Food Safety and Hygiene

This course aims to show the reader some of the key aspects of food safety and
hygiene for Health & Social Care workers who are involved with food handling in the
homes of vulnerable people.
This includes food poisoning as well as Food and Safety law (including hazard
analysis).
2012 Interactive Healthcare Training Ltd. Any copying in whole or in part of the text
of this training programme is strictly prohibited. Moral rights of the author under the
Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 are asserted.
Start the course
Food Safety and Hygiene - Section 2
Topics in Section 2 include: Food Spoilage, Personal Hygiene, Handwashing
Techniques, Food Labelling, Food Shopping and Transportation and Delivered and
Gifted Food followed by a short quiz.
Please ensure you have read every page of the course (numbered at the bottom of
the screen), otherwise you will not have the option of taking the test.
2012 Interactive Healthcare Training Ltd. Any copying in whole or in part of the text
of this training programme is strictly prohibited. Moral rights of the author under the
Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 are asserted.
Start the course
Food Safety and Hygiene - Section 3
Topics in Section 3 include: Food Preparation and Storage, Handling Raw Meat,
Temperature Control and the Cooling, Freezing, Defrosting and Reheating of foods
followed by a short quiz.
Please ensure you have read every page of the course (numbered at the bottom of
the screen), otherwise you will not have the option of taking the test.
2012 Interactive Healthcare Training Ltd. Any copying in whole or in part of the text
of this training programme is strictly prohibited. Moral rights of the author under the
Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 are asserted.
Start the course
Food Safety and Hygiene - Section 4
Topics in Section 4 include: Cleaning, Safe Disposal of Food Waste and Pest Control
followed by a short quiz.
Please ensure you have read every page of the course (numbered at the bottom of
the screen), otherwise you will not have the option of taking the test.
2012 Interactive Healthcare Training Ltd
Any copying in whole or in part of the text of this training programme is strictly

prohibited. Moral rights of the author under the Copyright Designs and Patents Act
1988 are asserted.
Routine application of this knowledge to food handling duties will minimise the risk of
food contamination and subsequent ill health and ensure compliance with food
safety law.
Topics are covered in four sections and in section 1 include:
Routine application of this knowledge to food handling duties will minimise the risk of
food contamination and subsequent ill health and ensure compliance with food
safety law.

Food poisoning

Food and Safety law (including hazard analysis)

This section is followed by a short quiz.

Please ensure you have read every page of the course (numbered at the bottom of
the screen), otherwise you will not have the option of taking the test.

Section 1

Introduction
Why is food safety important?
Course Relevance and Aims
Food Poisoning Definition, causes, symptoms and susceptibility.
Food poisoning incident management
Food Safety Law
HACCP
Hazards Microbiological, Chemical and Physical.
Quiz
Section 2
Food Spoilage
Personal Hygiene
Hand Washing
Food Labels
Food Shopping and Transportation
Delivered and Gifted Food
Quiz
Section 3
Food Preparation
Food Storage
Handling of Raw Meat
Cooking Meat
Temperature Control
Cooling
Refrigerator Storage
Freezing & Defrosting

Reheating
Microwave Ovens
Quiz
According to the FSA, approximately 850,000 cases of food poisoning are
reported each year in the UK with over 400 deaths as a result.
Food poisoning and its spread is unpleasant and potentially fatal in susceptible
individuals.
In the same way that tooth decay and smoking-related illnesses are preventable
diseases, so too are food borne illnesses.
The best cure therefore, is prevention, especially as no one is exempt from the risk of
food poisoning.
Good food safety...
1. Reduces the incidence of food poisoning and food borne illness.
2. Often results in less food wastage
3. Ensures compliance with legislation.
4. Helps to protect the reputation of your service provider

Relevance
Many healthcare professionals handle food as part of their responsibilities in assisting
vulnerable people in their homes.
In 2003, a report by The World Health Organisation found that in Europe approximately 2 out
of every 5 reported cases of food borne illness originated in private homes.
Appropriate evidence based education and training for food handlers in food hygiene and
safety helps to reduce/ prevent the moral, social, legal and economical implications of food
borne illnesses and their spread.
Aims
This course AIMS to teach you aspects of food hygiene and safety that:
1. Keep the risk of food contamination and subsequent food poisoning and food
borne illnesses low to you and your client.

