Use Hygienic Practices for Food Safety cheat sheet

Food safety law places the primary legal duty on the food business operator to ensure food placed on the market is safe and fit for consumption.

Legislation is built on risk-based principles: hazards are identified, controls are set at critical points, and records prove the controls worked.

Traceability rules require a business to identify its suppliers and its immediate customers, with records kept for a defined retention period.

Legal defences usually require proof of due diligence, meaning reasonable, documented controls were in place before the incident.

Enforcement officers can inspect premises without prior notice, take samples, serve improvement or prohibition notices, and prosecute.

Hygiene regulations typically cover premises, equipment, water supply, waste, pest control, personal hygiene, training, and temperature control.

Labelling law requires allergen information to be accurate and available, whether on packaging or provided verbally with a written record.

A food handler who knows of an illness or symptom that could contaminate food has a legal duty to report it to the manager.

The food business operator holds ultimate legal responsibility for food safety, even when tasks are delegated to staff.

Managers translate legal duties into written procedures, assign named responsibilities, verify records, and correct failures.

Food handlers are responsible for personal cleanliness, reporting illness, following control procedures, and recording checks accurately.

Supervisors verify that critical limits were met and that corrective actions were taken and documented.

Training must be proportionate to the handler's duties and refreshed; untrained staff must be supervised until competent.

Contractors and visitors entering food areas are subject to the same hygiene, clothing, and access rules as employees.

Corrective action responsibility includes stopping production, segregating affected product, and deciding on disposal or rework.

Responsibility for supplier approval and incoming goods checks sits with the business, not with the supplier.

Exclude from food handling anyone with vomiting, diarrhoea, or a diagnosed foodborne infection until symptom-free for the required period.

Reportable conditions include infected wounds, skin infections, ear or eye discharge, and jaundice; these require assessment before work.

A returning handler who had diarrhoea typically needs clearance under the business's return-to-work policy, often 48 hours after symptoms stop.

Cover cuts and grazes with a detectable, waterproof dressing and, in high-risk areas, a coloured plaster plus a glove.

Avoid touching the face, hair, nose, or mouth; sneezing and coughing must be directed away from food and followed by hand washing.

Do not handle food with bare hands where ready-to-eat food is involved; use suitable utensils, gloves, or a documented control.

Smoking, eating, and drinking are restricted to designated areas away from food and food-contact surfaces.

Blood-borne virus carriers may continue in food work if they are not involved in activities that risk contamination and follow advice.

Wash hands before starting work, after breaks, after toilet use, after handling raw food, after waste handling, and after cleaning.

The correct sequence is wet hands, apply soap, lather and rub including fingertips, thumbs, and wrists, rinse, then dry thoroughly.

Hand sanitiser is not a substitute for hand washing when hands are visibly soiled or after using the toilet.

Dedicated hand-wash basins must supply hot and cold running water, soap, and a hygienic drying method, and must not be used for other purposes.

Protective clothing must be clean, light-coloured or designated, and changed when soiled; it must not be worn outside food areas.

Hair must be fully contained by a hat or hairnet, and beards covered where required by the business's hygiene plan.

Gloves are single-use, changed between tasks, and never washed or reused; they do not remove the need for hand washing.

Jewellery, watches, and false nails are excluded from high-risk handling because they trap soil and can fall into food.

Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, moulds, and parasites; chemical hazards include cleaning agents, allergens, and pesticides; physical hazards include glass, metal, and pests.

Cross-contamination is prevented by separating raw and ready-to-eat food, using colour-coded equipment, and cleaning between uses.

Allergen control requires segregation, dedicated equipment, verified cleaning, and accurate communication of the 14 regulated allergens.

Raw food should be stored below ready-to-eat food so that drip cannot contaminate items underneath.

Physical contamination controls include breakage logs, brittle-material policies, metal detection, and covering food during storage.

Chemical contamination is prevented by storing chemicals away from food, labelling decanted containers, and rinsing food-contact surfaces after sanitiser use.

Food handlers who are shedding pathogens are a contamination source; exclusion and reporting rules are preventive controls.

Water used for food contact must be potable, and ice must be made from potable water and handled with dedicated utensils.

High-risk food must be kept out of the danger zone of 5°C to 63°C, where bacterial multiplication is fastest.

Chilled storage is typically 8°C or below legally, with 0°C to 5°C used as good practice for high-risk chilled food.

Hot holding must keep food at 63°C or above; reheated food must reach 82°C or above and be served promptly.

Cooking to a core temperature of 75°C for at least 30 seconds is a common safe standard for poultry and minced meat products.

Cool cooked food rapidly, ideally from 63°C to 8°C within 90 minutes, then refrigerate; large batches should be divided into shallow containers.

Freezers operate at -18°C or below; defrost in a refrigerator or a controlled defrost process, never at room temperature.

Use probe thermometers that are cleaned and sanitised before and after each use, and calibrate them regularly.

Apply first-in, first-out stock rotation and label decanted or opened foods with the date of opening and a use-by date.

Cleaning removes visible soil and grease; disinfection reduces microorganisms to a safe level; sanitising combines both effects on a food-contact surface.

The two-stage method is clean with detergent, rinse, then apply a food-safe disinfectant at the correct contact time and concentration.

Clean as you go and follow a written cleaning schedule that names the item, frequency, method, chemical, and responsible person.

Pests are controlled by proofing points of entry, sealing gaps, keeping waste in lidded bins, and eliminating food and water sources.

Signs of pest activity include droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails, live or dead insects, and damaged packaging; findings must be recorded.

Baits and traps must be sited away from food and food-contact surfaces, mapped, and checked at defined intervals.

Colour-coded cleaning equipment prevents cross-contamination between raw food areas, ready-to-eat areas, and toilets.

Chemical containers must be stored in a locked or segregated area with safety data sheets available on site.

Records are evidence that controls were applied; if a check was not recorded, it is generally treated as not done.

Typical records include temperature logs, cleaning schedules, delivery checks, training records, pest control reports, and corrective actions.

A corrective action record must state the problem, the action taken, the product affected, and who verified the outcome.

Records must be legible, dated, signed, and retained for the period set by the business or legislation.

A hazard analysis identifies hazards, sets control measures and critical limits, and is reviewed when the process changes.

Report suspected food poisoning, confirmed notifiable infections, and pest infestations to the manager immediately and to the relevant authority where required.

Complaints and incidents should be logged with batch codes and supplier details to support traceability and recall.

Verification activities such as internal audits, record reviews, and product testing confirm the system still works.