Action Plan

Complete then sign each of the Sections below once you

have worked through the Sections. Details of what to do
can be found in each Section :

1. INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION read

Contains guidance on the HACCP terms used in this Date

manual

Signed

2. FLOW DIAGRAM FLOW DIAGRAM completed

Provides guidance and a template for you to draw Date

your own Flow Diagram

Signed

3. HACCP CHARTS HACCP CHARTS identified

Shows you what could go wrong at each process Date

step and what you need to do about it. Guidance and
examples are provided for you to consider in relation
to your business Signed

4. HOUSE RULES ALL HOUSE RULES written

Contains guidance and templates to help you write Date

your own House Rules building in your day-to-day
safe working practices
Signed

5. RECORDS 5. RECORDS selected and in use

Contains guidance and templates for you to use to Date

link in with all the other sections

Signed

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 INTRODUCTION

‘CookSafe’ is designed to assist catering businesses understand and implement a HACCP based
system. By reading this manual and following the instructions, you will be able to develop
HACCP based procedures which will fit your needs.

What is HACCP? The letters HACCP stand for “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point”

HACCP is a widely accepted food safety management system, which can easily be
adapted to suit all sizes and types of food businesses. The main aim of HACCP is to
focus attention on critical points in the operation and to take measures to ensure that
problems do not occur.

Everyone involved in the food industry is aware of the importance of good food hygiene practices
and of the need to handle food in a safe, clean environment.

How this manual can help you

‘CookSafe’ is split into 5 sections as follows:

1. Introduction Section – contains guidance on the HACCP terms used in this manual

2. Flow Diagram Section – provides guidance and a template for you to draw your own Flow
Diagram

3. HACCP Charts Section – shows you what could go wrong at each process step and what you
need to do about it. Guidance and examples are provided for you to consider in relation to your
business

4. House Rules Section – contains guidance and templates to help you write your own House
Rules building on your day-to-day safe working practices

5. Records Section – contains guidance and templates for you to use to link in with all the
other sections

This manual contains essential information on HACCP principles as well as guidance on a range
of other food safety issues. There is also an Action Plan for you to record the progress you have
made, as you work through the 5 sections mentioned above.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

It is recommended that you work through this manual in the order it has been laid out. However,
the sections of this manual link into each other and you can work through them in the order that
suits you.

Remember to record your progress on the Action Plan

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

INTRODUCTION

Scope of the manual

This manual is designed to be suitable for use in the majority of catering businesses. You will need
to adapt the sections to suit the way that your business operates. Guidance is given in each section
on how to do this.

If you find that you have additional process steps or require different records, this manual is
easily adapted to fit in with the system you use or one you design to suit your particular business.
‘CookSafe’ is designed to build upon your existing good practices, that is, the safe working
practices that you already use as part of your daily routine.

This manual has been based on the best information available at the time. Revisions and updates
will be issued periodically.

The information in your copy should accurately reflect all of the operations carried out within your
business. In particular, your House Rules should be written in a manner which can be readily
understood by all of your food handling staff.

Legal Responsibilities

This manual contains general advice only and this guidance is based on the Food Standards
Agency’s present understanding of the applicable law but it will be for the courts to provide
a definitive interpretation of that law. This guidance is not a substitute for the text of relevant
legislation which will continue to apply and it will remain the duty of food business proprietors to
comply with that legislation.

In the event of any apparent conflict between the guidance contained in this manual and the
relevant legislation, you should seek your own legal advice on the application of this guidance
manual in relation to your own circumstances.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 INTRODUCTION

EXPLANATION OF HACCP

This manual uses a number of terms which may not be familiar to you. These are explained below:

Process Steps

To understand HACCP based procedures, you should think of your catering operation as a
sequence of process steps.

The first step is the purchase of food – and the last step is serving it to your customers.

The following simplified diagram shows the process steps which may be involved in a typical
catering business:

This is a simplified diagram and may not show all of your process steps or the order in which they
usually occur in your business.

a
the

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

INTRODUCTION

Hazards

A “Hazard” is anything which may cause harm to your customers through eating your food.

A HACCP based approach to food safety requires you to identify all of the hazards at each process
step in your catering business, this is called “hazard analysis”. It is at this point that you need
to think about what could go wrong in your business and then come up with measures that will
prevent or control these hazards.
There are three types of hazard:

• Microbiological

• Chemical

• Physical

Microbiological hazards include food poisoning bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli O157
and Bacillus Cereus which are hazardous because they can:-

• Survive inadequate cooking, if already present in food, for example, Salmonella in

chicken

• Multiply to harmful levels in food given the right conditions, for example, poor
temperature control during storage, handling or hot holding

• Spread from raw foods such as meat, poultry and unwashed vegetables to ready-to-eat
foods either directly or via food handlers, work surfaces and equipment – this is known
as “cross contamination”

Other microbiological hazards such as certain bacteria, yeasts and moulds may lead to
food spoilage.

Chemical hazards may already be present on certain foods in the form of pesticides or
insecticides. Chemical hazards may also arise from incorrect storage and the misuse of
chemicals used in food premises such as cleaning chemicals and rodent baits.

Physical hazards include contamination by materials such as glass, plastic, wood, metal,
hair and contamination caused by pests.

the
your the

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 INTRODUCTION

Control Measures

Once you have identified your process steps and the hazards likely to occur, you must find ways of
preventing or controlling these hazards.

The measures which you decide upon must make all of the hazards safe – these measures are
known as “Control Measures”.

example:

foods
hand

the
apply the

then your the

the House

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

INTRODUCTION

Critical Control Points (CCPs)

A HACCP based approach to food safety helps you to focus attention on the issues that are critical
to food safety.

Critical Control Points (CCPs) are the stages of your process where the hazards must be
controlled for the food to be safe to eat.

All hazards at Critical Control Points (CCPs) must be eliminated or reduced to a safe level by a
suitable Control Measure.

Critical Control Point (CCP) example 1: Cooling rice

If rice is cooled too slowly, it could give your customer food poisoning. In this example,
‘cooling’ is a Critical Control Point (CCP).

Critical Control Point (CCP) example 2: Cooking a burger from raw

If the burger is undercooked, any harmful bacteria present in the meat will not be
destroyed and the surviving bacteria could give your customer food poisoning.
In this example, “cooking” is a Critical Control Point (CCP).

the
a the

Critical Limits

Critical Limits are specified safety limits which your Control Measures at Critical Control Points
(CCPs) must achieve.

Critical Limit example 1: Cross Contamination Prevention

If one of your methods of preventing cross contamination is the use of differently coloured
chopping boards and knives for different foods, then your “Critical Limit” in this case is for
staff to: “always use the coloured chopping boards and knives correctly”.

Critical Limit example 2: Temperature Control

If food is to be kept chilled and you have decided that the temperature of the refrigerator
must be no higher than 5°C, then “5°C” is the “Critical Limit”.

NOTE: In your Temperature Control House Rules, you will set your Critical Limits.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 INTRODUCTION

Monitoring

A HACCP based approach to food safety requires that all Control Measures at Critical Control
Points (CCPs) must be monitored.

A Monitoring example: Checking the temperature of a refrigerator to ensure it is within

its Critical Limit.

In this instance, the Control Measure (to prevent bacterial growth) would be temperature
control. If the Critical Limit has been set at 5°C, the purpose of Monitoring in this example
would be to check that the Critical Limit of 5°C has been met.

NOTE: In your Temperature Control House Rules, you will establish your monitoring and its
frequency.

Monitoring methods may vary according to your own Control Measures and Critical Limits.

Certain Control Measures may have Critical Limits which cannot be easily measured in the
way that temperatures can.

For example, the correct use of differently coloured equipment for different purposes is one
way of providing the Control Measure for Hazards such as cross contamination. In this case,
the most effective Monitoring would be: “supervision of staff to ensure that they follow the
Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules”.

NOTE: In your Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules you will describe your Control
Measures.

with the
that expected
the that your
the

Records

A requirement of a HACCP based system is that Monitoring is recorded at a frequency that

reflects the nature and size of your business. This may be achieved by completing the relevant
parts of the Recording Forms which can be found in the ‘Records’ Section of this manual.
Alternatively, you may wish to record your Monitoring in other ways, for instance, by drawing up
your own forms, recording electronically or by the use of a diary. In such cases you should ensure
that your record keeping arrangements are sufficient for the size and nature of your business.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

INTRODUCTION

with a
your the

Monitoring which only involves supervision may simply require a supervisor or manager’s
signature to confirm that the actions have been carried out. HACCP Records must be retained
for an appropriate period of time to enable you to demonstrate that your system is working
effectively. Your Enforcement Officer can give guidance on this timeframe.

Corrective Action

If you monitor a Control Measure and find that it has failed to meet its Critical Limit, you must act
to make the food safe or to prevent it being used. This is known as a “Corrective Action”.

Corrective Actions follow on from the Monitoring process and must be recorded.

Corrective Action example 1: Temperature Control

If your refrigerator temperature Critical Limit is 5°C but your Monitoring check finds
that the refrigerator is running at 12°C, then your Corrective Action could be: “call the
Maintenance Engineer and consider if the food is safe to use”.

Corrective Action example 2: Cross Contamination Prevention

Your Cross Contamination Critical Limit is to “keep raw foods and ready-to-eat foods
separate”. However, when carrying out your Monitoring check you see a cheesecake on
a raw food chopping board in the Raw Food Area of your kitchen. Your Corrective Action
should be: “Dispose of the cheesecake (the person doing so should wash their hands
afterwards) and investigate the breakdown in procedures. Retrain the relevant staff
members on the correct procedure”.

NOTE: Your Corrective Actions will be written into your records.

Corrective actions have two functions:

• to deal with the food in question – either by making it safe or by stopping its use

• to prevent the problem happening again – by considering the cause of the failure of the Control
Measure and taking appropriate action

the that
your the

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 INTRODUCTION

Verification

Verification involves taking an overview of your HACCP based system to ensure it is working.
Verification also involves establishing that your procedures are effective in controlling hazards
and checking to see that your procedures are being applied in practice.

Verification examples:

• Checking that the Control Measures at CCPs are being consistently applied

• Checking that the appropriate Corrective Actions have been taken

• Checking that Monitoring Records are consistent and accurate

• Checking that your procedures are still relevant and up to date

(refer to the Review Record in the Records Section)

Verification actions undertaken must be recorded.

the
the

Documentation

A HACCP based system must have appropriate documentation to demonstrate it is working

effectively.

Documentation to support your HACCP based procedures must include details of your intentions
in all the key areas mentioned throughout this Section.

‘CookSafe’ supplies you with templates for all of the documentation required to produce a
HACCP based system.

A HACCP based system is a food safety management system which, if used correctly, can help to
ensure safe food production.

It is essential that your business is committed to operating the system in full otherwise the
benefits will be reduced and food safety compromised.

A certain amount of food safety knowledge is required by the operators of the business prior to
implementing the HACCP based system.

ONCE YOU HAVE READ THIS SECTION, REMEMBER TO SIGN AND DATE THE
INTRODUCTION SECTION OF THE ACTION PLAN.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

Glossary of other terms

The HACCP terms have already been described in this Section. This page provides a glossary of
other terms used in ‘CookSafe’.

ACTION PLAN The documented record of actions to be completed by the person

using this guidance manual in order to devise a HACCP based food
safety management system.

ALLERGY An overly aggressive response by the body’s immune system to foods

that non-sufferers would find harmless.

AMBIENT The temperature of the surrounding environment - commonly used to

TEMPERATURE mean room temperature.

BACTERIA Groups of single cell living organisms. Some are known to cause food
poisoning or food spoilage.

‘BEST BEFORE’ The date marked on the label of a food up to and including the date
DATE that the food can reasonably be expected to remain in optimum
condition if properly stored.

CLEANING The physical removal of food debris, visible dirt and food particles
from surfaces, equipment, and fittings using hot water and a
detergent.

CORE The temperature at the centre or thickest part of a piece of food.

TEMPERATURE

CONTACT TIME The period of time that a disinfectant should be in contact with a
surface to achieve disinfection.

CONTAMINATION The introduction to, or occurrence in, foods of any harmful substance
which may compromise the safety or wholesomeness of those foods.

CROSS The transfer of harmful bacteria from contaminated food to

CONTAMINATION uncontaminated food either by direct or indirect contact.

DETERGENT A cleansing substance (which does not have disinfectant properties)

made from chemical compounds and used for general cleaning.

DISINFECTANT A substance capable of destroying harmful bacteria, when applied to a

visibly clean surface, at a specified concentration and contact time.

DISINFECTION The application, following general cleaning, of a disinfectant or

treatment to facilitate the removal of harmful bacteria from surfaces
or equipment.

DUAL-USE The use of any equipment, for both raw foods and also for ready-to-eat
foods.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HARMFUL Bacteria capable of causing illness through contamination of food.
BACTERIA

HIGH RISK FOOD Usually considered as food that supports the multiplication of
harmful bacteria and is intended for consumption without any further
treatment, such as cooking, which would destroy such organisms.
High risk food is usually high in protein, requires refrigeration and
must be kept separate from raw food.

PHYSICAL Where certain parts of the premises and certain equipment and
SEPARATION utensils are used exclusively and permanently for raw foods (including
raw meats/vegetables).

RAW FOOD AREA An area of the kitchen which is permanently reserved for the handling
of raw foods only.

RAW FOODS Raw meat and any raw foods such as unwashed vegetables that are a
potential source of harmful bacteria.

RAW MEAT Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, game and also includes mince,
burgers and sausages.

READY-TO-EAT Food which may not require further cooking or reheating prior to
FOOD consumption.

SANITISER/ A substance that combines detergent and disinfectant in a single

BACTERICIDAL product.
DETERGENT

SPORES Certain kinds of bacteria are capable of entering a resting phase

during which they are very resistant to high temperatures and other
adverse conditions. Bacteria in this phase are known as spores. If
conditions are right, spores will ‘germinate’ or start to grow.

TOXINS Toxins are poisons produced by bacteria capable of causing food

poisoning.

‘USE BY’ DATE A date mark required on microbiologically-perishable pre-packed food

after which its consumption could present a risk of food poisoning.

VISIBLY CLEAN Free from any visible grease or film and solid matter.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

CookSafe
Food Safety Assurance System

2. FLOW DIAGRAM
Provides guidance and a template for you to draw your own
Flow Diagram
 FLOW DIAGRAM

FLOW DIAGRAM
A Flow Diagram can help you to identify all of the process steps in your business, from ‘purchase of
food’ through to ‘service to your customers’. By creating a Flow Diagram of your catering operation, you
will be able to break your processes down into component parts – called process steps. This section
offers guidance, provides an example and a template which will help you produce your own Flow
Diagram.

For example, if your business carries out the following process steps:

• Purchase
• Storage - refrigerated/frozen/ambient
• Preparation - ready-to-eat/defrosting
• Cooking
• Cooling
• Reheating
• Service - hot and cold on site
Your Flow Diagram may look like this:

be

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

FLOW DIAGRAM

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

1. Start at the top of the Flow Diagram template and look at each process step, deciding whether it
applies in your business. If you do carry out a process step, tick that process step box and follow the
arrow to the next box, which usually sits below. Repeat this process all the way down through the
Flow Diagram until you get to Service.

2. When you tick a process step box to confirm that you carry out this process, read along to the right
hand side of the page and tick the HACCP Chart link box.

3. At some process steps you will need to make a further choice, e.g. 'Refrigerated Storage' and/or
'Frozen Storage' and/or ‘Ambient Storage’. You will be able to use this column to show you which
HACCP Charts will be relevant to your business. (refer to the HACCP Charts Section of this manual)

ONCE YOU HAVE DRAWN UP YOUR FLOW DIAGRAM, REMEMBER TO UPDATE THE FLOW
DIAGRAM SECTION OF THE ACTION PLAN.

Important - You should be certain that your Flow Diagram accurately reflects every process step
and covers all the food used in your business.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 FLOW DIAGRAM

FLOW DIAGRAM (template for completion)

*STORAGE
AMBIENT - storage at room temperature

*SERVICE
ON SITE - hot and cold food served in restaurants and takeaways
OFF SITE - hot or cold food served in other locations such as home delivery and outside catering

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

What are HACCP Charts?

HACCP charts help you to identify the issues that are key to food safety, what can go wrong and
what you must do to prevent it happening. The information contained in the HACCP Charts is an
important part of your HACCP based system. Some people may find it difficult to set out the
information required, therefore ‘CookSafe’ provides you with completed HACCP Charts covering
the issues found in almost all catering businesses.

The HACCP Charts are laid out in a standard way for each process step found in a typical catering
business. For example, the first process step will almost certainly involve the purchase of food.

with that
the

a ol

eady-t with
then them.

Raw a ol

en the
e

en a

the e

Therefore, the first HACCP Chart is based on the first process step, 'Purchase, Receipt/Delivery,
Collect' of food and is designed to cover your operation whether you have food delivered to you or if
you collect food from a supplier or a cash and carry.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

HACCP CHARTS

A HACCP Chart in ‘CookSafe’ looks like this:-

PURCHASE, RECEIPT/DELIVERY, COLLECT

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S)* CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION*

AND CRITICAL LIMITS* RECORDING*
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if
taken to effectively measures checked and the control measure fails
reduce or get rid of the recorded? and/or the critical limits
hazard? are not met?
What are the critical
limits?

Presence and Growth Accept deliveries from a Monitor temperature of • Decide if food should
of Harmful Bacteria reputable supplier at a food on delivery be rejected or is safe
temperature that will to use
Cooked/Ready-to-eat
foods where food is discourage the growth of
• Review supplier
either delivered to the harmful bacteria
premises or collected Food collected must be Monitor temperature of • Dispose of unsafe food
by the food business transported in a way that food on arrival
• Review collection
will ensure that the
practices or methods
temperature on arrival
of transportation
will comply with your
specified House Rules
Make sure that all food is Visual check on ‘use by’ • Reject food beyond
within its ‘use by’ date dates ‘use by’ date and
review supplier

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Complete Delivery Refer to your
Temperature Control Record Temperature Control
House Rules and Stock Control House
Keep to your Stock Complete Delivery Rules
Control House Rules Record

*Guidance on these terms can be found in the Introduction Section of this manual

Which HACCP Charts are relevant to you?

You will need to work through the Flow Diagram section of this manual before you can identify the
HACCP charts relevant to your catering business. If you have ticked a process step on the right
hand side of your Flow Diagram, then that specific process step must occur in your business.
Therefore, a HACCP Chart for that same step will be relevant to you.

The HACCP Charts you identify as being relevant, must be exactly the same as the process steps
selected in the right hand side of your Flow Diagram.

What about the HACCP Charts that are not relevant?

If you have decided that any of the HACCP Charts have no relevance to your business, then these
should be removed from this manual. It may, however, be wise to retain these in a safe place in
case they become relevant in the future.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

1. Having worked through the Flow Diagram section of this manual, you will now have identified
all the process steps in your business. There is a HACCP Chart in this section for each process
step. Remove any HACCP Charts, which are not relevant to your business.

2. Read the contents of each remaining HACCP Chart, which will indicate which House Rules
apply at each process step. To make this task easier, Link Boxes have been provided at the
bottom of each HACCP Chart indicating the House Rules relevant to each process step.