2. Are relevant to the home care environment.

3. Will make you compliant with food safety law.
Relevance
Many healthcare professionals handle food as part of their responsibilities in
assisting vulnerable people in their homes.
In 2003, a report by The World Health Organisation found that in Europe
approximately 2 out of every 5 reported cases of food borne illness originated in
private homes.
Appropriate evidence based education and training for food handlers in food
hygiene and safety helps to reduce/ prevent the moral, social, legal and
economical implications of food borne illnesses and their spread.
Aims
This course AIMS to teach you aspects of food hygiene and safety that:
1. Keep the risk of food contamination and subsequent food
poisoning and food borne illnesses low to you and your client.
2. Are relevant to the home care environment.
3. Will make you compliant with food safety law.

Food poisoning or food borne illness is the illness caused by eating

contaminated or poisonous food.
Contaminated food is often difficult to detect relying on the senses alone (sight,
smell, taste etc.) which may contribute to such high numbers experiencing FP.
Symptoms
Symptoms of food poisoning usually develop soon after the affected food has
been eaten.
The main symptoms are:
Stomach pain
Nausea (feeling sick)
Vomiting (being sick)
Diarrhoea
Severe and/or untreated food poisoning can result in:
Dehydration (excessive loss of body fluids through vomiting
and/or diarrhoea)
It is an unpleasant experience which can often be quite debilitating and
embarrassing for the sufferer.
Those receiving care may be more vulnerable to and more severely affected by
the harmful effects of food poisoning.
A healthcare professional has a legal and moral duty to discuss with their client
if their level of food hygiene warrants concern and is a possible risk to their
health.
Who is Vulnerable?
The Very Young

Infants (the under 1s) and young children are susceptible to infections because their immune systems are
relatively 'new' and are not adequately developed to fight pathogens.
Pregnant women

During pregnancy hormonal imbalance affects the immune system. This stops the growing baby from being
rejected as a 'foreign body' by the mother's immune system but also makes the mother more susceptible to
'opportunistic infections' which only cause disease when the immune system is weaker e.g. thrush, urinary tract
infections.
Those with lowered disease resistance
Those with immune deficiency related conditions such as AIDS and leukaemia as well as those having immunosuppressive treatments such as chemotherapy are also 'at risk'.
Older People

With advancing age our susceptibility to illness increases because:

1. The immune system becomes less effective at combating disease. This can be seen in the increased
incidence of viral (e.g.flu) and bacterial infections and cancer in older people.
2. People are more likely to have underlying medical conditions that may lessen resistance to disease and
infection e.g. diabetes, kidney disease.
3. Production of acids in the stomach (which normally kill bacteria entering the body in food) decreases.
In addition, many older people live in close proximity and share facilities in care homes which encourage
germs to thrive.

The main source of food contamination leading to food poisoning are pathogens (disease causing microorganisms) or germs which most frequently are in the form of bacteria and to a much lesser extent viruses (e.g.
norovirus) and moulds.
Food can serve as a 'medium' for bacterial growth, which after ingestion causes direct food
poisoning.

Food poisoning can also be acquired indirectly through ingestion of food that has been
contaminated through contact with a person who has or has recently suffered with food
poisoning. This is termed an 'oral-faecal' mode of transmission. This means the germs have
essentially been transferred to the food though poor toilet hygiene of the food poisoning
sufferer i.e. failure to wash hands properly after defecating.
An outbreak is said to have occurred when more than one case is reported and the same
cause is suspected.

