Hong Kong Food Hygiene Manager cheat sheet

Danger-zone rule: bacteria multiply fastest between 4°C and 60°C; keep high-risk food outside this range, with chilled storage at 4°C or below and hot holding at 60°C or above.

Two-hour/four-hour principle: ready-to-eat high-risk food held in the danger zone under 2 hours may be refrigerated or used; 2-4 hours may be used but not returned to storage; over 4 hours must be discarded.

Danger-zone rule: bacteria multiply fastest between 4°C and 60°C; keep high-risk food outside this range, with chilled storage at 4°C or below and hot holding at 60°C or above.

Two-hour/four-hour principle: ready-to-eat high-risk food held in the danger zone under 2 hours may be refrigerated or used; 2-4 hours may be used but not returned to storage; over 4 hours must be discarded.

Cooling rule: cook, then cool from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours and from 21°C to 5°C within a further 4 hours; total cooling time must not exceed 6 hours.

Reheating rule: reheated food must reach 75°C at the core for at least 30 seconds; reheat only once and never reheat in a bain-marie.

Bacterial growth factors: F (food), A (acidity - bacteria favour pH near neutral, pH 4.6 or below inhibits most pathogens), T (temperature), T (time), O (oxygen; Clostridium botulinum is anaerobic), M (moisture; water activity below 0.85 inhibits growth).

Cross-contamination control: separate raw and ready-to-eat areas, colour-coded chopping boards and utensils, and store raw food below cooked food in refrigerators.

HACCP has seven principles in order: hazard analysis; determine critical control points; set critical limits; monitor CCPs; establish corrective actions; verify; establish record-keeping.

Handwashing must use soap and warm running water for at least 20 seconds, including backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails; alcohol rub is not a substitute when hands are visibly soiled.

Food handlers must not work with food when suffering diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, or infected skin lesions; exclude for 48 hours after symptoms stop, and report certain infectious diseases to the Centre for Health Protection.

The Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) requires a licence for food premises; operating without one is an offence, and the licence is issued by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD).

Restaurant licence applications proceed through the FEHD's licensing process; the premises must satisfy building, fire safety, and drainage requirements before a licence is granted.

A food factory licence covers premises where food is manufactured or prepared for sale; a bakery licence is separate and applies to bread and confectionery production.

A fresh provision shop licence is required for retail sale of fresh meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish; a cold store licence covers storage of chilled or frozen food.

A temporary food stall or hawker licence is required for mobile or market trading; hawker licences are subject to designated hawker permitted areas.

Licence transfer and variation require FEHD approval; the licensee must notify FEHD of changes to the layout, food type, or person in charge.

The licence must be displayed conspicuously at the premises and produced on demand to an authorised officer.

A food business must appoint a person in charge who is responsible for food safety; the FEHD may refuse or revoke a licence where hygiene standards are not met.

Selling food unfit for human consumption, or food adulterated or mislabelled, is an offence under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) and the Food Business Regulation.

Cleaning removes visible soil; disinfection reduces microorganisms; sanitising combines both; a two-stage method uses detergent first, then a food-safe disinfectant at the manufacturer's dilution and contact time.

Food contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitised after each use and between raw and ready-to-eat foods; chopping boards, knives, slicers, and worktops are high-priority items.

Pest control follows the hierarchy: proofing (screens, door sweeps, air curtains), then housekeeping (removing food and water), then monitoring (bait stations, sticky traps), then treatment by a licensed pest control operator.

Pest evidence to record: droppings, gnaw marks, grease marks, live or dead insects, webbing, and sightings; records must include date, location, and action taken.

Refuse must be stored in covered, pest-proof bins, removed frequently, and the storage area cleaned and drained; refuse must not accumulate in food preparation areas.

Ventilation and extraction must remove steam, smoke, and fumes; grease filters require regular cleaning to prevent fire risk and pest attraction.

Toilets must not open directly into food rooms; handwash basins with soap, warm water, and disposable towels must be provided and kept stocked.

A cleaning schedule must specify what is cleaned, by whom, how often, with what chemical and dilution, and who verifies the work; records are retained for inspection.

The Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) is the principal statute; it empowers the FEHD to regulate food premises, food safety, and public cleansing.

The Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) sets licensing and hygiene requirements for food premises and prohibits sale of unfit food.

The Food Safety Ordinance (Cap. 612) requires food traders to keep transaction records and provides for a food tracing and recall system; it also empowers the Director to order recalls.

The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap. 132W) set composition and labelling requirements, including allergen and nutrition labelling rules.

The Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF) prescribe maximum limits for specified harmful substances such as certain pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals.

The Prevention of Harsh Noise, litter, and public cleansing provisions sit within the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance; FEHD officers may issue fixed penalty notices for littering.

The Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) prohibits smoking in indoor public places including restaurants and licensed food premises.

The Food Safety Ordinance requires registration of food importers and distributors; importers must keep records of the source and destination of food for at least 3 months or as specified.

Authorised officers have powers of entry, inspection, sampling, and seizure, and may close premises or order cleansing where a public health risk exists.