Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering Exam cheat sheet

Four hazard types: biological (bacteria, viruses, moulds, parasites), chemical (cleaning agents, pesticides, allergens), physical (glass, metal, hair, stones), and allergenic.

Biological hazards cause the majority of foodborne illness; bacteria need food, moisture, warmth (5-63C), time and often oxygen to multiply.

Pathogenic bacteria multiply by binary fission; under ideal conditions numbers can double roughly every 10-20 minutes.

Spore-formers (Clostridium, Bacillus) survive normal cooking; toxins from Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus are heat-stable and not destroyed by reheating.

Cross-contamination is direct (raw food touching cooked food) or indirect (hands, cloths, knives, boards, equipment, pests).

Colour-coded boards reduce cross-contamination: red raw meat, blue raw fish, yellow cooked meat, green salad/vegetables, brown vegetables, white dairy/bakery.

High-risk foods are ready-to-eat, moist and protein-rich: cooked meat, dairy, eggs, shellfish, cooked rice, gravies and stock.

Allergen cross-contact is a contamination route; even trace amounts can trigger a severe reaction in susceptible consumers.

Food poisoning bacteria are typically invisible, odourless and tasteless, so appearance and smell are not reliable safety indicators.

Hands must be washed before handling food, after toilet use, after handling raw meat/poultry/eggs, after waste handling, after cleaning, and after eating, drinking or smoking.

Correct handwash: wet, apply soap, lather and rub palms, backs, between fingers and nails for at least 20 seconds, rinse, dry with disposable towel.

Food handlers must not work with food if suffering diarrhoea, vomiting, or infected skin lesions; report symptoms to the manager.

Exclusion rules: 48 hours symptom-free after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting before returning to food handling.

Reportable conditions include typhoid, paratyphoid, E. coli O157, hepatitis A, and shigellosis; managers must notify the local authority.

Protective clothing must be clean, light-coloured, cover outer garments, and be changed regularly; aprons removed before leaving food areas.

Jewellery (except a plain wedding band) and wristwatches must not be worn in food handling areas; nail varnish and false nails are prohibited.

Cuts and grazes must be covered with a distinctively coloured waterproof dressing; blue plasters are used because they are easily detected.

A food handler returning from abroad with illness, or living with someone with similar symptoms, must inform their manager before returning to work.

Cleaning removes visible dirt and grease; disinfection reduces microorganisms to a safe level; both stages are needed for food contact surfaces.

Two-stage cleaning: clean with detergent and hot water, rinse, then disinfect with a food-safe disinfectant or very hot water (82C+), then allow to air-dry.

Clean as you go; clean food contact surfaces, equipment and utensils between tasks and at the end of each shift.

Colour-coded cleaning equipment prevents cross-contamination between food areas, toilets and raw food zones.

Dry storage should be cool, well-ventilated and pest-proof; stock rotation uses first in, first out (FIFO) and checks date codes.

Refrigeration should be at 5C or below (fridges 1-4C ideal); freezers at -18C or below; keep a temperature log and act on readings outside range.

Raw food must be stored below ready-to-eat food in fridges to prevent dripping contamination; raw meat in sealed containers on the bottom shelf.

Hot holding must maintain food at 63C or above; cooling must bring food from 63C to 8C within 90 minutes and to 5C within a further 90 minutes.

Waste must be stored in lidded, pest-proof bins, removed regularly, and never left in food preparation areas overnight.

HACCP is a seven-principle system: hazard analysis, determine CCPs, set critical limits, monitor CCPs, corrective actions, verification, documentation.

A critical control point (CCP) is a step where a control measure is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level.

Critical limits are measurable values (e.g. 75C core cooking temperature, 0-5C chilled storage) that separate safe from unsafe.

Monitoring is the scheduled observation or measurement at a CCP; corrective action is what is done when a limit is breached.

Verification confirms the HACCP plan works (audits, testing, review); validation confirms the controls are capable of controlling the hazard.

Documentation and record-keeping provide evidence the system is working: temperature logs, cleaning schedules, training records, delivery checks.

A food safety management system must be based on HACCP principles and is a legal requirement for food businesses in the UK.

Cooking to a core temperature of 75C for at least 30 seconds, or an equivalent time/temperature combination, is a common critical limit.

Food business operators must ensure food is safe, comply with hygiene regulations, and operate a documented food safety management system based on HACCP.

Food handlers must be supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene appropriate to their work; training must be kept up to date and recorded.

The Food Safety Act 1990 makes it an offence to sell food that is unfit, contaminated, or falsely described.

The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 require registration of food businesses, hygiene controls and HACCP-based procedures.

The local authority environmental health department enforces food law, inspects premises and can serve improvement or prohibition notices and close premises.

Food handlers have a legal duty to report certain infectious diseases and symptoms (diarrhoea, vomiting, skin or throat infections) to their employer.

The employer must notify the proper local authority when a food handler is known or suspected to be suffering from a reportable disease.

Allergen information for the 14 named allergens must be provided in writing and accurate; failures can lead to prosecution and product withdrawal.

Incidents and complaints should be recorded, investigated and, where serious, reported to the relevant authority; keep records to demonstrate due diligence.

Food business operators must ensure food is safe, comply with hygiene regulations, and operate a documented food safety management system based on HACCP.

Food handlers must be supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene appropriate to their work; training must be kept up to date and recorded.

The Food Safety Act 1990 makes it an offence to sell food that is unfit, contaminated, or falsely described.

The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 require registration of food businesses, hygiene controls and HACCP-based procedures.

The local authority environmental health department enforces food law, inspects premises and can serve improvement or prohibition notices and close premises.

Food handlers have a legal duty to report certain infectious diseases and symptoms (diarrhoea, vomiting, skin or throat infections) to their employer.

The employer must notify the proper local authority when a food handler is known or suspected to be suffering from a reportable disease.

Allergen information for the 14 named allergens must be provided in writing and accurate; failures can lead to prosecution and product withdrawal.

Incidents and complaints should be recorded, investigated and, where serious, reported to the relevant authority; keep records to demonstrate due diligence.