1.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
2.
Personnel
3.
Prevention of Cross-contamination
4.
Product Temperatures
5.
Due Diligence records
1.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
-
Cleaning Schedules & Sanitizing Schedules
o
There should be a specific plan for cleaning activities
which should include daily, weekly and deep cleaning. It should be planned with
specific reference to the level of engagement of the staff operating the
kitchen
-
Selection of Tools
o
Tools may include wet scrubbers, brushes,
brooms, wipers, dusters and even commercial equipment like wet and dry vacuum
cleaners or high pressure jet cleaners. This depends on the variety of material
being used and the soiling level of the kitchen
-
Selection of Chemicals
o
If the cleaning and sanitizing is planned
alongside the preparation and handling of food then it is best to use food
grade chemicals for the same, but due to high cost it is better to put a break
to production activities and use commercial cleaning and sanitizing chemicals
-
MSDS
o
Material Safety Data Sheet is a free hand out
available with every chemical manufacturer. Obtain and file it renewable every
2 years as due diligence in case of accidental mis-handling of the same by a
staff member. Chemicals may be only issued the staff who understand the concentration
norms and the actions to be taken in an emergency
-
PPE
o
It is important to ensure that all necessary
Personal Protective equipment is in store or available to the chemical handlers
for use. This enhances company image and adds due diligence value
2.
Personnel
-
Medical Examinations (Pre-employment &
Periodic)
o
Every employee within the vicinity of a food
production or service area must be fully compatible for the same by medical
norms. This is the prerogative of the employee and has to be proved to the employing
company at the time of employment. The cost of such exercise will be borne by
the employee. After employment then the company has to ensure that the employee
undergoes a medical at any period decided by them but not more than one year
-
Personal Hygiene Standards
o
This should be promoted to the highest level.
Staff should be instructed and supported wherever possible to maintain the
highest level of personal hygiene. They should be educated to the level of
making it a habit rather than a duty. Uniforms and tools should be provided to
support the terms recommended. Daily checks and feedback should be provided
-
PPE
o
Every job requires a safety presence or a Job
Safety Analysis (JSA). This is the responsibility of the issuer of the job and
not the doer.
-
Training & Refresher Training
o
Laxity is following the regulations is a human
attitude which requires reinforcement and strict norms to ensure adherence
-
Clean as you go attitude
o
The latest requirement of attitude is as a
result of dilution of responsibility at the work place. The cook assumes that
the utility worker will clean behind him but that has to be defined as an
attitude trait required at the recruitment stage to get the right results
3.
Prevention of Cross-contamination
-
Allocations for commodities in storage
o
Every commodity should have a specific area and
that commodity may be stored only there. The reason is that every type of food
supports a different type of bacteria and this tends to accumulate in the area
of storage
-
Avoidance of cardboard and gunny bags
o
These are directly proportional to the pest
infestation of any kitchen. Corrugated cardboard boxes and gunny bags are the
best available nesting condition for cockroaches. Gunny bags support the
gathering of dirt which dries and flakes off at the unloading point.
Commodities in such packing should be de-boxed outside the production area
-
Segregation & Sorting
o
Segregation again refers to keeping commodities
separate from each other. This is most important for veg and non-veg but is
also highly risky is raw and ready to eat foods
-
Color coding of Knives, chopping boards &
dusters
o
This serves to ensure that different knives,
cutting boards and dusters are applied to different jobs. One of these with
correct sanitizing process would suffice but then absolute confidence would have
to be placed on the staff which is not an acceptable configuration with the
current workforce
-
Vertical displacements of storage
o
Storing in a vertical refrigerator for example
could lead to contamination by drip of liquid for which a specific larder
policy is required. Raw at the bottom most and ready-to-eat at the top is what
you should aim for
-
PPE
o
Gloves are the most important PPE that can be
provided to control cross contamination. Staff working will not give much thought
to the fact in the matter but this can lead to serious consequences.
