Kenya Food Handler Certificate cheat sheet

Danger zone: bacteria multiply fastest between 5 °C and 60 °C; keep cold food at or below 5 °C and hot food at or above 60 °C.

Two-hour/four-hour rule: ready-to-eat food held in the danger zone under 2 hours may be refrigerated or used; 2–4 hours it must be used immediately; over 4 hours it must be discarded.

Danger zone bacteria multiply fastest between 5 °C and 60 °C; keep cold food at or below 5 °C and hot food at or above 60 °C.

Cooling rule: cooked food must pass from 60 °C to 21 °C within 2 hours and then to 5 °C within a further 4 hours, giving a 6-hour total limit.

Reheating rule: previously cooked food is reheated to a core temperature of at least 74 °C, once only, and never in a bain-marie or hot-holding unit.

Cleaning removes visible soil with detergent and water; sanitising then reduces microorganisms to a safe level using heat (above 77 °C rinse or steam) or an approved chemical at its labelled concentration and contact time.

Two-stage dishwashing by hand: wash in hot detergent water, rinse, then sanitise by immersion in hot water at 77 °C for at least 30 seconds or in a chemical sanitiser, then air-dry without a cloth.

Cross-contamination control: raw food is stored below cooked and ready-to-eat food, colour-coded boards and utensils separate raw from RTE work, and separate cloths are used for each area.

Pest and waste control: bins are lidded, pest-proof and emptied before they are full; waste is held away from food rooms; openings are screened and doors fitted with self-closers.

Handwashing steps: wet hands, apply soap, lather and rub palms, backs, between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse under running water, dry with a disposable towel or hot-air dryer.

Hands must be washed before starting work, after using the toilet, after handling raw food or waste, after coughing, sneezing or touching the face, and after any break.

Exclusion rule: a food handler with diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, jaundice, or infected skin lesions on exposed areas must stop handling food and report to the person in charge.

Return-to-work rule: after diarrhoea or vomiting, a food handler stays off food work until at least 48 hours after symptoms have fully stopped, unless a medical officer directs otherwise.

Reportable conditions include typhoid or paratyphoid, cholera, amoebic or bacillary dysentery, hepatitis A, and infected wounds; carriers may be excluded until cleared by a medical officer.

A food handler must hold a valid medical certificate of fitness, typically renewed annually, obtained after stool and where required blood or chest examination at a designated facility.

Protective clothing: clean light-coloured overalls or aprons, hair covering that contains all hair, and no jewellery on hands or wrists; a waterproof dressing covers any wound on exposed skin.

Eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum and spitting are prohibited in food rooms; a food handler with a cough or cold is moved away from open food and uses disposable tissues.

High-risk foods are protein- and moisture-rich and need no further cooking: cooked meat and poultry, seafood, eggs and egg products, dairy, cooked rice and pasta, gravies and sauces.

Bacterial illness patterns: Salmonella from raw poultry and eggs; Campylobacter from raw poultry and cross-contamination; Staphylococcus aureus from skin and nasal carriers; Clostridium perfringens from slow-cooled meat stews.

Spore formers: Clostridium botulinum grows in anaerobic low-acid conditions such as home-canned or vacuum-packed food; Bacillus cereus is linked to cooked rice left at room temperature.

Viruses are not destroyed by antibiotics and survive on hands and shellfish: norovirus and hepatitis A spread by infected handlers and contaminated water; thorough handwashing is the control.

Physical contaminants include glass, metal, plastic and bone; controls are breakage logs, no glass over food areas, intact utensils and sieving or inspection at receiving.

Chemical contamination comes from over-concentrated sanitiser, pest baits, lubricants and unlabelled decanted chemicals; all chemicals are stored in a separate locked cupboard away from food.

Allergen control: the 14 regulated allergens in Kenyan practice follow international lists (cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites, lupin, molluscs); allergen information must be accurate and staff must avoid cross-contact.

Food poisoning investigation triad: the organism, the food vehicle and the handler or source; records of deliveries, temperatures and staff sickness allow trace-back and are kept for inspection.

Prevention hierarchy: buy from approved suppliers, keep food out of the danger zone, cook to 74 °C core, prevent cross-contamination, and maintain documented cleaning and pest control.

Food premises must be registered and licensed by the county government under the Public Health Act and county food hygiene legislation; a licence is premises-specific and not transferable.

Siting rule: food rooms must not open directly into a sleeping room, toilet or refuse area; they must be separate from living accommodation and protected from flooding and pest entry.

Design requirements: smooth, impervious, washable floors and walls; coved junctions; adequate lighting and ventilation; self-closing doors; and an adequate supply of potable water.

Sanitary facilities: an adequate number of handwash basins with running water, soap and disposable towels, plus toilets that do not open directly into food rooms.

A licence inspection checks structure, water supply, waste disposal, pest control, staff medical certificates, food handler training and temperature control equipment.

A valid licence must be displayed at the premises; renewal is annual, and change of ownership, premises name or significant layout requires notification and a fresh application.

Temperature records: fridges and freezers are monitored and logged at least daily, with cold holding at or below 5 °C and frozen storage at or below −18 °C.

Public health officers have powers of entry at reasonable times, may take samples, serve improvement notices, close premises posing an imminent risk, and prosecute offences with fines or imprisonment.

Traceability and recall: batch records, supplier invoices and distribution lists are kept so a suspected product can be traced and recalled promptly.