,

Food Fraud

food fraud

What is Food Fraud?

With the ever widening global food supply chain, food fraud is becoming an increasing problem that is of major concern to suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and, of course, consumers.

So what exactly is food fraud and why should the public be worried about it? Food fraud refers to any situation where food is tampered with or misrepresented with an intention of deceiving the consumer, with the main goal being to gain financially from such acts. There are many different types of food fraud, and these have been explored at length in scientific journals by various scholars. However, the two main types of food fraud are:

Sale of food that is unfit and has the potential to harm

This type of food fraud includes sale of beef and poultry with unknown origins, recycling of animal by-products with an intention of getting them back into the food chain, and even knowingly selling food products which have exceeded recommended use by, or safe to eat, dates.

Deliberate misrepresentation of food

Substituting products with cheaper alternatives and making false statements about where the food products originated from are some examples of this type of food fraud.

If animals have been stolen and illegally slaughtered, the sale of such meat constitutes food fraud, the same being true for wild game that has been poached.

The deliberate contamination of food for financial gain is worrisome in that it poses serious health risks to the consumer. With chemicals such as melamine and heparin making their way into the food chain there are serious implications for the long-term health of consumers.

Indeed, it will take a lot of vigilance to ensure that tampering of food products is curtailed. With the increasing fragmentation of global food supply chains, it has become much harder to trace the sources of food, which makes it difficult to detect tampering when it occurs. In the recent horse meat scandal for instance, the meat product travelled across several networks in several European countries, undetected.

Considering that the horse meat scandal is just a tip of the iceberg, it is no surprise therefore that consumers, investigators and regulators are anxious to identify any suspicious products that may be passed off as legitimate food products.

Consumers are entitled to the highest standards of food safety and manufacturers need to be completely transparent in disclosing details of where exactly they source their food, and what safeguards they have in place to prevent food fraud.

/by

Hand Hygiene

Food Poisoning

Hand Hygiene: Ignaz Semmelweis – A Man of his TimeIgnaz Semmelweis

In today’s modern medical world, it is required practice for surgeons to thoroughly wash their hands (referred to as scrubbing) before undertaking an operation. Many years ago, in the 1840s, a Hungarian physician by the name of Ignaz Semmelweis was criticized for suggesting that there was a connection between the poor hand hygiene of physicians and maternal deaths and neonatal mortality. Here’s what happened:

In 1846, a young Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis reported for his new job as head of the maternity clinic at the General Hospital in Vienna. Semmelweis became interested in finding out why many new mothers and their babies were dying from puerperal fever or childbed fever. So he embarked on a process of collecting crucial data which would help him find out the possible cause of the deaths.

At the beginning there seemed to be no obvious connection to the deaths, but later on as Semmelweis was examining the body of a colleague who had died, he realized that that colleague had died of childbed fever. This made him realize that the fever didn’t just affect mothers and newborn babies. Semmelweis arrived at the conclusion that the death of his colleague (a pathologist) must have resulted from cadaver contamination when the pathologist was working on an autopsy.

Semmelweis made it a requirement for his medical staff to wash their hands and instruments with a chlorine solution. At the time, he did not know anything about germs, but he knew that the best way to get rid of the smell of the cadaverous particles was to use chlorine. After this directive, the rate of childbed fever fell. However, the other doctors were not happy with Semmelweis. His directive made it look as if they were the ones passing on childbed fever to the mothers in the maternity clinic, an image the doctors were not ready to accept. Consequently, Semmelweis’ directives were resisted and he eventually lost his job. During the following years, Semmelweis suffered from mental illness and was committed to an asylum, where he died at the early age of 47.

Semmelweis was indeed a man of his time, a physician who practiced in an age where physician-scientists were beginning to look at illnesses from an anatomy point of view, unlike previously when illnesses were said to be caused by evil spirits. Today, hand-washing remains one of the most critical tools of public health. Hand hygiene is known to combat the spread of diseases and should always be practiced by food handlers.

