BC FOODSAFE Level 2 cheat sheet

A food safety plan is a written, premises-specific document identifying biological, chemical and physical hazards at each processing step and the control measures that prevent, eliminate or reduce them to acceptable levels.

Hazard analysis ranks each hazard by likelihood of occurrence and severity of harm; high likelihood plus high severity (e.g. pathogen survival in a ready-to-eat food) demands a control at that step.

A critical control point (CCP) is a step where control is essential and loss of control would likely cause an unacceptable health risk; each CCP needs a measurable critical limit such as 74°C internal temperature or pH 4.6.

Monitoring is the scheduled observation or measurement that shows a CCP is under control; records must identify the food, step, date, time, measured value, limit, and the initials of the person monitoring.

Corrective action is the documented response when monitoring shows a deviation: fix the process, decide the disposition of affected food (rework, reprocess, hold, discard), and record both.

Verification confirms the plan works (record review, calibration checks, product testing); validation confirms the control measures themselves are scientifically capable of controlling the hazard.

Sanitation plans cover cleaning and sanitizing of food contact surfaces, equipment, utensils and premises, and must specify the chemical, concentration, contact time, temperature and frequency for each item.

Cleaning removes soil and organic matter; sanitizing then reduces microorganisms to safe levels. A surface that is soiled cannot be effectively sanitized, so the order is always clean then sanitize.

A sanitation standard operating procedure (SSOP) is a written pre-operational or operational procedure with a responsible person, a schedule and a verification step such as ATP swabs or visual inspection.

Bacteria need six conditions to multiply: food, acidity (pH above about 4.6), time, temperature (5°C to 60°C danger zone), oxygen (varies by organism), and moisture (water activity above 0.85).

The temperature danger zone is 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F); bacteria multiply fastest near the optimum of about 35°C to 37°C, and a single cell can become millions within a few hours.

Lag, log (exponential), stationary and death phases describe a bacterial growth curve; most foodborne illness arises when food stays in the log phase long enough to build an infectious dose or toxin load.

Spore formers such as Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus survive ordinary cooking; C. botulinum grows only in the absence of oxygen and produces a neurotoxin in low-acid, moist, anaerobic foods.

Vegetative bacteria and most viruses are destroyed by thorough cooking, but bacterial spores and pre-formed toxins (e.g. Staphylococcus aureus toxin, Bacillus cereus toxin) are heat stable and survive reheating.

Viruses such as norovirus and hepatitis A do not multiply in food; they are spread by infected food handlers, contaminated water and shellfish, and are inactivated by thorough cooking and effective handwashing.

Moulds grow at lower water activity and lower pH than most bacteria and tolerate refrigeration; some produce mycotoxins, so mouldy food should be discarded rather than trimmed for soft or liquid items.

Parasites such as Trichinella and Anisakis are destroyed by adequate cooking or freezing; fresh-water fish and raw fish for service require documented freezing or sourcing controls.

FATTOM is a memory aid for the growth requirements - Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, Moisture - and any single missing factor can stop or slow bacterial growth.

Staphylococcus aureus: humans are the reservoir (skin, nose, hands, wounds); food is contaminated by handling and left in the danger zone, and the heat-stable toxin causes vomiting within 1 to 6 hours.

Bacillus cereus has two forms: a heat-stable emetic toxin in cooked rice and starchy foods left at room temperature (vomiting 1 to 6 hours) and a diarrhoeal toxin from protein foods (6 to 15 hours).

Clostridium perfringens: spores survive cooking of meats, stews and gravies, then germinate during slow cooling or holding; diarrhoea and cramps begin 8 to 22 hours later.

Salmonella: sources are poultry, eggs, raw meat and unpasteurized milk; symptoms of diarrhoea, fever and cramps begin 6 to 72 hours after ingestion and it is prevented by thorough cooking and cross-contamination control.

Escherichia coli O157:H7: source is raw ground beef, unpasteurized juice and contaminated produce or water; a low infectious dose causes bloody diarrhoea and can lead to haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Listeria monocytogenes grows at refrigeration temperatures, survives high salt and is dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people; ready-to-eat foods must be kept short-dated and cold.

Norovirus: extremely low infectious dose, spread by infected handlers and contaminated surfaces or shellfish; vomiting and diarrhoea begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure and it is controlled by handwashing and exclusion of ill staff.

The nine major allergens in Canadian regulation are eggs, milk, mustard, peanuts, seafood (fish, crustaceans, molluscs), sesame, soy, tree nuts and wheat, plus sulphites and gluten as declared sources.

Allergen control requires separating storage, dedicated or cleaned utensils, verified supplier labels, and never relying on 'may contain' statements as a substitute for a real control; a reaction can occur from trace amounts.

Food premises must be licensed or permitted by the local health authority and are inspected against provincial food premises regulations; operators must post or make available the most recent inspection report where required.

Food handlers must hold valid FOODSAFE Level 1 certification (or equivalent) and the operator must keep records of certification and of staff illness and training.

Handwashing stations must be dedicated, supplied with hot and cold running water, liquid soap and single-use towels, and must never be used for food preparation, dishwashing or equipment storage.

Refrigeration must hold food at 4°C (40°F) or colder and hot holding at 60°C (140°F) or hotter; cooling of cooked food must move it from 60°C to 20°C within 2 hours and to 4°C within a further 4 hours.

Two-stage cooling is verified by temperature logs; reheated food must reach 74°C (165°F) within 2 hours and be reheated only once.

Food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after each use, after a change of task, and at least every 4 hours during continuous use; sanitizer concentrations must match the label (e.g. chlorine 100-200 ppm).

A food handler who has vomiting, diarrhoea, fever or jaundice, or an infected wound on the hand, must report to the supervisor and be excluded from food handling until symptom-free for the required period.

Temperature monitoring records (fridges, freezers, cooking, cooling, hot holding) must be kept on site and retained for the period set by the local authority, typically at least 6 months to 1 year.

Pest control, waste storage, ventilation, lighting and water supply are part of premises compliance; a written pest control program with monitoring devices and corrective actions is required.