For Example, the Link Box on the 'Purchase, Receipt/Delivery, Collect' HACCP Chart includes
the following:

House er
aining, e e ention

3. The House Rules relevant to 'Purchase, Receipt/Delivery, Collect' are therefore, Training,
Cleaning, Temperature Control, Cross Contamination Prevention and Stock Control. In the
House Rules Section of the manual, you will find that there will be a sub-section for each of
these subjects. In each of these sub-sections you will be given guidance and then be asked to
write your House Rules to indicate how you manage each of these subjects in your business.

4. Now use the HACCP Charts to decide upon the records which are relevant to your business.
Remember that if you have recording forms/records already drawn up for your business, check
to make sure that they cover the same areas that are included in the example forms which can
be found in the Records Section of this manual.

5. Consider the Corrective Actions listed in the HACCP Charts for each process step and check to
see if they are appropriate for your business. You may wish to customise the HACCP Charts by
adding in other Corrective Actions, which are appropriate to your business.

6. If you carry out a process step in your business not covered in the HACCP Charts, a HACCP
Chart template can be found at the end of this section for your use.

ONCE YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED AND READ ALL THE HACCP CHARTS THAT ARE RELEVANT
TO YOUR BUSINESS, REMEMBER TO COMPLETE AND SIGN THE HACCP CHART SECTION
OF THE ACTION PLAN.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

PURCHASE, RECEIPT/DELIVERY, COLLECT

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be taken How are the control What should be done if the
to effectively reduce or get rid measures checked and control measure fails
of the hazard? recorded? and/or the critical limits are
not met?
What are the critical limits?

Presence and Growth Accept deliveries from a Monitor temperature of • Decide if food should be
of Harmful Bacteria reputable supplier at a food on delivery rejected or is safe to use
Cooked/ready-to-eat temperature that will • Review supplier
foods - where food is discourage the growth of
either delivered to the harmful bacteria
premises or collected Food collected must be Monitor temperature of • Dispose of unsafe food
by the food business transported in a way that will food on arrival • Review collection
ensure that the temperature practices or methods of
on arrival will comply with transportation
your specified House Rules
Make sure that all food is Visual check on ‘use by’ • Reject food beyond
within its ‘use by’ date dates ‘use by’ date and
review supplier

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Delivery Refer to your Temperature
Control House Rules Record Control and Stock Control
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Delivery House Rules
House Rules Record

Cross Contamination Keep raw and cooked/ Observe and supervise • Reject food which may be
From raw to cooked/ ready-to-eat foods separate separation practices contaminated
ready-to-eat foods Use safe handling practices Observe and supervise • Review delivery methods
handling practices • Review staff training

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Refer to your Training and
Contamination Record Cross Contamination
Prevention House Rules Prevention House Rules

Other Contamination (Delivery/Collection) Observe cleanliness of • Reject food which may be

Make sure that delivery/ delivery vehicle/visual contaminated
e.g. from vehicle,
equipment collection vehicle is clean checks and supervision • Review supplier
of collection practices
• Review staff training
Make sure that food is Observe that food is
protected and/or covered protected

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning House Complete Cleaning Refer to your Training,
Rules Schedule Cleaning and Stock Control
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Delivery House Rules
House Rules Record

House er
aining, e e ention

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 HACCP CHARTS

REFRIGERATED STORAGE

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be taken to How are the control What should be done if
effectively reduce or get rid of measures checked and the control measure fails
the hazard? recorded? and/or critical limits are
not met?
What are the critical limits?

Growth of Harmful Store food at a temperature Check refrigerator/chill • Recheck temperature

Bacteria that will discourage the temperature and consider if food is
Cooked/ready-to-eat growth of harmful bacteria safe to use. Dispose of
foods food if necessary
• Service Engineer to
check/repair
equipment
Make sure that all food is within Visual check on ‘use by’ • Dispose of food beyond
its appropriate ‘use by’ date dates ‘use by’ dates

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Cold Food Refer to your
Control House Rules Record Temperature Control and
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Weekly Record Stock Control House
House Rules Rules

Cross Contamination Keep raw and cooked/ready- Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
From raw to to-eat foods separate separation practices may be contaminated
cooked/ready-to-eat Use safe handling practices Observe and supervise • Review staff training
foods safe handling practices

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training
Contamination Prevention and Cross Contamination
House Rules Prevention House Rules

Other Contamination Keep the refrigerator/ Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
eg. from equipment chill clean cleaning of may be contaminated
refrigerator/chill • Review staff training
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning House Complete Cleaning Refer to your Cleaning
Rules Schedule and Stock Control House
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Weekly Record Rules
House Rules

House er
aining, e e ention

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

FROZEN STORAGE

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be taken to How are the control What should be done if
effectively reduce or get rid of measures checked and the control measure fails
the hazard? recorded? and/or critical limits are
not met?
What are the critical limits?

Growth of Harmful Store food at your specified Monitor freezer function • Recheck temperature
Bacteria House Rule temperature to and consider if food is
Cooked/ready-to-eat discourage the growth of safe to use. Dispose of
foods harmful bacteria food if necessary
• Service Engineer to
check/repair
equipment

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Cold Food Refer to your
Control House Rules Record Temperature Control
House Rules

Cross Contamination Keep raw and cooked/ready- Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
From raw to to-eat foods separate separation practices may be contaminated
cooked/ready-to-eat • Review staff training
foods

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training
Contamination Prevention and Cross Contamination
House Rules Prevention House Rules

Other Contamination Keep the freezer clean Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
eg. from equipment cleaning may be contaminated
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning House Complete Cleaning Refer to your Cleaning
Rules Schedule and Stock Control House
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Weekly Record Rules
House Rules

House er
aining, e e ention

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

AMBIENT STORAGE (storage at room temperature)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and/
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
What are the critical met?
limits?

Contamination Keep storage areas clean Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from packaging, cleaning may be contaminated
equipment, premises Make sure that food is Observe and supervise • Review staff training
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning Complete Cleaning Refer to your Training,
House Rules Schedule Cleaning and Stock
Complete Weekly Record Control House Rules
Keep to your Stock
Control House Rules

Other Contamination Implement pest control Observe and check the • Dispose of food which
e.g. from pests measures store for signs of pests may be contaminated
Observe and check food by pests
and packaging for signs of • Contact Pest Control
pests Contractor
Prevent pests coming into Observe the condition of • Carry out repairs to
your premises the premises premises

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Pest Control Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Pest Control
House Rules and Maintenance House
Keep to your Maintenance Complete Weekly Record Rules
House Rules

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aining, e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

PREPARATION – RAW FOOD TO BE EATEN RAW (such as meat/fish/shellfish)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and/
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical
limits?

Presence and Growth of Minimise the time food is Observe and supervise • Consider if the food is
Harmful Bacteria out of the refrigerator/ preparation of food safe to use
chill • Dispose of unsafe food
• Review staff training

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training and
Control House Rules Temperature Control
House Rules

Cross Contamination Keep raw food apart from Observe and supervise • Dispose of ready-to-eat
to other ready-to-eat the ready-to-eat foods separation practices food which may be
foods Keep raw food, to be eaten Observe and supervise contaminated
raw, apart from other raw separation practices • Consider if the raw food
food which will later be is safe to use
cooked • Review staff training
Use safe handling Observe and supervise
practices handling practices

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training and
Contamination Cross Contamination
Prevention House Rules Prevention House Rules

House er
aining, e e ention

This manual is intended to cover most catering operations, however, we acknowledge the existence of
speciality products, including food such as raw meat, fish and shellfish that will be eaten raw. General
guidance is provided below, but you are advised to obtain specialist advice as necessary.

RAW MEAT, FISH AND SHELLFISH - This process step refers to foods such as oysters, beef carpaccio,
fish in sushi and sashimi which are eaten raw and therefore require to be handled as carefully as ready-
to-eat foods. Additionally, these foods present a contamination risk to other ready-to-eat foods.

These foods require to be stored and handled separately from both conventional raw foods such as raw
meat and other ready-to-eat foods. The service of raw and partially cooked foods presents a hazard,
which cannot always be fully controlled.

LIVE SHELLFISH - Only buy seafood from reputable suppliers.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

PREPARATION COOKED/READY-TO-EAT FOOD (including salad preparation)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be taken How are the control What should be done if the
to effectively reduce or get rid measures checked and control measure fails and/
of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical limits?

Growth of Harmful Minimise the time food is out Observe and supervise • Consider if the food is
Bacteria of the refrigerator/chill preparation practices safe to use
Cooked/ready-to-eat • Dispose of unsafe food
foods
What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Weekly Refer to your Temperature
Control House Rules Record Control House Rules

Cross Contamination Keep raw and cooked/ready- Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
From raw to cooked/ to-eat foods separate separation practices may be contaminated
ready-to-eat foods Use safe handling practices Observe and supervise • Review practices
handling practices • Review staff training
Wash salad ingredients Observe and supervise
salad washing practices

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Refer to your Training and
Contamination Record Cross Contamination
Prevention House Rules Prevention House Rules

Other Contamination Use good personal hygiene Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from equipment practices personal hygiene may be contaminated
practices • Dispose of defective
Make sure that equipment Observe and supervise equipment/utensils
and utensils are clean cleaning • Review staff training
Make sure that equipment Observe and supervise
and utensils are in a good the condition of
state of repair equipment and utensils

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Personal Complete Weekly Refer to your Personal
Hygiene House Rules Record Hygiene, Cleaning and
Keep to your Cleaning House Complete Cleaning Maintenance House Rules
Rules Schedule
Keep to your Maintenance Complete Weekly
House Rules Record

House er
aining, e
e ention

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

PREPARATION - DEFROSTING FOOD

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be taken How are the control What should be done if the
to effectively reduce or get rid measures checked and control measure fails
of the hazard? recorded? and/or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical limits?

Growth of Harmful Defrost in a refrigerator/chill Check refrigerator/chill • Adjust refrigerator

Bacteria or cool area which complies is between your setting and consider if
with your specified House specified limits the food is safe to use
Cooked/ready-to-eat
Rules once defrosted
foods Observe and supervise
the time that the food is • Dispose of unsafe food
at room temperature

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Weekly Refer to your Temperature
Control House Rules Record Control House Rules

Cross Contamination Keep raw and cooked/ Observe and supervise • Dispose of cooked/
ready-to-eat foods separate separation practices ready-to-eat food which
From raw to cooked/
Use safe handling practices may be contaminated
ready-to-eat foods Observe and supervise
handling practices • Review staff training

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Refer to your Training and
Contamination Record Cross Contamination
Prevention House Rules Prevention House Rules

Other Contamination Keep surfaces and equipment Observe and supervise • Dispose of cooked/
e.g. from equipment clean cleaning ready-to-eat food which
may be contaminated
Prevent pests coming into Observe the condition of
your premises the premises • Carry out premises
repairs
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food • Contact Pest Control
Contractor
• Review staff training

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning House Complete Cleaning Refer to your Training,
Rules Schedule Cleaning, Pest Control and
Keep to your Pest Control Complete Weekly Stock Control House Rules
House Rules Record
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Weekly
House Rules Record

House er
aining, e e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

COOKING

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and/
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical
limits?

Survival of Harmful Cook the food to a Check that the specified • Continue cooking until
Bacteria temperature that will cooking temperature is your specified
destroy harmful bacteria reached temperature is reached
OR • Service Engineer to
Refer to NOTE 1 below Refer to NOTE 2 below check/repair equipment
• Review staff training

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Hot Refer to your Training and
Control House Rules Temperature Record Temperature Control
House Rules

House er
e

NOTE 1 - Cooking food until the CORE TEMPERATURE is 75°C or above will ensure that harmful
bacteria are destroyed.

However, it should be noted that lower cooking temperatures are acceptable provided that the CORE
TEMPERATURE is maintained for a specified period of time as follows :

• 60°C for a minimum of 45 minutes

• 65°C for a minimum of 10 minutes

• 70°C for a minimum of 2 minutes

NOTE 2 - It may not be practical to check the core temperature with a thermometer every time food is
cooked. An alternative method of monitoring may include :

Following an established cooking practice (time/temperature formula) and always adhering to the
same cooking conditions. (refer to Temperature Control House Rules of this manual)

ADVICE ON EGGS - Eggs can carry harmful bacteria inside and on their shells. For this reason, eggs
need to be handled carefully. Caterers cooking for vulnerable people are advised to use pasteurised eggs
for all dishes that will be eaten raw or lightly cooked.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

HOT HOLDING (including buffets)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and /
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical
limits?

Growth of Harmful Hot hold food at a Check that specified hot • Consider if food is safe
Bacteria temperature that will holding temperature is to use
Cooked/ready-to-eat foods discourage the growth of maintained OR Follow an • Dispose of food if
harmful bacteria ‘Established Hot Holding necessary
Practice’ (TIME/
TEMPERATURE • Service Engineer to
FORMULA) with check/repair equipment
occasional temperature
checks (refer to your
Temperature Control
House Rules for guidance)

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Hot Holding Refer to your
Control House Rules Record Temperature Control
House Rules

Other Contamination Make sure equipment and Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from equipment, food utensils are clean cleaning may be contaminated
handlers and customers Make sure that food is Observe and supervise • Review suitability of
protected as far as protection of food equipment
practicable, e.g. sneeze
• Review staff training
guards and/or covers

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning Complete Cleaning Refer to your Training,
House Rules Schedule Cleaning and Stock
Complete Weekly Record Control House Rules
Keep to your Stock
Control House Rules

House er
aining, e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

COOLING

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be taken How are the control What should be done if the
to effectively reduce or get measures checked and control measure fails and/
rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical limits?

Growth of Harmful Cool hot food which has just Check and record cooling • Consider if the food is
Bacteria/Surviving been cooked as quickly as times and final safe to use
Spores possible temperature OR Follow an • Dispose of unsafe food
Cooked/ready-to-eat ‘Established Cooling
Practice’ (TIME/ • Revise cooling
foods procedure
TEMPERATURE FORMULA)
with occasional
temperature checks (refer
to your Temperature
Control House Rules for
guidance)

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Hot Refer to your Temperature
Control House Rules Temperature Record Control House Rules

Cross Contamination Keep raw and cooked/ready Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
to-eat foods separate separation practices may be contaminated
From raw to cooked/
ready-to-eat foods Use safe handling practices Observe and supervise • Review staff training
handling practices

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cross Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training and
Contamination Cross Contamination
Prevention House Rules Prevention House Rules

Other Contamination Keep surfaces and Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from equipment, equipment clean cleaning may be contaminated
pests Prevent pests coming into Observe the condition of • Contact Pest Control
your premises the premises Contractor
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise • Carry out premises
protected and/or covered protection of food repairs
• Review staff training

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Cleaning House Complete Cleaning Refer to your Training,
Rules Schedule Cleaning, Pest Control and
Keep to your Pest Control Stock Control House
Complete Weekly Record
House Rules Rules

Keep to your Stock Control Complete Weekly Record

House Rules

House er
aining, e e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

REHEATING

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and /
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical
limits?

Survival of Harmful Reheat food to a Check that specified • Continue heating until
Bacteria temperature that will reheating temperature is your specified reheating
Cooked/ready-to-eat foods discourage the growth of reached OR Follow an temperature is reached
harmful bacteria ‘Established Reheating
• Review staff training
Practice’ (TIME/
TEMPERATURE
FORMULA) with
occasional temperature
checks (refer to your
Temperature Control
House Rules for guidance)

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Hot Refer to your Training and
Control House Rules Temperature Record Temperature Control
House Rules

TO BE NOTED - IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE FINISHED DISH IS NOT REHEATED MORE THAN ONCE

House er
e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

SERVICE - HOT ON SITE SERVICE TO CUSTOMER (food served in restaurants and takeaways)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and/
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical
limits?

Growth of Harmful Serve food immediately Observe and supervise • Consider if the food is
Bacteria serving practices safe to use
Cooked/ready-to-eat foods • Dispose of unsafe food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Hot Refer to your
Control House Rules Temperature Record Temperature Control
House Rules

Other Contamination Use good personal Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from equipment, food hygiene practices personal hygiene may be contaminated
handlers practices • Review staff training
Make sure equipment and Observe and supervise
utensils are clean cleaning
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Personal Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training,
Hygiene House Rules Personal Hygiene,
Complete Cleaning
Cleaning and Stock
Keep to your Cleaning Schedule
Control House Rules
House Rules Complete Weekly Record
Keep to your Stock
Control House Rules

House er
aining, e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

SERVICE - COLD ON SITE SERVICE TO CUSTOMER (food served in restaurants and takeaways)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and/
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
met?
What are the critical
limits?

Growth of Harmful Serve food immediately Observe and supervise • Consider if the food is
Bacteria after preparation serving practices safe to use
Cooked/ready-to-eat foods OR • Dispose of unsafe food
Serve food directly from Observe and supervise
the chilled storage serving practices

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Cold Food Refer to your
Control House Rules Record Temperature Control
House Rules

Other Contamination Use good personal Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from equipment, food hygiene practices personal hygiene may be contaminated
handlers practices • Review staff training
Make sure equipment and Observe and supervise
utensils are clean cleaning
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Personal Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training,
Hygiene House Rules Personal Hygiene,
Complete Cleaning
Cleaning and Stock
Keep to your Cleaning Schedule
Control House Rules
House Rules Complete Weekly Record
Keep to your Stock
Control House Rules

House Rules References

Training, Personal Hygiene, Cleaning, Temperature Control and Stock Control

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

SERVICE - HOT OFF SITE SERVICE TO CUSTOMER

(food served in other locations such as home delivery and outside catering)

HAZARD(S) AT CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

CCP(S) CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go What action has to be taken to How are the control measures What should be done if the
wrong? effectively reduce or get rid of checked and recorded? control measure fails and /or
the hazard? critical limits are not met?
What are the critical limits?

Growth of • Make sure that food is • Check temperature of food • If the food is below your
Harmful despatched at a suitable prior to despatch specified temperature on
Bacteria temperature despatch reheat to a
Cooked/ready- AND/ OR suitably high temperature
to-eat foods/
• Make sure that food arrives • Check temperature of food • If the food is below your
home delivery/
on site at a suitable on arrival specified temperature on
buffet
temperature arrival, consider if food is
OR OR safe to use

• Transport food and reheat • Check that your specified • If the food is below your
to a suitably high reheating temperature is specified temperature,
temperature reached reheat to a suitable
OR AND/OR temperature

• Transport food and hot hold • Check that your specified • Consider if food is safe to
at a suitable temperature hot holding temperature is use
until service maintained

The above temperatures need

to be sufficient to discourage
the growth of harmful bacteria.

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Off Site Refer to your Temperature
Control House Rules Temperature Record Control House Rules

Other Use good personal hygiene Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
Contamination practices personal hygiene practices may be contaminated
e.g. from Keep delivery vehicle and Observe and supervise the • Review staff training
vehicle, contact equipment clean cleanliness of the vehicle and
equipment, delivery containers
customers
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Personal Hygiene Complete Weekly Record Refer to your Training,
House Rules Personal Hygiene, Cleaning
Complete Cleaning Schedule and Stock Control House
Keep to your Cleaning House
Rules
Rules
Keep to your Stock Control Complete Weekly Record
House Rules

House er
aining, e

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

SERVICE - COLD OFF SITE SERVICE TO CUSTOMER

(food served in other locations such as home delivery and outside catering)

HAZARD(S) AT CCP(S) CONTROL MEASURES MONITORING AND CORRECTIVE ACTION

AND CRITICAL LIMITS RECORDING
What can go wrong? What action has to be How are the control What should be done if the
taken to effectively reduce measures checked and control measure fails and/
or get rid of the hazard? recorded? or critical limits are not
What are the critical met?
limits?