 

/by

Using Cleaning Cloths Safely and Hygienically.

Cleaning Cloth

Using Cleaning Cloths Safely and Hygienically.

cleaning cloths

In response to a frequent question we receive regarding the use of dish cloths for cleaning and disinfection in the kitchen, here are some of our thoughts on the subject, in the context of food and food safety.

Cleaning cloths, improperly used, have the potential to be the cause of cross-contamination; spreading food borne pathogens around kitchens and food rooms. Studies have recognised that cloths used in both domestic and commercial kitchens can harbour very high levels of pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella. Combine this with food handlers who have an inadequate level of food hygiene knowledge, and you have a food poisoning disaster just waiting to happen!

It’s important to note that there’s no point in having segregated areas, surfaces and equipment for food production and preparation if all surfaces and equipment end up being cleaned with the same cloth.  Damp dish cloths, ingrained with grease and food residue, left lying around for hours on end, provide the optimum environment for the growth of bacteria. The bacteria is then spread around causing contamination each time the cloth is used; sometimes a single cloth can be used multiple times by several different food handlers, further exacerbating the danger and therefore exposing many more people to food poisoning.

The number seven is widely acknowledged to be the complete number, so here are seven very straightforward safety tips to prevent cross-contamination when using cleaning cloths.

  1. We would recommend when practicable, using single-use, disposable cloths. This method is always preferable; as it means that the cloth (along with any pathogens) can be disposed of immediately after cleaning; reducing the risk of contamination. In some instances, this could mean replacing traditional cloths with a blue paper towel, but only if the paper is sufficiently durable to cope with the task in hand.
  2. Where possible, colour-code your cleaning cloths. There is a wide variety of different coloured cleaning cloths on the market today, which can be purchased inexpensively. If it’s not practical to have a full set of colours, it can be as simple as having blue ‘J Cloths’ for the cooked, ready-to-eat areas of production in your kitchen, and red cloths for the raw areas.
  3. It’s imperative that cloths are replaced regularly, but especially when they start to tear or become damaged.
  4. Ensure cleaning cloths are thoroughly washed after each use. Never use the same cloth for cleaning between different tasks, especially between raw and cooked areas!
  5. Subsequent to washing, best practice would be to fully immerse the cloth in hot water above 82°c for several minutes, (to disinfect). All cleaning cloths should be laundered daily either in a washing machine on a boil wash and/or in a dishwasher, and always left to thoroughly air dry before reusing.
  6. Provide a clearly designated receptacle in the kitchen for all dirty cloths. This is a practical measure you can take to prevent them from being reused before they have been washed. Likewise, make sure that all clean cloths are stored separately and hygienically away from food.
  7. Ensure there is an adequate supply of fresh cloths at the start of each working day so that food handlers are not tempted to keep reusing soiled cloths.

Other important points to consider

Make sure that your cleaning procedures and cleaning schedules are up-to-date, and that cleaning procedures are written down. The policy on cleaning cloths should be clearly documented on the schedule, along with cleaning methods and the approved chemicals which are to be used. When using cleaning chemicals, it is absolutely essential that the manufacturer’s instructions are followed at all times. This includes dilution rates and the required contact time. It’s also a very good idea to check that your disinfectants and sanitisers meet the required standards, as many don’t! The Food Standards Agency state in their E. coli O157 Cross-contamination Factsheet – Caterers (2014) that “…Disinfectants and sanitisers must at least meet the requirements of one of the following standards: BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697; or other standards that meet the same conditions and requirements.”

Cleaning and disinfection must be carried out on all hand and food-contact surfaces and equipment. Effective cleaning precedes effective disinfection, disinfection won’t work on visibly soiled surfaces; one follows the other. Another obvious point to make is never to spray cleaning chemicals around open food, as this could easily result in chemically contaminating your products, but more seriously, damaging the health of those people who go on to consume the food.

