Protect food at every stage.
Facts and sources for this section
- At every stage, food must be protected against any source of contamination that could make it unfit for human consumption or harmful to health. [S3]
What is cross-contamination and how do I avoid it?
It is the passing of microbes or other substances from one food, hand or utensil to another food. It happens without anyone noticing.
Typical examples: cutting raw chicken and then salad on the same board, letting raw meat drip onto a dessert, or cleaning every surface with the same cloth.
The rule for ready-to-eat fishery products sums up the principle: they must be protected from any source of contamination and kept separate from raw products.
Keep raw and cooked food apart, use different boards and knives or wash them well between uses, cover food and store raw food at the bottom of the fridge.
To remember
- Raw and cooked, always kept apart.
- Boards and utensils: wash them between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
- In the fridge, raw food goes at the bottom and covered.
Facts and sources for this section
- Ready-to-eat fishery products must be protected from any source of contamination and kept separate from raw products. [S6]
What illnesses can food cause?
Food poisoning or a foodborne infection usually causes vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach ache and sometimes fever. It can appear a few hours later or several days later.
Some well-known examples are salmonella (eggs, poultry, homemade mayonnaise), listeria (cured meats and soft cheeses), norovirus (sick food handlers), staphylococcus (hands and wounds) and anisakis (raw fish).
The risk is higher for small children, older people, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. That is why extra care is taken in care homes, schools and hospitals.
To remember
- Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever.
- Higher risk: children, older people, pregnant women, weakened immune systems.
Why do bacteria multiply?
Bacteria need food, moisture and time, and they multiply much faster in mild warmth. A moist food rich in protein, such as chicken, a stew or cooked rice, is their ideal home.
That is why the law says that food that can encourage the growth of microbes or toxins must not be kept at temperatures that create a risk. And that, if it has to be served cold, it must be chilled as soon as possible.
You will see the exact temperatures in the next module.
To remember
- Time + mild warmth + moist food = bacteria.
- Cool it as soon as possible, heat it enough.
Facts and sources for this section
What do I do with food I am unsure about?
A business must not accept raw materials that it knows are so contaminated that, even with normal preparation, the final product would not be fit to eat.
In practice, when goods arrive, reject anything that comes with broken or swollen packaging, a bad smell, signs of pests or the wrong temperature, and tell your supervisor. If in doubt, do not use it.
And once it is inside, store it in conditions that prevent harmful spoilage and protect it from contamination.
To remember
- If in doubt, do not use it and tell your supervisor.
- Reject damaged packaging or goods at the wrong temperature.
Facts and sources for this section
- A business must not accept raw materials or ingredients that it knows are so contaminated that, even with normal preparation, the final product would not be fit to eat. [S3]
- Stored raw materials and ingredients must be kept in conditions that prevent harmful spoilage and protect them from contamination. [S3]
What about everyday chemical and physical hazards?
Dangerous or inedible substances must be labelled and stored in separate, tightly closed containers. Never pour them into water bottles or food containers.
To avoid physical hazards: do not wear jewellery, keep your hair tied back, use dressings in a detectable colour, check open packaging for blades and remove broken glass carefully and in a way that stops it falling into any food.
To remember
- Chemical products: labelled, closed and away from food.
- Never use food containers to store chemicals.
Facts and sources for this section
- Dangerous or inedible substances must be labelled and stored in separate, tightly closed containers. [S3]
Check what you have learned
Three questions from the test, with their explanation. Tap an answer.
Question 1 of 3
What is cross-contamination?
See the answer
Correct: D, The passing of microbes or other substances from one food, hand or utensil to another food. Cross-contamination happens without anyone noticing: through boards, knives, hands, cloths or drips.
Question 2 of 3
What does the European hygiene regulation say about raw materials that are known to be heavily contaminated?
See the answer
Correct: B, They must not be accepted if, even with normal preparation, the final product would not be fit. A business must not accept raw materials known to be so contaminated that the final product would not be fit to eat. [S3]
Question 3 of 3
How are chemical cleaning products stored?
See the answer
Correct: A, Labelled, in tightly closed containers and away from food. Dangerous or inedible substances must be labelled and stored in separate, tightly closed containers. [S3]