Growth of Harmful Transport and store food Check temperature of food • Consider if the food is
Bacteria until service at a suitably on arrival/delivery safe to eat
Cooked/ready-to-eat foods low temperature that will Make sure that food is • Dispose of unsafe food
discourage the growth of served as quickly as
harmful bacteria • Revise transportation/
possible or refrigerate delivery arrangements
until needed

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Temperature Complete Off Site Refer to your
Control House Rules Temperature Record Temperature Control
House Rules

Other Contamination Use good personal Observe and supervise • Dispose of food which
e.g. from vehicle, hygiene practices personal hygiene may be contaminated
equipment and customers practices • Review staff training
Keep delivery vehicle and Observe and supervise
contact equipment clean cleanliness of delivery
vehicle and equipment
Make sure that food is Observe and supervise
protected and/or covered protection of food

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Personal Keep to Weekly Record Refer to your Training,
Hygiene House Rules Personal Hygiene,
Complete Cleaning
Keep to your Cleaning Cleaning and Stock
Schedule
Control House Rules
House Rules Keep to Weekly Record
Keep to your Stock
Control House Rules

House Rules References

Training, Personal Hygiene, Cleaning, Temperature Control and Stock Control

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HACCP CHARTS

HACCP CHART FOR: ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

HAZARD(S) CONTROL MEASURES AND MONITORING AND RECORDING CORRECTIVE ACTION
AT CCP(S) CRITICAL LIMITS How are the control measures
What can go What action has to be taken to checked and recorded? What should be done if the
wrong? effectively reduce or get rid of control measure fails and /or
the hazard? critical limits are not met?
What are the critical limits?

Presence/
Growth/ Survival
of Harmful
Bacteria

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Complete Refer to your

.................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................

........................................................ HOUSE RULES (INDICATE RECORD FORM) ........................................................ HOUSE RULES

Cross
Contamination

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Complete Refer to your

.................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................

........................................................ HOUSE RULES (INDICATE RECORD FORM) ........................................................ HOUSE RULES

Other
Contamination

What you need to do: What you need to do: What you need to do:
Keep to your Complete Refer to your

.................................................................................................... .................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................

........................................................ HOUSE RULES (INDICATE RECORD FORM) ........................................................ HOUSE RULES

House er

............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES TRAINING

HOUSE Section contains 9 sub-sections each

of which covers a particular subject of food
safety and then provides advice on how to

ANT HA CHARTS:

TRAINING HOUSE RULES

Why is training important?

Training is important because the instruction and training of all food handlers is an essential
activity in any food business if your staff are to learn how they can contribute to food safety.

This sub-section will provide you with guidance that will be relevant to your business. Once you
have read this sub-section you will be asked to draw up Training House Rules, writing down the
intentions you have in the management and running of the training part of your HACCP based
system. A blank training record is also included to assist you keep track of your staff training. If
you already have training records in use, which cover the same points as the example record found
at the end of this sub-section, there is no need to change what you are currently doing.

Your Enforcement Officer will be able to offer you advice, guidance and support in setting up a
HACCP based system appropriate to the type of business you run. The Officer will also be able to
offer advice on training requirements for food handling staff.

Your business may also choose to provide its own instruction or in–house training, which could, for
example, be based on past experience or on guidance materials (‘CookSafe’ is an example of one
of these) or self study/E-Learning. It is important to note that the Regulations do not require
attendance on external training courses.

What type of training is needed?

Not all staff will need the same level of instruction, training or supervision. It will depend on the
work that they carry out and the type of food they handle, their work experience and the training
they have received in the past. On the next page are recommendations for you to consider in
relation to training your staff.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES TRAINING

New Staff Training Including Induction

Before starting work for the first time, it is good practice that all food handling staff should have
received either written or verbal instruction on ‘The Essentials of Food Hygiene’ to make them
aware of food hygiene (more details on this training are given below). New staff will also need
instruction suited to the type of work that they will be asked to carry out in your business.

The Essentials of Food Hygiene

(For all food handlers at induction or as soon as possible after starting work)

This training is expected to cover personal hygiene, especially the importance of hand washing,
reporting illness and the safe handling of food.

Hygiene Awareness Instruction

(For all food handlers/managers/supervisors at induction or as soon as possible after starting

work)

This training is expected to build on ‘The Essentials of Food Hygiene’ training and develop
knowledge of the basic principles of food hygiene. The topics covered will help advise your food
handling staff on how to carry out the duties expected of them hygienically and may include the
following subjects :

• the importance of good food hygiene

practices
• food poisoning and symptoms
• routes, sources and prevention of contamination and cross contamination
• HACCP principles
• personal hygiene and reporting illness
• cleaning and disinfection
• temperature control
• pest control and maintenance of the
premises
• stock control, food storage/protection and waste control
Relevant guidance on these issues noted above can be found in the House Rules sub-sections
that follow on from this one. This information can be used by you to give your staff training on
how these subjects are to be managed in your business.

In addition, it is good practice to train all your staff (food handling and service staff) in allergy
awareness (refer to the Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules Section of this manual)

Supervision
All staff must be properly supervised. In a one-person business, supervision will not be possible.
In this case, the person working in the business must have sufficient training and knowledge to
work unsupervised.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

HOUSE RULES TRAINING

Retraining
When a failure has occurred in any of the areas of your HACCP based system, the staff involved
must be retrained and/or given new instructions to carry out their duties safely. Keeping a record
of retraining (often one of the corrective actions) is part of building up your HACCP documentation
and helps you to demonstrate that your system is working effectively. This manual has been
designed in 5 key sections to make it easier to train or retrain your staff in one or even in all of the
sections, at the pace that suits you.

Refresher Training
It is vital that your staff do not forget what they have learned and continue to put their training into
practice. There are many ways for you to check that this is happening. This can be done at staff
meetings or during one-to-one coaching/training sessions. Keeping a record of refresher training
will become part of your HACCP documentation and help you to demonstrate that your system is
working effectively.

Vocational Courses
Food hygiene training does not have to be conducted as a separate exercise. Many vocational
courses will include food hygiene training e.g. National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ), or Scottish
Vocational Qualifications (SVQ). Food handlers do not have to take additional hygiene training if
their vocational course has provided appropriate training.

Formal Food Hygiene Training Courses

Basic – This course is usually for food handlers and will provide an introduction to food hygiene. It
will normally last for 1 day and is usually delivered off the job in an accredited training centre. A
formal certificate will be awarded on the successful completion of an exam. It is recommended
that staff handling high risk food undertake this training, ideally within 3 months of starting work
(subject to training course availability).

Intermediate – This course is usually for managers/supervisors with food handling staff
responsibilities and will normally last for 2-3 days. This course covers food hygiene in more detail
and the principles of HACCP. This course is usually delivered off the job in an accredited training
centre and a formal certificate will be awarded on successful completion of an exam.

Advanced - This course is usually for managers/supervisors with food handling staff
responsibilities and will normally last for 5 days. It provides greater depth in food hygiene, food
poisoning, microbiology and HACCP based systems. This course is usually delivered off the job in
an accredited training centre and a formal certificate will be awarded on successful completion of
an exam.

Your Enforcement Officer will be able to advise you on the courses most suitable for you and your
staff and details of the nearest available courses.

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 HOUSE RULES TRAINING

HACCP Based Training

This manual is designed for you to draw up your own HACCP based system and can be used by you
to train your staff. Your Enforcement Officer can give you advice, assistance and support in the
introduction of a HACCP based system and advice on HACCP based training.

Your staff should receive training on your HACCP based system. The level of training they require
will depend on their roles/duties for example :

Staff handling Low Risk Food (waiting staff, food service bar staff)

Will require to have an awareness of the system at induction or as soon as possible after starting
work. These staff may have responsibility to control and monitor Critical Control Points (CCPs).
(refer to the Introduction Section of this manual for further guidance on Critical Control Points
(CCPs))

Staff handling High Risk Food (cooks, chefs, catering supervisors, kitchen assistants)

Will require a working knowledge and an understanding of the practical application of the HACCP
based system at induction or as soon as possible after starting work. They will need to understand
the hazards, the controls, which corrective actions to carry out, which procedures to document and
have evidence to demonstrate that the procedures are being followed.

Managers or supervisors

Will also require to have a working knowledge and an understanding of the practical application of
the HACCP based system (in relation to their duties) as soon as possible after starting work.

Managers/supervisors will need to manage or supervise food handling staff to ensure that they
understand the hazards, the controls, which procedures to document and have evidence to
demonstrate that the procedures are being followed.

The manager/supervisor will have a role to check that the procedures have been followed, verify
that the system is working and checking that corrective actions and reviews have been carried out.

In a one-person business, management/ supervision will not be possible. In this case, the person
working in the business must have sufficient training and knowledge of the HACCP based system.
This includes, knowledge of the hazards, controls, corrective actions, review process and the
supporting documentation. This person must also be able to demonstrate that the procedures are
being followed.

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HOUSE RULES TRAINING

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage the Training part of your HACCP based system and using the information in
this sub-section for guidance, go to the next page and write a list of House Rules covering the
training for you and your staff.

Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules :

Training House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

New Staff Training including All Food Handling Staff

Induction - Induction during first day of work
- The Essentials of Food Hygiene and Hygiene
Awareness Instruction to be carried out at induction
or as soon as possible after starting work
- HACCP based system training appropriate to their
duties…

Staff Handling Low Risk Food…

Monitoring
Once you have completed your House Rules for Training, you must then monitor their use. Keep a
record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done by using the Weekly Record. (refer to the
Records Section in this manual)

Corrective Action
If you find that your Training House Rules are not being followed you must make a record of the
problem you have identified and the action you have taken to correct it (usually retraining). This
information can also be entered in the Weekly Record.

It is required that all records of monitoring and any corrective action(s) taken be kept for an
appropriate period of time to demonstrate that your HACCP based system is working effectively.

Action Plan
Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.

The Training House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be
kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately reflect how you run
your business and be readily understood by all of your food handling staff.

Note – When you have written all your House Rules to reflect how you run your catering
business, you can then also use this information to assist in training your food handling staff in
your HACCP based system.

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 HOUSE RULES TRAINING
HOUSE RULES TRAINING

TRAINING HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Training House Rules in the table below:

Training House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

New Staff Training including

Induction

Supervision of Staff

Retraining

Refresher Training

Vocational and Formal

Training

Staff Handling Low Risk Food

Training

Staff Handling High Risk Food

Training

Manager/Supervisor Training

HACCP Based Training

Monitoring/checking and any • Weekly Record

other records appropriate to
the Training House Rules

Other Training

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Training House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to date at all
times.

CookSafe CookSafe
Food Safety Assurance
Food System System
Safety Assurance Issue 1.2,Issue
May 1.2,
2012May 2012
 HOUSE RULES TRAINING

EXAMPLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE TRAINING RECORD

Name of Employee ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Job Title ......................................................................................................................................................................... Supervisor ...............................................................................................................................................................

Date employment commenced .......................................................................................................... Date employment ended .....................................................................................................

Date training due Training carried Employee

out and by whom confirmation

New Staff Training including Induction

Supervisory Training (if appropriate)

Retraining

Refresher Training

Vocational and Formal Training

Training appropriate to duties i.e. low risk, high

risk or manager/supervisor.

HACCP Based Training appropriate

to duties, which may be based on the CookSafe
House Rules as follows:

...................................... ................................ .....................................................................

...................................... ................................ .....................................................................

...................................... ................................ .....................................................................

Other Training (eg. Allergy Awareness)

Records of training and copies of training certificates are recommended to be kept for the duration of employment.
The completed training record is an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to date at
all times.

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HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

PERSONAL HYGIENE HOUSE RULES

Why is personal hygiene important?

People working in your business can contaminate food or spread contamination from raw to
ready-to-eat foods. These risks can be controlled by good personal hygiene practices – especially
making sure that hands and protective clothing are clean.

What needs to be considered?

Hand Washing

Hand washing is vital and should be carried out thoroughly to prevent spread of contamination.
An Effective Hand Washing Technique must be used and can be found later in this section. In
particular, hands must be washed at the following times:

• before starting work

• before handling food

• after using the toilet

• after handling raw food and raw food packaging

• after touching bins or handling waste

• after every break

• after eating and drinking

• after cleaning

• and after blowing your nose.

Hand Contact

Try to always minimise direct hand contact with raw food by the use of tongs, utensils and the
safe use of disposable gloves. Ensure that clean hands do not become contaminated by touching
hand contact surfaces such as light switches, door handles, cash registers, telephones and pens.

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Before disposable gloves can be used in your business, you need to consider that disposable
gloves can become a source of contamination and it is vitally important that you consider if gloves
can be used safely in your business. The following points should be noted:

• hands should always be washed thoroughly before putting gloves on

• gloves must be disposed of if they are damaged

• gloves must be changed if they are in contact with items such as money and must not then be
used to handle ready-to-eat foods.

Note: Disposable gloves should never be used as an alternative to hand washing.

Liquid Hand Wash meeting the BS EN 1499 Standard (with disinfectant properties) is
recommended for extra protection against cross contamination. Information on this
Standard is found on the product label or by contacting the supplier or manufacturer.

Hygienic Hand Rubs meeting the BS EN 1500 standard can provide an additional level of
protection against cross contamination and are recommended after hand washing where
there is an increased risk of cross contamination, e.g. when raw foods have been handled
prior to hand washing. It should be noted that hygienic hand rubs should never be used as
a replacement for hand washing.

Note: To further reduce contamination by hand contact, consideration should be given to

installing non-hand operable taps.

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HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

Effective Hand Washing Technique

Food handlers must be trained and verified as competent in an effective hand washing technique.
This is particularly important where there is a risk of cross contamination between raw and ready-to-
eat foods.

The following steps should always be included:

Wet your hands thoroughly and apply liquid soap*

Rub Steps

1. Rub palm to palm to make a lather.

2. Rub the palm of one hand along the back of the other hand
and along the fingers. Then repeat with the other hand.

3. Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced.

4. Rub the backs of the fingers with the opposite palm with the
fingers interlocked. Then repeat with the other hand.

5. Clasp and rotate the thumb in the palm of the opposite hand.

Then repeat with the other hand.

6. Rub backwards and forwards over the palm with clasped

fingers.

Then repeat with the other hand.

Rinse off the soap with clean water and dry your hands hygienically with a single use towel*.

To ensure washed hands do not come into contact with the taps, use a clean single use towel to turn
the taps off.

Please Note: If after washing, your hands are not visibly clean, then the Hand Washing Technique has
not been effective and should be repeated.
*These materials are recommended as part of the generic CookSafe approach. Operators may use alternative materials provided
they will produce equivalent hygienic outcomes.

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 HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

Personal Cleanliness

• Hair should be tied back and preferably covered

• Food handlers should not sneeze or cough over food

• Cuts and sores should be covered with a waterproof (preferably highly visible) dressing

• Jewellery should be kept to a minimum when preparing and handling food.

Protective Clothing

• All staff working in the food preparation area should wear suitable, clean protective clothing,
which should be changed and laundered regularly at a suitably high temperature, in order to
protect the food you are preparing

• If protective clothing becomes contaminated from handling raw food it must be changed
before handling ready-to-eat food. The use of disposable plastic aprons is recommended when
carrying out any activities where raw foods are being handled and where there is a high risk of
protective clothing being contaminated by raw foods

• Hand washing should take place after removing contaminated clothing and before putting on
clean protective clothing. Rules on the safe use of protective clothing must be written in the
House Rule at the end of this sub-section.

Reporting Illness/Exclusion

There is a requirement to report illness that may present a hazard to food safety and to exclude
people from food handling duties where there is any likelihood of causing contamination of food.

Food handlers suffering from any of the complaints listed on the ‘Return to Work Questionnaire’,
found at the end of this sub-section, must be excluded from food handling until they have fully
recovered.

It is good practice to encourage staff to also report if anyone in their household is suffering from
diarrhoea, stomach upset or vomiting. The law puts the responsibility on employers to satisfy
themselves that no food handler poses a risk to food safety.

Exclusion/return to work after illness

It is recommended that staff should not return to work until they have been free of gastro-
intestinal symptoms (vomiting/diarrhoea) for 48 hours. Staff who have been taking anti-diarrhoeal
medication should not return to work until they have been symptom-free for at least 48 hours
after stopping use of the medication.

Certain infections including dysentery, E. coli O157, typhoid and paratyphoid require formal
exclusion and then medical clearance before returning to food handling duties. A ‘Return to Work
Questionnaire’ can be found at the end of this sub-section.

Please note that some individuals may have medical conditions that cause changes to bowel
habits which are not associated with a risk of infection. In such cases, only a change in bowel habit
associated with a possible infection should be considered significant.

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HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage the Personal Hygiene part of your HACCP based system and using the
information in this sub-section for guidance, go to the next page and write a list of House Rules
covering Personal Hygiene for your business.

Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules:

Describe: Control Measures and Critical Control Limits (where

applicable) Monitoring and frequency

− All staff working in the food preparation area will be fully trained
and verified as competent in an Effective Hand Washing Technique,
Training see training records
in − Hands must be washed before starting work and at the following
Effective times:
− before handling food
Hand
− after using the toilet
Washing − after handling raw food and raw food packaging
− after touching bins or handling waste
− after every break
− after eating and drinking
− after cleaning
− and after blowing your nose.
− Single use towels are to be used for drying hands and to turn the
taps off
− An adequate supply of towels and liquid soap will always be available
− After handling raw foods, wash hands and for extra protection use
hygienic hand rubs
− Monitoring will be ongoing by supervisory visual check.

Monitoring

Once you have completed your House Rules for Personal Hygiene, you must then monitor their
use. Keep a record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done by using the Weekly Record
(refer to the Records Section in this manual).

Corrective Action

You must ensure that Personal Hygiene House Rules are implemented at all times. If you observe
that a member of staff has not washed their hands when they should, make sure they wash them
straight away and if there is a possibility that ready-to-eat food has become contaminated, throw
it away. Emphasise how important it is to wash hands when working with food and retrain the
member of staff. Increase staff supervision until you are satisfied that the staff member’s hand
washing procedures are effective. Make a record of the problem you have identified and the action
you have taken to correct it in the Weekly Record.

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 HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

The training given in Personal Hygiene should be recorded on the training record. An example of a
training record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

It is required that all records of monitoring and any corrective action(s) taken be kept for
an appropriate period of time, to demonstrate that your HACCP based system is working
effectively.

Action Plan

Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.
The Personal Hygiene House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system
and must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately
reflect how you run your business and be readily understood by all of your food handling staff.

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 HOUE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

PERSONAL HYGIENE HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Personal Hygiene House Rules in the table below:

Describe Control Measures and Critical Control Limits (where applicable)

Monitoring and frequency

Rules on: Effective Hand

Washing Technique
(including how you will
minimise hand contact)

Personal Cleanliness

Protective Clothing

Rules on :

• Reporting illness

Rules on :

• Exclusion/return to Work

Monitoring/Checking and any • Weekly Record

other appropriate records
used by your business

Signed ............................................ Position in the business ............................................... Date ....................................

