Australian Food Safety Blog

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points or HACCP is a preventive approach to food safety that aims to prevent hazardous effects to consumers by identifying potential food safety hazards in all food industries and applying certain actions known as Critical Control Points to reduce and eliminate threats to the health of consumers.

This system was invented and implemented successfully in the US for NASA by a company called Pillsbury in 1960. At that time Pillsbury was asked to manufacture the foods for NASA’s space flights and needed to ensure the health of the astronauts by preventing illnesses caused by foods. The system was subsequently adopted by the FDA in America.

HACCP and its success for NASA has seen it adopted by numerous others in the food industry. Because it addresses both physical hazards (foreign objects such as glass or plastic in food etc.) and chemical hazards (potentially dangerous ingredients etc.) HACCP assures both the food preparer and the consumer that the food being served is safe to eat.

According to the HACCP guidelines, restaurants should perform hazard analysis (the “HA”) in the storage, preparation, cooking, and packaging of foods to highlight and detect possible food hazards and distinguish the critical control points (the “CCP”) where appropriate prevention and control techniques may be employed to ensure the safety of foods.

Following the hazard analysis and the identification of critical control points, restaurants need to define “critical limits”. At each CCP food must remain within these limits to satisfy the guidelines.

CCP monitoring requirements are then put in place to ensure that each critical control point stays within its predefined limits. If critical control point limits are exceeded, corrective action must be taken; this corrective action must be established so that no public health hazard occurs as a result of this.

To ensure that the system is working effectively procedures need to be carefully monitored, documented and updated. Checks need to be made to ensure that microbial levels are appropriate and that all staff are aware of the correct procedures.

The HACCP systems and procedures should be properly documented and recorded for the purpose of verification and evaluation of the process. Records should include the plan, procedures taken, and the deviations occurred during the process. This is to make sure that the critical limits are not exceeded and that no contaminants pose a threat to customers.

Since restaurants and other food chain stores handle and trade foods, HACCP can help strengthen quality control systems so that these restaurants and their customers can rest assured knowing that high standards of sanitation, refrigeration and storage and handling procedures are in place. Restaurants who can abide by the regulation of this system have lower or no chances of food contamination, and the safety of the customers will be highly recognized.

For commercial restaurants and kitchens, even one incidence of food borne illness can significantly tarnish a hard earned reputation indefinitely, if not forever. A certification in HACCP is highly regarded in the world of food and those businesses who can display this certification are proving to customers and other businesses alike that they are dedicated to providing clean and safe environment in which to enjoy a meal. A certification in HACCP can help improve business by instilling confidence in customers that their meal has been prepared in a safe, sanitary manner. Making sure the food tastes good – well that’s up to you!

If you own a restaurant or a catering service, or you have a great deal of experience in the food industry, you already know that safety concerns should be one of the highest priorities. Not only can poorly prepared and unsafe food have dire consequences for your guests, you’ll find that it is the number one way to make sure that your business plummets. Furthermore, if you are someone who operates in Australia in general or in Victoria in particular, you are already aware that word of mouth can make or break you. If you want to make sure that your food-related business is going to survive, keep the following mistakes in mind and make sure that you can’t be accused of making them.

The first mistake that people often make is that they will not pay attention to what temperature that food is stored at. When you are thinking about the bacteria that most commonly infect food, you’ll find that it will tend to start between 5 °C to 60° C. This is a fairly wide range, and if you have to prepare food a long time before you serve it, make sure that you have taken a look what the temperature conditions are like.

Similarly, keep in mind that foods that are raw and that foods that are cooked are a place where bacteria can be spread and then passed on to your clients. Remember that raw food should always bee kept in their own separate containers and that they should be kept on the lowest level of the refrigerator to avoid their dripping on the raw foods below and possibly contaminating them. Remember that all food, raw or cooked, should be stored in the appropriate containers and that they should always be fully covered.

