Tip of the Week Is wearing disposable gloves in the kitchen more hygienic?  The answer depends on how you use them… Disposable gloves are great to protect your hands when preparing raw meat or high colour vegetables such as beetroot.  They can also offer a hygienic perception for customers when serving from an open kitchen or carvery. There are no other hygiene benefits from wearing gloves to work in the kitchen as hand washing is the best method of keeping hands clean.  Hands must be washed before putting gloves on. If you do wear gloves, they MUST be changed as often as y ..read more

Tip of the Week When declaring what allergens are in your food, it is important to include any ingredients that are listed on the manufacturer’s product label as “May Contain” What does “May Contain” on a product label mean? A “May Contain” declaration on a product label means that, although the product does not contain the food item as an added ingredient, there is a possibility the main product has been contaminated by this ingredient during the production process. The manufacturer is informing you that there is a possibility that traces of the “May Contain” ingredient could be found in ..read more

Tip of the Week Did you know that food handlers themselves are the greatest cause of food poisoning incidents in this country! Bacteria and viruses passed from ill food handlers (or bacteria picked up from handling raw foods) can contaminate common touchpoints such as fridge handles, microwave handles, worktops, tap handles, etc.  This can then contaminate other food handlers’ hands resulting in cross contamination in the kitchen. Take care to wash hands before handling ready to eat foods. Ready to eat foods are the greatest risk of contaminated as they are without any further heat t ..read more

Tip of the Week Defrost food under controlled temperature conditions in the fridge Freezing food at -18°C will put any bacteria present on pause, but it will not generally kill it.  So you must defrost under controlled temperatures in the fridge (keeping the food below 8°C) to ensure that any bacteria does not revive as the food defrosts. Do not defrost in the kitchen or in the sink – always plan ahead and defrost overnight under controlled conditions in the fridge Alert Once defrosted, the food must be used/cooked within 48 hours Weekly Food Fact Did you know that ..read more

Tip of the Week What is Coeliac Disease?  Are you fully aware of this disease and how to avoid cross contamination of gluten  in your kitchen? Coeliac Disease Coeliac disease is not a food allergy or an intolerance, but an autoimmune disease caused by a reaction to gluten. Gluten is a protein found in grains, wheat, rye and barley.  Some people with coeliac disease are also sensitive to oats.  Gluten is also found in many favourite foods such as fish fingers, sausages, veggie sausages/burgers, gravies, sauces, stock cubes, soy sauce, salad dressings, soups and vinegar ..read more

Tip of the Week Probe thermometer or Infrared temperature scanner?  Which thermometer is best for each job and how to check calibration of thermometer?   Infrared Scanner Thermometer Use an infrared Scanner Thermometer to take the surface temperature of food deliveries or cold products. This is a safe method of checking temperature of cold foods and food deliveries. It eliminates potential for cross contamination or for damaging packaging. An infrared thermometer is also good for checking the temperature of chilled ready to eat foods in display fridges (sandwiches, salads ..read more

Tip of the Week We recommend you have a Pest control contract in place with regular visits.   Here are our tips on daily managing of pest problems Daily Pest Management – Store all foods off the floor Store any opened or fresh produce in plastic lidded containers. At the end of every day, clean down all worksurfaces and sweep the floor thoroughly, paying attention to sweeping under equipment Remove all rubbish from kitchen daily and place outside in lidded bins Cover all equipment at the end of the night (open mixers, etc) Cover any crockery and cutlery with cling film if left ..read more

Tip of the Week Here is a reminder of what an Environmental Health Inspector is looking for. Part 3 – Confidence in Management  Confidence in Management Your Food Safety HACCP system. Are you up to date with the latest legislation and best practice? Are your policies and records  up to date?  Are you demonstrating that you do what you say you do? Our Food Safety System is Primary Partnership Assured (approved throughout the UK) so it is important to show the Inspector your HACCP Policy at the beginning of your inspection. Your Daily Food Safety Logs/Records – complete thes ..read more

Tip of the Week Here is a reminder of what an Environmental Health Inspector is looking for – Part 2    Compliance with Structural Requirements Compliance with Structural Requirements The condition of the structure of the premises including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, equipment and other facilities. Kitchen should be clean No flaking paint No bare wood or porous unwashable surfaces Floor should be clean and intact with no food debris under/behind equipment Walls should be clean and intact Ceilings should be clean with no dust of cobwebs Fly screens on opening wi ..read more

Tip of the Week A kitchen inspection covers three main areas:– Compliance with Food Hygiene and Safety Procedures Compliance with Structural Requirements Confidence in Management The first area is Compliance with Food Hygiene and Safety Procedures. This covers the following:- How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, cooled, stored and what measures are taken to prevent food being contaminated. Are staff washing hands in the designated hand wash sink Is there hand wash soap and blue roll available at the hand wash sink Any potential for cross contamination dur ..read more