HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point HACCP follows the principles of: 1. Assessing the potential food safety hazards in the work activities 2. Identifying the points where hazards occur and deciding which are critical for food safety these are the critical control points 3. Implementing appropriate controls for eliminating or reducing each hazard 4. Establishing a monitoring system to ensure that the controls are effective- what should happen does happen 5. Setting up procedures to correct any problems 6. Reviewing the system from time to time and whenever operations change 7. Documenting the hazard analysis Hazard analysis involves identifying the critical points at which food safety could be compromised and finding appropriate ways to stop or reduce the risks. Food handlers have an important part to play in this process. An important part to play in food safety control is: 1. Following the rules at your workplace 2. Protecting the food from contamination 3. Following the basic rules of temperature control 4. Watching out for any food hazards 5. Reporting faults, problems or possible food hazards to your Manager. First Principles 1. Keep yourself and your workplace clean 2. Wear suitable clean, washable protective clothing 3. Protect food from contamination 4. Restrict the time that high risk foods are left at danger zone temperatures 5. Keep hot food really hot, at 75 degrees C or hotter 6. Keep cold food cold, at below 5 degrees C. 7. Tell the nursery Manager if you have symptoms of a food-borne illness 8. Carry out your part in hazard analysis 9. Follow instructions and rules at work 10. Report all food hazards, faults and suspicions of contamination 11. Co-operate with environmental health officers and food inspectors
Suppliers All food brought into the nursery should be purchased from reputable suppliers. The majority of items will be purchased from major supermarkets in the area, which are assumed to be reputable and safe in their control of basic food products. However individuals should perform their own checks on any foods purchased, by checking sell by dates, colour and texture of food etc. Any foods purchased from other sources should be agreed with the Nursery Owner before purchases are made. All suppliers should be of a reputable nature and should be assessed for their cleanliness, food storage facilities and food handling methods. Deliveries Any goods that are delivered direct to the nursery should be checked by sight, smell and sell buy dates that they are in good condition for human consumption. Any goods deemed to be unsafe should be returned as soon as possible. If goods cannot be returned immediately then they should be stored in a safe place away from other safe goods until they are collected. Storage Different foods have different storage requirements but there are some important general rules: Store food immediately after the delivery has been checked or the goods have been brought into the nursery by a member of staff. Deal with high risk, frozen and perishable food before dry and canned goods Keep high risk and perishable foods out of the temperature danger zone (5 63 degrees C) Handle everything with care: rough handling can accelerate spoilage Place foods in the appropriate storage areas, following any storage instructions on the label or box Protect food from contamination Store food off the floor (on shelves in cupboards) Use clean, dry containers and wrappers if food needs to be divided into smaller quantities or re-wrapped Stack shelves carefully without overloading; leave enough space between goods for air to circulate freely Keep storage areas clean and dry; clear up any spills immediately Check food regularly and always before you use it Rotate stock
Tell the Nursery Manager about any signs of pests Separate any food that could be spoilt or has gone past its date mark ensure it is not eaten and tell the Nursery Manager Store cleaning chemicals and materials in separate, clearly labelled areas Refrigeration The fridge should be kept at a temperature within the range of 0 5 degrees C. It should be checked twice daily, at the beginning and end of the day. Both sets of temperatures are to be recorded in the temperature control record book. If the fridge is not between these temperatures then the fault should be rectified as soon as possible, either by an individual member of staff adjusting the fridge gauge or if deemed necessary, an engineer is to be called immediately. The fridge must be cleaned once a week, by the nursery cleaners, unless there is a spillage in the fridge then an individual member of staff is to clean the spillage immediately. Foods to be refrigerated are; Raw meat, poultry and fish Cooked meat, poultry, fish and seafood The contents of opened cans; meat, fish and fruit, once they have been stored in suitable containers, NOT the aluminium can. Vacuum packed raw meat, poultry and fish Unopened pasteurized canned food, such as ham Milk, dairy products and products containing dairy i.e. quiche Anything labelled for refrigeration, such as bottled sauces without preservatives Prepared salads Eggs should be kept in a fridge where there is space and no risk of contamination. Otherwise eggs should be kept in a cool room. Vegetables and fruit should be stored in the fridge but away from other foods. Store raw meat and poultry on the bottom shelf to avoid juices or blood dripping onto other foods in the fridge. Never overfill the fridge; allowing the air to circulate around the food enables the fridge to cool food stuffs correctly.
