Minimum teaching time – 2 hours
General Introduction
The syllabus aims to raise awareness of key food hygiene issues in the food industry.
The course syllabus is designed to meet the initial training requirements of the Industry Guides to Good Hygiene Practice and this course should be taken by new food handlers before being allowed to start work for the first time and before progressing to the formal training recommendations of the Industry Guides, eg, the REHIS Elementary Food Hygiene Course.
In particular, the course syllabus meets the requirements of Stage 1 The Essentials of Food Hygiene’ of the Catering guide for catagory A, B and C staff, and introduces some of the concepts of the Stage 2 requirements. It also meets the requirements of the basic level of hygiene awareness contained in the Retail Guide.
The course will also meet the requirements for induction training for other staff who are not food handlers, for example, nurses, porters, care assistants and kitchen support staff.
Training at this level of course must be directly related to the roleof the new food handler and must emphasise their important contribution to hygienic food production. The training must be relevant to the level of understanding required for the duties the new food handler will undertake and should deal mainly with examples of good and bad practice.
A practical approach to training is recommended and individuals should be actively encouraged to participate fully both on their own and in small groups.
Objectives:
- Explain the terms: food hygiene, food poisoning, food spoilage and food contamination.
Bacteria Objectives:
- Explain what bacteria are, their shape and size and where they may be found.
- Explain that not all bacteria are harmful.
- Explain how bacteria multiply and how time and temperature affect multiplication.
Causes of Food Poisoning Objectives:
- Explain how food poisoning may be caused.
- Describe the main sources of food poisoning and physical contaminants.
- Describe the symptoms of food poisoning.
- Describe the common kinds of physical/chemical contamination.
Preventing Food Poisoning Objectives:
- Describe simple measures to prevent food poisoning by:
- Protecting food from the risk of contamination
- Preventing bacteria from multiplying
- Destroying bacteria in food
Personal Hygiene Objectives:
- Explain how high standards of personal hygiene for food handlers can be achieved.
- Explain when food handlers should wash their hands and describe acceptable methods of hand washing.
- Explain the need for detectable waterproof dressings to cover cuts and sores.
- Explain the need for clean protective clothing.
- Explain that you should not smoke, eat or drink in a food room and never cough or sneeze over food.
- Explain that problems can occur with the wearing of jewellery and nail varnish.
- Explain that a supervisor must be told, before an employee commences work, of any skin, nose, throat, stomach or bowel trouble or infected wound. Explain that this is a legal requirement.
Safe Food Production Objectives:
- Explain the need to avoid unnecessary handling of food.
- Describe safe systems for the preparation, storage and handling of food by:
- Avoiding unnecessary handling of food
- Not preparing food too far in advance of serving
- Keeping perishable food either refrigerated or piping hot
- Keeping raw and cooked food strictly separate
- Properly reheating food.
- Cleaning as you go.
The Supervisors Role Objectives:
- Describe briefly the rôle of the supervisor.
- Explain that if something is wrong, that the supervisor should be told.
- Follow any food safety instructions provided by your employer, the food manufacturer or your supervisor.
- Describe typical problems which should be reported to the supervisor including:
- Refrigerator temperatures outside 1-4C
- Evidence of pests.
- Potential physical contaminants, eg, loose screws, wrappers, insects, rodent droppings, waterproof dressings, disrepair of equipment and utensils.
- Food left out (exposed to the risk of contamination, or outside temperature control).
- Doors and windows left open, leaving access for pests or dust contamination.
- Raw food touching cooked food, or stored above cooked food.
Annex
The essentials of food hygiene set out in the Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice – Catering Guide 1995:
- To keep yourself clean and wear clean clothing.
- Always wash your hands thoroughly; before handling food, after using the toilet, handling raw foods or waste, before starting work, after every break, after blowing your nose.
- Tell your supervisor, before commencing work, of any skin, nose, throat, stomach or bowel trouble or infected wound. You are breaking the law if you do not.
- Ensure cuts and sores are covered with a waterproof, high visibility dressing.
- Avoid unnecessary handling of food.
- Do not smoke, eat or drink in a food room, and never cough or sneeze over food.
- If you see something wrong – tell your supervisor.
- Do not prepare food too far in advance of service.
- Keep perishable food either refrigerated or piping hot.
- Keep the preparation of raw and cooked food strictly separate.
- When reheating food ensure it gets piping hot.
- Clean as you go. Keep all equipment and surfaces clean.
- Follow any food safety instructions either on food packaging or from your supervisor.
