Use Hygiene Practices for Food Safety.

Introduction

Why is Hygiene important?

Hygiene Procedures

- Hygiene procedures can cover a wide range of activities and job, hence, we must
follow and considered in all tasks.

- Workplace hygiene procedures encompass:

1. Personal Hygiene: Uniform policies, hand washing requirements, protective
equipment and clothing requirements.
2. Food Safety: Food safety program, safe food and beverage handling procedures,
storage requirements, avoiding cross-contamination, HACCP and Food Safety Code
requirements.
3. Cleaning: Providing and using appropriate cleaning equipment and chemicals for each
job and surface, linen and laundry cleaning procedures, cleaning and sanitation rosters,
garbage handling and disposal.
4. Training: All staff are trained on correct procedures, legal and regulatory requirements,
organisational policies, food safety requirements.

Food Safety Programs

- The most important hygiene procedures: food handling, due to the potential to cause illness.
 it is a legal requirement to implement strict controls regarding how food is stored, used, handled
and sold.
- In most cases, a business that sells food must have a food safety program.

Why is Hygiene Important?

Why is hygiene so important?

 Prevents the outbreak/spread of food-borne diseases

 Helps maintain a clean, physical appearance of the establishment
 It is a legal requirement
 Produces more streamlined processes and less waste
The more food you serve, the more chance there is of food poisoning. Never take
shortcuts when it comes to workplace hygiene!

The Serious of Food Poisoning

Food safety is a critical aspect of workplace hygiene. Even if you do not work directly with food, your
actions can indirectly affect food safety.

Poor hygiene can result in food poisoning.

Note: Food can look, smell and taste perfectly fine but contain dangerous levels of pathogenic bacteria!

Glossary term - Pathogen: A virus, bacterium or other microorganism that causes disease

Food Poisoning Causes

Most food poisoning occurs through improper hygiene such as:
1. Biological contamination
2. Not washing fruit and vegetables
3. Improper temperature control
4. Cross-contamination
5. Pests
6. Improper cleaning
7. Hygiene procedures

Why Does Food Poisoning Occur?

- It is important to note that fresh preparation and immediate consumption of food rarely results in
food poisoning.
- The recent increase in reported cases of food poisoning mostly stems from changes in our
lifestyle and an increasing tendency to eat food prepared by someone else.

Who is Most at Risk?

People who are generally more at risk include:

1. Elderly
2. Pregnant women
3. Children and babies
4. People with immune deficiencies
5. People with food allergies

Which Foods are Dangerous?

Microorganisms require moisture, food, warmth, correct pH and time, to grow.
Some foods are more susceptible to spoilage than others.
Foods that are high in moisture, protein and fat promote bacterial growth and are, therefore, referred to as
high risk foods.
These foods need to be handled and stored correctly:

1. They might contain the types of food-poisoning bacteria that need to multiply to large
numbers to cause food poisoning; and
2. The food will allow the food-poisoning bacteria to multiply

The following foods are examples of potentially hazardous foods:

1. Raw and cooked meat (including poultry and game) or foods containing raw or cooked
meat such as casseroles, curries and lasagne
2. Smallgoods such as Strasbourg, ham and chicken loaf
3. Dairy products, for example, milk, custard and dairy-based desserts such as cheesecakes
and custard tarts
4. Seafood (excluding live seafood) including seafood salad, patties, fish balls, stews
containing seafood and fish stock
5. Processed fruits and vegetables, for example salads and cut melons
6. Cooked rice and pasta
7. Foods containing eggs, beans, nuts or other protein-rich foods such as quiche, fresh pasta
and soy bean products
8. Foods that contain these foods, for example sandwiches and rolls; cooked and uncooked
pizza

What are my Legal Requirements?

It is therefore a requirement for a food business to:

1. create and maintain a clean, safe working environment

2. ensure all persons undertaking or supervising food handling activities have the
knowledge and skills to carry out their work under hygienic conditions.

FSANZ is the chief government organisation responsible for setting food safety standards for
the AUS and NZ.

This is administered through the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code.

This document sets out the necessary standards that are required for:

1. Food labelling
2. Food composition
3. Product contaminants
4. Codes of conduct

Enforcement of the Code

- The enforcement is done by state and territory authorities, as well as local councils.
 - Food safety inspectors in each state and territory have wide-reaching powers to conduct
checks of premises, compliance with building codes and adherence to safe food handling
practices.

In their role they may be given authority to:

their role they may be given authority to:
1. investigate allegations of food borne illness where it has been reported or identified
2. inspect or audit a food business’s food safety practices
3. provide advice on how to develop food safety systems in compliance with food production
and labelling

Rotten Egg

Accessing Food Safety Information.

What happens if I find a Hazard?

What happens if I don’t follow Hygiene Procedures?