Finally, and very importantly, managers and supervisors must clearly communicate standards to food handlers, and ensure this is underpinned by ongoing and effective supervision. Managers can massively help implement standards and maintain a good food safety culture if they lead by example and put into practice ‘what they preach’. Hypocrisy is a big turn-off. A manager who is sloppy will often find that their staff are too – and in all probability, to a greater degree. This principle applies and extends into all areas of food safety.

 

 

/by
,

Safe Low-Temperature and Sous Vide Cooking

optimal cooking temperature

Safe Low-Temperature and Sous Vide Cookingsous vide cooking

Mention “sous vide” and most people will think of food that has been cooked at a very low temperature.  Sous vide cooking involves sealing ingredients in a vacuum pack bag and cooking in a water bath, a combination oven, or indeed any other cooker that can set and hold a target temperature. Essentially, sous vide cooking is about preparing dishes at an optimal cooking temperature; the temperature being sufficiently high enough to eradicate thermo-tolerant pathogens, whilst still being low enough to maximize flavour. Once cooked, the product is usually served immediately, or it can be seared and / or served or stored in a refrigerator (preferably below 3 degrees Celsius). This makes sous vide a flexible option for the busy caterer, as it enables high quality dishes to be prepared and stored in advance of busy service times.

Sous vide cooking has caught the imagination of chefs from all over the world because it is considered one of the best forms of cooking for enhancing the flavour and texture of food. When food is cooked at low temperatures there is minimal moisture loss. Foods, especially meats, become tender and more succulent when prepared at lower temperatures. This style of cooking also has a reputation for enhancing the visual appearance of food as well as its texture.

However, food cooked at low temperatures has the potential to cause food poisoning because there is a risk that pathogens may be able to survive the cooking process; therefore only those chefs who fully understand the risks associated with sous vide, and have received the appropriate food safety training, should engage in it.

Chefs must ensure they take all necessary steps to mitigate the risk of food poisoning, and that includes only using the freshest of ingredients from a reputable and traceable source. They must also be totally familiar with the equipment, temperatures and times to be used in the cooking process, and to have received the correct and sufficient training.

Personal and environmental hygiene is also extremely important in sous vide cooking; food handlers must make sure that they personally are scrupulously clean, as well as the kitchen in which it the food is to be prepared.

To summarise: Sous vide cooking should only be carried out by professionally trained chefs who fully understand this particular cooking technique and the potential food poisoning hazards  associated with it.

If you would like to have your staff professionally trained in sous vide cooking and the food safety training necessary, please contact us today.

/by
,

The Benefits of the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

CaterSafe Auditing

The Benefits of the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

Have you checked the hygiene rating of your favourite restaurant or food outlet lately? You may be in for an unpleasant surprise when you do!

Most consumers will judge the hygiene standards of a restaurant merely based on appearances; if the premises and staff appear to be clean they will assume the food is safe to eat. However, the National Food Hygiene Rating gives the consumer a much more accurate picture of how well the business meets the required standards by checking-out those areas of the business that the customer can’t see. By knowing the rating of a restaurant in advance of reserving a table you may decide to switch to one that has higher standards.

By maintaining good food hygiene standards, and consequently achieving a high rating, businesses are able to offer the best to their consumers and also remain competitive. The rating scheme is run by local authorities who conduct inspections to ensure that the businesses operating in the food industry have met all the requirements. The information they obtain is then published on the Food Standards Agency website.

The rating is normally applicable to those places where people eat out, e.g. restaurants, cafes, hotels, pubs, as well as institutions like hospitals and schools. You may also find some shops and supermarkets that sell certain types of foodstuffs included within the food hygiene rating scheme.

Before a rating is given, a food safety officer visits the businesses premises to conduct an inspection. The officer will check not just how the food is served to customers, but the entire process from delivery of the food from the wholesaler right through storage, preparation, cooking and disposal of waste. An inspection will also be done to assess the structure and suitability of the building in which food is stored, prepared, and cooked. The officer will pay particular attention to provision of hand washing facilities for staff, fridges and freezers for storing food, as well as lighting and ventilation in food preparation areas. The officer will also want to see evidence of a well-documented food safety management system specific to that particular business.

