Hand washing is one of the most important hygiene requirements expected of the employees working in the food handling industries. The food business operator must ensure that all employed staff are trained in good hygiene practices and that they behave in a manner that will not contaminate food.
The human body is an excellent home for bacteria. Humans carry a number of potential food poisoning bacteria on and in our body. It is very important that food handlers have a very high standard of personal hygiene to prevent contamination.
Bacteria on the hands have an ideal environment for growth and spreading. They have food, moisture and an ideal temperature of around 37°C; all ideal factors for bacterial growth. The role of hands in transferring pathogens to high-risk food is one of major causes of outbreaks’ of food poisoning not only in Ireland, but worldwide. The Health Protection Surveillance Centre publication ‘Preventing Foodborne Disease: A Focus on the Infected Food Handler’ provides a very insightfully report on preventing foodborne diseases with a focus on the infected food handler.
Hand washing is a crucial step in preventing food contamination by food handlers. By using proper hand washing techniques and as often as possible, harmful bacteria present on the hands of food workers are removed. Some examples of harmful bacteria are E. coli, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus and viruses (e.g. norovirus) .
All food handling staff must wash their hands including forearms when exposed with a non-perfumed soap and:
Hands should be followed as follows:
The hands should be washed using designated hand wash basins only. After washing the hands must be dried using disposable paper towels. Towels are never to be shared! Alcohol and disinfectants are only effective if used on clean hands. They are not meant to be used as a method of hand disinfection – unless hands have been thoroughly washed prior using disinfectant. Taps should be turned off with either elbow or whilst holding a paper towel.
This short instructional video prepared by SafeFood demonstrates how to wash hands properly: How to wash your hands properly.
The use of disposable gloves is not a substitution for hand washing. In fact, gloves are a potential cause of food contamination as they can provide the ideal environment for multiplication of micro-organisms. Disposable gloves should only be worn for short periods and hands must be washed before and after use.
If gloves are however used regularly, a glove policy should be provided and all employees must be trained on how and when to put gloves on and how they should be used to prevent contamination. Clear instructions regarding the changing and disposal of damaged and contaminated gloves is a must.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
Proper food storage and deliveries play an important role in ensuring that the food remains safe to eat. Existing food businesses which intend to start delivering food orders need to consider any new or different risks posed by this change in operation. They should adapt their Food Safety Management System to make sure food placed on the market remains safe to eat. Businesses that already deliver food, directly to the customer or to another business, must ensure uninterrupted safe food handling practices.
It is important that food is purchased from reliable suppliers. ‘Due diligence‘ demands that care be taken on purchase handover. When food is delivered, a person responsible for the receipt of the food should check:
Always and without any doubt reject any food that you are not happy with and return it to the supplier! Always make sure that the transfer time after purchase of frozen or chilled foods is as short as possible, preferably in cool bags or boxes and that the food is stored in the refrigerator or freezer in the shortest possible time. Remember:
Food is spoiled when it is unfit for human consumption. The main causes of food spoilage are usually the following:
Most food packages are labelled with a ‘Use By‘ or ‘Best Before‘ date. It is an offence to serve food that has exceeded its use by date. Such food should be discarded or clearly marked ‘Unfit for Human Consumption‘. ‘Best Before‘ dates are often an indication that the food will be at its premium quality if stored correctly until that date.
Not all food must be kept refrigerated or heated. Some food can be kept in dry stores. However, many dried or dehydrated foods such as milk powder, powdered eggs, etc. will allow bacterial growth if they become moist. It is therefore essential these foods are stored in a dry place and are used immediately after preparation. All dry foods, including flour, biscuits, etc., will remain safe whilst dry.
Dry stores key points:
All food should be stored in date order and the First In First Out (FIFO) rule followed and observed. To help with stock rotation:
There are other food safety hazard points associated with food delivery and storage. Safefood lists a number of additional hazards that are associated with the food storage and deliveries. These can be read in their Food Delivery & Storage article.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
Shelf-life of food products is the period of time during which a food product maintains its acceptable or desirable characteristics under specified storage and handling conditions. These acceptable or desirable characteristics can be related to the safety or quality of the product. They can be microbiological, chemical or physical in nature.
Regulation (EU) No.1169/2011 requires that the shelf-life of a foodstuff be indicated by either a date of minimum durability “Best-before” or a “Use-by-date”.
Most food packages are labelled with a Best-before or Use-by-date. It is a legal offence to serve food that has exceeded its “Use-by-date”. Such food should be discarded and clearly marked ‘unfit for human consumption’.
The “Best-before” date refers to quality. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. For example, its flavour and texture might not be as good. The date of minimum durability, or “Best-before” date, is the date until which a foodstuff retains its specific properties e.g. taste, aroma, appearance, any specific qualities which relate to the product, vitamin content etc. when the product has been stored appropriately and the package unopened.
Typically, a shelf-life of food products marked “Best-before” date is used for food products such as canned, dried, ambient, frozen foods etc. Many foods that are past their “Best-before” date may be safe to eat, but their quality may have deteriorated.
The “Use-by-date” on food is about safety. Foods can be eaten until this date but not after, even if they look and smell fine. The “Use-by-date” is the date up until which a food may be used safely i.e. consumed, cooked or processed, once it has been stored correctly. After the “Use-by-date” date, food is deemed unsafe and can be danger to human health. The food cannot be sold or served past its “Use-by-date” date.