Remember that your water supply is another important consideration. Keep alert for any water warnings in your area and when it comes to food preparation, remember that you should always be safe rather than sorry. Remember that you can always boil the water first or get water from sealed bottles if you feel that there is a problem. Similarly, keep in mind that ice can be problematic and that it is always better to be safe than sorry.

When it comes to food contamination, remember that the consequences can be severe. You might be dealing with things like a guest’s severe illness, problems with the health inspectors, even a shut down if things are seen as being deeply problematic, so take the time to look over the proper procedures for keeping your kitchen clean and hygienic.

One of the joys of going out to eat is having the fresh food, prepared especially for you by some incredibly talented chef. However going out to dinner can be very expensive. You are also bothered by other people, interrupted by the server and on occasion rushed through your meal because the restaurant needs the table. What if there was a way that you could recreate the same wonderful dining experience at home? Here are five simple tips that you can do at home to make your kitchen feel like a fine dining kitchen.

Tip One: Labeling
Make sure that everything in your kitchen is labeled. I think we have all at some point picked up something out of the refrigerator and wondered what it was. Spice labels are easily worn off and if you are not familiar with all the scents, you may find that you are adding basil when you wanted to add cilantro.

Tip Two: Clean, Sanitized and Safe
Fine dining restaurants have impeccably clean kitchens. You would not walk into one of Gordon Ramsey’s kitchens and find it a mess. Take the time to clean your kitchen; this is the place that you are preparing food for your self, family and friends. Making sure it is clean will help reduce any possible contamination to food that you are preparing.

Tip Three: Everything In Its Place
You will not walk into a restaurant kitchen and find raw food next to food that is ready to be served to someone. When you are preparing meals make sure that you keep the cooked food in its own place and raw food away. This will also help eliminate contamination.

Tip Four: Go With Fresh
Real chefs never use packaged or pre-made foods. Everything is fresh, right down to the herbs and spices. The freshness of ingredients helps the cook create food that is overflowing with flavor, that will take your taste buds on a delightful journey while you nourish your body.

Tip Five: Be Creative
With a clean kitchen and fresh ingredients don’t be afraid to experiment with recipes. Try new food combinations. When you walk into a fine dining kitchen you aren’t going to see any cook books or recipe cards lying about. Be creative, mix what sounds good. You may find that you are the best chef you know.

Outbreaks of food poisoning have been in the news a lot as of late; as you know, many of these outbreaks were traced to restaurants. No matter where in the world you are, there are safety regulations which must be followed and Victoria, Australia is no exception. Regardless of the kind of food you serve in your establishment, cleanliness and following safety regulations with regard to food handling are good habits to keep and can prevent food poisoning.

Salmonella is a bacterium which can taint many types of food items. Usually, raw meats are the prime suspects in salmonella related food poisoning cases, but pet reptiles can also carry these bacteria. There are two ways to prevent salmonella form causing food poisoning which are guaranteed to be effective: thoroughly cooking food before serving and regular, thorough hand washing before, during and after cooking or eating.

Escherichia coli (or e-coli for short) is a form of bacteria which can cause serious illness or even death. Found naturally inside of the human body and in some foods, some strains can be lethal. E-coli produces harmful, toxic substances and includes unpleasant (to say the least) symptoms including watery and/or bloody diarrhea. A healthy adult can generally weather a case of e-coli food poisoning, but the elderly, the sick and young children are at risk of getting very ill if infected. As with salmonella, the way to prevent e-coli infection is thorough cooking and regular hand washing, along with careful cleaning of all cooking areas. Hand washing should become a thoroughly ingrained habit. You use your hands to pick up everything ? even harmful microbes.

It is understandable that with all of the headlines about food borne illnesses that many may feel as if dining out is tantamount to playing Russian roulette. You can ensure that your restaurant is safe from the hazards presented by infected foods by following the HACCP standards (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). These standards are designed to ensure the safety of foods made for human consumption. Most are common sense rules, such as putting perishable ingredients like milk back into refrigeration after using and dating items put into the freezer. Running a restaurant kitchen requires that you stay on top of a lot of different things. If you?ve got employees whom you supervise, you must make sure that they are up to speed on HACCP standards and adhere to them. You don?t want all of the work you?ve put into your restaurant to be ruined by one mistake made out of ignorance of the HACCP rules.