When the food safety officer’s visit is completed, and they are satisfied the business is in compliance with the law, and standards are being maintained to protect the consumer from deadly foodborne illnesses, they will be given an appropriate rating. The business will then be subject to further regular inspections to ensure standards are not only being maintained, but improved upon.

The food hygiene rating scheme not only allows consumers to keep track of their local food businesses, but is a motivating factor for proprietors and managers to maintain high standards of hygiene. The introduction of this scheme has really helped to enhance the provision of safer food for the nation.

 

/by

The Wastage of Food

The scandalous amount of food we waste! 

Back in March 2105, the BBC contacted us for comment on the shocking amount of food that is wasted within the UK. In a world with nearly a billion malnourished people, it’s incredibly hard to comprehend why 18 to 20 million tons of food is wasted in the UK every year. The amount of wasted food is enough to adequately feed each one of these malnourished individuals. But food is continually being wasted by households, food service businesses, manufacturers and retailers.food waste

But who exactly is responsible for discarding the highest quantity of food? According to an estimate given by WRAP, the highest level of food wastage is from consumers who are estimated to discard a horrifying 8.3 million tons of food every year! Retailers on the other hand are responsible for 1.6 million tons of wastage per year and food manufacturers waste around 4.1 million tons! Restaurants and other groups are reported to waste more than 6 million tons of food.

The water used for irrigation to grow surplus food (which will eventually be wasted), is enough to fulfil the domestic needs of 9 billion people! Yes, you read it correctly; 9 billion people! This means that if something isn’t done about food wastage, the UK will be utilising its resources on wastage.

In the UK alone, it’s reported that 20 to 40% of fruit and vegetables are not accepted in shops by major retailers because they do not meet the strict cosmetic standards. Foods such as fish are sometimes thrown back into the North Atlantic and North Sea, simply because they’re not considered the proper size, shape or species.

Food wastage has found its way in schools too. Research shows that 24 to 35% of school lunches are thrown in the bin! Households alone waste around 20% of the food they buy. Some of the food is discarded because it has reached the expiry date before it is consumed.

Retailers are not obligated to report the amount of food which is discarded. There is no law that requires them to report on food wastage, so keeping track of the amount of food that’s eventually discarded can be somewhat of a challenge. The UK Government has recognised that a lot more needs to be done in order to reduce the amount of food that is wasted every year.

Another shocking revelation on food wastage is the fact that the average UK household wastes food worth circa £60 a month, which is nearly the amount an average family spends on groceries per week!

/by
,

Protecting Your Customers from Campylobacter

Campylobacter in chicken

Protecting Your Customers from Campylobacter

Food poisoning is a major cause of concern in the UK.  When bacteria, viruses or parasites are present in food, they cause diarrhoea, vomiting and other serious illnesses that can sometimes turn out to be fatal.  Currently the most common cause of food poisoning in the UK is that of Campylobacter; and is therefore a very real cause for concern. It’s currently estimated that Campylobacter causes around 100 fatalities each year and is believed to cost the UK economy a whopping £900 Million! The Food Standards Agency (FSA) have estimated that around 28,000 people in the UK fell ill to Campylobacter in 2014.

The Campylobacter bacteria is particularly prevalent in raw meat, especially in raw poultry; not surprisingly there have been a number of cases in which poultry farms have been identified as being the source of a food poisoning outbreak. Research shows that almost 65% of chicken sold in UK’s butcheries and supermarkets are contaminated with Campylobacter. This has been such a huge problem that the Food Standards Agency were driven to order new tests to be conducted on UK farms.

Contamination usually occurs when chicken are reared in cramped conditions. Some poultry farmers will do this in order to maximize production, but this intense farming method actually enhances the spread of bacteria from flock to flock. A single infected bird can infect the entire flock, so farmers need to be very diligent and act immediately it is identified.

