Food safety is an issue many consumers think about until they suffer the repercussions of contaminated food. There are many factors all food processors should consider when handling food from the farm to the consumer’s plate. Taking a brcgs training equips every food handler with essential skills for food handling.
Adhering to food safety regulations for domestic and commercial consumption can keep food-borne illnesses away. Every food handler can apply these food handling measures to ensure safety.
- Pest control
Pests such as cockroaches can spread food-borne diseases by contaminating food at any point in food preparation. Rodents such as rats also spread diseases by nibbling on-farm produce or contaminating surfaces and cooked food. Therefore, ensure your food storage is rodent and pest-free by investing in appropriate pest control measures.
- Cleaning routine
A routine cleaning and disinfection routine can help control food-borne illnesses. Dirty surfaces encourage the multiplication of bacteria that cause diseases. Ensure proper cleaning of working surfaces, food handling machines, and equipment are clean and disinfected.
A regular cleaning and disinfection routine keeps pests and rodents away from your kitchen, keeping food safe.
- Proper waste management
Waste management is critical in ensuring food safety. Food waste can attract pests and rodents that spread food-borne diseases. Additionally, as the food material decay and decompose, bacteria multiply, making it a prime breeding place for pests.
You can control contamination from waste by investing in proper containers, securing waste disposal areas, and establishing proper waste removal regularly.
- Maintenance
Food handlers should establish proactive food maintenance measures for processing machines. Food processing equipment should be serviced regularly, serviced to ensure food safety. There are universally accepted food processing machinery sanitary conditions to be adhered to by every food handler.
Pests, rodents such as rats, mice, and cockroaches can nibble cables and contaminate components that come into direct contact with food.
- Personal hygiene
Food safety starts with personal hygiene. All food handlers should observe proper personal hygiene to prevent the spread of bacteria and disease-causing agents.
Food handlers should ensure they do the following in their routine cleaning:
- Hand washing- clean hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and clean running water
- Minimize hand contact with food- minimize directly with raw food by using disposable food gloves and appropriate utensils.
- Personal hygiene- take shoer as often as possible, cover the hair, avoid sneezing over food, and cover sores, bruises, and cuts.
- Wear protective clothes-wear suitable kitchen protective pieces such as aprons, headgear, and boots. Dirty clothes can encourage cross-contamination.
- Exempt ill kitchen staff- any staff that reports ill should be allowed to stay away from food preparation areas until they recover. Staff suffering from diarrhea and vomiting pose a risk of spreading food-borne illnesses.
- Correct handling, storage, and transportation
Food should be stored and transported under stringent hygiene conditions to maintain pristinely. Some of the factors to consider while storing and transporting food include temperature, humidity, containers, and operation sites.
In a nutshell
Food safety starts from the farm to the plate. All food processors and handlers should maintain hygiene standards to ensure food is free from contaminants that can cause food-borne diseases.