Any certifications or stickers you have received from health authorities should be posted where your customers can easily see them. You can let them know in this way that your restaurant has a clean kitchen and they can dine without worry. Your customers will then know that your kitchen has nothing to hide and the food that you serve them is wholesome and can be enjoyed in confidence.

by Malcolm J. Richmond

Anyone about to begin a career in hospitality in Melbourne needs to know what the professionals already do: this is a tough crowd to please. The smallest damage to your reputation can ruin you in this town. A career in hospitality can be a very rewarding one, but it is something that requires attention to detail and of course, food safety. Before you step into the hospitality industry, you and your staff need to know the applicable food safety regulations inside out.

Your staff has to be prepared for any situation which may arise in the kitchen in terms of food safety and best health practices. This means that each and every member of your staff has to complete a food safety course. Once your staff has completed this course you’ll know that they’ve been properly trained and are aware of all the relevant food safety issues.

What many people do not know is that food safety goes so much further beyond “wash your hands” and “keep everything at the right temperature.” What you are going to need to do is to look into all the small but equally important things that you need to know to make sure that your hospitality business is among the best.

For instance, have you thought about the fact that you need to label everything that goes into your kitchen?

This will help you avoid needing to open containers and then resealing them when it turns out that they are not what you want. Every time a container is opened, it risks being contaminated and you can cut down on this risk by making sure that everyone knows what is in what container.

Whether you’re in the hospitality business proper or your company has any involvement in food preparation or handling, it is essential that your staff take and complete a food safety course. When kitchen staff is not properly trained in food safety, you place your business in peril.

Food preparation personnel who are not aware of proper food safety procedures can quickly lead to a kitchen which harbors disease causing microorganisms. Any risk of sickening a patron due to your kitchen’s sanitation or food handling procedures is one which should be eliminated.

Especially in Melbourne, a single customer made ill by eating in your establishment could be the end of your career in hospitality. A food safety course is a wise investment in the future of your business – and far cheaper than the cost of a lawsuit!

It can be difficult to keep your kitchen staff properly trained in food safety issues. Since the turnover rate in the hospitality industry tends to be rather high, you’ll be faced with the challenge of regularly ensuring that new hires are aware of all the relevant safety issues. Hiring a certification expert and food safety consultant can help your business make sure that the food you serve is safe with regular training and audits of your food preparation areas.

Particularly in Melbourne, proper training for your staff through a food safety course is vitally important to your work in the hospitality industry.

When people walk into a restaurant to eat, they are putting their trust in you. They blindly have faith that you will serve them food that is fresh and safe to eat. There are several restaurants in Australia right now that are paying out hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties and settlements because they served contaminated food to patrons who became seriously ill and, in one particular case, died. So, how can you know that your kitchen is safe? Even one mistake leading to an outbreak of illness can permanently damage your establishment’s reputation and finances due to damage claims. Many times these are simple mistakes that could have been easily avoided.

One of the most common problems is salmonella poisoning which cases stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration in its victims. This is most often caused by poor food-handling hygiene and inadequate oven cooking temperatures. The Sofia Pizza Restaurant infected at least 33 people with salmonella back in 2004. In 2003, Footscray restaurant Thanh Phu faced a class action suit from 135 people. This is an overwhelming problem that could cost you thousands, not something to shrug off as something that will “never happen to me.”