Whilst the bacteria rarely cause symptoms in animals, it can prove seriously detrimental to human health once consumed; therefore animal health is absolutely foundational to food safety in humans.

There are some measures that can be taken to make chicken less vulnerable to Campylobacter. However, most farmers are unable to conduct a thorough enough cleaning programme because of the associated costs which would inevitably have to be passed on to an increasingly price sensitive consumer, who has become used to cheap chicken.

Who is at risk of Campylobacter? Put simply; all of your customers are! But especially those whose immune systems are weaker, or impaired. These include young children, pregnant women, the elderly, those who are convalescing after an illness.

In the Kitchen: Practical ways to protect your customers from Campylobacter.

One really important control measure is to be sure only to purchase poultry from reputable and approved suppliers. Once Poultry has been delivered, ensure that it is stored correctly; covered and placed in a deep container in the bottom of the refrigerator. By doing this, you will significantly reduce the risk of blood or juices dripping onto high-risk, ready-to-eat foods. However, it is best practice to have a separate fridge solely for the storage of raw meat and poultry. The same levels of segregation apply to frozen poultry.

Prior to cooking, it’s vital that poultry is not washed – as this can spread the bacteria around the kitchen by splashing! When dealing with frozen poultry, always plan ahead, and ensure that it is fully defrosted before cooking. When defrosting poultry, or any raw meat for that matter, it’s always best to thaw in the refrigerator 24 hours before it’s required.

During preparation, it’s essential that you thoroughly clean and disinfect all work surfaces, chopping boards and utensils ‘as you go’. Cleaning is absolutely fundamental to food safety, as is frequent and effective hand washing, but especially after handling raw poultry.

Most of the bacteria present in raw foods, can be eliminated by thorough and effective cooking, the same applies to Campylobacter. Making sure that chicken and other poultry is properly cooked before consumption will help to eliminate Campylobacter in raw meat.

/by
,

Seven Steps to a Successful Barbecue

how to barbeque safely

How To Have A Successful Barbecue5535263327_90c48b90c6_o

Summer is upon us once again, and with it comes the prospect of family fun and social gatherings around the barbecue; there’s something very special about long lazy summer days and the smoky flavour of barbecued meat eaten in the company of friends.

Whilst barbeque parties are great social occasions, don’t ruin them by giving your guests food poisoning! In the UK, cases of food poisoning rise significantly over the summer months; many of which can be directly attributed to poor food safety practices on the BBQ.

Far too many happy gatherings are spoilt by the unpleasant consequences of food that has been stored at the wrong temperature, handled by people with unwashed hands, and not cooked sufficiently long enough, at a high enough temperate, to eliminate potentially hazardous bacteria. Often the person responsible for cooking at a BBQ has never received any training in food safety; therefore the potential for a serious food poisoning incident to occur is very high.

We recommend you strictly observe the following 7 points if you want to keep your guests safe and happy and yourself stress-free, when you host your next BBQ.

  1. Plan ahead – make sure the BBQ, which has probably not been used for several months, is given a through clean and safety check. Light the BBQ well in advance of the time you will begin cooking. Charcoal should be glowing hot – it can take about an hour from the time of lighting the fire to reach ideal cooking temperature.
  2.  Don’t wash raw meat – all this does is splash bacteria around the sink, taps and work surfaces that need to be kept completely free from contamination.
  3.  Store raw meat covered, in appropriate containers at the bottom of the fridge until needed for cooking.
  4.  Pre-cook the meat in your kitchen oven before finishing off on the BBQ.
  5.  Food waiting to be cooked should be stored in a cool box with a lid to prevent contamination by insects or pets.
  6.  Keep cooked and raw foods separate, and always use separate tongs and utensils to prevent cross contamination.
  7.  Wash hands thoroughly between tasks, but especially after handling raw meat. Keep your food preparation area scrupulously clean and free from discarded food at all times. Keep children well away from the BBQ, as well as those adults not involved with the cooking.

