Sri Lanka Food Handler Exam cheat sheet

Three hazard classes: biological (bacteria, viruses, parasites, moulds), chemical (pesticides, cleaning agents, mycotoxins, heavy metals), physical (glass, metal, stones, hair, pests).

Biological hazards cause most foodborne illness; bacterial growth needs food, moisture (water activity above 0.85), suitable pH, time and temperature in the danger zone.

The temperature danger zone is 5 °C to 60 °C; bacteria multiply fastest between 20 °C and 45 °C, and a single cell can double every 20 minutes under ideal conditions.

High-risk foods in Sri Lanka include cooked rice, coconut sambol, curries with coconut milk, dhal, dairy, eggs, seafood, and reheated meats.

Bacillus cereus is linked to cooked rice held at room temperature; boiling does not destroy the heat-stable toxin formed in rice left out overnight.

Staphylococcus aureus spreads from skin, nose and infected wounds via hands; its toxin is heat-stable and survives reheating.

Salmonella and Campylobacter come mainly from raw poultry, eggs and cross-contamination; require thorough cooking to 75 °C core.

Clostridium botulinum risk rises in anaerobic, low-acid, vacuum-packed or canned foods; commercial canning failures and home preserves are the classic sources.

Aflatoxin from Aspergillus flavus in badly stored peanuts, maize and dried chillies is a chemical hazard; damp storage above 14% moisture promotes it.

Handwashing steps: wet hands, apply soap, lather and scrub palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs and under nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with single-use towel or air dryer.

Mandatory handwash points: before starting work, after toilet use, after handling raw meat/poultry/eggs, after waste handling, after coughing/sneezing, after breaks, and after touching face or hair.

Food handlers must not work with exposed food if suffering diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, jaundice, infected skin lesions, or discharging ears, eyes or nose; report to the supervisor.

A food handler who has had diarrhoea or vomiting should stay away from food work until at least 48 hours symptom-free; longer for specific infections per medical advice.

Clean outer clothing, an apron and a head covering that contains hair must be worn; jewellery on hands and wrists, wristwatches and false nails are not permitted in food areas.

Cuts and grazes must be covered with a waterproof, detectable (blue) dressing plus a finger stall or glove where appropriate.

Smoking, eating, chewing betel or gum, and drinking from open cups are prohibited in food handling areas; designated break areas only.

Hands must be washed after handling money, mobile phones, door handles or cleaning chemicals, since these are common cross-contamination vectors.

Cross-contamination routes: hands, utensils, chopping boards, cloths, sinks, storage shelves, drip from raw food onto ready-to-eat food, and pests.

Colour-code boards: red for raw meat, blue for raw fish, green for fruit and vegetables, yellow for cooked meat, white for dairy and bakery; separate boards for raw and ready-to-eat.

Ready-to-eat food must never be handled with bare hands where a glove, tongs, spoon or deli paper can be used instead.

In the refrigerator, store raw meat, poultry and fish below cooked and ready-to-eat foods, in covered containers on the lowest shelf.

Wash raw fruit and vegetables with potable water before preparation; do not wash raw poultry in a sink, as splashing spreads bacteria up to a metre.

Defrost food in a refrigerator at 5 °C or below, under running potable water, or in a microwave for immediate cooking; never defrost on a bench at room temperature.

Separate cloths for food contact and for floors; food-contact cloths must be changed and laundered hot (above 70 °C) frequently.

Reheating must reach 75 °C or above throughout and be done only once; leftovers should not be reheated more than once.

Cold storage: refrigerators at 5 °C or below (ideally 1–4 °C), freezers at -18 °C or below; check and record temperatures at least daily with a calibrated probe thermometer.

Cooking targets: poultry and rolled meats to 75 °C core; minced meat and sausages to 70 °C for 2 minutes; whole fish to 63 °C; eggs until both white and yolk are firm.

The two-stage cooling rule: from 60 °C to 21 °C within 2 hours, then from 21 °C to 5 °C within a further 4 hours (total 6 hours).

Hot holding must be at 60 °C or above; cold holding at 5 °C or below; food between these temperatures for more than 2 hours should be discarded.

Cool rapidly by dividing into shallow containers (depth under 5 cm), using an ice bath, blast chiller, or stirring with a clean paddle; never place large pots in the refrigerator.

Calibrate probe thermometers in ice-water slush at 0 °C and in boiling water at 100 °C (adjust for altitude); clean and sanitise the probe between uses.

