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Under UK food hygiene law, all food handlers must receive adequate supervision, instruction and/or training in food hygiene relevant to the work they do. More information can be found on the Food Standards Agency's website (www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/regulation/hygleg/hygleginfo/foodhygknow/).
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) can offer further information on courses run throughout the country, including courses in languages other than English.
Contact the institute for more information on 020 7928 6006 or go to the CIEH website for details of its accredited food safety courses on www.cieh.org/vocational_qualifications/cieh_qualifications/food_safety.
Hazard analysis
Proprietors of food businesses must carry out hazard analysis by law. Various systems have been developed to help food businesses with this process, including Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), often used by large manufacturers, and Assured Safe Catering for smaller operations.
Step 1 - Identify potential hazards and how they may occur
A hazard is anything that might be harmful. To decide where hazards may occur, all aspects of the food operation will need to be thought about. Flow diagrams of food production, starting with purchase, through to food service, are useful to ensure nothing is overlooked. It is important not only to look for possible microbiological hazards (particularly food poisoning bacteria) but also for physical and chemical hazards, e.g. from foreign bodies such as flaking paint or glass shards and cleaning chemicals.
Step 2 - Identify controls
Controls may not need to be complex but they must work well and be understood by staff. Examples include:
- temperature checks;
- separating raw and cooked food to prevent cross contamination;
- good personal hygiene;
- food hygiene training.
Step 3 - Decide which controls are critical to food safety
A critical control is one which has to be carried out to make sure a food safety hazard is removed or reduced to a safe level.
Step 4 - Implement controls, monitor and review
To ensure the controls are working as intended, they must be checked routinely. Action will need to be taken if controls are not working in practice. The system should be reviewed regularly and whenever there are changes in the food operation.
The controls do not necessarily need to be written down but records are useful to demonstrate compliance with the law and may be invaluable in establishing a due diligence defence. This is a legal defence under the Food Safety Act 1990 (www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1990/Ukpga_19900016_en_1.htm), available when a person can prove that they took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing an offence.
Please use these online forms to make a complaint, report a problem, apply for premises registration or seek advice about food health and safety:
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