Happy barbecuing!

Learn how to safely prepare, cook, and serve food this summer with a CaterSafe online course: https://catersafeconsultants.co.uk/food-safety-haccp-training/hygiene-online

/by

Seven Common Reasons for a Low Food Hygiene Rating!

CaterSafe Auditing

Seven Common Reasons for a Low Food Hygiene Rating!

hygiene ratingFollowing on from my comments on BBC West Midlands in November and my radio interview with BBC Coventry and Warwickshire on the 17th June 2015; I thought it would be a good idea to remind people of the most common reasons why food businesses fail to achieve a ‘good’ or ‘very good’ food hygiene rating. I was invited onto the breakfast show to give some insight into why a wide range of eateries in the Coventry and Warwickshire area, have only attained a food hygiene rating of “1” from the Local Authority – with some premises awarded “0” out of a possible “5”.

Every food business, whether it be a large supermarket, a branded restaurant chain or a small proprietor run café, have the potential to be awarded the Food Standards Agency maximum food hygiene rating of 5 (very good). The maximum rating demonstrates to your customers that you not only value their custom, but you’re working hard to ensure the highest possible standards of food safety and that food purchased from your premises won’t make them unwell.

The food safety officer inspecting a business will work out and award an overall Food Hygiene Rating based across three different areas, which are:

 

  1. How hygienically the food is handled – how food is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored.

 

  1. The condition, layout and structure of the building- including the cleanliness, lighting, ventilation as well as other facilities and amenities.

 

  1. Confidence in management – how effectively the business manages food safety.

Unfortunately, although many businesses have the potential to be awarded a very good rating, they don’t actually achieve it because of a failure to develop, implement, and adhere to some very straightforward procedures. Based on our experience, these are the seven most common reasons why businesses fail to achieve a very good food hygiene rating:

 

  1. No documented food safety management system in place. (Whilst the premises may not be dirty, there’s no documented evidence that food safety is being taken seriously. Remember: If it’s not written down, there’s no proof!)

 

  1. Failure to actively and diligently manage an existing food safety system. (Documentation and monitoring records such as fridge/freezer temperatures etc. must be filled in regularly and in a timely manner. Depending on the type of business, this will require records to be completed several times each day.)

 

  1. Lack of knowledge. (A failure to keep abreast of current legislation may result in a food safety management system that is no longer “fit for purpose”.)

 

  1. Business operators viewing food safety as an ‘optional extra’. (During the course of a busy and pressurised day, when customer numbers are high, there may be a temptation to serve food quickly rather than safely.)

 

  1. Lack of staff training. (Many food service businesses employ additional staff during the summer but fail to provide them with adequate training. Some small business operators working on narrow margins are often tempted to view training for casual or seasonal staff as a waste of money.)

 

  1. Poor hygiene habits of food handlers. (Even where food safety training has been delivered, management may fail to ensure staff actually adhere to it!)

 

  1. Poor cleaning practices due to poor structure and layout of the premises. (Food businesses by law should have adequate lighting, ventilation, drainage and a dependable supply of hot and cold potable water, with separate sinks for hand washing and food preparation. Poorly laid out or difficult to access areas, such as behind ovens and freezers, may result in staff failing to clean effectively, which can result in a build-up of dangerous levels of bacteria and an infestation of pests.)

 

If you would like help implementing a food safety management system for your business, or help in achieving the Food Standards Agency maximum food hygiene rating, contact Sam Turner at CaterSafe Consultants: https://catersafeconsultants.co.uk/contact-us

 

/by

Great British Bake Off Beards?

beardAs the popular TV programme, Great British Bake Off, returned to our television screens last week, a number of irate viewers took to social media in order to protest about some of the excessive hair on display by some of the show’s contestants.