-
Hand washing
o
Hand washing is a very important trait and
responsibility of food handlers. Every hour their hands naturally become unfit
for further handling due to bacterial growth on them. It is important to fix a
schedule for them to wash their hands at this interval and also after every
exit/entry or change of task in the kitchen
4.
Product Temperatures
-
Receiving temperatures
o
This is important to ensure the quality of
material. All material get damaged by heat from dry foods to frozen foods. In
some categories the damage is superficial or on the surface and can be cut and
removed like leafy vegetables but in some categories rotting starts on the
inside like in frozen meats so receiving temperature can be monitored
o
A record may be created to display due diligence
-
Storage Temperatures & conditions
o
Ideal temperatures for storage in India are 21⁰C
for dry goods (Air-conditioned atmosphere), 5⁰C for vegetables and easily
perishables (Refrigerator atmosphere) and -18⁰C for frozen foods. Shelf life
however depends on the dates provided by the manufacturer. Fresh meats may not
be stored in the freezer but can be stored in a chiller
o
Storage temperature record may be maintained for
chillers and freezers measuring the temperature three times a day. A
thermometer will be kept inside the unit and the display may be noted on the
record. Maintain one sheet for one unit per month
-
Thawing
o
Thawing refers to bringing a product at -18⁰C
to 5⁰C
over a suitable period of time and in a safe method. The idea is to bring the
meat back to its natural condition and minimize bacterial growth. There are 4
adapted methods
§
Thawing in a refrigerator – This is the best
method. Meat is removed from the freezer and kept in a container which has a
drain board to allow thawing liquids and blood to drain from the meat and be
collected in the container. This container must be kept at the bottom shelf of
the fridge with no chance of drip cross-contamination to any other product in
the fridge. It should be suitably covered as they may dis-charge light aroma
which can affect products like breads or leafy vegetables stored alongside. The
method may take 24 Hrs to thaw. It may be held in the fridge for another 24 Hrs
as such. Then it may be marinated and kept for another 24 Hrs after which it
has to be consumed or discarded. This is the only method that allows for authentic
Indian marination and holding
§
Under running water – This method may be adapted
in the case of sudden orders. The product should be kept in a basin with drain
facility and water from a tap may be allowed to flow over and around it. The
drain may be suitable chokes to allow for some flooding but the water must be
flowing – Minimum order time in this method is 3 Hrs advance
§
In a microwave – Most microwaves support thawing
with preset settings, but this is an undesirable method of thawing. The meat is
naturalized too fast rendering to breaking down of its nutritive elements and
the bacteria get up and kicking in a hurry. The method may only be used in an
instant order meal or if the cooking too will be continued in the microwave.
The meal such cooked must be consumed immediately
§
As part of the cooking process – Most adaptable
for processed meats like sausages. The thawing is a fast process and these
meats can go directly into the pan. Only remember that a quantity of water will
be shed from the product as it thaws. This method is also adapted for frozen
vegetables
o
Thawing is intended to make the meat into a
workable state for cutting or marination. The
most important rule is that once a meat is thawed it must not be returned to
the freezer under any circumstances, raw or cooked.
-
Cooking Temperature
o
Ideal cooking temperature should be above 76⁰C.