It may come as a surprise then to know that the kitchen harbours the highest germ count in
the home, with the average kitchen sink holding 100,000 times more germs than the toilet or
bathroom.
Germs can be brought into the kitchen via:
1) Our Hands
2) Raw Foods
3) Pets and pests
Other less frequent sources of contamination of food other than germs include natural and
chemical toxins and physical contaminants i.e. foreign bodies.
An Environmental Health Officer employed by the local authority will carry out an
investigation.
If an outbreak has occurred, other agencies (e.g. the Health Authority) may be notified and
become involved. The investigation must be done promptly and thoroughly.
Aims of the Investigation are to:

1. Collate detailed information to identify:

a) who has consumed the food, who is affected by the illness and the onset and nature of
symptoms of food poisoning.
b) where the outbreak started, the food concerned and how it became contaminated, causal
micro organism and its possible origination.
2. Contain the spread of an outbreak
3. Prevent recurrence
4. Determine if Food Safety Law has been broken and if legal action is required.
FOOD SAFETY LAW

The FSA is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in the U.K.
http://www.food.gov.uk/
All food handlers have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of the food they
provide for their clients. Their requirements are detailed in the following documents:
Relevant Food Legislation in U.K.
1. The Food Safety Act 1990 - the framework for all food legislation in Great
Britain
2. The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995*
3. The General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 - general food safety
4. The General Food Regulations (EC) 852/2004
5. The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 (as amended).
6. FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE - SECTION 1
7. HAZARD ANALYSIS

8. In 1995, The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations made it mandatory for
food businesses to:

9. 1. Review their activities

2. Assess and Identify any food
hazards at every stage of the food
handling process.
3. Decide whether these hazards are
'critical' to food safety and the point at
which they must be 'controlled'*.
4. Implement and maintain measures/
procedures ('controls') to ensure the safety of their food and prevent harm to the
consumed.
5. Further review and reassess the system with further action if needed.
6. Document the above.
10. *These are termed 'Critical Control points' - points/ stages/ procedures at which a
food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated or reduced by application of a control
e.g. prior to food preparation washing of hands.
11. This widely used food safety management system is referred to as 'hazard analysis'
or Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
12. The law requires food businesses to have procedures in place based on this system.
13. Penalty per offence can be up to 20,000 or a 6 month prison sentence.

TYPES OF HAZARDS: MICROBIOLOGICAL

Photo: Norovirus
Microbiological Hazards involve living organisms including bacteria, viruses and moulds
which multiply rapidly in certain 'growth enhancing' conditions.

1. Bacteria
Bacteria can cause food poisoning directly or by release of toxins.
The most common bacteria implicated in food poisoning outbreaks are Salmonella and E
Coli.
Bacteria multiply rapidly in certain optimal conditions which are warm, damp, acidic and
nutrient rich environments.

Examples of Bacteria:

2. Viruses
Norovirus is the most common cause of infectious gastroenteritis in England. It is also
known as the winter vomiting bug and has been the focus of many hand washing campaigns
along with avian and swine flu awareness campaigns in recent times.
Shellfish
Mussels, scallops, oysters and other shellfish may contain toxins. They are 'filter feeders' which
means they can accumulate toxins in their bodies through feeding in contaminated waters. Shellfish is
often eaten raw or lightly cooked. This means the risk of FP is higher.

'Sprouting' potatoes
Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place to slow the development of growths and green areas. These
areas contain higher levels of glycoalkaloids which can cause FP in large quantities.

Dried red kidney beans

These can cause FP if the lectins (toxins) are not destroyed properly by soaking the beans for at least 12 hours,
and then boiling intensely for at least 10 minutes in fresh water to destroy the toxins. Tinned kidney beans have
already had this done to them and are safe.

Mouldy or bruised/ damaged apples

These may contain the patulin toxin so shouldn't be eaten or used in sauce preparations or juice.

2. Chemically Introduced
These include pesticides and cleaning products.

This refers to 'foreign objects' that contaminate foodstuffs including clothing fibres, hairs, dirt, insects,
droppings and jewellery.

Cat hairs
Please proceed to the test, to complete this module.