The Personal Hygiene House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to
date at all times.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012 CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012
 HOUSE RULES PERSONAL HYGIENE

RETURN TO WORK QUESTIONNAIRE

PART 1 (To be completed by all Food Handlers when returning to work after an illness)

Name: ............................................................................................ Date of Return: .....................................

Please answer the following questions:

During your absence from work, did you suffer
from any of the following:
Yes No Date that the
Please tick and date when the symptoms ceased
symptoms ceased
(a) Diarrhoea?
(b) Vomiting?
(c) Discharge from gums/mouth, ears or eyes?
(d) A sore throat with fever?
(e) A recurring bowel disorder?
(f) A recurring skin ailment?
(g) Any other ailment that may present a risk to food safety?

Have you recently taken medication to combat diarrhoea or vomiting? Please tick Yes No

Signature (Food Handler) ..................................................................................... Date ............................................

PART 2 (To be completed by the Manager/Supervisor)

If the answer to all of the above questions was ‘No’, the person may be permitted to return to food handling
duties. (Complete and sign below)

However, if the answer to any of the questions was ‘Yes’, the person should not be allowed to handle food
until they have been free of symptoms for 48 hours or, if formally excluded, medical advice states that they
can return to their duties. Alternatively, in the case of food handlers with lesions on exposed skin (hands, neck
or scalp) that are actively weeping or discharging, they must be excluded from work until the lesions have
healed. (See PART 3)

I confirm that ...................................................................................................... may resume food handling duties.

Signature (Manager/Supervisor) .......................................................................... Date ............................................

PART 3 (To be completed by the Manager/Supervisor after medical advice has been taken)

What medical advice was received by the employee? Please tick

(a) Exclusion from work until medical clearance is given

(b) Move to safe alternative work until clearance is given
(c) Return to full food handling duties

If (a) or (b) is ticked, appropriate action must be taken. If (c) is ticked, the food handler may resume duties
immediately.

I confirm that ...................................................................................................... may resume food handling duties.

Signature (Manager/Supervisor) .......................................................................... Date ............................................

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

Effective Hand Washing Technique
Food handlers must be trained and verified as competent in an effective hand washing technique. This is
particularly important where there is a risk of cross contamination between raw and ready-to-eat foods.
The following steps should always be included:

W a a a a

Rub Steps

u a a a e u he a ne han a n u a a h
a a he he a he he han an e e a
a n he n e hen e a
th the e han

u he a he n e a an a e he hu n he u a an
h he e a h he a he e ha a e he a
n e ne hen e a hen e a h he he han h a n e
th the e han hen e a h he he han

n e he a h ean a e an u han h en a ha n eu e e
en u e a h han n e n na h he a u e a ean n e u e e u n he a

Please Note: If after washing, your hands are not visibly clean, then the
Hand Washing Technique has not been effective and should be repeated.
*These materials are recommended as part of the generic CookSafe approach. Operators
may use alternative materials provided they will produce equivalent hygienic outcomes.
HOUSE RULES CLEANING

Storage,

CLEANING HOUSE RULES

What is the difference between Cleaning and Disinfection?

Cleaning is the process of physical removal of food debris, visible dirt and food particles from
surfaces, equipment and fittings using hot water and detergent. Cleaning on its own will not
remove all bacteria.

Disinfection is the process of killing bacteria and viruses following general cleaning. Any
disinfectant used must be applied to a visibly clean surface and be of the following standard:
BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697.

Note: Check the label of your existing products to see if they meet the BS EN standard. You may
wish to contact your enforcement officer for a list of companies in your area that supply suitable
cleaning and disinfection products.

Why do we need to Clean and Disinfect?

Cleaning and disinfection are vitally important for a number of reasons:

• To prevent food poisoning – proper cleaning and disinfection will facilitate the removal of
harmful bacteria from surfaces and equipment and will help to reduce the risk of cross
contamination

• To remove physical materials which may contaminate food or attract pests.

What needs to be Cleaned and Disinfected?

All equipment and areas within food premises require to be kept clean. However, you must
decide when disinfection is necessary. CookSafe provides guidance on how to control cross
contamination within your business by means of disinfection. The application of this guidance will
also enable you to maintain adequate general hygiene. Please note disinfection will always be
necessary as part of your cross contamination controls.

You should also clean and disinfect sinks, washbasins, taps and any other items that are liable to
come in contact with food either directly or indirectly.

Equipment and surfaces which come into contact with raw foods should be disinfected, for
example, chopping boards, utensils, food storage containers and pots.

Items that come into contact with food indirectly by hand contact should be disinfected as
necessary, for example, light switches, taps, fridge door handles, sinks and wash hand basins.

Identify all food areas and equipment used in your business and list them in your Cleaning
Schedule. An example of a Cleaning Schedule is provided later in this sub-section.

Food waste containers, refuse waste bins and all waste storage areas should also be cleaned
as appropriate.

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 HOUSE RULES CLEANING

SEPARATION OF EQUIPMENT DURING CLEANING AND DISINFECTION

Dishwasher
Equipment and utensils used only for raw food and those used only for ready-
to-eat food can be cleaned and disinfected together in a dishwasher, where
there is evidence that the dishwasher can achieve an appropriate level of heat
disinfection. The dishwasher must be used and maintained in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions.

Twin sink
Equipment and utensils used for only raw food must be cleaned and disinfected
separately from equipment and utensils used for only ready-to-eat food when
using a twin sink.

CLEANING AND DISINFECTION KEY POINTS

Cleaning chemicals:

Cleaning chemicals should be stored away from the food preparation areas and should not
contaminate food.

Cleaning materials and equipment:

• Separate materials and equipment must be used for cleaning and disinfecting raw food
handling areas, from cleaning materials and equipment used in the rest of the kitchen.

• Colour Coding of cleaning materials is recommended as this provides visual confirmation of

effective cross-contamination controls.

• Dishcloths must be kept clean and should be laundered at a suitably high temperature.

• Single-use cloths provide a reliable way of ensuring cleaning and disinfection does not present
cross contamination risks and can be used on hand contact surfaces such as light switches,
door handles and telephones to prevent spread of contamination.

Cloths, scouring pads and sponges which are re-used for on-going cleaning, must not
become a source of contamination. It is recommended that cloths are stored in a disinfectant
solution between uses and rinsed under hot water after each use before being returned to the
disinfectant. To ensure the disinfectant remains effective at all times, the solution strength
must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Please remember that
frequent use and heavy soiling will require more frequent changes of the solution.

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What methods should be used to Clean and Disinfect?

The 3 main methods for cleaning and disinfection are: Dishwasher, Twin Sink and Clean and
Disinfect in Place and are described in the table below.

Method Type Procedure Additional Notes

Method 1 – A dishwasher must be This is the only acceptable method

Dishwasher used and maintained in for cleaning and disinfecting
HEAT accordance with manufacturer’s equipment and utensils used for only
instructions. raw food and equipment and
utensils used for only ready-to-
eat foods together.

Note 1: There must be evidence

that the dishwasher is capable of
providing adequate heat disinfection.

Method 2 – • Pre clean – remove leftover When using twin sinks, all equipment
Twin Sink food and residues and utensils used for ready-to-eat
CHEMICAL foods must be washed separately
• Main clean – wash in the sink from those used for raw foods.
with clean hot water and the
correct amount Note 2: Check the label of the
of detergent product for dilution, contact time and
to see if a rinse step is required.
• Rinse – if required
Note 3: The sink must always
• Disinfect in the sink with clean be disinfected after use with raw food
water and an appropriate food equipment and utensils
safe disinfectant, for the and/or before being used for any
required contact time other purpose.
• Second Rinse (if required) in
the sink with clean
hot water

• Dry – ideally air dry or use

single-use drying cloths.

Method 3 Clean and • Pre-clean – remove loose This method is usually used on work
Disinfect in Place debris surfaces, wash hand basins, taps and
CHEMICAL door handles, where equipment and
• Main Clean – clean the surface surfaces cannot be sink washed.
using hot water
and the correct amount It also requires careful choice of
of detergent disinfectant, usually in a spray form
with residual disinfection properties.
• Disinfect – treat with a food
safe disinfectant spray Note 4: Check the label of
the product for dilution, contact time
• Dry – ideally, air dry. and to see if a rinse step
is required.

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 HOUSE RULES CLEANING

How do I decide the method I should use to Clean and Disinfect?

A diagram has been provided below to help you to decide what and how to clean and disinfect in
your food business.

IMPORTANT Before cleaning and disinfecting equipment, utensils and areas, you must
consider their use. In other words, are they used for raw food or for ready-to-eat food at
any time?

READY-TO-EAT-FOOD

the
the Raw

METHOD METHOD
METHOD METHOD
METHOD METHOD

Note: Equipment and utensils used for raw foods must be cleaned and disinfected
separately from those used for ready-to-eat food. The only exception to this is where a
dishwasher is used (as described in the table on the preceding page).

The terms detergent and disinfectant are defined as:

Detergent: a cleaning substance (which does not have disinfectant properties) made from
chemical compounds and used for general cleaning.

Disinfectant: a substance capable of destroying harmful bacteria, when applied to a visibly clean
surface, at a specified concentration and contact time. Note: any disinfectant used as a control
against cross contamination must be of the BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697 standard.

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HOUSE RULES CLEANING

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

A Cleaning Schedule lists the items of equipment in use within the business and the
frequency and method of cleaning and disinfection required. Cleaning Schedules are usually
written in the form of a table. Using the information in this sub-section for guidance and any
other information you currently have, develop a Cleaning Schedule to reflect how you manage
the Cleaning in your business.
Here is an example of how you could write a Cleaning Schedule.

Items, areas to be Frequency of Method of Chemical, Dilution and Contact

cleaned and examples Cleaning Cleaning Time

Moveable equipment, After Method 1 Heat disinfection –

utensils that come each use Dishwasher dishwasher used and
into contact with ONLY maintained as per
food, e.g. all chopping manufacturer’s instructions
boards, tongs/ spatulas
serving spoons, trays,
containers

Non-food contact As and Method 3 − Pre-clean –

items/ equipment, e.g. when Clean and remove loose
work surfaces, wash required Disinfect in debris
hand basin, taps, door Place − Main Clean – clean the
handles surface using hot water
and xxxx detergent
dilution of 1:xx,- Note:
rinse not required in
this example,
− Disinfect with the
premixed food safe
disinfectant spray
xxxx of BS EN 1276
standard- Note: rinse
not required in this
example
− Air Dry

Please note It is essential that the correct dilution of chemicals is used for the recommended
contact time. Always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions

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 HOUSE RULES CLEANING

Monitoring and Corrective Action

You must ensure that Cleaning House Rules are implemented at all times. If a breakdown in
controls is detected and a potential risk of cross contamination exists, it must be considered a
serious incident and your corrective action would be to dispose of the food; clean and disinfectthe
surfaces and equipment; retrain staff; record the problem and action taken to ensure it is not
repeated in the Weekly Record and Training House Rules.

All records of monitoring and the corrective action taken should be kept for an appropriate
period of time, to demonstrate that your system is working effectively.

Training

It is critical that all relevant staff are trained and verified as competent in your cleaning
procedures that form part of your Cleaning House Rules. This includes training on the correct
disinfection techniques including correct dilution and application of chemicals, before working
unsupervised. This training should be recorded in your Training House Rules.

Action Plan

Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update the Action Plan.

The Cleaning Schedule is an essential component of your HACCP based system and must
be kept up to date at all times. Your Cleaning Schedule needs to be written to reflect how
you manage the cleaning in your business and be readily understood by all of your food
handling employees.

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HOUSE RULES CLEANING HOUSE RULES CLEANING

CLEANING SCHEDULE Start Date: ................................................................................

Items, areas to be cleaned Frequency of Cleaning Method of Cleaning Chemical, Dilution and
and examples Contact Time

Moveable equipment,
utensils:

• all chopping boards,

• tongs/ spatulas
• serving spoons
• trays
• containers

Non-food contact
items/ equipment
• work surfaces
• wash hand basin
• taps
• door handles

Refrigerator/chill and Freezer

Oven and microwave oven

Dry storage area

Floors

Extraction Fans

Food waste containers and

refuse waste bins/area

Cloths and work clothes

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ANT HA CHARTS:

TEMPERATURE CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Why is Temperature Control important?
Temperature control is important because harmful bacteria are a hazard present in many of the
foods handled in catering businesses. They also tend to multiply rapidly at room temperature. As
bacteria are invisible to the naked eye and cannot be physically removed from food, all we can do is
control their numbers. There are, however, two main ways in which temperature can be used to
achieve this :

1. We can destroy harmful bacteria, or reduce their numbers, by cooking or reheating

and
2. We can control their growth by keeping food hot or cold

How can temperatures be used to keep food safe?

In catering operations, the following practices are recommended to keep food safe.

Refrigeration A food temperature of 8°C or below is effective in controlling the multiplication of most
bacteria in perishable food. It is recommended practice to operate refrigerators and
chills at 5°C or below.
Freezing Freezing of food at temperatures of -18°C or below will prevent bacteria multiplying.
Cooking Temperatures of 75°C or above are effective in destroying almost all types of bacteria.
However, cooking temperatures below this level are also effective provided that the food is
held at these temperatures for a suitable time period. (refer to the Cooking HACCP chart)
Hot holding Temperatures above 63°C will control the multiplication of bacteria in hot food.
Cooling Food should be cooled as quickly as possible and then refrigerated. This will limit the
growth of any bacteria or germination of spores that may be present.
Reheating All food that has previously been heated and is to be re-heated, must be raised to a
temperature of 82°C, which will ensure that food has been reheated to a safe and, in
some cases, legally required temperature. Using a suitable time/temperature
combination will also ensure that food has been reheated safely should higher
temperatures be detrimental to the quality of the food, for example reaching a core
temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes.

How are these temperatures used to keep food safe?

HACCP based food safety procedures require the business to set Critical Limits.

For example, you may decide that you will cook meat dishes to 75°C or above. Similarly, you
may decide that your refrigerator should operate at 5°C or below. These temperatures would
then be the Critical Limits for Cooking and Refrigerated Storage respectively.

The table above gives Critical Limits that may be appropriate for your business. You may,
however, find that there are other temperatures or methods, which are more suitable for you.
The Critical Limits that you choose must be sufficient to ensure that the food you produce is
safe. For further advice, you should contact your Enforcement Officer.

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How can Temperature Control Measures and Critical Limits be described?

The table below lists the process steps found in most catering businesses and provides
suggestions on how to use the information contained in the table on the previous page. Consider
your own catering procedures and then describe your Temperature Control procedures as well as
the Critical Limits that apply to you :

PROCESS STEP TEMPERATURE CONTROL MEASURE/CRITICAL LIMIT

PURCHASE/ • Transport/accept chilled food at your specified temperature

DELIVERY/ for example 5°C or below
RECEIPT/ • Transport/accept frozen food at your specified temperature
COLLECTION for example –18°C or below

STORAGE • Store chilled food at your specified temperature

for example 5°C or below
• Store frozen food at your specified temperature
for example -18°C or below

PREPARATION • Keep cooked/ready-to-eat food within the chill or refrigerator until it is required,
then prepare/handle without delay
• Thoroughly defrost all frozen foods in a chill, refrigerator or cool area
• Thoroughly defrost all frozen foods prior to cooking (unless specified otherwise by
the food manufacturer)

COOKING • When cooking poultry, rolled meat joints, stews, casseroles, minced meats and
meat products, ensure the centre reaches a suitably high temperature for example
75°C or above
• Whole cuts of beef and lamb which have not been rolled or skewered and are to be
served pink or rare, may not need to reach this temperature but should be properly
cooked at a suitably high temperature
• Similarly, steaks cooked “rare” need not be cooked to this temperature but you
should ensure that the external surface has been cooked at a suitably high
temperature to kill any bacteria on the surface of the meat

HOT HOLDING • All foods which are to be held hot prior to serving must be kept at above 63°C.
These foods should be placed in appropriate equipment, for example a pre-heated
bain-marie/hot cabinet , as soon as possible after reheating or cooking

COOLING • Hot food should be cooled as quickly as possible and then refrigerated
• If possible, cool food in small portions or in shallow containers
• Avoid placing “hot” food in refrigerators

REHEATING • Reheat food thoroughly until the core temperature is not less than 82°C. This is not
required if the food would be spoiled by reheating to this level
• Alternate time/temperature combinations can be used for reheating in these
circumstances, for example 70°C for 2 minutes
• Reheat the finished dish only once

SERVICE AND • Chilled foods being served cold should be kept under refrigeration at your
DELIVERY TO specified temperature for example 5°C or below prior to service
CUSTOMERS • Foods being served hot must be kept hot at above 63°C
• Chilled food being delivered cold should be held at your specified temperature for
example 5°C or below
• Food being delivered hot should be held at above 63°C

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How can you tell that your Critical Limit Temperatures are being achieved?
When using HACCP based procedures, you are required to check that your Critical Limits are being
met. This is referred to as Monitoring. The most reliable method of monitoring temperatures is by
the use of a suitable thermometer – a procedure often referred to as Probing. However, it is not
always necessary or appropriate to use a thermometer. In such cases, other methods may be
more practical. (refer to Cold and Hot Temperature Monitoring Without using a Thermometer
paragraph below)
At the end of this sub-section, you will be asked to draw up your House Rules for Temperature
Control. These House Rules should include the Critical Limits for each process step and the
Monitoring procedures you will follow.

