Basic Food Hygiene Certificate cheat sheet

Four hazard types: biological (bacteria, viruses, moulds, parasites), chemical (cleaning chemicals, pesticides, toxins), physical (glass, metal, hair, stones) and allergenic (proteins triggering immune reaction).

Biological hazards cause most food-borne illness; bacteria need moisture, food, warmth (5-63C), time and often oxygen to multiply.

Contamination routes: hands, raw food drip, equipment, pests, waste, air droplets, packaging and water; cross-contamination is transfer from a contaminated source to ready-to-eat food.

Physical hazards are hard or sharp objects that cause injury or choking: glass, metal fragments, bone, plastic, jewellery, plasters.

Chemical contamination examples: sanitiser residue, pest bait, machine lubricant, unapproved additives, mycotoxins from mouldy food.

Food is 'contaminated' when it contains or has been exposed to anything that makes it unfit or unsafe to eat; visible mould or spoilage indicates unacceptable contamination.

High-risk foods are ready-to-eat, moist and protein-rich: cooked meats, dairy, eggs, seafood, cooked rice, gravies, soft cheeses.

Low-risk foods are dry or acidic: bread, flour, dry pasta, sugar, jam, pickles; they support little bacterial growth but can still carry contamination.

Common bacterial causes: Salmonella, Campylobacter, E. coli O157, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus.

Campylobacter is the most commonly reported bacterial cause in the UK, linked to raw poultry and cross-contamination; infectious dose can be very low.

E. coli O157 causes severe bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome; associated with undercooked burgers, raw milk and contaminated water.

Listeria grows at refrigeration temperature, survives freezing and affects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly and immunocompromised people; incubation can be weeks.

Staphylococcus aureus toxin is heat-stable; illness follows handling food with skin infections or wounds, then storing food warm.

Clostridium perfringens forms spores; illness follows slow cooling and reheating of large meat joints and stews.

Bacillus cereus has two forms: emetic toxin from cooked rice left at room temperature, and diarrhoeal toxin from protein foods.

Norovirus is the leading viral cause of gastroenteritis, spread by infected handlers, vomit droplets and contaminated surfaces; alcohol gel is less effective than soap and water.

Incubation periods guide investigation: S. aureus 1-6 hours, B. cereus 1-6 hours (emetic), Salmonella 12-72 hours, E. coli O157 1-8 days, Listeria 1-70 days.

Handwashing steps: wet hands, apply soap, rub palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs, fingertips and nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with disposable towel.

Wash hands before handling food, after toilet use, after handling raw meat or eggs, after bins, after coughing or sneezing, after breaks and after handling money.

Hand sanitiser is not a substitute for handwashing; it does not remove dirt, grease or spores and is ineffective against norovirus.

Exclude or restrict food handlers with vomiting, diarrhoea, infected wounds, skin infections or jaundice until symptom-free for 48 hours and cleared by a manager.

Report to the manager: vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, sore throat with fever, jaundice, skin lesions, discharges from ear, eye or nose, and recent travel-related illness.

Food handlers must report illness in themselves and household contacts, such as household norovirus or hepatitis A.

Protective clothing: clean washable overclothing, hair restraint, and blue waterproof plasters over wounds; no jewellery, watches, nail polish or false nails in food areas.

Do not eat, drink, smoke, chew gum or vape in food handling areas; designated break areas only.

Cuts and wounds must be covered with a detectable waterproof dressing, ideally blue, plus a finger stall where appropriate.

Separate raw and ready-to-eat food at every stage: storage, preparation, equipment and staff movement.

Use colour-coded equipment: red for raw meat, blue for raw fish, yellow for cooked meat, green for salad and fruit, brown for vegetables, white for dairy and bakery.

Designate separate chopping boards, knives and sinks for raw foods; clean and disinfect between tasks and between raw and cooked items.

Store raw meat, poultry and fish below ready-to-eat food in covered containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge to prevent drip contamination.