Victoria, Australia has strict food regulations that force all food distributed in Australia to meet certain requirements. There are also certain standards for importing or exporting food as well. There are several different places that you will need to register with, depending on what kind of food you are mainly selling or preparing. The Food Safety Programme (FSP) details a number of requirements for keeping your kitchen clean and safe. First of all, all measuring devices should be calibrated annually and tested mid-year. A log should be kept listing when sauces and other foods are thawed so there will be record of the time frame in which they should be used. The temperature of delivery trucks and delivered packages should be measured and recorded in said log. Records should also be kept as to when “high risk” foods are discarded. If these rules are not followed, stiff fines will be enforced. This applies to fresh food stands as well as stores and restaurants. There are training programs available to educate your employees as to proper food handling and preparation. While they do can incur an expense, it could save you money in the long run.

Each and every day kitchen staffs all over the world are making mistakes that could cost you the restaurant owner money. Not just on food that is returned and not paid for, but on health code violations and possible lawsuits from people that get sick from eating at your dining establishment. It is time for you to step and take note of what is going on in your kitchen.

Number One: Bacteria
Your number one concern in the kitchen needs to be keeping food and cooking utensils bacteria free. Bacteria are usually present on raw foods such as eggs and seafood, chicken, raw rice and some fresh vegetables that have yet to be washed. Knowing this, walk into the kitchen of your dining establishment and see how often the same hand is going from raw to cooked without being washed.
Cooks can be seen grabbing raw meat and seafood to cook and with the same hands that they may have wiped on a dirty towel they go and touch vegetables. Proper hand washing by kitchen staff is very important to help limit the spread of bacteria from food to customers. Along with proper hand washing, making sure that foods are cooked properly will help kill bacteria.

Number Two: Labels and Dates
Everything in your kitchen should be marked clearly with a label. This will help eliminate waste. Kitchen staff will only open or take what they need, if you keep items clearly marked you are guaranteeing that items that do not need to be opened aren’t. Once a container has been opened put the date on it. If you are putting food that was fresh in a container, label it and put a date on it. The last thing in the world you want is rotten food coming out of your kitchen.

Number Three: Always Use Clean Utensils
Kitchen staffs are infamous for using dirty utensils in a hurry. I am not saying that they are using filthy utensils to serve food, what they are doing is taking the tongs that were used to get the tomatoes and taking them and using them to grab fish or rolls from the oven. Make sure that they are always using a clean utensil for different foods. Clean pots and pans to kick in. Glasses and plates need to be clean. I have lost count of the number of time I have gone to a restaurant and been given dirty silverware. This is just plain carelessness and it could be costly.

Number Four: Not Using Fresh Ingredients
In a pinch, they forgot to order staff may be tempted to use food that is slightly past its useful date. Make sure that you staff understands the importance of using fresh ingredients. Tainted food can cause illness and in some cases death, which can mean you are facing a lawsuit.

Number Five: Leaving Food in the Window for Too Long
We have all gone to a restaurant and gotten our food and it looked like it had been sitting in the sun for about two days. Then you bite into it and not only is it dry, but it is cold. This is how bacteria can resurface. When food is done and ready it needs to go out to the table.

Number Six: Touching Their Hair
I have seen servers and cooks and prep personnel stand in the kitchen, play with their hair, adjust their ball caps, pick at their arms, touch their face… and then put those same hands on food. Proper hand washing is essential and is often overlooked. This can cause food poisoning, Hepatitis and salmonella.

A CD-ROM entitled ‘All about allergens’ has been produced to provide a self-access resource for small business owners in the food industry to learn about food allergens. You’ll notice that I was one of the advisors on developing the CD.

Read more…

If you run a restaurant or kitchen of any sort in Melbourne, you already know that it is a tough town when it comes to food safety standards and restaurant reputation.  You will find that there are number of things that can sink a restaurant in Victoria, but nothing will shut a business down faster than sanitation violations.  If it is discovered that your restaurant has health violations, you can watch your business drop like a rock.

The answer, of course, is to make sure that your kitchen stays in great shape and maintains a high standard of cleanliness.  Though this is by no means a complete list, you will find that these suggestions can help keep your kitchen operating at a high standard.