Temperature Monitoring using a Thermometer

In many cases, the temperature of food can be checked using a probe thermometer. Ideally, a
hand-held digital thermometer should be used when probing foods and checking air
temperatures. This may be supplemented by additional “in-place” thermometers which may be
located in refrigerators, chills, cold displays and freezers. Thermometers should be kept clean at
all times. Probe thermometers should be sanitised/disinfected before/after each use. Under no
circumstances should a mercury in glass thermometer be used as it would present a
contamination risk if it breaks.
It is important that you regularly check that the probe thermometer you are using is working
correctly.

the or e a
the e

Cold Temperature Monitoring

• Always check the temperature of the warmest part of the chill

• Avoid checking the temperature of refrigerators, chills, cold displays or freezers immediately
after the door/lid has been open for any significant period of time or during a defrost cycle
• Displays built into refrigerators, chills, cold displays and freezers indicate the air temperature
within the appliance. These can be useful for day-to-day monitoring but should be checked
regularly with a digital thermometer as a back-up check.
• Avoid puncturing the packaging of wrapped food when checking temperatures. In this case,
temperatures should be taken from between the packs

IMPORTANT! You must determine the frequency of cold temperature monitoring in your
House Rules. For example :

• It is advisable to check all refrigerator, chill, cold display and freezer temperatures at
the start of the working day

• It is also advisable to check all refrigerator, chill and cold display temperatures at some
other part of the day

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Hot Temperature Monitoring

• The temperature of a food may vary throughout, especially during cooling and heating,
therefore large pieces of meat or poultry should be probed at the thickest part. Alternatively, in
the case of stews, soups and other ‘liquid’ foods served hot, it is essential that food is stirred to
ensure adequate distribution of heat before probing

• Temperatures of foods being ‘Hot Held’ in a bain-marie or displayed at a buffet are best
measured by probing the foods

IMPORTANT! You must determine the frequency of hot temperature monitoring in your
House Rules. For example :

• When cooking food such as stews, soups, curry, sauces served hot and whole chickens,
you may decide to probe the product at regular intervals during the cooking process to
ensure the food is being properly cooked

• When hot holding batches of food, you may set a maximum time limit on the display of
the product combined with regular monitoring of the temperature dial (if appropriate) on
the equipment. In this case, you would use the temperature probe as a back-up check

• When cooling food you could set a time limit on the cooling period and check that the
product is capable of being refrigerated by that time

Cold and Hot Temperature Monitoring - Without using a Thermometer

Certain foods may not require to be probed every time they are cooked, cooled or reheated. This
may be because there are other ways of ensuring that the Critical Limit has been achieved.
For example :

• When cooking items like stir fry, it may be sufficient to make a visual check that it is thoroughly
cooked

• When cooking or reheating individual portions on a repeated, identical basis, it may be

sufficient to simply repeat the exact procedure on every occasion

• When checking that a freezer is functioning properly, it may be sufficient to make sure that the
contents are still obviously frozen and that there is no visible evidence of defrosting

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IMPORTANT! You must determine your methods of temperature monitoring in your

House Rules

• Whatever temperature control method is being used, it is essential that the critical limit
is achieved on every occasion. However, this does not mean that every item of food which
is being held cold, cooked, reheated or hot held needs to be monitored using a probe
thermometer on every occasion
• It will, however, be essential that occasional checks are made with a probe
thermometer. Also, even if you don’t probe a food, you will still be required to monitor
some aspect of the procedure, such as the visual appearance of the food or the cooking
time. A predetermined appearance or cooking time should be used in such instances
• Certain foods present no risk when undercooked, for example, most vegetables. The
cooking temperature of such foods need not be monitored
• Your methods of temperature monitoring will be dependent on the knowledge and
understanding of your food handlers together with the effectiveness and efficiency of
your work equipment

You are provided with a number of forms that can be used to record temperature monitoring but
it is your decision which records are appropriate for your business.

Temperature checks can be recorded on any of the following record forms:

1. Delivery Record 5. Off Site Temperature Record
2. Cold Food Record 6. All-In-One Record (used as an alternative to records 1 - 5)
3. Hot Temperature Record 7. Weekly Record
4. Hot Holding Record

These record examples can be found in the Records section of this manual.

Temperature Monitoring Summary

• You must ensure that the Temperature Control Critical Limits you set for all high risk
foods held in your kitchen are regularly monitored
• One method of monitoring Temperature Control is by using a clean probe thermometer.
While this method may be suitable and appropriate for many foods, you are not expected
to probe every high risk food item prepared in your business
• Not all monitoring requires to be recorded. You are not expected to write down every
temperature check you make
• Your Temperature Control records must demonstrate your commitment to effective
temperature control in your business. Without records, it is impossible to show that you
understand the need for good temperature control. Too much record keeping is difficult
to maintain and can be frustrating to complete
• You must decide what is the appropriate level of record keeping to reflect your business
activities
• If you require further assistance, you should contact your Enforcement Officer

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WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

How to draw up your Temperature Control House Rules

• Consider what you do – ‘CookSafe’ requires that you consider the various Temperature Control
procedures that are followed in your business

• Write them down in the table - Write down the Temperature Control measures that are applied
at each process step. A table, which can be used for this purpose may be found at the end of
this sub-section. Remember to include a Critical Limit for each process step

• Refer to the guidance at the start of this sub-section - You may refer back to the table at the
start of this sub-section for guidance on suitable Critical Limits. Alternatively, you may wish to
specify other temperatures which are more appropriate for your business

• Write down how you will monitor Temperature Control - State the monitoring procedure you
intend to use to ensure your Critical Limit has been achieved. Remember to state clearly the
frequency of monitoring and describe how this monitoring will be recorded

Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules :

Process Step Temperature Control Measure Monitoring Method, Frequency

and Critical Limits and Records used

Cooking - Poultry, rolled meat - All poultry, rolled meat

joints, stews, casseroles, joints, stews, casseroles,
minced meats and meat minced meats and meat
products - heat the products probed at the
centre to 75°C or above end of the cooking
process
- Whole cuts of meat,
which have not been - Whole cuts of beef
rolled or skewered may and lamb, which are
not needto reach this to be served pink or
temperature rare, need not be
probed
- Steaks cooked “rare”
need not be cooked to - Visual checks on
rare steaks
this temperature. Ensure
that the external surface All of the above should
has been cooked to a be recorded on ‘Hot
suitably high Temperature Record’ or
temperature. the ‘All-in-One Record’

Monitoring
Once you have completed your House Rules for Temperature Control, you must then monitor their
use. Keep a record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done using the Delivery Record,
Cold Food Record, Hot Temperature Record, Hot Holding Record, Off Site Temperature Record or
alternatively the All-in-One Record and the Weekly Record. (refer to the Records Section of this
manual)

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Corrective Action
If you find that your Temperature Control House Rules are not being followed you must make a
record of the problem you have identified and the action you have taken to correct it. This
information can be entered in the Weekly Record.

The training given in Temperature Control should be recorded on the training record. An example
of a training record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

It is required that all records of monitoring, at a frequency decided by you, and any corrective
action(s) taken be kept for an appropriate period of time to demonstrate that your HACCP
based system is working effectively.

Action Plan
Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.
The Temperature Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system
and must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately
reflect how you run your business and be readily understood by your food handling staff.

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TEMPERATURE CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Temperature Control House Rules in the table below :

Process Step Temperature Control Measure and Critical Limits Monitoring Method, Frequency and Record(s) used

Purchase,
Delivery/Receipt
, Collect

Storage

Preparation

Cooking

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Hot Holding
(including buffets)

Cooling

Reheating

Service and
Delivery to
Customers

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Temperature Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up
to date at all times.

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 HOUSE RULES CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION

Storage,

CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION HOUSE RULES

What is Cross Contamination?

Cross contamination occurs when harmful bacteria are transferred from contaminated food to
uncontaminated food.

How does Cross Contamination occur?

• By Direct Cross Contamination – contact between raw food and ready-to-eat food during
transport, storage or preparation

• By Indirect Cross Contamination - spread of bacteria from raw food to ready-to-eat food
via food handlers, equipment or surfaces. For example, indirect cross contamination can
occur via refrigerator door handles, knives, chopping boards, work surfaces, chefs’ cloths or
cleaning cloths.

Why is it important to prevent Cross Contamination?

Cross contamination has frequently been found to be the cause of food poisoning outbreaks.
Bacteria in contaminated food are not visible to the naked eye and do not cause noticeable food
spoilage or affect taste, smell or texture.

Importantly, ready-to-eat food must be protected from cross contamination at all times. This is
because there are no further controls to protect your customers from the risk of food poisoning,
once contamination has taken place.

The risk of E. coli O157 cross contamination must be considered and controlled in any
food business where both raw foods and ready-to-eat foods are handled. Major E. coli
O157 outbreaks occurred in Scotland in 1996 and Wales in 2005 and were attributed to
poor food handling practices which led to cross contamination.

E. coli O157 is a particularly dangerous organism because:

• it can lead to serious untreatable illness and even death

• it is reported to have a very low infective dose (less than 100 bacteria can cause illness)

• it has the ability to survive refrigeration, freezing and environments which have a low pH
or reduced water activity.

These CookSafe procedures will also help control cross contamination risks from other
food poisoning bacteria such as Campylobacter and Salmonella.

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Which foods provide the main sources of Cross Contamination?

The following raw foods or ingredients present a potential source of cross contamination and
should be handled with care:
• Raw meat such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey and game

• Other raw foods such as fish, shellfish and eggs

• Vegetables and fruit that have not been labelled as ready-to-eat and especially vegetables
that are visibly dirty. Please see the table below for further information on fruit and vegetables.

In addition, water supplied to food businesses must be fit for human consumption.

Fruit and vegetables Fruit and

Not Ready-to-Eat vegetables Ready-

Examples: to-Eat
Examples:

Visibly dirty vegetables: e.g. potatoes, Pre-packed fruit, vegetables and salad
leeks, carrots, some types of cabbage and which are labelled as ready-to-eat.
lettuce.
Fruit, vegetables and salad which have been
Fruit, vegetables and salad not labelled washed and prepared on the premises.
as ready-to-eat: e.g. apples, tomatoes,
lettuce, white cabbage, herbs, spinach
and watercress.

Risk Risk

Visibly dirty vegetables present a likely Pre-packed fruit, vegetables and salad
source of E. coli O157 contamination. labelled as ready-to-eat have been
subjected to controlled procedures and do
Fruit and vegetables not labelled ready-to- not present a risk to health.
eat. It must be assumed from the way these
foods are grown or handled after harvest, Fruit, vegetables and salad which have
that E. coli O157 may be present, even if been prepared on the premises need to be
there is no visible evidence of contamination protected from contamination – especially if
by dirt. they are to be eaten raw.

Washing Washing

These foods must be washed in running These foods require no further washing.
water (and if necessary peeled) prior to
consumption or further processing. If these
foods are to be eaten raw, after they are
washed (and if necessary peeled) treat them
as ready-to-eat.

Storage Storage

Store separate from ready-to-eat fruit and Store as ready-to-eat.

vegetables.

You should decide if certain foods are to be treated as raw or ready-to-eat, this will be dependent
on the final use.

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How can I prevent Cross Contamination from occurring in my business?

Think SAFE. Use the acronym SAFE to help you think about how you can separate raw and ready-
to-eat foods and prevent cross contamination. SAFE stands for Staff, Areas, Food and Equipment
and should be considered at each step in your process. Further information is available in the
BEST PRACTICE table, found later in this sub section.

Staff • Consider having separate staff for different tasks. If this is not possible,
restrict staff movement between raw and ready-to-eat areas. Ensure
Personal Hygiene House Rules are followed at all times.

Areas • Introduce Physical Separation by setting up a Raw Food Area with its
own identifiable equipment and utensils (preferably colour coded).

Food • Always keep raw food separate from ready-to-eat food.

Equipment • Always use separate equipment and utensils for raw foods. It is
particularly dangerous to use complex equipment, such as vacuum
packing machines, slicers or mincers for both raw and ready-to-eat
foods (dual use of equipment).

How can I apply SAFE thinking to my business?

Stage 1 – Think about the raw food coming into your business.

• Who handles it?

• Where is it received?

• Where is it stored?

• Where is it prepared?

• Is it kept separate from ready-to-eat food?

• What equipment and utensils does it come into contact with?

Stage 2 – Introduce Permanent Physical Separation

Staff Limit raw food handling to specific staff members.

Areas Designate a Permanent Raw Food Area where only raw food is handled.

Food Always keep raw food separate from ready-to-eat food.

Equipment Ensure that the equipment and utensils designated for the raw food area are
identifiable. Colour coding is the most effective way to achieve this.

Stage 3 – Train all staff to think SAFE

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What if I can’t manage to introduce Permanent Physical Separation in my business?

Permanent Physical Separation of Staff, Areas, Food and Equipment is the safest way of
preventing cross contamination. However, if you are unable to fully implement Permanent
Separation, you should consider Temporary Separation measures. These measures may be
applied to Staff or Areas, singly or in combination, but will not be appropriate for Food and
Equipment. For example you may allow staff to handle raw and then ready-to-eat foods with
controls, but still have a Permanent Raw Food Area.

Staff Restrict raw food handling to specific staff at specific times and make sure
that the Personal Hygiene House Rules are followed at all times.

Areas Identify a Temporary Raw Food Area for preparing raw food.
The Temporary Raw Food Area should only be used for raw food at pre-
arranged times.
Never allow any food to come into direct contact with the work surfaces in
your Temporary Raw Food Area – e.g. always use chopping boards.
This area may then be used for handling ready-to-eat foods – but only after
careful cleaning and disinfection (refer to the Cleaning House Rules for
further information).

Food Always keep raw food separate from ready-to-eat food.

Equipment The dual use of equipment for both raw food and then for ready-to-eat food is
dangerous. Separate equipment is the only safe option.

IMPORTANT

The safety of Temporary Separation measures can only be relied upon if cleaning and
disinfection practices and regular, rigorous hand-washing are strictly adhered to at all
times. If you find it difficult to introduce either Permanent or Temporary Separation to your
operation you should consider the following options:

• Check to see if additional space can be found elsewhere in the premises or consider
changing your existing layout to improve Physical Separation
• Reduce raw food handling by ordering prepared meats such as sliced steaks, diced meats,
boneless chicken and prepared vegetables
• Reduce raw food handling by purchasing pre-cooked meats and pre-washed ready-to-use
vegetables
• Review your menu in order to reduce the raw foods being brought into your premises
• Simplify your menu to reduce raw food handling at peak times
• Scale down your operation in order to enable safe handling of foods.
Contact your Enforcement Officer for advice and guidance

The table on the next page looks at each process step and shows you how to introduce Physical
Separation in the BEST PRACTICE column. If you are unable to do this the GOOD PRACTICE
column gives you alternative options. Try to have the majority of your procedures following
BEST PRACTICE.

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GUIDANCE ON INTRODUCING CROSS CONTAMINATION CONTROLS

(Think SAFE. TRY TO HAVE MOST OF YOUR PROCEDURES FOLLOWING BEST PRACTICE)

Process BEST PRACTICE GOOD PRACTICE

Step
where Best Practice is not feasible

Delivery • Arrange for raw foods to be • Ensure raw foods are adequately
delivered separately from wrapped, packaged and stored
ready-to-eat foods separately from ready-to-eat foods in
the vehicle
• Where possible, use
the delivery vehicle • Where raw meat is being temperature
thermograph to monitor probed on delivery, use a colour coded
temperatures raw food probe

• Designate a member of • Designate certain staff to handle raw

staff to handle raw foods food deliveries and ensure they adhere
only to Personal Hygiene House Rules
before handling ready-to-eat food
• Identify a Permanent Raw
Food Area to receive and, • Identify a Temporary Raw Food Area
where necessary, unwrap where raw foods will be taken on arrival
raw foods. Then take raw and, where necessary, unwrapped.
food directly to the raw Clean and disinfect the area thoroughly
food storage and dispose of before being used again for ready-to-
wrapping materials safely. eat foods.

Remember: Raw and ready-to-eat

foods must never be in direct contact
with temporary work areas including
worktops. Cutting boards and/or
containers must be used.

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Process BEST PRACTICE GOOD PRACTICE

Step
where Best Practice is not feasible

Storage • Designate a separate • If a refrigerator/chill or freezer is of a

raw meat refrigerator/ sufficient size, it can be used to store
chill, freezer and use raw meat and ready-to-eat food at
separate colour coded or the same time. The raw meat must
otherwise identifiable lidded be placed in a designated permanent,
containers identifiable and physically separate
area.
• Designate separate ready-
to-eat food refrigerator/chill Remember: In shared storage, raw
foods must be stored on the bottom
• Designate a separate shelves and always below ready-to-eat
storage area for unwashed, foods
raw vegetables and fruit,
which is away from visibly • In shared storage unwashed raw
dirty vegetables, e.g. do not vegetables and fruit must be stored
store salad foods with dirty separately from ready-to-eat foods.
potatoes. Remember: When using shared
storage there will be a greater
requirement for hand washing and
cleaning/disinfection to prevent cross
contamination between raw and
ready- to-eat foods

• The outside surfaces of food containers

must be disinfected before being placed
in shared storage. Always use separate
colour-coded (or otherwise identifiable)
lidded containers for raw foods.

Remember: It is not acceptable to use a

container for raw food and then re-use it
for ready-to-eat food.

Note 1: Once vegetables are washed (and if necessary peeled) they can be stored as
ready-to-eat.

Note 2: Unless the label states that the product is ready-to-eat, you must assume that it will
require to be washed (and if necessary peeled) prior to consumption.

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Process BEST PRACTICE GOOD PRACTICE

Step
where Best Practice is not feasible

Preparation • Designate a Permanent • Identify a Temporary Raw Food Area

Raw Food Area within your and ensure that the area is cleaned and
kitchen: disinfected before being used for ready-
to-eat foods.
− All raw food must be
handled in this area Remember: No food can be in direct
contact with temporary work areas
− Only raw food must be including worktops at any time.
handled in this area Cutting boards and/or containers
must be used.
− Defrost raw food in the
raw food refrigerator • Restrict raw food-handling to certain
staff at certain times of day. Arrange the
− Designate separate staff
workflow to minimise staff alternating
for handling raw food
between raw and ready-to-eat food
only
handling. Ensure strict hand washing
Note: Unless the label states procedures are in place. (refer to your
that the product is ready-to- Personal Hygiene House Rules)
eat, you must assume that it
• When using the same sink for
will require to be washed (and
if necessary peeled) prior to food preparation and cleaning and
consumption. disinfection, ensure the sink is cleaned
and disinfected between each use.
• Designate a permanent sink
• It is not acceptable to have any
for raw food preparation
equipment, utensils, containers or
• Use separate colour chopping boards used for both raw and
coded/easily identifiable ready-to-eat foods.
equipment and utensils for
Remember robust measures must be
handling raw foods, e.g.
in place to prevent accidental use of
knives, tongs, chopping
equipment used for raw foods being
boards, spoons, storage
subsequently used for ready-to-eat food.
containers and cling film.

Note: Bean sprouts not labelled ready-to-eat will require thorough cooking before consumption.

Additional Guidance on Cooking and Cooling

• Organise staff, workspace and flow of foods to ensure total separation between raw and ready-
to-eat foods during cooking and cooling
• Never cool food in the raw food area

• Utensils used for handling raw food at the start of the cooking process e.g. ladles, spoons, and
spatulas should be used in such a way that there is no risk of cross contamination between
raw food and ready-to-eat food

• A probe thermometer used for monitoring cooking temperatures must be identifiable for use
for ready-to-eat food only.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage the Cross Contamination Prevention part of your HACCP based system
and using the information for guidance, go to the end of this sub section and write a list of House
Rules covering Cross Contamination Prevention.

Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules:

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)

• Monitoring including frequency

Storage Refrigerated Storage

Raw meat is always stored in dedicated containers with red lids in
the separate raw food refrigerator.

Ready-to-eat food is always stored in the separate ready-to-eat

refrigerator.

Fruit and vegetables not labelled as ready-to-eat are stored on the

bottom shelf of the ready-to-eat refrigerator in separate identifiable
boxes. These foods will be washed (and if necessary peeled) before
being treated as ready-to eat.

Visibly dirty potatoes stored in a container in the dry goods store

away from all other foods.

Shared Frozen Storage

Ready-to-eat food is stored on the top shelf.

Raw meat is stored in containers with red lids, below the ready-to
eat shelf.

Monitoring

Research evidence has shown that cross contamination is very difficult to control in a catering
environment. The easiest and most reliable way to prevent cross contamination is through
Physical Separation. Much of the monitoring of cross contamination prevention will rely on visual
checking. This can be made easier by using colour coded/identifiable equipment and disposable
plastic aprons for raw food handling. Once you have completed your House Rules for Cross
Contamination Prevention, you must then monitor their use. Keep a record of the monitoring
using the Weekly Record.