Date labelling: label cooked and opened foods with preparation date and use-by date; apply first-in-first-out (FIFO) stock rotation.

Refrigerator temperature above 8 °C for more than 4 hours means high-risk foods should be assessed and generally discarded.

Cleaning removes soil and grease with detergent and water; sanitising (disinfection) reduces microorganisms to a safe level; both steps are needed - sanitising a dirty surface is ineffective.

Two-stage method for food-contact surfaces: clean with detergent and hot water, rinse, then apply an approved sanitiser at the correct concentration and contact time, then air-dry.

Chlorine sanitiser for food-contact surfaces is typically 100–200 ppm available chlorine with at least 30 seconds contact; prepare fresh solution and test with strips.

Clean-in-place and food-contact surfaces should be cleaned and sanitised after each use, at the end of the day, and before switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

Pest control: proofing (screens on windows, door sweeps, sealed gaps, mesh over drains), good housekeeping, waste removal, and a documented pest-control programme with monitoring points.

Signs of pests: droppings, gnaw marks, grease trails, live or dead insects, webbing, and characteristic smells; record and act on every sighting.

Never use insecticide sprays or rodenticide baits in areas where food is prepared, stored or handled; use licensed pest-control operators and keep records.

Cleaning chemicals must be stored in a separate, labelled area away from food, in original or clearly labelled containers, never in drink bottles.

All water used for food preparation, handwashing and ice must be potable and meet drinking-water standards; test private supplies (wells, tanks) at least annually for microbiological and chemical parameters.

Ice must be made from potable water, stored and handled like food, scooped with a dedicated clean scoop, and never used to cool drinks directly or handled by hand.

Water storage tanks must be covered, cleaned and disinfected periodically (typically every 6–12 months) and kept free of sediment and insect entry.

Backflow prevention devices and air gaps are required between potable water supplies and potential contamination sources such as sinks and hoses.

Wastewater and sewage must be discharged to an approved drainage or septic system; no ponding or open drains in food handling areas.

Handwashing facilities must supply running potable water, soap and single-use drying, and be located in or adjacent to food handling areas.

Drainage in food areas should have trapped gullies with covers and be cleaned regularly; floors should slope to drains to prevent standing water.

Environmental sanitation includes safe solid-waste handling, fly and rodent control, and clean external surroundings free of refuse and stagnant water.

Premises must be designed to prevent contamination: smooth, impervious, washable floors and walls, coving at floor-wall junctions, and ceilings free of condensation drip.

Separate areas or effective physical separation must exist between raw and cooked food handling, and between clean and dirty operations, to control cross-contamination.

Ventilation and extraction must remove heat, steam, smoke and fumes; lighting must be adequate and shielded where food is exposed.

Food-contact equipment must be smooth, non-toxic, corrosion-resistant and easy to clean; wooden boards and cracked utensils should be replaced.

Waste must be held in covered, leak-proof, pest-proof bins, removed frequently, and never allowed to accumulate in food handling areas.

Food waste areas must be away from food storage and preparation, with bins cleaned and disinfected after emptying.

Toilets must not open directly into food handling areas; handwash basins must be provided with soap, water and drying facilities.

Pest-proofing and maintenance schedules (equipment, drains, screens, roofs) should be documented and reviewed regularly.

The Food Act No. 26 of 1980 (as amended) is the principal legislation; it empowers the Director General of Health Services and authorised officers to regulate food safety and prosecute offences.

Food Regulations made under the Food Act set requirements for food hygiene, labelling, additives, contaminants, licensing and food handler health.

The Ministry of Health and its Food Control Administration Unit, together with Medical Officers of Health (MOH) and Public Health Inspectors (PHI), enforce food safety at national and local level.

Food handlers must undergo medical examination and obtain a food handler certificate; periodic re-examination and health checks are required under the regulations.

Local authorities (Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, Pradeshiya Sabhas) license food businesses and inspect premises under the Food Act and related ordinances.

Food business operators have a duty to ensure food safety, maintain hygiene, train staff, keep records, and cooperate with authorised officers during inspections.

Offences such as selling unsafe or adulterated food, operating without a licence, or obstructing an authorised officer can lead to fines, closure or imprisonment under the Food Act.

Sri Lanka Bureau of Standards (SLS) standards and Codex Alimentarius principles inform good hygiene practice; HACCP-based systems are encouraged for higher-risk operations.

Food handlers must report illness to their employer, and employers must exclude affected staff from food handling duties as required by public health guidance.