Hygiene, Food Safety, and Allergen Management
Hygiene, food safety and allergen management is the domain where an error can harm a customer. The exam tests HACCP thinking, temperature control, cleaning and disinfection, and allergen segregation in a bakery where flour, egg, milk, nuts and sesame share the same benches.
Hazards and controls
Biological hazards dominate: Bacillus cereus in cooked rice and starchy fillings, Staphylococcus from hands, Salmonella from raw egg, Listeria in chilled ready-to-eat products. Physical hazards include metal, glass and equipment fragments - use detectable plasters and check mixers. Chemical hazards include cleaning residues and undeclared sulphites.
Temperature control
Keep the danger zone (5–63 °C) short. Chilled storage at 5 °C or below; hot holding at 63 °C or above. Cooling: 63 → 20 °C within 2 hours, then 20 → 5 °C within 4 hours.
Allergens
The regulated allergens include cereals containing gluten, milk, egg, tree nuts, peanut, sesame, soy and sulphites. Prevent cross-contact with dedicated scoops, colour-coded boards, covered storage and cleaning validated by inspection or swab.
Worked example
Dilute 5% sodium hypochlorite to 200 ppm for a food-contact surface. 5% = 50,000 ppm. 50,000 ÷ 200 = 250, so use 1 part concentrate to 249 parts water - about 20 ml in 5 litres. Mix fresh, verify with test strips, and allow contact time before air-drying.
Traps
Believing 'gluten-free' means 'no allergens'; wiping a bench instead of cleaning and disinfecting it; storing nuts above open containers; and changing an ingredient without re-checking the label and specification.