Corrective Action

You must ensure that cross contamination controls are implemented at all times. If for example
you see that ready-to-eat food is being prepared in the Permanent Raw Food Area, it is
considered a serious incident and your corrective action would be to dispose of the food; clean and
disinfect the surfaces and equipment; retrain staff; record the problem and action taken to ensure
it is not repeated in the Weekly Record and Training House Rules.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION

All records of monitoring and corrective action taken should be kept for an appropriate
period of time to demonstrate that your system is working effectively.

Action Plan

Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.

The Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP
based system and must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written
to accurately reflect how you run your business and be readily understood by all of your food
handling employees.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION

CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION HOUSE RULES

Think SAFE Enter a statement of your Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules in the table below:

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)

• Monitoring including frequency

Delivery

Storage

Including where any

defrosting is carried out

Preparation

Cooking/Cooling

Monitoring/checking and
any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ............................................ Position in the business ............................................... Date ....................................

The Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must
be kept up to date at all times.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION

ANT HA CHARTS:

PEST CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Why is Pest Control important?

Pest control is important because pests can carry harmful bacteria that can contaminate foods
and cause illness. These harmful bacteria can be passed to the food by contact with their hair,
faeces and urine. Pests can also cause serious damage to the structure and fabric of food
premises.

What are Pests?

Generally speaking, pests are animals, birds or insects that contaminate food either directly or
indirectly.
They include :

• Rodents, for example, rats and mice

• Insects, for example, flies, cockroaches, beetles, ants, wasps, bees and various insects that can
be found in stored products

• Birds, for example, pigeons, crows, seagulls, starlings and sparrows

What needs to be considered?

Pest Proofing of the Premises

The building must be in good condition and repair in order to restrict pest access and prevent
potential breeding sites. This can be done by :

• Using wire mesh screens to pest proof air vents

• Sealing holes, and other places where pests can gain access

• Keeping the floors, walls, roof, doors and window openings in a good state of repair with no
gaps or spaces

• Fitting drain covers to prevent pests gaining access

Insect Screens

• Windows opening directly into food preparation areas must be fitted with screens capable of
resisting common flying insects (ideally apertures should be of 2mm2 or less)

• Screens must be removable to allow for cleaning

• Kitchen doors which open to the outside air and which are opened for lengthy periods must
also be suitably screened using a close-fitting insect-proof screen door

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

HOUSE RULES PEST CONTROL HOUSE RULES PEST CONTROL

Electronic Fly-Killing Devices

• Flying insects can be destroyed using an electronic fly-killing device. Manufacturers will give
advice on the location, cleaning and maintenance of this type of equipment. The maintenance
records of this equipment will become part of your HACCP based system documentation.

Good Housekeeping

• Inspect stock on delivery to make sure that there are no visible signs of damage by pests

• Premises and refuse stores must be managed in such a way as to enable them to be kept
clean, and protected against access by pests (refer to Waste Control and Maintenance House
Rules in this manual)

• Foods which are awaiting preparation or are being defrosted or are cooling should remain
covered

• Food waste should be placed in containers with suitably fitted lids and removed frequently from
food handling areas where it is produced (refer to Waste Control House Rules in this manual)

• Food should be stored off the floor and away from walls

• Food should, where possible, be stored in rodent-proof containers

• Vegetation around the outside of the premises should be kept to a minimum

Pest Control Contractor

• Some businesses may decide to employ a pest control company to monitor the premises on a
regular basis

• A pest control contract should include checking for the presence of all pests, monitor the pest
proofing of the premises and the eradication of any infestations found

• A reputable pest control company should provide advice on housekeeping and storage
arrangements to prevent access by pests

• The contractor should be able to provide a 24 hour emergency cover and should provide a
written report after each visit. It is recommended that any pest contractor report is kept as part
of your HACCP based system documentation

Checking and Inspection

• All areas of the food premises should be checked regularly for signs of pests such as rodent
droppings, smear marks, insect egg cases and dead insects

• Staff should be made aware of the signs of pests and what action they must take should they
discover pests or signs of pests

• Management must take immediate and appropriate action to control any infestation of pests
identified on their premises

• Foods should be checked for the presence of pests, for example, insects within cereals/grains

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012 CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW
To effectively manage the Pest Control part of your HACCP based system and using the
information in this sub-section for guidance, go to the next page and write a list of House Rules
covering Pest Control for your business.

Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules :

Pest Control House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Pest Proofing of the Weekly walk round of premises and check visually :
Premises - Wire mesh screens
- Air vents
- External doors and windows
- Drain covers

Monitoring
Once you have completed your House Rules for Pest Control, you must then monitor their use.
Keep a record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done by using the Weekly Record (refer
to the Records Section in this manual).

Corrective Action
If you find that your Pest Control House Rules are not being followed you must make a record of
the problem identified and the action you have taken to correct it (this is known as a corrective
action). This information can also be entered in the Weekly Record.

The training given in Pest Control should be recorded on the training record. An example of a
training record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

It is required that all records of pest control monitoring, including equipment maintenance,
pest control contractor reports and corrective actions taken, be kept for an appropriate
period of time, to demonstrate that your HACCP based system is working effectively.

Action Plan
Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.

The Pest Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and
must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately reflect
how you run your business and be readily understood by all of your food handling staff.
 HOUSEHOUSE
RULESRULES PEST CONTROL
PEST CONTROL

PEST CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Pest Control House Rules in the table below :

Pest Control House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Pest Proofing of
the premises

Insect Screens

Electronic Fly-Killing
Devices

Good Housekeeping

Pest Control Contractor

Checking and Inspection

Monitoring/checking and • Weekly Record

any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Pest Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to date
at all times.

CookSafeCookSafe Food
Food Safety Safety Assurance
Assurance System System
Issue 1.2, Issue 1.2, May 2012
May 2012
 HOUSE RULES WASTE CONTROL

ANT HA CHARTS:

WASTE CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Why is waste control important?

Waste control is important because the storage and disposal of waste needs to be controlled
carefully since waste presents a risk of physical contamination to food and may attract pests.
Additionally, food that is damaged, out of date or rotting may present a risk of microbiological
cross contamination from harmful bacteria.

How can waste be controlled?

Waste can be regarded as any item of food, ingredients, packaging materials or even soiled
cleaning cloths which are not suitable for further use and which are intended to be discarded.

The following issues need to be considered when controlling waste :

Waste in Food Rooms

• Food waste should be placed in containers with suitably fitted lids and removed frequently from
food handling areas where it is produced

• Sufficient containers should be provided and placed conveniently where the waste occurs.
Containers must be of an appropriate construction, kept in sound condition, and be easy to
clean and disinfect

Food Waste Awaiting Collection

• Refuse containers used for the storage of waste awaiting collection should have a suitably
fitted lid and be made of a durable material which is easy to clean and disinfect

• Other waste such as cardboard and paper need not be placed in a sealed container but must be
kept separate from food and must be stored in such a way as to not pose a risk of
contamination to food

• Refuse stores must be designed and managed in such a way as to enable them to be kept
clean, and protected against access by pests. Refuse stores should, ideally, be located away
from food storage and handling areas and must not give rise to the risk of contamination of
food or drinking water

• Food waste and other waste must be removed frequently from the food handling areas.
Outdoor storage should be sited away from the main delivery entrance and must be kept clean
and free from pests (refer to the Pest Control House Rules in this manual)

Sanitary Waste & Waste Disposal Units

• Sanitary waste and waste disposal units should to be dealt with by competent personnel who
are responsible for their correct disposal. All disposal units should be regularly cleaned to
prevent offensive odours

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

HOUSE RULES WASTE CONTROL

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage the Waste Control part of your HACCP based system and using the
information in this sub-section for guidance, go to the next page and write a list of House Rules
covering Waste Control for your business.

Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules :

Waste Control House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

- Food waste will be removed frequently from food handling areas

Waste in Food Rooms
- Waste containers will be cleaned and disinfected at the end
of each working day External doors and windows

Monitoring
Food waste containers, refuse waste bins and all waste storage areas should be inspected and the
outcomes of the inspection recorded on your Cleaning Schedule.

Once you have completed your House Rules for Waste Control, you must then monitor their use.
Keep a record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done by using the Weekly Record. (refer
to the Records Section in this manual)

Corrective Action
If you find that your Waste Control House Rules are not being followed, you must make a record of
the problem you have identified and the action you have taken to correct it. This information can
also be entered in the Weekly Record.

The training given in Waste Control should be recorded on the training record. An example of a
training record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

It is required that all records of monitoring and any corrective action(s) taken be kept for an
appropriate period of time, to demonstrate that your HACCP based system is working
effectively.

Action Plan
Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.

The Waste Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and
must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately reflect
how you run your business and be readily understood by all of your food handling staff.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES WASTE CONTROL

WASTE CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Waste Control House Rules in the table below :

Waste Control House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Waste in Food Rooms

Food Waste Awaiting

Collection

Sanitary Waste/ Waste

Disposal Units

Monitoring/checking and • Weekly Record

any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Waste Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to date
at all times.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES MAINTENANCE

ANT HA CHARTS:

MAINTENANCE HOUSE RULES

Why is Maintenance of the premises, equipment and utensils important?

Maintenance is important because lack of adequate maintenance of the structure of the premises,
equipment and utensils can result in the following :

• Pests may enter the premises and defective drains may also permit access (refer to the Pest
Control House Rules in this manual)
• Cleaning can become more difficult and may result in a build up of food debris (refer to the
Cleaning House Rules in this manual)
• Crockery, cutlery and containers may become badly worn, broken or unable to be effectively
cleaned and disinfected
• Some utensils and equipment such as glassware may present a risk of physical contamination
when cracked or broken
• Defective and poorly maintained equipment, fixtures and fittings can result in the physical
contamination of food
• Defective or poorly maintained equipment, such as refrigerators, freezers and cooking
equipment could result in inadequate temperature control, which could, for example, in the
case of cooking equipment, cause the failure to cook or reheat food to the correct temperature

What needs to be maintained?

Premises Structure

• All internal surfaces must be smooth, impervious, easy to clean and in a good state of repair
• To prevent the entry of pests, the floors, walls, roof, doors and window openings must be kept
in a good state of repair with no gaps or spaces (refer to the Pest Control House Rules in this
manual)
• Maintaining the structure in good repair makes it easier to effectively clean the premises (refer
to the Cleaning House Rules in this manual)
• Ceilings in food preparation areas must be maintained to permit effective cleaning (refer to the
Cleaning House Rules in this manual)
• Drains should be kept free of leaks and blockages

Equipment

• All food contact surfaces, utensils and equipment must be maintained in good condition to
enable effective cleaning and disinfection, and to prevent the build up of debris
• Broken or defective light bulbs, tubes and fittings should be replaced promptly
• Certain equipment may require to be serviced at regular intervals, for example, cooking
equipment, refrigerators and freezers, dishwashers and ventilation systems/ducting. It is
recommended that records of servicing be kept as part of your HACCP based system
documentation.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

HOUSE RULES MAINTENANCE

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage the Maintenance part of your HACCP based system and using the
information in this sub-section for guidance, go to the next page and write a list of House Rules
covering Maintenance in your business.
Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules :

Maintenance House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Premises Structure - Weekly walk around both the interior and exterior of the
premises to check the structure is in a good state of
repair

Monitoring
Once you have completed your House Rules for Maintenance, you must then monitor their use.
Keep a record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done by using the Weekly Record (refer
to the Records Section in this manual).

Corrective Action
If you find that your Maintenance House Rules are not being followed, you must make a record of
the problem identified and the action you have taken to correct it. This information can also be
entered in the Weekly Record.

The training given in Maintenance should be recorded on the training record. An example of a
training record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

It is required that all records of monitoring and any corrective action(s) taken and
equipment servicing be kept for an appropriate period of time, to demonstrate that your
HACCP based system is working effectively.

Action Plan
Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.

The Maintenance House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and
must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately reflect
how you run your business and be readily understood by all of your food handling staff.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES MAINTENANCE

MAINTENANCE HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Maintenance House Rules in the table below :

Maintenance House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Delivery Vehicles

Premises Structure:
• General
• Walls
• Floor
• Ceiling
• Drains

Light Fittings/Covers

Work Surfaces

Equipment/Utensils
(list main items of
equipment)

Ventilation System,
Canopy, Grease Filters

Monitoring/checking or • Weekly Record

any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Maintenance House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to date
at all times.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES STOCK CONTROL

ANT HA CHARTS: Hot

e

STOCK CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Why is Stock Control important?

Stock control is important because if high risk food is kept too long, even under favourable
conditions, harmful bacteria may multiply. Additionally, even foods with a longer shelf life, whether
dried, canned or frozen, may deteriorate if they are kept for too long. Food which is being stored
may also become contaminated by food handlers, pests and the catering environment.

What is Stock Control?

Stock control is a term used to describe the measures taken to ensure that food is not kept beyond
its shelf life. In this manual, it also refers to measures taken to prevent certain types of
contamination especially during storage, defrosting, hot holding, service and transportation.

What Stock Control measures could be used?

• Incoming food should not be accepted if its packaging is seriously damaged exposing the
product to the risk of contamination or if the food is obviously contaminated
• Incoming food must not be accepted if its ‘use by’ date has expired
• In terms of good practice, you may also wish to consider rejecting stock beyond its ‘best before’
date
• Stored food must not be used if its ‘use by’ date has expired
• High risk food which has been removed from its packaging should be re-labelled with a new
suitable ‘use by’ date, based on manufacturer’s instructions
• High risk foods prepared on the premises and then stored for later use should be labelled with
an appropriate ‘use by’ date
• Stock should be rotated on a first-in-first-out basis and damaged stock removed from the main
storage area
• Dried food should be stored in large waterproof containers and should not be topped up with
new stock. Ensure that the existing food is used first
• Keep food that can cause allergic reaction separate from other foods. It is vital not to lose the
product description and traceability following unpacking, decanting and storage. (refer to the
Cross Contamination Prevention House Rules)

What food protection measures can be used?

• Food being stored, defrosted, held hot, displayed or transported must be protected from
contamination. This may be achieved by the use of suitable containers or packaging
• Food on display should be protected as far as practicable, for example, by the use of sneeze
guards and/or covers

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

HOUSE RULES STOCK CONTROL

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage the Stock Control part of your HACCP based system, using the information
in this sub-section for guidance, go to the next page and write a list of House Rules covering Stock
Control for your business.
Here is an example of how you could write your House Rules :

Stock Control House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Delivery of Food For every delivery - visual checks :

- Check ‘use by’ dates
- Check ‘best before’ dates
- Check the packaging for signs of damage
Check product for signs of contamination

Monitoring
Once you have completed your House Rules for Stock Control, you must then monitor their use.
Keep a record of the monitoring you carry out. This can be done by using the Weekly Record (refer
to Records Section in this manual).

Corrective Action
If you find that your Stock Control House Rules are not being followed, you must make a record of
the problem you have identified and the action you have taken to correct it. This information can
also be entered in the Weekly Record.

The training given in Stock Control should be recorded on the training record. An example of a
training record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

It is required that all records of monitoring and any corrective action(s) taken be kept for an
appropriate period of time, to demonstrate that your HACCP based system is working
effectively.

Action Plan
Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.
The Stock Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and
must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately reflect
how you run your business and be readily understood by all of your food handling staff.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES STOCK CONTROL

STOCK CONTROL HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Stock Control House Rules in the table below :

Stock Control House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits (where applicable)
• Monitoring including frequency

Delivery of Food
Including :
• ‘Use by’ Dates
• ‘Best before’ Dates
• Physical Condition

Storage
Including :
• ‘Use by’ Dates
• ‘Best before’ Dates
• Protection of Food

Stock rotation
Including :
• Decanted Food
• First-in-first-out
• Damaged Stock

Labelling of bought-in
High Risk Foods which
have been removed from
their original packaging

Labelling of High Risk

Foods prepared on the
premises

Protection of Food
Including :
• Defrosting
• Hot Holding
• Service/Delivery

Monitoring/checking and • Weekly Record

any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Stock Control House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to date
at all times.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 ANT HA CHARTS:

ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT HOUSE RULES

What is an Allergen?

A food allergy is when the body’s immune system reacts unusually to specific foods. The food that the body reacts to is known as the
allergen. Most allergic reactions to food are mild, but some can be very serious and in some cases fatal. The only way people can deal
with a food allergy is to avoid the foods that make them ill.

Customers may have an allergy to any type of food. To ensure you can provide safe food and drinks you must have the correct controls in
place to identify ingredients, produce safe food and communicate this information to your customers.

There are 14 major allergens which need to be mentioned (either on a label or through provided information such as menus) when
they are used as ingredients in food. Under current legislation on the provision of food information to consumers (Retained Regulation (EU)
No. 1169/2011) and Food Information (Scotland) Regulations 2014, the duty is on food business owners to ensure that all mandatory
allergen information (relating to the 14 allergens) is accurate, available and easily accessible to the consumer.
 14 INGREDIENTS
LINKED TO ALLERGIES AND INTOLERANCES

There are 14 major allergens which need to be mentioned (either on a label or through provided information such as
menus) when they are used as ingredients in food. Here are the allergens, and some examples of foods they may be
found in

CEREALS CONTAINING GLUTEN

Wheat (all varieties including spelt, Khorasan etc.), rye, CELERY
barley and oats are cereals that contain gluten. These Celery includes celery stalks, leaves, seeds and the
cereals can also be found in foods containing flour, root called celeriac. Celery is also found in celery
such as batter, breadcrumbs, bread, cakes, couscous, salt, salads, some meat products, soups, stock
processed meat products, pasta, pastry, sauces, soups, cubes etc.
fried foods which are dusted with flour, some brands
of baking powder etc. MILK
Milk includes milk from all animals including cows,
EGGS sheep, goats etc. Butter, cheese, cream, milk
Egg includes eggs from all birds including hen, duck, powders and yoghurt are derived from milk. Milk can
quail etc. Eggs can also be found in foods such as also be found used in a variety of foods including
cakes, some meat products, mayonnaise, mousses, foods brushed or glazed with milk, and in powdered
pasta, quiche, sauces, pastries or foods brushed or soups and sauces etc.
glazed with egg etc.
SOYBEANS
MUSTARD Soybeans also called soya, is found in tofu/bean
Mustard, mustard powder and mustard seeds are curd, edamame beans, miso paste, textured soya
included in this category. Mustard can also be found in protein, soya flour or lecithin E322 (if made from
breads, curries, marinades, meat products, salad soya). Soya is a staple ingredient in oriental food. It
dressings, sauces and soups etc. can also be found
in desserts, ice cream, meat products, sauces,
vegetarian products etc.
SESAME SEEDS
Sesame seeds are often found on hamburger buns and PEANUTS
in salads. They are also found in breads and Peanuts are legumes and grow underground, which is
breadsticks, hummus, sesame oil, tahini etc. why they are sometimes called groundnuts. Peanuts
are often used as an ingredient in biscuits, cakes,
curries, desserts, and sauces (such as satay sauce).
TREE NUTS They are also found
Tree nuts refer to nuts which grow on trees, namely - in groundnut oil, peanut flour and peanut butter etc.
almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, brazil
nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia (or Queensland) nuts. FISH
Tree nuts are also found in many foods including breads, Fish includes all species of finned fish, fish oils and
biscuits, crackers, desserts, nut butters, nut powders caviar. Fish is also found in condiments such as fish
(often used in Asian curries), stir-fried dishes, ice cream, sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salad dressings (e.g.
marzipan (almond paste), nut oils, sauces etc. Caesar salad), stock cubes etc.

