Dubai PIC Food Safety Exam cheat sheet

Biological hazards (bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins) cause most foodborne illness; chemical and physical hazards are the other two categories.

Bacterial growth needs four conditions together: food, moisture (water activity above 0.85), suitable pH (roughly 4.6-7.5) and time/temperature in the danger zone.

Spore-formers such as Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus survive normal cooking; cooling fast and reheating thoroughly prevents their outgrowth.

Staphylococcus aureus toxin is heat-stable: reheating does not destroy toxin formed when food was left warm and handled.

Salmonella is commonly linked to raw poultry and eggs; thorough cooking to 74 C or above kills it.

Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigeration temperatures and is controlled by keeping ready-to-eat high-risk food within shelf life and below 5 C.

Norovirus spreads person-to-food and survives many sanitisers; exclusion of ill food handlers and handwashing are the primary controls.

High-risk foods are those that are ready-to-eat, moist and protein-rich (cooked meats, dairy, seafood, cooked rice, eggs).

Hands must be washed before food handling, after toilet use, after handling raw food, after waste handling, after cleaning, and after touching face, hair or phone.

Correct handwash sequence: wet, apply soap, lather and scrub (including between fingers and under nails) for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with a single-use towel.

Alcohol hand rubs are not a substitute for soap-and-water washing when hands are visibly soiled or after toilet use.

A food handler with vomiting or diarrhoea must be excluded from food handling and reported; return only after being symptom-free for 48 hours.

Clean, washable outer clothing, an apron, and hair restraint are required; jewellery on hands and wrists is not permitted.

Cuts and wounds on exposed skin must be covered with a waterproof, brightly coloured detectable dressing.

Eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum are prohibited in food preparation and storage areas.

Handwash basins must be provided, supplied with soap and single-use towels, and used only for handwashing, never for food or equipment.

The temperature danger zone is 5 C to 63 C; bacteria multiply fastest around 37 C.

Danger-zone time is cumulative: keep high-risk food in the zone for no more than 2 hours in total, or 4 hours if the total is documented and used immediately.

Cold holding of high-risk food must be at 5 C or below; frozen storage at -18 C or below.

Cooking to a core temperature of 75 C or above kills most vegetative pathogens; poultry and rolled roasts require thorough cooking to at least 74 C.

Cooling rule: from 63 C to 21 C within 2 hours, and from 21 C to 5 C within a further 4 hours.

Reheating must reach a core temperature of 75 C or above and be done only once.

Hot holding must maintain food at 63 C or above.

Use a calibrated probe thermometer: check with ice water (0 C) and boiling water (100 C), and clean and sanitise the probe between uses.

Store raw food below ready-to-eat food; order by cooking temperature: cooked/RTE highest, then whole fish, then whole cuts, then ground meat and poultry lowest.

Use separate, colour-coded chopping boards and utensils for raw meat, raw fish, cooked food and salads.

Raw and ready-to-eat food must be physically separated in storage, preparation and display.

Never use the same cloth or knife for raw and RTE foods without cleaning and sanitising between uses.

Thoroughly wash hands and change gloves after handling raw food and before touching RTE food.

Wash fruit, vegetables and salad intended to be eaten raw under running potable water before use.

Keep food covered and stored off the floor (at least 15 cm) to prevent contamination from drips, pests and cleaning chemicals.

Separate cleaning chemicals from food storage; store chemicals in labelled containers away from food.

Cleaning removes visible soil; sanitizing reduces microorganisms to a safe level; both steps are required for food-contact surfaces.

Two-stage cleaning: wash with detergent and hot water, rinse, then apply a food-safe sanitiser at the correct concentration and contact time, then air-dry.

Typical food-contact sanitiser concentrations: chlorine solution around 100-200 ppm; quaternary ammonium compounds per manufacturer label.

Sanitiser test strips must be used to confirm concentration; too weak is ineffective and too strong can leave residue or taint food.

Clean as you go; clean and sanitise food-contact surfaces and equipment after each use and at least every 4 hours during continuous use.

Pest control: proof doors, windows and vents; keep external doors closed; use fly screens, air curtains and bait stations; record all pest-control visits.

Signs of pest activity include droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails, live or dead insects, and packaging damage; report immediately.

Never store pesticides or pest-control chemicals near food; only trained or licensed contractors apply pesticides in food areas.

Receiving checks: supplier approved, food within date, packaging intact, correct temperature (chilled at 5 C or below, frozen at -18 C or below, hot at 63 C or above) and free of pests.

Reject deliveries that are out of temperature, damaged, past date, or from unapproved suppliers, and record the rejection.

FIFO (first in, first out) and date labelling ensure stock rotation; use-by dates must never be exceeded.

Dry storage: cool, dry, well-ventilated, off the floor, away from chemicals and pests, with stock rotated.

Thaw food safely in a refrigerator at 5 C or below, under running potable water, or in a microwave if cooked immediately; never thaw at room temperature.

Defrosted food must not be refrozen unless cooked; keep thawing food on a drip tray below RTE food.

Display: use sneeze guards and separate serving utensils; hot display at 63 C or above; cold display at 5 C or below.

Minimise time in the danger zone during preparation; prepare in small batches and return food to temperature control promptly.

Premises must be designed to prevent contamination: linear workflow from receiving to storage, preparation, cooking, cooling and service, with clean and dirty zones separated.

Floors, walls and work surfaces must be smooth, impervious, non-absorbent, washable and easy to clean.

Adequate ventilation and extraction remove heat, steam, odours and grease; grease filters must be cleaned regularly.

Sufficient lighting (including shatterproof covers over food areas) is required for safe cleaning and inspection.

Equipment must be food-grade, easy to clean, in good repair; damaged equipment must be repaired or replaced and not used for food.

Waste must be stored in covered, leak-proof, pest-proof bins, removed frequently and kept away from food handling areas.

Waste areas must be cleaned and disinfected; waste must not accumulate in food preparation areas.

Adequate handwash basins, drainage and a supply of potable water are essential; drainage must not flow from dirty to clean areas.

HACCP has seven principles: hazard analysis, determine CCPs, set critical limits, monitor, establish corrective actions, verify, and keep records.

A CCP is a step where control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level.

Critical limits are measurable values (e.g. 75 C core temperature, 5 C cold holding) that separate acceptable from unacceptable.

Monitoring must be continuous or frequent enough to detect loss of control; records must be legible, dated and retained.

Corrective actions must address the affected food (e.g. reheat, discard) and the cause, and must be recorded.

Verification confirms the plan works (audits, calibration, record review); validation confirms the controls are scientifically effective.

Prerequisite programmes (cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, supplier approval, training) support the HACCP plan.

Documented procedures and records must be kept and made available for inspection on request.

Food safety in Dubai is regulated by Dubai Municipality's Food Safety Department, which issues food safety requirements, permits and inspection regimes.

Food businesses must hold a valid trade licence and food safety approval from the relevant authority before operating.

Food handlers must hold a valid food handler health card and complete approved food safety training.

Food businesses must implement a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles.

Premises and equipment must meet design and hygiene requirements and be available for inspection by authorised officers.

Food must be safe, fit for human consumption and correctly labelled and traceable; records must be kept for inspection.

Non-compliance can result in warnings, fines, closure or other enforcement action under Dubai food safety rules.

Requirements may be updated; always confirm current rules with Dubai Municipality before relying on a specific figure.