NZ Food Safety & Hygiene cheat sheet

Three hazard classes: biological (bacteria, viruses, parasites), chemical (cleaning agents, toxins, allergens), physical (glass, metal, bone, pests).

Biological hazards cause most foodborne illness; key bacterial pathogens include Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens.

Bacteria need six conditions to multiply: food, moisture (water activity), acidity (pH), temperature (danger zone), time and oxygen (or its absence for anaerobes).

Danger zone is 5°C to 60°C; bacteria multiply fastest around 35-40°C, and one cell can become millions within hours under ideal conditions.

Spore-formers Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus cereus survive normal cooking; C. botulinum toxin is destroyed by boiling but spores are not.

Viruses such as norovirus and hepatitis A are not killed by refrigeration and spread via infected handlers, contaminated water and ready-to-eat food.

Foodborne illness symptoms typically appear 1-72 hours after eating; onset time and symptoms help identify the likely organism.

Allergens are a chemical hazard: the major allergen groups must be declared, and cross-contact with allergens is a safety failure, not a quality issue.

Hands must be washed with soap and warm running water for at least 20 seconds, then dried thoroughly with single-use towels or a hand dryer.

Wash hands before handling food, after toilet use, after handling raw meat or eggs, after touching face, hair, phone or bin, and after cleaning.

Alcohol sanitiser is not a substitute for handwashing when hands are visibly soiled or after toilet use; it does not remove spores or norovirus effectively.

Food handlers must not work with food if suffering vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, infected skin lesions or discharging ears, eyes or nose.

Exclude food handlers for 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea; some infections require longer exclusion or medical clearance.

Clean, washable outer clothing and an effective hair covering must be worn; jewellery on hands and wrists, false nails and nail polish are excluded.

Cuts and grazes must be covered with a waterproof, brightly coloured detectable dressing, and a food handler must report illness to their supervisor.

Handwashing facilities must provide warm running water, soap and single-use drying; a basin used only for food or equipment is not acceptable.

Keep high-risk food out of the danger zone of 5°C to 60°C: cold-hold at 5°C or below and hot-hold at 60°C or above.

Cook poultry, minced meat and rolled roasts to a core temperature of at least 75°C; whole cuts of pork and beef may be cooked to a lower safe core temperature.

Cool cooked food rapidly from 60°C to 5°C within a set time (commonly within 6 hours, with the first stage to 21°C within 2 hours) to limit bacterial growth.

Reheat food to a core temperature of at least 75°C and reheat only once; do not reheat food more than once.

Thaw food in a refrigerator at 5°C or below, under cold running water, or in a microwave for immediate cooking; never thaw at room temperature.

Use a calibrated probe thermometer, clean and sanitise it between uses, and record temperatures; calibrate in ice water at 0°C and boiling water at 100°C.

Two-hour/four-hour rule: ready-to-eat food in the danger zone for under 2 hours may be refrigerated or used; 2-4 hours use immediately; over 4 hours discard.

Display and transport high-risk food under temperature control; keep cold food below 5°C and hot food above 60°C during service and delivery.

Cleaning removes visible soil and grease; sanitising reduces microorganisms to a safe level; both steps are needed on food-contact surfaces.

Two-stage cleaning: clean with detergent, rinse, then apply an approved sanitiser at the correct concentration and contact time, then air dry.

Chemical sanitisers need the correct dilution, temperature and contact time; too strong or too weak reduces effectiveness and may leave residues.

Colour-coded equipment (chopping boards, knives, cloths) separates raw meat, raw fish, ready-to-eat food and cleaning to prevent cross-contamination.

Store raw food below and separate from ready-to-eat food; keep raw meat on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in a covered container.

Change and launder cleaning cloths frequently; dirty cloths spread bacteria across surfaces and are a common cross-contamination route.

Cross-contamination occurs via hands, equipment, utensils, cloths, pests, drip and splash; control it by separation, cleaning and hand hygiene.

Clean and sanitise food-contact surfaces between tasks, after handling raw food, at end of shift and after any contamination event.

Pests (rodents, cockroaches, flies, birds) are a physical and biological hazard; control relies on exclusion, proofing, hygiene and monitoring.

Premises must be designed to prevent pest entry and harbourage: sealed gaps, self-closing doors, screens, door sweeps and no cracks or crevices.

Food-contact surfaces and equipment must be smooth, impervious, non-toxic, corrosion-resistant and easy to clean; joints should be smooth and sealed.

Floors, walls and ceilings should be washable and in good repair; coving at wall-floor junctions prevents dirt and moisture traps.

Provide adequate lighting and ventilation; extractor hoods and filters must be cleaned on a scheduled basis.

Waste must be stored in lidded, pest-proof containers, removed frequently, and waste areas kept clean and away from food handling.

Pest control uses baits, traps and monitoring stations placed away from food; a pest-control contractor's reports and sightings must be recorded.

Adequate handwash basins, drainage and potable water supply are required; drains must be trapped, covered and cleaned regularly.

Food businesses must ensure food is safe and suitable, and must not sell food that is unsafe or unfit for human consumption.

The business operator is responsible for food safety; every food handler has a duty to follow hygiene rules and report illness or contamination risks.

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

Traceability: businesses must keep records identifying suppliers and customers so food can be traced one step back and one step forward.

Recall and withdrawal procedures must exist so unsafe food can be removed from sale and consumers informed when required.

Food must be labelled with required information, including allergen declarations and, where required, date marking and storage conditions.

Regulators may inspect premises, take samples and require improvements; serious breaches can lead to enforcement action, fines or closure.

Premises must be registered or notified with the relevant authority before food operations begin, as required by local food law.

A food safety programme identifies hazards, control measures, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions and verification for each process step.

Critical control points (CCPs) are steps where a control measure is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

Each CCP needs a measurable critical limit, a monitoring method and frequency, and a nominated responsible person.

A corrective action is the step taken when monitoring shows a critical limit is breached; it must address the affected product and the cause.

Corrective actions include holding or discarding affected food, reworking safely, re-cleaning, retraining and recording the outcome.

Records must be accurate, legible, dated, signed and retained for the required period; they provide evidence that controls worked.

Verification confirms the programme works (audits, calibration, product testing); validation confirms the controls are capable of controlling the hazard.

A documented recall plan, supplier approval and product traceability records are part of the food safety programme.