MOLLUSCS
CRUSTACEANS Molluscs include mussels, oysters, scallops, escargot
Crustaceans include crabs, lobster, prawns and scampi. (snails), octopus and squid including its ink. They
They may also be found in shrimp sauce, shrimp paste may also be found in oyster sauce, paella, fish soups
(commonly used in Thai and south-east Asian food), etc.
shellfish stock, paella, fish soups such as bisques and
bouillabaisse etc. LUPIN
Lupin flour and seeds can be used in some types of
bread, pastries, pasta etc.
SULPHUR DIOXIDE AND SULPHITES
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites are often used as a
preservative in dried fruits such as raisins, dried apricots,
prunes etc. They can also be found in meat products,
prawns, vegetables, soft drinks, wine and beer, etc.
 OFFICIAL
HOUSE RULES ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT
HOUSE RULES ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT

What is a Food Intolerance ?

Food intolerances are more common and are caused by the body being unable to digest certain
substances e.g. lactose. They are not the same as food allergies, as most do not involve the immune
system.

Food intolerances can make someone feel very ill and affect their long-term health. You will usually
feel the symptoms of a food intolerance slower than a food allergy, and sometimes it may not be felt
until a few hours after you have eaten the food. Symptoms can last for hours, even into the next day.

Why is it important to manage allergens?

You as a food business operator have a legal responsibility to produce safe food, provide allergen
information and follow labelling rules to ensure the food and drinks you produce do not cause harm
to the consumer.

This means that food business operators must:

 provide allergen information to the consumer for both prepacked and non-prepacked food
and drink

Note:- drink includes all drinks that are sold from the premises e.g. smoothies, juices,
cocktails, etc.

 handle and manage food and drink allergens effectively during preparation.

Food businesses must make sure that their staff are trained in allergens and are familiar and
competent in the businesses procedures and practices to ensure the safe management of allergens
in all areas of the business.

3
 OFFICIAL
HOUSE RULES ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT
HOUSE RULES ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT

Low Gluten & Gluten Free

If you intend to produce any gluten free products you must consider the following:-

Current legislation has set levels of gluten for foods that claim to be either 'gluten-free' or 'very low
gluten'. These levels are:

 'gluten-free' – 20 mg/kg of gluten.

 'very low gluten' – 100 mg/kg of gluten. However, only foods with cereal ingredients that
have been specially processed to remove the gluten may make a 'very low gluten' claim.

These regulations apply to all foods – pre-packed or sold loose, such as in health food stores or in
catering establishments.

Food Businesses can only use the phrase ‘gluten-free’ if they can demonstrate that, when tested,
their product is 20 parts or less of gluten per million. They will also be required to demonstrate that
any products claiming to be 'very low gluten' comply to the legislation.

Producing foods with no deliberate gluten-containing ingredients which are produced in areas where
there is a high risk of gluten cross-contamination, cannot be labelled as ‘gluten-free’ or ‘very low
gluten’.

For example, within a small bakery/domestic kitchen using flour that contains gluten it would be very
difficult to produce gluten free products due to the possible contamination by flour dust in the air.

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How can I comply with allergen requirements?

To comply with allergen food law, food businesses must have a good understanding of their
ingredients, processes and products in order to correctly identify and manage allergens. This will
help food businesses train staff and communicate with their customers.

Allergen management can easily be done in four steps:

1. Identify allergens in your business

2. Manage allergen risk

3. Train your staff

4. Communicate with customers

Below are free tools available to support food businesses with allergen management;

Online Allergen Training

To help you and your staff with allergen awareness consider incorporating this training into your staff
training programme. It has been developed by Food Standards Scotland to help bring greater awareness
about allergens in manufacturing and catering settings.

MenuCal

MenuCal is a free to use online tool that is designed to help food businesses comply with legal requirements
to manage and record allergen information. The free tool can also be used to calculate the amount of energy
found within the foods you are producing. MenuCal helps you comply with the law by helping you to identify,
manage and communicate allergen information for food and drink on your menu.

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STEP 1 : IDENTIFY ALLERGENS IN YOUR BUSINESS

As a food business you have a basic legal responsibility to have a food safety management system based
upon the HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) Principles. This CookSafe document forms
part of your Food Safety Management System. Food allergens must be considered as a hazard in the
food and drinks that you produce, therefore they should be a key consideration in your Food Safety
Management System.

Remember, allergens are a hazard in all areas of your business not just the kitchen. Drinks that you
make at the bar (coffees, teas, cocktails etc) can all contain allergens and should be considered in your
Food Safety Management System.

Identifying Allergens in your Food and Drinks

Buying and Receiving Foods & Drinks

 When buying ingredients, foods and drinks, the supplier must provide you with all necessary
ingredient and allergen information. Where foods are not labelled it should be provided in the
accompanying paperwork.

 When you receive deliveries, the foods you have received should match what you ordered.
Check if there have been any substitutions or any different brands included. Different brands of
products may have different ingredients and therefore different allergens. This is also true for
other suppliers, as their products may contain different ingredients and allergens.

 Any substitution or change in ingredients must be recorded with ingredient and allergen
information reviewed and updated accordingly.

 It is good practice to check the condition of the packaging of any goods you receive. This way
you can ensure that none of the packaging is damaged which could potentially contaminate
foods with other allergens.

Standard Recipes

 The easiest way for you to identify allergens within your business is to create and follow
standard recipes. If you use a standard recipe the food will be made with the same brand and/or
allergens every time you or your staff make it.

 By following standard recipes you can easily identify the allergens used within a dish and provide
correct and consistent information including any ‘may contain’ information that is included on the
labels of the foods you use

 If you use non-standard recipes (daily/weekly specials) you should have a system in place to
ensure that you can identify all ingredients and any allergens within the dish/product and
communicate this to your staff and customers

 Here is a standard recipe template which may be helpful with recording recipes, or alternatively
the Menucal tool can be used to record recipes and manage allergen information.

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STEP 2 : MANAGE ALLERGEN RISKS

How do I manage the allergen risk?

This can be done by adapting the following guidance for your business.

Deliveries and Labels

 When receiving ingredients, foods and drinks the supplier must provide you with all necessary
ingredient and allergen information. Where foods are not labelled it should be provided in the
accompanying paper work.

 Check that the food delivered matches your order – if it does not match, check the ingredient list
and allergen information of the replacement product then update your records when you start
using the new ingredient.

 You should not accept a delivery unless you are fully confident you have all the required correct
information.

 Make sure that you keep all receipts and invoices for a reasonable period of time to ensure
traceability. By having this system in place if there is an issue with a product it should be easily
identified and traced.

 Check that packaging is not damaged to ensure there has been no cross contamination.

 It is good practice to have a frequent review of regularly used ingredients, foods and drinks for
ingredient and recipe changes. – any changes should be documented and recorded

Standard Recipes

 Following standardised recipes for foods and drinks ensures that all dishes produced are
essentially the same every time.

 When a non-standard recipes (e.g. daily/weekly specials) is used there should be a system in place
to ensure that all ingredients and any allergens are identified and recorded.

 if you choose a new brand or a new supplier, you must check to see if these changes contain
additional or different allergens than previous brands or suppliers you used. – ensure you have a
method for logging the end of one batch and the start of a new batch with the new ingredient

 Where there are substitutions made as a result of low stock or special requests, food businesses
should have a system in place to record and communicate changes to all staff and relevant
customers.

 It is good practice to have a frequent reviews of your recipes.

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Storage

• Food businesses must have procedures in place for safely storing food, particularly allergen
containing foods and drinks to minimise cross contamination – this includes within chilled and
frozen storage

• Foods that contain allergens in powdered form such as milk powder or flour should be stored
in air-tight containers.

• Where foods are decanted into containers, ensure the containers are clearly labelled with
exactly what food they contain as well as any ingredients and any allergens.

Cross-Contamination

• Allergens can easily pass from one food to another or from surfaces/equipment to food. This can
occur when foods are prepared on the same surfaces or when allergen free foods are prepared
close to allergen containing dishes (e.g. flour dust, splashing).

• Where possible, allergen free dishes could be produced at the start of a shift

• Thoroughly clean all equipment, utensils and worktops before preparing allergen-free food, or use
separate equipment.

• Handling foods — Always wash your hands thoroughly before preparing allergen-free food.

• After preparing an allergen-free meal, keep it covered, keep it labelled and deliver it separately to
the customer.

• Put in place steps to prevent cross contamination between foods that contain allergens and
those foods that do not. Remember! Minute traces of foods which contain allergens can get
into other foods and cause a reaction.

Cleaning and Disinfection

• Be aware that any allergen residues are enough to cause an allergic reaction. Allergen residues
can be found anywhere that has had contact with allergens as well as anywhere dust, crumbs and
food may accumulate.

• You must ensure that you carry out effective cleaning and disinfection practices on equipment and
surfaces.

• Surfaces can be cleaned using the 2 stage clean and disinfection (See Cleaning House Rule)
method.

• Utensils can be cleaned in the same way or with a dishwasher capable of providing adequate
disinfection (See Cleaning House Rule).

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• Larger complex pieces of equipment may have to be broken down to be cleaned and disinfected.
Whereas some other equipment may not be able to be cleaned to the same extent e.g. vacuum
packer, deep fat fryer, slicers etc. there must be procedures in place for managing allergens e.g.
separate allergen-designated equipment.

• Before preparation of any allergen free foods and drinks, the surface, any utensils and equipment
must be cleaned and disinfected.

Specific Rules for the Preparation of Food & Drinks for an allergy sufferer
Whenever preparing or serving food for an allergy sufferer always :

 Where possible use a separate work surface/ area to prepare allergen free food or drink. Where
this is not possible ensure through cleaning and disinfection of preparation area and equipment is
practical.

 Clean and disinfect the work surfaces before and after preparing foods.

 Clean and disinfect equipment and utensils before preparing any allergen free dishes.

 Not all equipment can be properly cleaned, e.g. deep fat fryers, vacuum packers etc. These types
of equipment cannot be used for both allergen free foods and allergen containing foods.

 Wash your hands thoroughly. Where gloves are used, ensure that these are changed before
preparing an allergen free order.

 Do not cook allergen free food in oil in which you have cooked other foods.

 Do not remove allergenic ingredients, such as nuts, from a prepared dish and call it
allergy-free because residues of the allergenic ingredient may remain in the dish and
may still cause a reaction.

 When displaying food and drinks in buffets or display cabinets, always lay them out in
a way that will minimise the risk of allergen-free food being contaminated with
ingredients from another dish and provide separate serving utensils.

 Consider garnishes & accompaniments. – do these contain allergens that need to be

considered? e.g. swirl of crème fraiche on soup, croutons, garnishes on cocktails,
toppings on desserts etc.

Take Away and Delivery

• When receiving any orders via the phone, it is good practice to ensure that the member of staff
asks if the customer has any allergies

• If you use online menus/ordering you should signpost that customers should make you aware of
any allergies.

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• You must ensure that your online menus are frequently reviewed and kept up to date.

• It is good practice that food being delivered that is allergen free should be labelled as such and
should be packaged separately and away from any foods that contain the allergen, ideally in its
own bag to avoid cross contamination.

• Food Business Operators selling non-prepacked food (this includes prepacked for direct sale food)
through distance selling (e.g. such as food businesses which offer purchase through telephone/
internet) must ensure that mandatory allergen information is available to the consumer (for free):

• before the purchase is concluded; and

• at the moment of delivery.

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STEP 3 : Training your Staff

All staff should get basic training in food allergen management before they first start work and receive regular
refresher training. All training carried out should be accurately documented and recorded. All staff should be
trained to handle any customer allergen queries and understand the potential severity of not handling allergens
and allergen information correctly.

Make sure that all staff understand that they should never guess whether or not an allergen is present in a food. They
should ask someone who knows. Always be honest with the customer. If you do not know, admit it!

In order to help you with training your members of staff and understanding allergens, you can visit the following
Allergen Training Tool.

Below are some points to consider when developing training for staff members:-

Management Kitchen Front of House Takeaway/ Delivery

Check all allergen paperwork and Ensure there is knowledge Have knowledge and awareness of When receiving any orders via the
documents for accuracy and awareness on allergen allergen risks and control phone, you should ensure that the
risks, controls and the member of staff asks if the customer
importance of standard has any allergies
recipes
Manage knowledge and awareness Create standard recipes to Trained to respond to allergen queries Never guess as to the ingredients in a
of allergen risks and controls ensure all kitchen staff are from customers dish
aware of what allergens are
contained in what dishes
Make sure that all staff members are Responsible for cleaning and Know that they must inform other If you use online menus etc, you
trained on allergen risks and controls disinfection within the relevant staff members of any should signpost that customers should
kitchen customers who suffer from allergies make you aware of any allergies

Ensure that staff consider what Create any allergen free Where orders are made online, staff Food being delivered that is allergen
foods of personal use that they may dishes requested should additionally inform the kitchen free should be labelled as such and
bring onto the premises especially about the allergen free order should be packaged separately and
before handling allergen free foods away from any foods that contain the
e.g gluten containing bread, peanut allergen, ideally in its own bag to
bars avoid cross contamination

Have procedures in place to Never guess as to the ingredients in a All foods produced must contain
ensure all staff are informed of dish correct labelling (where applicable).
any last minute recipe
changes

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STEP 4 Communicating with your Customers

Let your customers know that you would be happy to discuss their requirements with them. For
example, highlighting on the menu or chalkboard that customers should ask staff for further
information if they have any concerns about allergens. You should also display a poster that
explains to customers to raise it with staff if they have an allergy i.e. ‘if you have a food allergy
please inform a member of staff’

Where possible, design your menu to ensure names and descriptions of dishes reflect
potential allergenic ingredients, for example, “strawberry mousse with almond
shortbread” or “satay sauce made with peanuts” or Marinades e.g chicken marinaded in
buttermilk.

Communication with Customers

• Time of booking – ask if any members of the party have any allergies – if yes take a note
of this and ensure that upon arrival all staff members are reminded.

• Taking orders – ask if any members of the party have any allergies.

• Taking orders - If you are asked any queries about a dish do not guess the answer but talk
so someone who does know the answer such as a manager or chef to find out allergenic
ingredients.

• Delivery to table – ensure that the allergen free dish is taken to the table separately &
make sure you wash your hands if you have handled other plates or foods.
• Staff communication – tell all staff when a customer has an allergy, this includes any change of shift staff. If you
are asked any queries do not guess the answer but talk to someone who does know the answer such as a
manager or chef to find out allergenic ingredients.
• Buffets – where customers can help themselves and there is no opportunity for discussion with staff – each of the
foods in the buffet should be labelled to show any allergenic ingredients with separate utensils to decant the
foods.

How to provide allergen information;

There are a number of ways in which allergen information can be provided to your customers. How you
provide allergen information will be determined by the way in which you provide your customers with
food and drinks e.g. packages, non-prepacked or prepacked for direct sale.

Different allergen labelling rules apply depending on how the food is provided.

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Method of Packaged Food and Non – Prepacked Prepacked for Direct Distance Selling
food Drinks food and Drinks Sale
provision

Definition Any product put into Non-prepacked food Foods prepared and Distance selling or food sold by means of distance
packaging before being and drinks is packaged before sale to communication.
placed on sale. unpackaged food. the final consumer by the
Often described as foods same food business:- This is any means which, without the simultaneous
Packaged before sale (to sold loose. physical presence of the supplier and the consumer,
final consumer or to mass - on the same food may be used for the conclusion of a contract
caterers), where there is no premises between those parties.
opportunity for direct - on the same site
communication between - on other premises owned
producer and customer, and by the same food business
the contents cannot be e.g. market stall, mobile
altered without opening or vehicle.
changing the packaging.
Sandwiches prepared and
Example Most pre-packed foods sold In a retail environment then placed into packaging Takeaway food, such as pizzas, ordered over the
in supermarkets will fall this would apply to any by the food business, before telephone.
under this definition, such foods which are sold the consumer selects them,
as tinned food, ready-made loose from a and sold from the same Food purchased online via a supermarket website or
meals or frozen food delicatessen counter; for premises. other online marketplace.
products. example, cold meats,
cheeses, quiches, pies Foods prepared and
and dips, fresh pizza, packaged by the same
fish, salad bars, bread operator and then taken to
sold in bakery shops etc. their market stall to sell.

In a catering Foods prepared and packed

environment this would by an operator in a central
apply to foods ready for premises and then sold to
consumption such as consumers from mobile
meals served in a shops or stalls operated by
restaurant, café or the same business.
purchased from a
takeaway.

Labelling Allergens should be Provide allergen Allergens should be For prepacked foods sold via distance means,
requirements emphasised (highlighted, information in a manner emphasised (highlighted, mandatory food information set out in Article 9(1) of
bold, underline etc) that suits the business bold, underline etc) within FIC (apart from the durability date) must be
throughout the ingredient format e.g. tags or the text of the ingredients available before the purchase is concluded and with
list tickets, chalk boards, list . no additional costs. All mandatory information must
menus, labels. be provided at the moment of delivery to the
These need to be in line These need to be in line consumer.
with the legal requirements These need to be in line with the legal requirements
that apply to naming foods with the legal that apply to naming foods For food sold non-prepacked, including prepacked
and listing ingredients. requirements that apply and listing ingredients. for direct sale, allergen information should be made
to naming foods. available by the FBO before the purchase is
Link to full labelling Guide Link to PPDS Guidance concluded, and be made available at point of
delivery (e.g. via a menu, sticker).

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May Contain Statements

The use of precautionary allergen labelling to communicate the risk of the unintentional presence of an
allergen (e.g. milk, egg, peanuts, almonds) in a food product due to the allergen entering the product
accidentally, or through cross contamination, can be done on a voluntary basis. Such statements include
‘produced in a kitchen which uses…’ or ‘may contain’ or ‘not suitable for…’. These statements should only be
used after a meaningful risk assessment has been performed by your business and there is considered to be a
significant and real risk to the food allergic or food intolerant consumer and cross contamination cannot be
avoided or discounted. If you choose to use voluntary labelling it must not mislead the consumer, must not be
ambiguous or confusing, and where appropriate be based upon scientific data.

These statements should not be used as a substitute for good hygiene and safety practices. The use of
precautionary allergen labelling when there is not a real risk could be considered to be misleading food
information. Undertaking a risk assessment should help you identify risks that you can remove, perhaps by
identifying and preventing opportunities for cross contamination to occur.

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Managing an allergic reaction emergency

It may never be something you encounter but you and all staff should be prepared in case there is
a customer who has a severe allergic reaction or suffers from anaphylaxis. You do not need to be
an expert if this situation happens but you can act and make a difference.

When an allergic reaction starts it can worsen very quickly therefore quick reactions are important.
If possible staff should have first aid training that incorporates what to do in an allergic reaction
situation.