Never put hot food in the the fridge. All hot foods should be cooled quickly and safely before they are put into the fridge (See cooling methods below) Never leave the fridge door open, even when moving several items from the fridge one at a time, always close the door in-between each item. Freezer The freezer should be kept at a temperature of -18 degrees C or below. Frozen food should never be re-frozen once it has been thawed or partly defrosted because the food may have been sufficiently warm to allow bacteria to resume multiplication. When stacking the freezer, place raw foods below high risk foods to avoid any risk of contamination. Place food stuffs with the longest shelf life below stock with a short shelf life. Keep food in the supplier s packaging if it is clean and unbroken and always re-seal opened packaging. If the food needs to be re-wrapped, label the item clearly and include the date mark. DON T PUT UNWRAPPED FOOD IN THE FREEZER it could become contaminated, cause contamination or be damaged by freezer burn. When Thawing Frozen Food Always thaw frozen food by placing it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Place the food in a container that will hold any thawing juices. Always ensure that the food has been completely thawed by checking the middle of the food with a clean fork or knife. If the food needs to be rechecked for thawing use a different clean fork or knife. Some food can be cooked direct from frozen, check the supplier s instructions fully before cooking. A microwave can be useful for defrosting food, again check the manufactures instructions before attempting to defrost. If using the microwave to defrost food always cook and serve the food immediately after defrosting.
Food Preparation Before preparing any food: Ensure your hands are scrupulously clean by washing them in the designated area Always wear protective clothing provided If you have long hair tie it up and back Always clean chopping boards before use. Clean and disinfect all food contact surfaces between uses. Ensure the utensils used for food preparation are clean. When preparing food: Use the colour coded chopping boards provided Keep raw and cooked food apart at all times Wash all fruit and vegetables before preparing Don t take food out of storage until it is needed. After preparing the food: Clear, tidy and disinfect all work surfaces Ensure all food wastage is put in the bins provided. Cooking the Food Ensure when cooking food that a minimum temperature of 75 degrees C is reached at the centre or thickest part of the food. This temperature should be held by the food for a minimum of two minutes. The temperature of food should be taken using the probe provided. Record all food details, i.e. type of food, who is being served the food, the temperature of the food when it is cooked. Ensure the probe is cleaned using the disinfectant wipes provided in between each temperature check. Cooked food should be served as quickly as possible to ensure contamination is avoided. Bacteria reproduce within 10-20 minutes of food falling into the temperature danger zone (5 63 degrees C). Cool food rapidly for the children and ensure meals are not left to be eaten after 20 minutes have past.
Cooking the Food continued Any excess foods should be cooled quickly (see methods detailed below) and then stored in clean containers in the fridge or stored in the freezer for future use. All foods placed in the freezer must be labelled with the following: Type of food. Also indicate if the food stuff has certain dietary requirements, i.e.no dairy Date of freezing and state Use by xxx ( the relevant use by date no food to be kept for longer than 6 months in the freezer) Any food that is re-heated should be done so by cooking to high temperatures (above 75 degrees C) for more than two minutes. No re-heated food is to be kept by the nursery. Any left-over food from meals served should be thrown away immediately in the kitchen bins provided. Cooling/Reheating Any food that is prepared in advance and needs to be cooled prior to refrigeration/freezing must be cooled using one of the following methods: Placing the saucepan of prepared food in a bowl of cooled water or ice Dividing the prepared food into smaller quantities Placing the prepared food in a new heat reducing container, then in a bowl of cooled water. Special attention should be paid to rice as it can contain spores of a type of harmful bacteria that may not be killed by cooking or reheating. If cooked rice is left at room temperature, spores can multiply and produce toxins that cause food poisoning. Reheating will not get rid of these. Rice can be cooled by other methods such as, running it under cold water (making sure the water is clean and of drinking quality) or it can be spread out on a clean trey. When reheating food make sure it is piping hot (steaming) all the way through. Use the temperature probe and ensure the food has reached the desired level of 75 degrees C. Always probe the centre of the food as well as the edge.
Cleaning the Kitchen All members of staff are responsible for cleaning the kitchen during the day, before any food is prepared. All surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected at the start of the day, before any food preparation and at the end of the day. The hob surface must be included in this rota. The oven will be cleaned by the cleaners once a week, as will the fridge and all open shelves. A cleaning area report sheet must be completed every day by all relevant members of staff. The floor must be swept during the day, then cleaned and disinfected at the end of the day, using hot water and cleaning products used in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions. Premises and Equipment All members of staff need to report any fault with equipment, or the premises, to the Nursery Manager as soon as it is identified, so it may be rectified as quickly as possible. Last updated : 24/01/2014