A Guide to Food Hazards and Your Business
How do I start?
Identify Hazards
You need to identify all hazards, and decide which are critical for food safety. if no major hazards exist, your analysis can simply be based on your own judgement, with no need for specialist skills or complicated techniques.
Whichever method you choose, it should be systematic and should take into account:
- all potential hazards;
- all aspects of your food business operation;
- your actual working procedures and conditions.
You may find it helpful to draw a flow diagram of your operation from purchase of ingredients through to the sale or service of the food. Food hazards can then be identified at each step and any necessary controls put in place.
The following example shows some, but not all, of the potential steps, hazards, controls and monitoring procedures a caterer may need to consider, for example.
Step: Purchase & delivery
Hazard: Harmful bacteria, mould or foreign bodies present in/on food
Controls: Use reputable suppliers. Check goods on receipt
Monitoring: Check delivery vehicles, date marks, temperatures and condition of food
Step: Storage
Hazard: Bacterial growth or further contamination by micro-organisms, chemicals etc.
Controls: Store at safe temperatures. Cover/wrap foods. Separate raw/ cooked foods. Stock rotation.
Monitoring: Check temperatures and date marks. Check storage conditions.
Step: Preparation
Hazard: Bacterial growth or further contamination.
Controls: Limit handling times. Use clean equipment. Good personal hygiene. Hygienic premises.
Monitoring: Visual checks. Cleaning schedules.
Step: Cooking
Hazard: Survival or harmful bacteria
Controls: Adequate cooking e.g. cook to a safe centre temperature
Monitoring: Cooking times. Routine temperature checks.
Step: Further Storage
Hazard: Growth of bacteria. Further contamination.
Controls: Store at safe temperatures. Cover/wrap foods. Separate raw/cooked foods.
Monitoring: Check temperatures. Visual checks.
Many food manufacturers and 'high risk' food businesses may prefer a more structured system, using written records of hazard analysis to set up effective control. Specialists like food research and trade associations can give further advice or sources of advice on how to do this, as will your Environmental Health Service.
For further information please e-mail us at regulatory@fareham.gov.uk or contact Environmental Health on 01329 236100.
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