Allergic Reaction – What to do?1

Anaphylaxis - Illnesses & conditions | NHS inform

Allergic Reaction:- Internal Process Review

If a member of the public takes an allergic reaction to your food you must carry out a review of your allergen
procedures. This will include:

 Reviewing how you identify allergens

 Review how you manage allergens
 Review how staff are trained in allergen management
 Review communication methods between staff member and customers

If the food is still available, it is good practice to seal, label and store it in case an external investigation is
carried out e.g. Environmental Health

It is good practice to record any such incidents to allow you to identify issues in your procedures.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO NOW

To effectively manage allergens in your food business, carefully read the information in part 1 and
part 2 below, then go to the next two pages and Allergen Management House Rules and Menucal
Template.

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PART 1 : Recording and Presentation of Allergens

Refer to the allergen information and then you can create standard recipes so that you can
identify all allergens within the foods and drinks you both buy and sell.

PART 2 : Allergen management house rules

Refer to the guidance provided in Steps 2, 3 and 4 on the previous pages, then go to the end of this
section and write a list of House Rules covering allergen management for your business.

Here is an example of how you could write your house rules:

Allergen Management House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits

• Monitoring including frequency

Communicating with your

• Each menu item name and description should reflect
customers
potential allergenic ingredients

• Communicate any recipe changes to all staff

Monitoring

Once you have completed your House Rules for Allergen Management, you must then monitor
them in use. Keep a record of the monitoring that you carry out. This can be done by using the
Weekly Record.

Corrective Action

If you find that your Allergen Management House Rules are not being followed, you must make a record
of the problem you have identified and the action you have taken to correct it. This information can also
be entered in the Weekly Record.

Training given in Allergen Management should be recorded on the training record. An example of a training
record can be found in the Training House Rules sub-section of this manual.

Action Plan

Once you have completed all your House Rules, remember to update your Action Plan.

The Allergen Management House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and

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must be kept up to date at all times. Your House Rules need to be written to accurately reflect how
you run your business and be readily understood by all food handling staff.

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Allergen Management House Rules

Enter a statement of your Allergen Management House Rules in the table below :

Allergen Management House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits
• Monitoring including frequency

Standard Recipes & recording

of information

Incoming Deliveries and

labels

Storage and avoiding cross

contamination

Preparing dishes

Serving Dishes

Staff Training

Communicating with your

customers

Outgoing Deliveries

What to do in the event of an

emergency

Monitoring/checking and • Weekly Record

any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ................................................................................................................................................................

Position in the business ..............................................................................................................................................................

Date ..................................................................................................................

The Allergen Management House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept up to
date at all times
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Recipe Template

Recipe Title:
Recipe Name: Servings per Recipe:
Ingredient – Detail all ingredients used Brand Name Allergens May Contain Quantity Notes
including herbs & any sauces or Allergens Weight /
garnishes Volume

Name of Food

INGREDIENTS:
 HOUSE RULES ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT

ALLERGEN IDENTIFICATION TABLE

Write a list of the food used in your business which contains these allergens :

Allergen Foods used which contain this allergen

Cereals containing Gluten

e.g. wheat, rye, barley, oats

Celery and Celeriac

e.g. stalks, seeds and leaves

Eggs

Fish, Crustaceans and

Molluscs
e.g. all fish, prawns, lobster,
crab, clams, langoustines,
mussels, oysters

Milk

Mustard

Peanuts

Other Nuts
e.g. walnuts, cashews,
pecan, Brazil, pistachio,
macadamia, Queensland
nuts

Sesame Seeds

Soya
e.g. flour, tofu or beancurd,
textured soya protein, soy
sauce, edamame beans.

Sulphur Dioxide and

Sulphites

Lupin Seeds and Flour

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT

ALLERGEN MANAGEMENT HOUSE RULES

Enter a statement of your Allergen Management House Rules in the table below :

Allergen Management House Rules

Describe: • Control Measures and Critical Limits
• Monitoring including frequency

Deliveries and labels

Storage and avoiding cross

contamination

Preparing dishes

Staff Training

Communicating with your

customers

What to do in the event of an

emergency

Monitoring/checking and • Weekly Record

any other appropriate
records used by your
business

Signed ......................................................................................................... Position in the business ..................................................................................................... Date .........................................................

The Allergen Management House Rules are an essential component of your HACCP based system and must be kept
up to date at all times.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 HOUSE RULES ACRYLAMIDE MANAGEMENT

WHAT IS ACRYLAMIDE?

It is important not to over-cook certain foods. Over-cooking or burning certain foods means that these foods can be higher in acrylamide.

Acrylamide is a chemical that is formed naturally when some foods; containing asparagine (an amino acid) and sugars; are cooked at high
temperatures (above 120⁰C) such as by frying, roasting, baking, grilling and toasting.

Legislation is in place to reduce acrylamide levels in food, as it is a probable carcinogen in humans.

What foods?

If you cook the following types of foods, you should put in place practical steps to
reduce acrylamide.

Potato products such Bread products such Sweet bakery Savoury bakery Fried
as chips, French fries, as loaves, bread rolls products such as products such products
other deep cut (deep- and baguettes, toast cookies, as crackers, such as
fried) and sliced and toasted biscuits, scones, crisp bread, doughnuts,
potato crisps, sandwiches. gingerbread, breadsticks. fried bread,
including potatoes wafers, battered
that are deep fried crumpets. products.
and finished in the
oven.

The tables below advise on what to do when purchasing, receipting and storing these types of products.

Safety point Why? Tick if

you do
this

When buying raw potatoes ask your supplier Certain potato varieties are lower in
for advice on the best variety to use for the asparagine (an amino acid) and natural
type of cooking you are doing. sugars and using these will help to keep
acrylamide levels lower.

Store raw, unpeeled potatoes that are going Potatoes stored in the fridge can form more
to be fried, baked or roasted in a cool, dark sugars, which can mean higher levels of
place, above 6⁰C. Do not store in the fridge. acrylamide when the food is cooked.

When buying products from a supplier tell Check deliveries and reject products that are
them you will not accept over-cooked or over-cooked or burnt as these could have
burnt products. higher levels of acrylamide.
 HOUSE RULES ACRYLAMIDE MANAGEMENT

The tables below advise on what to do when preparing these types of products.

Safety point Why? Tick if you do this

Cut foods, such as potatoes, to similar This will help all foods to cook more evenly
sizes. and help reduce acrylamide formation.

Where possible, when making home-made chips, or cut potatoes that are going to be deep-fried, follow
one of these steps as each remove excess sugars and help to keep acrylamide levels lower:

Soak (for 30-120 mins) in cold water after cutting.

Rinse with clean water and drain.

Or – Soak for a few minutes in warm water.

Rinse with clean water and drain.

Or – Blanch potatoes before cooking.

Where possible, and when the preparation process allows, when making bread or dough products follow
this step:

Extend the yeast fermentation time. This will help to

keep acrylamide
levels lower in the
finished product.

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The tables below advise on what to do when cooking these types of products.

Cook foods to a golden yellow, or lighter colour. Manufacturers will have designed cooking methods best suited to their
products.

Safety point Why? Tick if you

do this

Follow manufacturers’ cooking instructions The manufacturer has tried and tested cooking
as appropriate. methods specifically for its products.

Deep-fry potato products, such as chips Cooking to a golden yellow, or lighter colour,
and French fries to a golden yellow, or and deep-frying at lower temperatures will
lighter colour. The oil temperature for keep acrylamide levels low.
cooking should ideally be below 175⁰C.

When deep-frying take care not to over-fill This will help the foods to cook more evenly
baskets. Fill the basket only half way. and help reduced acrylamide formation.

Keep cooking oil quality at its best by This will prevent crumbs and food particles left
skimming often to remove crumbs and in the oil from over-cooking; preserving the oil
food particles left in the oil. quality and keeping acrylamide levels low.

Filter, change oils and clean cooking Reusing old, dirty oil and cooking equipment
equipment as often as needed or as will increase the levels of acrylamide in deep-
recommended by suppliers. fried foods.

When baking bread and sweet or savoury Baking foods at lower oven temperature to a
bakery products cook to a golden yellow, golden yellow, or lighter colour will reduce
or lighter colour. Use the lowest oven acrylamide levels.
temperature possible for the food.

When cooking foods such as toast and Cooking bread to a golden colour, or lighter,
toasted sandwiches do not over-toast or will help to keep acrylamide levels lower.
burn.

Where possible, set a timer to mark the This will remind you to cook foods for the right
cooking time. This could be built-in or you time and help keep acrylamide levels low.
can use a separate timer.

Colour charts
Some suppliers have produced colour charts to show what colour is the best for certain foods to keep acrylamide
levels low. You can ask if your supplier has these available. You do not have to use colour charts, but they can
be useful for training your staff.

Colour charts for fries can be found here and for rolls here.

What to do if things go wrong? How to stop this happening?

 Dispose of foods that are over-cooked or burnt.  Review your cooking method.
 Lower the cooking temperature or use different
equipment.
 Train staff again on this safe method.
 Improve staff supervision.
 Repair or replace equipment that is broken or
defective.
 Write down what went wrong and what you did about
it in your diary.
 RECORDS

RECORDS
When using ‘CookSafe’, it is essential that the outcomes of your monitoring procedures are recorded
at a frequency that reflects the nature and size of your catering business. Similarly, when monitoring
reveals that your procedures, laid out in your House Rules, have not been followed, your corrective
actions must also be recorded. Recording helps you to keep an accurate check on food safety
procedures within your business and enables you to demonstrate to others that you are controlling
hazards in an effective manner.

Which records must be kept?

HACCP based procedures require that you record the following :
• Monitoring checks – you decide on these as you draw up your House Rules
• Verification checks – these management checks are already included on the ‘CookSafe’ Recording
Forms
• Review of your HACCP based system - guidance on when to review can be found in the Review
Record at the end of this Section

What paperwork is needed?

Your monitoring checks may be recorded by using one or a combination of the following methods :
1. By using the Recording Forms provided in ‘CookSafe’.
2. By using Recording Forms which have been drawn up or adapted by yourself, either in paper copy or
electronically. These must contain the equivalent information as the ‘CookSafe’ Recording Forms.

Which of the Recording Forms provided by ‘CookSafe’ should be used?

The Records provided in this manual, if correctly used, will help you to meet and support the
requirements of a HACCP based system and demonstrate it is working effectively.

When following ‘CookSafe’, the following Monitoring Records are provided and can be used :

Monitoring Record Purpose

Delivery Record To record the monitoring of incoming deliveries
Cold Food Record To record the monitoring of the refrigerator, chill, cold display
units and the function of your freezer/s
Hot Temperature Record To record cooking, cooling and reheating temperatures
Hot Holding Record To record hot holding temperatures
Off Site Temperature Record To record hot and cold food temperatures for food served in
other locations such as home delivery and outside catering
Note - In many businesses, the All-in-One Record can be used as an alternative to all of the above records.

Cleaning Schedule To record cleaning (this record can be found in the Cleaning
House Rules section )
Weekly Record To record weekly management checks on all your House Rules
and Records
Monthly Probe Thermometer Check To record monthly checks on thermometer(s)
Review To record six monthly checks on your HACCP based procedures
and to record any interim checks

The above records must be kept for a reasonable period of time in order to demonstrate that your
system is working effectively. For further information and advice, you should contact your
Enforcement Officer.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

I
 RECORDS

DELIVERY RECORD The ‘All-in-One’ is an alternative to this record

You decide how many food items you will probe or check per delivery

Date Supplier/Food Items Date Code Temp Corrective Action Initials

Write your Critical Limits here :

Critical Limit Notes

Chilled Food

Frozen Food

Raw/Cooked/
Ready-to-eat foods

Condition of food and date coding

Allergy Awareness: Does the food delivered match the

order and are you aware of the composition of the food? Yes No

Corrective Actions (if applicable):

.............................................................................................................................................................................

Have the corrective actions been carried out? Date checked by Manager/Supervisor Initials

Yes / No / Not Applicable (delete as applicable) ............................................................................................................................................ ...............................

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 RECORDS

COLD FOOD RECORD The ‘All-in-One’ is an alternative to this record

MONTH: ...................................................................................................................

Temperature of Refrigerator/Chill/Cold Display – RECOMMENDED TWICE PER DAY

Function/Temperature of Freezer – RECOMMENDED ONCE PER DAY
UNIT
Corrective Actions Initials
DATE AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
17th
18th
19th
20th
21st
22nd
23rd
24th
25th
26th
27th
28th
29th
30th
31st

Write your Critical Limits here :

Critical Limit Notes

Refrigerator(s) e

e
Chill(s)

Cold Display(s)

Freezer(s) the

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 RECORDS

HOT TEMPERATURE RECORD You decide how many food items you check per day. The ‘All-in-One’ is an alternative to this record

COOKING COOLING REHEATING CORRECTIVE ACTION

Time Time Core Time Time Core

Date Food Items Started Finished Started Finished Action Taken Initials
Temp Temperature
Cooking Cooking Cooling Cooling
CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System

Write your Critical Limits here :

Critical Limit Notes Corrective Action Example:

Cooking • Continue cooking until your specified temperature is achieved

• Consider if food is safe to use/dispose of food which may be contaminated

Cooling • Consider if food is safe to use/dispose of food which may be contaminated

• Revise cooling procedure/review staff training

Reheating • Continue reheating until your specified temperature is achieved

• Review staff training
Issue 1.2, May 2012

RECORDS
out? Initials

ete
 RECORDS

HOT HOLDING RECORD

You decide how many food items you check per day. The ‘All-in-One’ is an alternative to this record.

Date Food Items Core Temp Time of check Comments / Corrective Action Initials

Write your Critical Limits here :

Critical Limit Notes

Hot Hold Food the e

 RECORDS

OFF SITE TEMPERATURE RECORD

You decide how many food items you check per day. The ‘All-in-One’ is an alternative to this record.

Date Food Items Core Temp Time of check Comments / Corrective Action Initials

Write your Critical Limits here :

Critical Limit Notes

Hot Food the e

Cold Food

Have the corrective actions been carried out? Date checked by Manager/Supervisor Initials
Initials

Yes / No / Not Applicable (delete as applicable) ............................................................................................................................................ ...............................

CookSafe Food Safety

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance
Assurance System
System Issue 1.2,
Issue May 2012
1.2, May 2012
 RECORDS

ALL-IN-ONE RECORD page 1 of 2

To be completed daily and used as an alternative to the individual records: 'Delivery Record', 'Cold Food Record',
Hot Temperature Record', 'Hot Holding Record' and ‘Off Site Temperature Record’

DATE: ...................................................................................................................

DELIVERIES – You decide how many food items should be probed in each delivery

Supplier’s name

Details of food items

Van condition
• Cleanliness
• Separation of Raw and
Cooked/Ready-to-eat food

Food temperature
• Critical Limit - Chilled: ................................
• Critical Limit – Frozen: ................................

Food condition
• Packaging/Contamination

Within date codes

• ‘Use-by’ or ‘Best-before’

Corrective Actions
• Reject Food
• Review supplier
• Review staff training

Allergy Awareness
• Does the food delivered match the order and are you aware of the composition of the food? Yes No

Corrective Actions (if applicable):

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

COLD FOOD RECORD

Refrigerators/Chill/Cold Display Unit Unit Unit Unit

• Critical Limit ................................

Temperature checks AM PM AM PM AM PM AM PM
(Recommended twice daily)

Freezers Unit Unit Unit Unit

• Critical Limit ................................

Function checks
(Recommended once daily)

Corrective Actions
• Recheck Temperature
• Consider if food safe to use
• Review staff training
•
RECORDS RECORDS

ALL-IN-ONE RECORD page 2 of 2

HOT TEMPERATURE RECORD – You determine the monitoring frequency in your Temperature Control House Rules

Write Your Critical Limit for Cooking here :

Write Your Critical Limit for Cooling here :

Write Your Critical Limit for Reheating here :

COOKING COOLING REHEATING

Time Time Core Time Time Core

Started Finished Tem Started Finished Temperatur
Food Item Cooking Cooking Coolin Cooling
p e
g

e
e

e
e

eheating e

HOT HOLDING RECORD AND/OR OFF SITE TEMPERATURE RECORD

You determine the monitoring frequency in your Temperature Control House Rules

Write Your Critical Limit for Hot Holding and/or Off Site Temperatures:

Food Item Core Temp Time of Check

ective
e

Manager/Proprietor’s Signature ........................................................................................................................................................................................... Date .................................................................................

Remember to also complete the Weekly Record each week

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012 CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012
WEEKLY RECORD
The following ongoing checks should be carried out by the Manager or Proprietor during each working week and
should be carried out by all businesses using ‘CookSafe’.

WEEK COMMENCING: .....................................................................................................................................................................................

TRAINING Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A

New Staff training including Induction Rules
Formal Training/Retraining Rules
Other Training
PERSONAL HYGIENE Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Hand Washing Rules
Personal Cleanliness Rules
Protective Clothing Rules
Illness/Exclusion/Return to Work Rules
CLEANING Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
All specified equipment and areas cleaned as per cleaning schedule
Cleaning Chemicals Rules to include contact time, application and dilution
CROSS CONTAMINATION PREVENTION Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Rules on Delivery
Rules on Storage
Rules on Preparation
Cooking and Cooling
PEST CONTROL Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Pest Proofing, Insect Screens/Fly-killing Devices Rules
Good Housekeeping Rules
WASTE CONTROL Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Waste in Food Rooms and Waste Collection Rules
MAINTENANCE Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Premises Structure Rules
Equipment Rules
STOCK CONTROL Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Rules on stock control measures
TEMPERATURE CONTROL Have the House Rules been followed? YES NO N/A
Rules on Temperature Control
RECORDS YES NO N/A
Have all necessary Temperature Checks been recorded using the correct recording form/s?

If the answer to any of the above questions is “NO” then enter the corrective action details in the table below

HOUSE RULES DEVIATIONS OBSERVED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN

Manager/Proprietor’s Signature ................................................................................................... Date ....................................................

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

 RECORDS
RECORDS

MONTHLY PROBE THERMOMETER CHECK

Probe thermometer recording details

Month

Readin
g in
Iced
Water

Reading
in
Boiling
Water

Checked
by

• The readings in iced water should be -1°C to +1°C, if outside this range the unit should be replaced or returned to the
manufacturer to be recalibrated.

• The reading in boiling water should be between 99°C and 101°C, if outside this range the unit should be replaced or
returned to the manufacturer to be recalibrated.

Date and Details of Date of next

Yearly Calibration Yearly Calibration

N.B. The electronic display unit should be checked at least once per year. Manufacturers may offer a calibration service.

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012

REVIEW
It is essential that your HACCP based procedures are kept up to date. A review of your system must be carried
out on a regular basis, ideally every six months or if any of the circumstances covered in the table below arise.

Use the table as a checklist of circumstances which may lead to a change or addition to your HACCP based
system and record the changes you have made.

Date of Review ...................................................................................................

EXAMPLES Applicable? If YES, what changes are needed to Summary of changes made, date and initials
yes or no your HACCP based procedures?

Introduction of any
new dish with
substantially
different process

Introduction of new
equipment/supplier
or delivery methods

Changes to premises
layout

Changes to House
Rules

A Local Authority
inspection where
deficiencies were
noted

New information
available on hazards
and risks

Cleaning Chemical
Changes

Staff Changes

Customer Complaint

Six Monthly Review

(if applicable)

Other factors not

mentioned above
(detail)

CookSafe Food Safety Assurance System Issue 1.2, May 2012