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COURSE FINDER

The importance of food hygiene for businesses

All twenty two local authorities in Wales have now implemented a food hygiene rating system that has been developed in partnership with the food standards agency. The food hygiene rating scheme has replaced the “scores on the doors” system that some Councils in Wales such as Swansea were implementing and the intention is that consumers in Wales will now have a clear, easy to understand way of determining the cleanliness of establishments that they choose to eat in.

On inspection scores are given in three areas. Businesses are judged on how hygienically food is handled-how it’s prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled and stored. They are also judged on the condition of the premises-how clean is the establishment is, the layout of the establishment, the lighting, the ventilation, and other facilities. And finally the inspection looks at how the business is managed-what records are kept and how seriously is hygiene taken by the organisation.

After an inspection a rating for the establishment is arrived at and these are shown on a national website businesses are also encouraged to display a certificate and sticker showing their rating. Companies are rated on the following scale:

5: Very good
4: Good
3: Generally satisfactory
2: Improvement necessary
1: Major improvement necessary
0: Urgent improvement necessary

So what can companies do to get an optimal rating? Staff training is probably the most important factor involved. Without proper instruction in food hygiene companies cannot hope to meet the criteria involved in getting even a mediocre rating. There are several levels of training to consider. Initially it’s desirable to consider HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical control points) perhaps more relevant to the manufacturing of food rather than the preparation of the finished product. It’s nonetheless still important. HACCP is designed to protect the integrity of all stages of the food supply chain from cultivation to presentation. There are seven principles involved in an effective HACCP plan.

Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis. Identify potential hazards that could effect the supply chain. These hazards could be biological, chemical or physical anything that has the potential to render food unfit for human consumption.

Principle 2: Identify critical control points. A critical control point is a point in the procedure where a control can be applied to prevent a hazard. For example this could be metal detection to remove contaminants at the source of production.

Principle 3: Establish critical limits for each critical control points. A critical limit is a maximum or minimum level at which a hazard is acceptable. For example in the USA the FDA consider one once of rat feces in every thousand bushels of cereal acceptable! Another example is the temperature at which food is stored.

Principle 4: Establish monitoring methods. Methods of monitoring hazards should be in the companies HACCP plan. Regularly taking the temperature of food for instance.

Principle 5: Have corrective actions in place: If a deviation is detected at a critical control point as a result of monitoring there should be a plan in place to rectify the issue.

Principle 6: Establish procedures to ensure that the process is working.

Principle 7: Keep rigorous records

Having an in depth knowledge of the subject of HACCP is definitely useful for businesses, it provides the knowledge necessary to put in place an effective plan to manage food hygiene for an establishment. However staff at all levels need up to date training in the correct preparation and presentation of food.

Training for staff would begin at a level 1 food hygiene course. This is a basic introductory course aimed primarily at those involved with the serving of food. It gives information on minimising the potential for contamination. Following on from this the next course to take would obviously be a level 2 food safety course. Most companies seem to treat this course as a minimum standard. It’s suitable for both serving and preparing food and is an ideal course to send staff on to improve a companies food hygiene rating. The level 1 course is three hours long and the level 2 course is six hours long? Do your staff need this training? Some advice that we’ve received in the past is, in a commercial setting if you offer someone a biscuit with their tea, if you pass them the pack of biscuits you wouldn’t need any formal training. However take those biscuits out of the pack, put them on a plate and hand the plate to someone and you really should have received at least some basic training in food safety.

Best practice is to have all staff involved in the preparation and serving of food to have completed at least a level 1 and ideally a level 2 food hygiene course. However there is a need for supervisor to have more advanced training in order to manage food safety. A good starting point is a level 3 certificate in supervising food safety. It’s a three day course that builds on the skills and knowledge of the level 2 course and begins to introduce legislation that’s applicable to food safety. It also gives individuals the confidence to mentor junior staff on food safety, effectively communicate it’s importance and competently manage hygiene in the workplace.

It’s probably no surprise that the next course up from the level 3 would be the level 4 managing food safety course! Sending staff members on this course really represents a commitment to food safety. The course is five days in length and is obviously aimed at managers and owners of businesses. At this level students are introduced to subjects like microbiology, chemical contamination and the dangers represented by allergens contained in some foods. Completion of a level 3 or 4 course along with possession of a valid teaching qualification would allow an individual to teach a level 1 and 2.

With consumers becoming more aware of the new rating system and more discriminating about where they choose to eat if you’re a business that’s involved in the manufacture or serving of food can you afford not to train your staff? Alpha Safety Training delivers courses in food hygiene throughout south Wales. Contact us today for more information.

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