I was approached by the Daily Mail for an expert opinion on the food safety practices of the show, but particularly pertaining to viewers concerns over excessive facial hair exhibited by some of the programme’s contestants.

Firstly, I would like to say that I do not know any of the contestants personally. Neither am I against “Great British Bake Off”, individual expression, beards per se, or against anyone who chooses to wear them. My observations and comments are solely in relation to beards and facial hair within the context of food safety and food hygiene.

When I started my career as a commis chef back in the mid-nineties, beards were out of fashion, most of my colleagues were clean shaven. Those who were not clean shaven might have sported a small goatee or discreet box beard. In recent years, however, the full beard has enjoyed somewhat of a comeback. More and more male celebrities are sporting a full beard and consequently this has led to a huge rise in younger men growing and maintaining a beard, and as such, this has now become a topical issue and subject of debate among food safety professionals, caterers and the general public alike.

What’s the big deal?

Some people have argued that there is no difference between having a long beard and long hair. But that is just the point! If I order a meal, and the chef has a long beard, just the same as if the chef had long hair, I would expect the chef to keep their beard and hair under wraps. That is a perfectly logical and reasonable request. I’m not insisting that all male chefs and cooks are clean shaven! What I am saying is that if a chef chooses to wear a long beard, then as with long hair, they should keep it covered. Within food manufacturing, snoods are common practice.

Generally speaking, the public perception is that beards are dirty! If a chef who is preparing my food, has a long beard then I would expect it to be covered – and here’s why:

Long beards tend to encourage scratching and fondling (which soon can become a subconscious habit). Scratching and frequent itching can subsequently cause loose hairs to fall out into food. Furthermore, pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus; which are prevalent on human skin, nose, throat and hair, can then be transferred onto food, introducing both a physical and microbiological food safety hazard.

At CaterSafe Consultants, our client base is diverse, and range from small pubs and restaurants to supermarkets and large corporate organisations. Organisational requirements vary. Some of our clients will insist that their male members of staff are clean shaven; others do not have much of an issue with well-groomed, small beards, but frown upon excessive facial hair. Some business owners believe it to be a non-issue. In reality, it comes down to what is best practice. The question we should be asking is, “what is best for our customers?” Consumers rightly expect the food they eat to not only to be of a high standard – but ultimately, food which is prepared, cooked and finished by clean food handlers, to be safe to eat and free from contaminants, whatever those contaminants maybe. It is vital that we do not jettison hygiene for vanity – the vanity of the chef should not take precedence over the safety and enjoyment of the food. The safety of the food is always the axiom, and starting point for everything.

We need to recognise that some people have to grow a beard, perhaps because of sensitive skin, which makes shaving impossible for some men. But there is a difference between a short, well-trimmed beard, and a beard which is long and unkempt. In every instance common sense should always prevail.

Cookery TV programmes?

Some people have commented on the fact that the food produced on the BBC TV show, Great British Bake Off, isn’t offered for sale to the general public, and that such programmes are just a bit of fun and are supposed to be light entertainment. This is true to a point, and a dichotomy exists between food for public and domestic consumption, and amateur bakers baking for fun on a TV programme and those baking or cooking in the commercial sector. The problem is that the majority of viewers do not make this distinction. The exponential rise in TV cookery programmes within the last decade has made the potential access to good food more achievable to everyone. However, that is just the point. Cookery shows are not merely entertainment – they are also educational, therefore the hygiene practices carried out on these shows must be of the highest standard possible. It is not acceptable to ignore good food safety practices or be cavalier with food hygiene on the grounds of entertainment; most people take their cue from, and imitate what they see on TV, this particular form of mass media carries a lot of weight. Winking at poor hygiene practices does send out the wrong message.

During my career, I have worked as a professional chef, and now, as an educator and specialist trainer of chefs and food safety consultant. One of the frequent problems that I encounter is students with a poor attitude to food hygiene practice. Many have adopted bad habits from watching “celebrity” chefs on the TV and think that good food is all about taste and presentation, not the welfare of the person that is expected to eat it. It’s paramount that good hygiene practices should be demonstrated by chefs and contestants on TV as their behaviour does influence viewers.

