CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety · 2019-09-24 · CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety: Session 1 • Slide 3 Notes 1 CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety •

CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety: Session 1 • Slide 1 Notes

CIEH Foundation Certificate in

Food Safety Session 1: Introduction to food safety

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CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety • Slide 2 1

Session 1: Introduction to food safety You should develop knowledge and understanding of the importance of food safety and be able to: a. Define the key terms for food safety. b. State the consequences of poor standards of food safety. c.  Describe the groups of people most at risk from food-borne illness. d. Outline, in general terms, the requirements of legislation for food

business operators and food handlers. e. Outline the role and powers of enforcement officers and local

authorities to control food that is unsafe. f.  State the possible consequences of non-compliance with food

safety legislation. g. Explain what is meant by due diligence. h. State the importance of food safety training.



Keeping food safe Everyone who works with food has a responsibility for protecting the health and well-being of consumers by safeguarding that food from anything that could cause harm. The key to food safety is preventing contamination.

Food safety is the practice of handling food in such a way that it is highly unlikely to cause harm to the health of anyone who consumes products that have been prepared, processed, stored, served, sold or distributed by a food business.

No matter what your exact role – whether you are preparing food in a kitchen, working on a factory production line, serving meals in a restaurant or selling food in a shop – your actions can have a direct impact on food safety.

CIEH Foundation Certifi cate in Food Safety: Session 1 • Slide 4 Notes


Do you know what is meant by ‘contamination’?

Discussion (Timing 2 minutes)

Note the learners’ responses on a fl ipchart/whiteboard and summarise with reference to Slide 5.



Contamination Contamination is the presence in food of any objectionable (unpleasant) or harmful substance or material.

Contaminants may be: §  microbial §  allergenic §  physical §  chemical.

Food contaminants are often referred to as ‘food safety hazards’.



It is important to know some key terms for food safety. Try to define the following: §  hazard §  risk §  control measure §  food poisoning §  food-borne disease §  food-borne illness §  HACCP.

Activity (Timing 5 minutes)

Distribute Activity Sheet 1 to each learner.

You may need to provide prompts and reassure learners that even if they are not certain of the exact defi nitions at this stage, they will become more familiar with the terminology as they progress through the training programme.

Note the learners’ responses on a fl ipchart/whiteboard and summarise with reference to Slides 7–9.



Key terms (1) A hazard is anything with the potential to cause harm to the consumer, whether through injury or ill health. A risk is the likelihood that a hazard will cause harm. The level of risk can be decided by looking at how likely it is that a hazard will occur and the potential severity of the harm it could cause. A control measure is an item, action or procedure designed either to prevent or remove a hazard or to reduce the risk of it causing harm to an acceptable level.



Key terms (2) Food poisoning: illness caused by bacteria multiplying in or on food that is then eaten. Food-borne disease: illness caused by pathogenic micro-organisms (bacteria and viruses) carried on food. They do not multiply in or on the food but instead multiply inside the person who has eaten the food. Food-borne illness: general term for illness linked to eating contaminated food, covering both food poisoning and food-borne disease.



Key terms (3) HACCP: ‘hazard analysis critical control point’ – a food safety management system that helps businesses to identify, assess and control significant food safety hazards.

We will expand on all of these definitions as we progress through the training programme.



The importance of food safety It is important that food businesses have high standards of food safety and that these are clear to everyone working in those businesses. The costs of poor standards of food safety can be significant.



What are the likely costs of poor standards of food safety? Think in terms of food businesses, employees of those businesses and consumers.


Divide the learners into three groups and distribute Activity Sheet 2 to each group. Assign a category to each group.

Note the learners’ responses on a fl ipchart/whiteboard and summarise with reference to Slides 12–15.