Proper food labelling can prevent food poisoning, ensure food safety and prevent food wastage. The European Commission estimates that up to 10% of the 88 million tonnes of food waste generated annually in the EU is linked to date marking on food products.
It is the responsibility of a food business to ensure that the food provided to customers is safe to consume. In order to do this, proper food safety protocols must always be adhered to and followed. This includes ensuring that food is not spoiled or expired. “Best-before” dates, packaging dates and “Use-by-date” (expiry dates) are key to knowing what foods are safe to prepare and serve, and which ones should be disposed of. Different types of date markings on packages are used depending on the product.
The “Best-before” or “Use-by-date” dates for a specific shelf-life of food products is decided by the food manufacturer or producer when developing their food safety management system, based on HACCP principles, for the product.
Food businesses must ensure that all food received and stored in the food business is checked for “Best-before” and “Use-by-date” dates. It is essential that food is not only handled and stored properly, but also used within the proper time frame. Food should be stored using the First In, First Out (FIFO) method.
Satisfactory rotation of stock is essential to ensure older food is used first, to avoid spoilage and to ensure food is safe.
High-risk and perishable foods have a short shelf life. They are usually stored under refrigeration and have “Use-by-date”. It is unsafe and illegal to alter this date or sell the food after this date.
Low-risk food, which does not support the growth of bacteria is given a “Best-before” date. The food is at its best quality and/or condition uo to this date. It is, however, not illegal for it to be sold after this date.
“Use-by-date” should be checked daily whereas weekly checks may suffice for products with “Best-before” dates.
Out of date stock should be disposed of.
All food handlers in a food business should be checking “Best-before” and “Use-by-date” dates on a regular basis. Food safety training is the best way to ensure that all food handlers are able to understand their duties under Irish food safety legislation as well as to follow best food safety practice guidelines.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
The importance of food safety is knowing how to avoid the spread of foodborne diseases when cooking, preparing, and storing food. People can often feel unwell complaining of sickness, diarrhoea and stomach pains. Most of us dismiss the cause as ‘something that disagreed with us’. However, this may be a food poisoning caused by eating contaminated or poisonous food. Food poisoning affects thousands of people each year in Ireland, the seriousness of which cannot be underestimated. Good food safety is essential to make sure we are not harmed in any way from the food and drink we consume. All food handlers have a legal obligation to make sure they do not cause harm to anyone through bad practice, ignorance or neglect.
The importance of food safety has a significant legal weight. Serious breaches of food laws can result in significant financial penalties and prosecutions resulting in imprisonment.
Food businesses who do not comply with the law can incur the additional sanction of direct financial costs, including:
As well as taking immediate enforcement action to deal efficiently and effectively with risks to public health and interests, each year a small number of prosecutions are initiated where there are significant breaches of food law. Prosecutions may also be initiated where there is intentional or reckless endangerment of public health. Taking prosecutions also supports the objective of enforcement as a deterrent to future non-compliance in food businesses in general.
A major requirement by law is that all food handlers must receive appropriate training in safe food handling relevant to their duties. This means that the type of training you need depends on the type of job you do. Legislation specifies that, even if a food operative handles only wrapped foods, they must receive training in how to handle food safely (which might include storage, serving, food allergens, inspection of deliveries, pest control, etc.). Every food operative has a responsibility to follow the food safety regulations and law to ensure a safe food product for their customer. If something goes wrong, evidence of receiving formal training may help in a defense of ‘due diligence’. This is why it is crucial to keep records of all the training staff have been given. Every employee must know the importance of food safety and how to achieve and maintain it.
Food Handlers have a legal responsibility to:
Food handlers could be prosecuted if it can be proved they have not followed company rules and training they have been given.
‘Due Diligence’ is the principal defence available to a food business if a legal action is taken against them. It means the business must prove they took every reasonable precaution to ensure the safety of food. Precautions could be:
This list is not exhaustive but ‘Due Diligence’ could be demonstrated by proven use of these systems. If the business can show the offence was the fault of another person, such as a food handler who ignored company rules, this could also be used as a defence. In such a case it is possible that the food handler could be prosecuted if it can be proven they have been negligent.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) was established under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act, 1998. This Act was enacted in July 1998 and came into effect on 1st January 1999.
The principal function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland is to protect consumers and raise compliance through partnership, science and food law enforcement.
FSAI are a statutory, independent and science-based body, dedicated to protecting public health and consumer interests in the area of food safety and hygiene. They come under the aegis of the Minister for Health and currently have a Board of ten. They also have a 15 member Scientific Committee that assists and advises the Board. Therefore, decisions relating to food safety and hygiene take account of the latest and best scientific advice and information available.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has authorised officers who have extensive powers to enter and inspect food premises, to secure these premises for later inspection, to inspect and, if necessary, remove records. These officers may take samples of food or related materials and have these samples analysed and it is an offence for any person to obstruct an officer in carrying out this duty.
The authorised officers are the staff of the various agencies involved in food safety, including Environmental Health Officers from the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Environmental Health Officers can:
Failing to allow them access is an obstruction under the law.
Please remember – it is a legal requirement that staff who are involved in a food environment are trained and/or supervised commensurate with their work activity!
Myelearnsafety offers fully online Food Safety (HACCP) courses.
To find out more, please check our Courses page.
Alternatively, should you need any additional information, please do not hesitate to let us know via email info@elearn.ie