Appearance

It is vital that chefs take pride in their appearance. An unkempt, untidy appearance often reflects a slovenly attitude, which can extend into other areas, including food preparation, storage, and temperature control. Having a large beard really is not an issue, provided it is washed, well groomed, and covered with a snood whilst preparing food.

Listen to Sam Turner’s light hearted exchange with popular American bearded chef Timmy Malloy and presenter Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio 5 Live.

/by

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q. My staff need food hygiene training, but I haven’t got the qualifications or the time to train them, and I certainly can’t afford to close my business so they can attend a training course elsewhere. How can CaterSafe help?

A. We offer on-the-job training. We will come to you and train your staff in their actual working environment, so that all training is relevant and job-specific, and your staff aren’t absent when you need them most.

Q. Is HACCP mandatory for all food businesses, even a small business like mine?

A.Yes it is. HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a legal requirement for all food businesses. You must have a food safety management system based on the principals of HACCP. Under current legislation, a “food business” is defined as an organization, whether for profit or not, public or private, that either prepares, processes, manufactures, packages, stores, transports, distributes handles, sells or supplies food. We offer technical advice (including a written, Food Safety Management System and HACCP Manual, specific to your business) and training so that your business implements and complies with these requirements in a way that is appropriate for you.

Q. I own a small business and I’m not sure that I would be able to afford your fees. How much do you charge?

A. If you’re very sensitive about cash-flow, then you probably can’t afford to close your business for even a day in order to rectify problems identified by your local Environmental Health Officer.

An initial consultation with CaterSafe is normally free and without obligation. We work with you to ensure the money you spend on our advice is an investment which adds value to your business. We don’t believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach or in using a “sledge hammer to crack a nut”. Our fees are dependent on the size and complexity of your business. Clients will always receive details of our fees in writing prior to CaterSafe undertaking any work on their behalf.

Q: How much do your retainer packages cost?

A: Our retainer packages vary in price, depending on your specific needs and the size of your business and scale of your operations. Our packages start from as little as £40 per month which is an affordable and cost effective solution.

Q: Isn’t e-learning the way forward? What’s the benefit of sitting a ‘classroom’ based training course?

A: Whilst we offer a suite of our own high quality, accredited e-leaning courses (which are some of the best available on the market), our team of trainers are also fully qualified and experienced teachers, who have professional and widespread experience within education.

We have found that most candidates understand and retain information on our taught courses, much better, and therefore are more likely to apply the knowledge gained. This is why as a company, in most instances, we would advocate a ‘face-to-face’ taught course over an e-learning equivalent.

Whilst e-learning does have many benefits and can be an effective and convenient way to train, especially if time-constraints are an issue. However, a frequently encountered problem, in our experience, is the tendency for some learners to view e-learning as merely a means to an end; a quick and easy way to gain a “certificate” without expending much in the way of effort or cost.

We believe that in most cases (particularly at higher levels), deeper learning tends to take place when it has been delivered in a lively and passionate way, as well as learners benefiting greatly from the interaction with peers and tutors alike.

We aim to send your staff away from our courses, enthused; with a new vision in how to apply what they have learnt to their day-to-day duties, thus adding value to your business.

As a company, we base the way we teach on integrity and excellence. We believe imparting to our learners knowledge, which in turn effects behaviour, – rather than just ‘facts to pass a test’.

 

 

 

/by

A nice post

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem.

Nulla consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, vulputate eget, arcu. In enim justo, rhoncus ut, imperdiet a, venenatis vitae, justo. Nullam dictum felis eu pede mollis pretium. Integer tincidunt. Cras dapibus. Vivamus elementum semper nisi. Aenean vulputate eleifend tellus. Aenean leo ligula, porttitor eu, consequat vitae, eleifend ac, enim.

Read more

/0 Comments/by