Food safety and hygiene Module Number: 15 Food safety and hygiene

Introduction Food safety and hygiene is of paramount importance to ensure that food is stored, prepared and eaten in clean, safe environments. Food poisoning can be easily prevented by taking the following four simple precautionary measures: wash your hands properly and keep them clean; cook food properly; chill food properly; avoid cross-contamination.

Shopping Do not buy dented cans or damaged packets. Do not buy food from counters where cooked and raw meat is not separated. Get your food home and into the fridge / freezer / cupboard as quickly as possible – don’t hang around with your friends.

The kitchen Ensure that all food utensils are clean before use. Make sure that the kitchen area is clean before you cook. Have separate chopping boards for raw meat and ready-to-eat food.

Keep clean Ensure that you have good personal hygiene, e.g. wear an apron, wash hands, tie your hair back. Empty all rubbish containers when full, remembering to wash your hands after. Keep all work surfaces clean. Wash kitchen cloths, sponges and tea towels regularly. Clean as you go – use clean cloths and wipe spillages immediately (including floors to avoid slips and trips).

Storing food Use foods within their date mark, i.e. use-by and best-before dates. Check that all food being used is appropriately stored, i.e. at room temperate, in the fridge or freezer. Ensure that all perishable foods are stored at a safe temperature, e.g. in the fridge. Replace all perishable foods in the fridge after use. Make sure that raw meat, fish and chicken is stored on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Keep eggs in the fridge, away from strong odours.

Cooking and cooling Wash fresh fruit and vegetables before you eat or use them to cook. If cooked food is to be kept, cool it as quickly as possible (ideally within 1-2 hours) and then store it in the fridge. Cooked food should not be re-heated more than once. Always heat it until it is piping hot all the way through. Don’t eat rare minced meat – check there is no pinkness. Check that chicken is cooked completely by piercing the thickest part of the leg with a clean knife – juices should run clear.

Serving food Before serving, keep food covered whenever possible. Avoid laying out perishable foods at room temperature too far in advance. Keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. Keep raw foods, especially meats, completely separate from cooked and ready-to-eat foods.

© British Nutrition Foundation 2005