Store cooked and uncooked food separately. This is essential when you are looking at making sure that your restaurant has a high degree of sanitation.  Essentially, cooked food very often goes directly to the tables of your diners.  Raw food, which is uncooked and untreated, may very well still be carrying bacteria or other contaminants that can be transferred to the cooked food.  By keeping them separate, you’ll be able to keep them from affecting each other.

Label everything. It seems simple, but the truth of the matter is that you should label everything that comes into your kitchen.  Make sure that your kitchen staff undergo food safety training and know what is in the various containers. This way they will only open them when necessary and they will not risk contamination through repeated exposure.

Labelling will also help to improve the speed and efficiency of your kitchen.  Similarly, you may also want to think about dating things to know when they were received.

Temperature readouts. No matter where you keep food, you should make sure that there is a temperature gauge nearby.  This can be instrumental when you are keeping cold foods and when you want to make sure that they stay good.

Take some time and really consider what your options are going to be when it comes to installing thermometers in your food storage location; this can help you a great deal.

Food satefety training for your staff? Remember that when it comes to keeping your restaurant sanitized that your workers play a large part.  There does tend to be a fairly high turn around in kitchens, so take some time to make sure that your workers are aware of what needs to happen to keep the kitchen to high food safety standards.  Make sure that you include both front room staff and kitchen staff when it comes to this kind of food safety training.

When you are running a commercial kitchen, you’ll find that you need to think about what your options are going to be in terms of keeping it safe and clean.  Educate your staff and keep in mind the fact that there are professional services out there that can help you monitor your existing procedures and give you a detailed list of how they can be improved.  Remember that a little money spent on this now can prevent large legal fees down the line.

Gavin can be contacted at gavin@agbsolutions.com.au or through his website at www.australianfoodsafety.com.au.

If you have cooked in or run a restaurant in Melbourne, you know that you are playing to a tough crowd!  Not only does the city have great restaurants serving all types of food at a range of prices, but you will also find that it is a town with a long memory.

If you give your customers a great dining experience, you can bet that they will be back for more and that they will tell their friends, but if you mess up, word is certainly going to get around. Every restaurant manager fears a food poisoning outbreak, but if you work in Melbourne, you may have more reason than most to be frightened of it.

When you are looking at a food poisoning outbreak, you are looking at your restaurant getting a lot of publicity that it doesn’t need. You’ll find that you may be risking a citation or a warning at best, and complete shut-down at worst. This is how important adequate food safety and hygiene is to your restaurant.

Guests who are unlucky enough to eat at a time when your food safety isn’t as high as it should be may become quite sick, and while many cases of food poisoning can be quite mild, others are extremely severe or unpleasant. This is most common when children or people with weakened immune systems are exposed to tainted food.

Bacteria may easily exist on raw food like eggs, seafood, uncooked rice, or even raw vegetables.  For the most part, good washing practices and cooking will take care of the problems there, but if these foods come into contact with food that has already been prepared, the bacteria are able to pass themselves on. Some bacteria can even be transferred through unwashed hands onto food that is ready to serve. Other pathogens or bacteria will develop on food that as been allowed to grow too warm or that has begun to spoil.

There are many different ways to prevent a food poisoning outbreak. The first and most obvious thing that you need to think about is the fact that your staff need food safety training: to be taught how to handle and prepare food. Strict regulations about hand washing and sanitation on the food preparation floor are things that you really need to drill home.

You will also find that good storage, where raw food is never permitted to come in contact with food that is ready to serve is something that all staff need to be aware of. It is important to establish routine to ensure that staff form good hygiene habits.

The truth of the matter is that there is a multitude of different ways that a food poisoning outbreak can occur, but you don’t need to live in fear. Most restaurant managers aren’t experts in food safety, which is why they will enlist the services of a good food safety expert before anything goes wrong. If you want to make sure that nothing gets overlooked in the food safety of your restaurant, talk to an expert.  If you are cooking in Melbourne, you already know that you are playing to a tough crowd, so don’t make it any harder than it has to be!

Gavin can be contacted at gavin@agbsolutions.com.au or through his website at www.agbsolutions.com.au.