This is naturally achieved when cooking in a medium like stock, oil, light
gravy, etc but the entire food has to be immersed in the medium. In the case of
shallow frying or sautéing care must be taken to ensure the food is exposed to
the temperature source in rotation to achieve a safe temperature
o
When measuring the temperature of a meat product
like a roast chicken, a probe thermometer should be inserted till the center of
the bird and held for temperature reading
o
It is desirable to maintain a record of cooking
temperature
o
It is important to retain food samples of every
item served to a guest for a period of 72 hours in a freezer. 30 gms of sample
is required. The maximum onset period for a food poisoning case is normally 48
Hrs but giving time for communication the due diligence time would be 72 Hrs
-
Holding temperature
o
Holding occurs in various stages of the food
chain but here we are referring to prepared food holding. Basically food needs
to be held at temperatures above 63⁰C as that is the top end of the Danger
zone. At higher temperatures the food tends to dry out and at lower temperatures
the food is exposed to bacterial growth. Various equipment may be employed for
this purpose but standard hot holding should be less than one hour and that
reduces the service time to 1 and half hour
-
Serving Temperature
o
Cold food should be served cold and hot foods
should be served hot i.e.; below 5⁰C or above 63⁰C. Any food kept at room
temperature has to be used or discarded within the hour. Even at standard
serving temperatures food in serving is usable only for 2 and half hours. For
long service lines batch cooking should be employed
-
Dish washing / ware washing temperatures
o
Dish washing and ware washing are best done in
hot water but as handling is difficult the cleaning may be done in lukewarm
water but the final rinse is recommended in water of temperature greater than
82⁰C.
This provides for sanitizing and helps to dry the vessel or crockery without
wiping. The wiping process can again transfer bacteria onto the vessel/crockery
-
Danger zone
o
Sound knowledge of the safety danger zone is of
primary importance to every food handler. It consists of the realization of
temperatures around us and the hazards presented by them
o
The Danger Zone itself is between 5⁰C
to 63⁰C
but there are primarily five
temperatures that should be educated to workers
§
0⁰C – The temperature of Ice. Staff should be
asked to hold a small ice cube and get customized to the coldness. At this
temperature bacteria are asleep. They do not die at cold temperatures but they
also do not reproduce. They create a spore around them and sleep peacefully
§
5⁰C – Here is the start of the danger zone. It
is also the temperature of the chiller or fridge. Staff should be given a
bottle of water from the fridge with which they will wash their hands and get
customized to the chill. This is the temperature at which Bacteria awaken. They
remain weak but are capable of reproducing at this stage onwards
§
63⁰C – This is the temperature at which
we would drink tea or coffee. It will burn our skin but our lips can tolerate
it. Use any of the beverages to demonstrate the heat. Use a probe thermometer
for accuracy. Leave it in the beverage and ask staffs to dip their fingers in
the beverage. Bacteria go back into their spores as they are tired at this
temperature. They are hoping to sit it out
§
76⁰C – Cooking temperature. Place a
dhechi with water on the stove and wait till the probe thermometer indicates
that it has attained the temperature. Again a fast dip will not burn but will
give an indication of the temperature. Do not insist on this test as some
persons may have tender burning. Only the brave should attempt. This is where
most of the bacteria are killed with a little time. Very few can tolerate a
higher temperature. They leave behind any toxins (poison) they may have
produced during the life process
§
100⁰C – The temperature at which water
boils. Let the dhechi with water come to a boil and have the staff wave their
hands in the steam very briefly. That steam is at 100⁰C. No bacteria can exist at
these temperatures which is why hot water is as good a sanitizing agent as any
chemical.
o
Now your staff should be able to touch and tell
temperatures which you may test at random if required. What they need to know
is what happens in the Danger Zone
§
In the danger zone Bacteria are active. They are
capable of reproducing every 10 minutes. This makes to be 10 Bacteria can
become 640 Bacteria in one hour. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission which
means they just split in two. This is a continuous action and the only
conditions required are air, moisture, nourishment and correct temperatures. If
you cut one of these then the reproduction stops. The easiest done is
temperature, hence the Safety Danger Zone education. Just because a Bacteria is
killed does not take away the hazards caused by them. During their life cycle
the emit toxins that are harmful for consumption. To reduce this we must ensure
that food is kept in the danger zone for the shortest period of time
5.
Due Diligence records
-
FSSAI License - Standard
-
Medical records - Standard
-
Cleaning & Sanitization Records – Not
essential
-
Temperature charts – Essential
-
Food Samples (30gms of every served item for 72
Hrs at -18⁰C)
– Essential
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