Costs for food businesses (1) §  loss of reputation, leading to: -  reduced consumer confidence -  loss of business -  lower profits -  low staff morale -  high staff turnover

§  poor control of food, leading to: -  higher levels of wastage and spoiled food -  loss of production -  pest infestation -  outbreaks of food-borne illness -  dissatisfied customers and complaints -  product recalls -  increased frequency of inspections (and a high risk rating) -  closure of the business



Costs for food businesses (2) §  higher costs due to: -  increased running costs (pest control etc.) -  high levels of staff sickness/absence -  increased recruitment costs -  higher insurance premiums -  legal action and fines -  food wastage



Costs for employees §  poor job security/loss of jobs – either because of the closure of the food premises or

a loss of business §  poor working conditions (unpleasant and potentially unhealthy) §  high risk of contracting a food-borne illness §  damaged personal reputations if their workplace is known to have poor hygiene

standards



Costs for consumers §  negative dining experiences §  low-quality food §  high risk of contracting a food-borne illness



Vulnerable groups of people Food-borne illness can affect anyone, but some people are not only at a greater risk of contracting a food-borne illness, but they are also at a greater risk of medical complications resulting from that illness: §  people aged 60 and over §  babies and very young children §  pregnant women and nursing mothers (harmful

food-borne micro-organisms can also cross the placenta and cause harm to the developing foetus)

§  people with a serious or chronic illness or disease §  people with a weakened immune system as a result

of taking immunosuppressive medication.

It is also important to consider people who suffer from allergic reactions, as these can be life threatening.

It is important for individuals in vulnerable groups to eat the safest food possible.



Food safety law By law, everyone who works in the food industry has a duty to keep food safe, not just supervisors and managers.



What do you think are the responsibilities of: a.  food business operators? b.  food handlers such as yourselves?


Distribute Activity Sheet 3 to each learner.

Note the learners’ responses on a fl ipchart/whiteboard and summarise with reference to Slides 19 and 20.



Responsibilities of food business operators §  implement and maintain a food safety management system based on HACCP

principles §  register the business with the local authority §  design, equip and operate the food premises in ways that comply with the law and

prevent/reduce the risk of contamination §  provide adequate toilets, hand-washing facilities, protective clothing and (where

appropriate) changing facilities for staff §  ensure staff are appropriately trained and/or supervised §  cooperate with enforcement authorities §  maintain records of food safety control activities (e.g. temperature controls, cleaning

and training)

A food business operator is the person responsible for ensuring that legal requirements are met and food safety procedures are put in place and followed.

To make sure that food is safe to eat, all food business operators must implement and maintain permanent procedures based on HACCP principles. This means setting up an appropriate food safety management system that identifies food safety hazards and puts in place procedures to control the risk of harm being caused.



Responsibilities of food handlers §  protect food from contamination or anything that could cause harm §  keep the workplace clean and hygienic §  monitor temperatures of food and of storage areas (where appropriate) §  report food safety hazards to a supervisor or manager §  keep yourself clean and follow good personal hygiene practices, e.g. hand washing

and wearing protective clothing §  tell your supervisor/manager immediately if you believe you: -  are suffering from, or a carrier of, food-borne illness -  have any infected wounds, skin infections or sores likely to contaminate food

As a food handler, you have responsibilities for ensuring that the food you prepare, serve or sell is safe to eat.

You must do everything you can to keep food safe, so it is important that you tell your supervisor or manager if you have any concerns or if you are unsure how to carry out a task safely.



Reporting food safety hazards You should report to your supervisor or manager straight away if: §  the temperature of high-risk chilled/frozen food is too high §  food packaging is damaged or blown §  food smells bad or looks spoiled §  physical contaminants are present in food §  pests (or signs of pests) have been identified §  you feel ill in any way (especially if you are suffering from diarrhoea and/or vomiting).

It is important that individuals working in a food business take action as soon as hazards are identified. It is also important that these hazards are reported to the right people, so that they are dealt with quickly and efficiently.



General role of enforcement officers §  provide advice and assistance to food businesses to

ensure they understand how to produce safe food and comply with the law

§  inspect food premises (whether routinely or following a complaint) and implement any necessary action

§  investigate complaints about food or food premises made by consumers, including outbreaks of food poisoning and food-borne disease

§  enforce legislation that relates to food



Powers of enforcement officers §  enter and inspect food premises at any reasonable time without notice (they may

give notice if they feel it is appropriate) §  stop and inspect food delivery vehicles §  interview and/or question any employee (and take notes) §  observe workplace activities §  take photographs and samples of food §  look at documentation and records, including computer records §  ask for assistance from any employee to support an inspection/investigation §  seize or detain food that is deemed unfit for human consumption §  serve legal notices §  recommend that the food business operator be prosecuted



Inspections An inspection involves looking at the food operation, the activities being carried out and the food safety management system, to ensure the food business operator is complying with food safety legislation. Specifically, this involves checking: §  how hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, reheated, cooled

and stored §  the condition of the structure of the buildings – the cleanliness, layout, lighting,

ventilation and other facilities §  how the business manages and records what it does to make sure food is safe.

