ARMADALE PRIMARY FOOD SAFETY POLICY

This is an important notice for all persons involved in the preparation, transport, handling and serving of food at all Armadale Primary School fund raising and social events such as fetes, cake stalls, sausage sizzles, breakfasts, etc.

Food poisoning is a serious health problem. In the interest of public safety and Armadale Primary School’s reputation, all persons who handle food for the above events have an important responsibility to handle food safely.

The following tips from Food Safety Victoria (Department of Human Services) will assist you in preventing an outbreak of food poisoning. Please take the time to read them carefully.

 

FOOD POISONING

Food poisoning bacteria are often present naturally in food, but bacteria can multiply frighteningly quickly. In the right conditions a single bacterium can multiply into more than two million bacteria in just seven hours.

 

Temperature

Bacteria grow best when the temperature is between 5°C and 60°C. This is called the Temperature Danger Zone. Ensure that food is in this zone for as little time as possible.

 

Food Type

Bacteria grow and multiply on some types of food more easily than others such as meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, smallgoods and seafood. These are known as High Risk Food.

 

Water

Bacteria need moisture to grow. If there is no moisture present, the growth of bacteria may slow down or stop.

 

The Food Poisoning Chain

For food poisoning to happen there must be a chain of events:

·        Bacteria must be present on the food.

·        Bacteria must have the right conditions to grow, that is, warmth (between 5°C and 60°C), moisture and food.

·        The bacteria must have time to grow and multiply.

 

PERSONAL HYGIENE

Washing your hands thoroughly is a good way to reduce the chance of contaminating food with bacteria. Wash your hands with soap and hot water before handling food and dry your hands immediately with a disposable paper towel, under an air dryer, but never on your clothes.

 

Other Ways Bacteria Can Spread

In a food handling or food storage area you should never:

·        Smoke

·        Chew gum

·        Spit

·        Change a baby’s nappy

·        Eat

 

Hair, jewellery, clothing etc. can also contain and spread bacteria therefore:

·        Tie back or cover long hair.

·        Wear only plain banded rings.

·        Wear only plain sleeper earrings.

·        Wear clean protective clothing over normal clothes.

·        Keep your nails short so they are easy to clean

·        Do not wear nail polish as it can chip into the food.

·        Cover cuts or wounds with a coloured waterproof wound strip or bandage, followed by disposable gloves if wound is on hands and change strip and gloves regularly.

 

Illness

You must not work when you are suffering from diseases that are likely to be transmitted through food. These include gastroenteritis, hepatitis A and hepatitis E.

 

When to Wash Your Hands

Wash your hands before handling food. Wash them frequently during work.

 

You must wash your hands after:

·        Going to the toilet.

·        Handling raw food.

·        Blowing your nose.

·        Handling garbage.

·        Touching your ears, nose, mouth or other parts of the body.

·        Smoking.

·        Every break.

·        Changing babies’ nappies or soiled clothes.

·        Handling animals.

·        Any other unhygienic practice.

 

HYGIENIC FOOD PREPARATION AND HANDLING

Cross Contamination

Raw food contains bacteria. If raw food is cooked thoroughly, most of the bacteria will be killed. If food which has been cooked or is ready-to-eat comes in contact with raw food, then bacteria can contaminate the cooked food. This is called cross contamination.

For this reason, it is very important to keep raw food separate from cooked and ready-to-eat food.

 

Preparing Food

When you are preparing both raw and cooked and ready-to-eat food, you should not use the same knives, chopping boards or other equipment for both sorts of food. If it is not possible to use different equipment, you must thoroughly wash equipment in hot soapy water and sanitize.

Thoroughly rinse all fruit and vegetables in clean water to remove soil, bacteria, insects and chemicals.

 

Handling Food

Everyone has bacteria on their bodies. Even healthy people can spread bacteria onto food by touching it with their hands. Raw food that is to be cooked can be safely handled with just-washed bare hands. But to handle cooked or ready-to-eat food, use tongs, a spoon or spatula, or wear clean disposable gloves.

 

Gloves

Always use fresh gloves and wash your hands before putting them on. Change your gloves at least once every hour and:

·        If they become contaminated.

·        If they tear.

·        When switching between raw and ready-to-eat food.

·        When changing jobs.

 

Cooking and Heating Food

It is very important that you do not keep food in the Temperature Danger Zone longer than is absolutely necessary. Make sure all foods, particularly meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products are cooked until core temperature reaches 70°C. This will kill most bacteria.

 

Cooling Food

Food removed from an oven should not be left out for more than one hour. Once it has cooled, the food should be refrigerated.

 

Freezing and Thawing Food

You should never re-freeze thawed food. When frozen food is thawing, the bacteria in it start to multiply. If the food is re-frozen, the bacteria do not die and are still there when the food is thawed again.

When thawing food, place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to ensure that it remains cold while it thaws, and does not contaminate other food. You can use a microwave oven to thaw food but the food must be cooked immediately afterwards.

Food should be properly thawed before it is cooked, to make sure that it cooks all the way through. If you have to cook food that is still frozen, take extra care to cook it right through and that its core temperature reaches 70°C.

 

SAFE FOOD STORAGE AND DISPLAY

Packaged foods which are dried, powdered, tinned or in jars are usually not High Risk Food while unopened. However, once opened they become High Risk Food and should be stored safely

 

Storing Food

Food must be stored in areas specially designed for food storage, such as refrigerators, coolrooms, pantries and food storerooms. You should never store food on the floor or on pallets, as it may be attacked by rats, mice or insects.

 

Coolrooms, refrigerators and freezers must have proper thermometers and temperatures should be checked regularly.

 

Never use a food storage area to keep:

·        Chemicals and equipment used for cleaning.

·        Clothing.

·        Personal Belongings.

 

Food Containers

Food storage containers must be clean and free from holes or rust. Make sure they have not been used to store things other than food. Do not re-use containers which are only meant to be used once.

 

Displaying Food

Food that is displayed on counters should either be wrapped or covered to protect it from contamination.

 

Refrigerated Display Cabinets

Food in refrigerated displays must be kept at or below 5°C. If you sell frozen food, it must be kept frozen at or below -15°C until it is sold. Allow enough air to circulate around the food.

Bain-Maries and Other Hot Food Holders

Bain-Maries are designed to keep hot food hot (60°C or above), not for heating food. If you use them for heating, food will spend too long in the Temperature Danger Zone.

Food should be heated to a core temperature of 70°C before being placed in a Bain-Marie.

If Bain-Maries are hired by Armadale Primary School:

·        Wash, rinse and dry trays thoroughly before use.

·        Pre-heat the Bain-Marie before use.

·        Operate it on the highest temperature setting.

·        Use a clean thermometer to check the temperature of food.

·        Make sure the temperature does not fall below 60°C.

 

Food must not be stacked above the level of the trays because it will not stay hot enough.

Cold food can be served from food serving counters containing ice or ice bricks beneath their trays but food must be kept below 5°C.

 

Tags and Labels

Tags can carry bacteria. For cooked and ready-to-eat food use tags or labels on the trays, and not on the food itself.

 

TRANSPORTING FOOD

It is important to transport food properly to prevent contamination and to make sure that the correct temperatures are maintained.

Make sure the time spent in transporting food is kept to a minimum.

Food which requires refrigeration should be transported in a manner that maintains the food at or below 5°C, frozen food should be kept frozen (less than -15°C). Hot food should be kept at a temperature of at least 60°C.

Unwrapped food that does not require either refrigeration or to be kept hot should be transported in a suitable cleanable container also covered to prevent contamination.

 

By observing these simple procedures we hope to reduce the risk of bacterial food poisoning.