Wash fruit, vegetables and salad before use; wash soil off root vegetables; do not wash raw poultry because splashing spreads bacteria.

Defrost frozen food in the refrigerator on a tray on the bottom shelf, or in a microwave or under cold running water; never at room temperature.

Clean-as-you-go prevents build-up; change cloths frequently and use separate cloths for raw and ready-to-eat areas.

Do not handle ready-to-eat food with bare hands where tools, gloves or paper can be used; change gloves between tasks and after handling raw food.

Keep food covered and out of the danger zone during service; protect display food with sneeze guards.

Danger zone is 5C to 63C; bacteria multiply fastest between 20C and 50C; keep food out of this range wherever possible.

Refrigeration must be at or below 5C; freezers at or below -18C; check and record temperatures at least daily with a probe or data logger.

Hot holding must keep food at 63C or above; cold holding at 8C or below, with 5C or below preferred for high-risk foods.

The 2-hour/4-hour rule: food out of temperature control for under 2 hours can be returned to refrigeration; 2-4 hours can be used but not returned; over 4 hours must be discarded.

Probe thermometers must be cleaned and disinfected before and after each use; use a probe wipe or hot water.

Measure core temperature of the thickest part of the food; for reheated food it must reach 82C or above.

Calibrate probe thermometers regularly using ice-slurry (0C) and boiling water (100C at sea level) methods.

Cool food rapidly: from 63C to 8C within 90 minutes, and to 5C or below within a further 90 minutes; use shallow containers, ice baths or blast chillers.

Cook food so the core reaches at least 75C for 30 seconds, or an equivalent time-temperature combination such as 70C for 2 minutes.

Minimum safe cooking core temperature is 75C for 30 seconds; poultry, rolled roasts, burgers and stuffed meats must be cooked through with no pink and clear juices.

Whole cuts of beef or lamb may be served pink if the outside is seared, but burgers must be cooked through because bacteria are mixed throughout.

Reheat food only once, to 82C or above throughout, and never reheat in a bain-marie or slow cooker.

Cool cooked food quickly: divide into shallow containers, use ice baths or blast chillers, and refrigerate within 90 minutes.

Do not put large hot containers directly into the fridge; they raise fridge temperature and endanger other food.

Cooling records should show start and end temperatures and times; discard food not cooled within the safe window.

Eggs: use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked dishes; cook hen eggs until white and yolk are solid for vulnerable groups.

Microwave cooking requires stirring and standing time to ensure even heat distribution; check core temperature after standing.

FIFO: first in, first out; use older stock first and check date codes before use.

Storage order top to bottom in the fridge: ready-to-eat food, then raw fish, raw whole meat, raw poultry and finally raw mince and offal at the bottom.

Dry stores should be cool, dry, well-ventilated, pest-proof and away from chemicals; keep food off the floor and away from walls.

Freezer storage: keep at -18C or below; freeze only fresh food, never refreeze defrosted food; label with date and content.

All opened and decanted foods must be labelled with contents, date opened or prepared, and use-by date; never use unlabelled containers.

Use-by dates are safety dates; food must not be sold or used after them; best-before dates are quality dates.

Stock rotation checks should be daily for chilled food and weekly for dry stores; remove damaged, swollen or leaking packaging.

Chemicals must be stored separately from food, in labelled containers, ideally in a locked cupboard.

Cleaning removes visible dirt and grease; disinfection reduces micro-organisms to a safe level; both are needed in food areas.

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

Common sanitisers: chlorine-based (typically 100-200 ppm for food contact surfaces), quaternary ammonium compounds, and hot water above 82C.

Clean and disinfect food contact surfaces, chopping boards and utensils between tasks; clean equipment after each use and at end of shift.

Pest control: proof premises, keep doors and windows screened, seal gaps, store waste in lidded bins, and use a pest control contractor with monitoring records.

Signs of pests: droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails, live or dead insects, nests, unusual smells and damaged packaging.