These three elements contribute to a rating under the Food Standards Agency’s national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) – often known as ‘scores on the doors’. These ratings range from 0 (urgent improvement necessary) to 5 (very good).

The enforcement officer will need to ascertain facts about measures being taken in the workplace to ensure food safety, and this usually involves speaking to a variety of employees (not just supervisors or managers). You should be able to answer confidently and competently about your area of work.

If, during an inspection, an enforcement officer finds a breach of food safety legislation, he or she can take various actions to try to resolve the problem.

If the breach is minor, the enforcement officer may just offer verbal or written advice to the food business operator about what needs to be done to comply with the law. An opportunity will be provided to resolve the problem before formal action is taken.

Where there is a serious breach of food safety legislation, an enforcement officer will issue instructions that must be carried out by law, known as legal notices.



Legal notices §  Hygiene Improvement Notice: -  requires the food business operator to take a particular action in order to comply

with the law -  states what is wrong and why, what needs to be done to put it right and a

timescale for completion (not less than 14 days) §  Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice: -  issued where there is an imminent risk of injury to health because of the condition

of the premises or an activity being carried out there -  can stop a business using the entire premises, part of premises or specific

equipment §  Prohibition order: -  can be used to stop someone running a food business, if that person has been

found to have breached food safety legislation

An example of a Hygiene Improvement Notice would be replacing a damaged door seal on a refrigerator or repairing a broken tap.

A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice might be issued for example if there is a severe pest infestation, a dry food storage area has a leaking roof, or a chilled storage unit is found not to be working properly.



Do you know what could happen if a business fails to comply with a legal notice?

Discussion (Timing 2 minutes)

Note the learners’ responses on a fl ipchart/whiteboard and summarise with reference to Slide 27.



Penalties for non-compliance §  permanent business closure §  fines §  imprisonment



Due diligence ‘Due diligence’ can be used as a defence by a food business operator who has been taken to court for breaching food safety legislation (it can also be taken into account when deciding whether to prosecute, so it can also prevent a prosecution). The food business operator must be able to demonstrate that everything possible was done to make sure that the food supplied was safe to eat.

So, for example, he or she must be able to provide records linked to the food safety management system. This is one of the reasons why record keeping is so important – without such evidence, the food business operator will have no defence.

However, if records are found to be falsified, this will result in prosecution. For example, in 2012 a pub chef and manager were found to have fabricated temperature records for cooking, cooling and reheating turkey served at a Christmas dinner. Thirty three of the 128 customers suffered Clostridium perfringens poisoning, and one person died. The pub chain was fined £1.5m.



Food safety training By law, food handlers must receive adequate supervision, instruction and/or training in food safety for all the tasks they are expected to carry out. Types of training include: §  induction §  ongoing §  refresher.

Most food poisoning outbreaks are caused by the carelessness or lack of knowledge of the people involved in the food chain. If food handlers are not trained, they are more likely to make mistakes and allow the contamination of food.

The type and level of training will depend on someone’s role. The higher the level of responsibility, the greater the amount of training required. For example, those who are responsible for developing and implementing the food safety management system are required by law to have training in the application of HACCP principles.

Food handlers should receive induction training – covering subjects such as personal hygiene, hand washing, illness reporting and safe handling of food – before they start work for the first time.

It is then usual practice, particularly for those handling high-risk food, to build on this training to develop their knowledge of food safety principles.

Training should be refreshed, when necessary, for example when changes are made to the food safety management system. It is also important to refresh food safety knowledge on a regular basis to keep up to date with the law and best practice.

Training can be carried out ‘on the job’ alongside experienced employees, as well as in a formal classroom scenario. It may be delivered in a face-to-face training session or in the form of a written document.

Documents

CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety · 2019-09-24 · CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety: Session 1 • Slide 3 Notes 1 CIEH Foundation Certificate in Food Safety •