Pests of concern: rodents (rats, mice), cockroaches, flies, ants, birds and stored-product insects.

Cleaning schedules should state what, how often, by whom and with which chemicals, and be signed off when completed.

Waste must be stored in lidded, leak-proof, pest-proof bins, emptied frequently and kept away from food and food preparation areas.

Food waste should be removed from preparation areas promptly; external bins should be sited away from doors and windows.

Premises design should separate raw and cooked activities, either physically or by time, to reduce cross-contamination.

Handwash basins must be provided, supplied with hot and cold water, soap and disposable drying; they must not be used for food preparation or equipment washing.

Floors, walls and surfaces should be smooth, impervious, non-absorbent, washable and in good repair.

Adequate ventilation, lighting and drainage are required; drains need traps and covers to prevent pest entry.

Toilets must not open directly into food rooms; they need self-closing doors and separate handwash facilities.

Changing and staff facilities should be provided, with storage for outdoor clothing away from food areas.

Food business operators must ensure food safety at all stages and must identify and manage food safety hazards using HACCP principles.

HACCP has seven principles: hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and record-keeping.

A critical control point (CCP) is a step where control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level, such as cooking or chilling.

A critical limit is a measurable value separating safe from unsafe, such as 75C core temperature for 30 seconds.

Monitoring is the scheduled measurement or observation at a CCP; records must be kept and retained.

Corrective action is what is done when monitoring shows a critical limit has been breached, such as discarding food or recooking.

Legal defences include due diligence: documented procedures, training records, temperature logs and cleaning schedules.

Food handlers must be supervised and trained in food hygiene appropriate to their duties; records of training should be kept.

14 regulated allergens: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphur dioxide/sulphites above 10 mg/kg, and tree nuts.

Allergen information must be available for all non-prepacked food, in writing or via a clearly signposted route to a member of staff.

Cross-contact occurs when an allergen is transferred to a food that should not contain it: shared utensils, fryers, boards, hands or crumbs.

Always check labels and supplier specifications for every delivery; recipes and ingredients can change without notice.

Never guess or assume a dish is allergen-free; if unsure, tell the customer you cannot guarantee it and offer an alternative.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction with breathing difficulty, swelling and collapse; call emergency services and use an adrenaline auto-injector if available.

Food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, does not involve the immune system and is not life-threatening, but still requires accurate information.

Sulphites can trigger asthma; they are found in dried fruit, wine and some processed foods.

Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, moulds and parasites; they are the most common cause of food-borne illness.

Chemical hazards include cleaning chemicals, pesticides and toxins; store chemicals away from food and always label containers.

Physical hazards include glass, metal, bone and stones; they can cause injury or choking and must be controlled by good practice and equipment checks.

Allergenic hazards are proteins that trigger immune reactions; they are managed through allergen information and cross-contact controls.

Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful substances or micro-organisms from one food or surface to another.

High-risk foods are ready-to-eat, moist and protein-rich; they support rapid bacterial growth and need strict temperature control.

Salmonella is linked to raw poultry, eggs and cross-contamination; symptoms include diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain.

E. coli O157 can cause severe illness and haemolytic uraemic syndrome; it is linked to undercooked burgers and raw milk.

Listeria grows at refrigeration temperatures and is especially dangerous for pregnant women, older people and immunocompromised people.

Staphylococcus aureus toxin is heat-stable and is linked to food handled by people with skin infections.

Clostridium perfringens is linked to slow cooling and reheating of large meat dishes and stews.

Bacillus cereus is linked to cooked rice left at room temperature and to protein-rich foods.

Norovirus is a common viral cause spread by infected food handlers and contaminated surfaces.

Wash hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, including between fingers, thumbs and under nails.

Hand sanitiser is not a substitute for handwashing and is not effective against norovirus.

Food handlers with vomiting or diarrhoea must be excluded until symptom-free for 48 hours.

Report skin infections, jaundice, fever, sore throat with fever and discharge from ear, eye or nose to the manager.

Cover cuts with a blue waterproof plaster and wear clean protective clothing and hair restraints.

Do not wear jewellery, watches or nail polish in food handling areas.

Separate raw and ready-to-eat food during storage, preparation and service.

Use colour-coded boards and knives, and clean and disinfect between tasks.

Store raw meat below ready-to-eat food in covered containers to prevent drip contamination.

Do not wash raw poultry; splashing spreads bacteria around the kitchen.

Defrost food in the fridge, microwave or under cold running water, never at room temperature.

Change gloves and wash hands between handling raw and ready-to-eat food.

The danger zone is 5C to 63C; bacteria multiply fastest between 20C and 50C.

Refrigerators must be at or below 5C and freezers at or below -18C.

Hot holding must be at 63C or above and cold holding at 8C or below.

The 2-hour/4-hour rule limits how long food can safely stay out of temperature control.

Probe thermometers must be cleaned and disinfected before and after use.

Reheated food must reach 82C or above throughout.

Cool food from 63C to 8C within 90 minutes and to 5C within a further 90 minutes.

Cook food to a core temperature of at least 75C for 30 seconds.

Burgers, poultry and rolled roasts must be cooked through with no pink and clear juices.

Reheat food only once, to 82C or above, and never in a bain-marie.

Cool food quickly using shallow containers, ice baths or blast chillers.

Do not place large hot containers directly into the refrigerator.

Microwave cooking needs stirring and standing time to ensure even heating.

Use pasteurised egg for raw or lightly cooked dishes.

Follow FIFO: first in, first out, using older stock first.

Store ready-to-eat food above raw meat, fish and poultry in the fridge.

Keep dry stores cool, dry, ventilated and pest-proof, with food off the floor.

Freeze only fresh food and never refreeze defrosted food.

Label all opened or decanted food with contents and date.

Use-by dates are safety dates; best-before dates are quality dates.

Store chemicals separately from food in labelled containers.

Cleaning removes dirt and grease; disinfection reduces micro-organisms to a safe level.

Two-stage cleaning uses detergent, rinse, then food-safe sanitiser at the correct concentration and contact time.

Chlorine-based sanitisers are typically used at 100-200 ppm for food contact surfaces.

Clean and disinfect boards and utensils between tasks and at end of shift.

Proof premises against pests and keep external bins lidded and away from doors.

Signs of pests include droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails and damaged packaging.

Cleaning schedules should state what, how often, by whom and with which chemicals.

Waste bins must be lidded, leak-proof and pest-proof, and emptied frequently.

External bins should be sited away from doors and windows.

Handwash basins must have hot and cold water, soap and disposable drying, and must not be used for food preparation.

Floors, walls and surfaces should be smooth, impervious, washable and in good repair.

Toilets must not open directly into food rooms and need self-closing doors.

Adequate ventilation, lighting and drainage are required in food areas.

Separate raw and cooked activities physically or by time to reduce cross-contamination.

Food business operators must identify and manage food safety hazards using HACCP principles.

HACCP has seven principles, including hazard analysis, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring and corrective actions.

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

A critical limit is a measurable value separating safe from unsafe food.

Monitoring records and corrective actions must be kept as evidence of due diligence.

Food handlers must be trained and supervised in food hygiene appropriate to their duties.

Due diligence relies on documented procedures, temperature logs, cleaning schedules and training records.

There are 14 regulated allergens, including gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame and sulphites.

Allergen information must be available for all non-prepacked food.

Cross-contact occurs through shared utensils, fryers, boards, hands and crumbs.

Always check labels and supplier specifications; recipes can change.

Never guess whether a dish is allergen-free; if unsure, say so and offer an alternative.

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction; call emergency services and use an adrenaline auto-injector if available.

Food intolerance does not involve the immune system and is not life-threatening, but still needs accurate information.