Food Safety - Tourism Industry Information
Food is an important part of life. We need wholesome, healthy food to keep us alive and strong. Many cultures around the world include the partaking of food as an important social activity. Unfortunately, food can also cause sickness.
Each day, kitchens and canteens in premises throughout Queensland prepare thousands of meals for staff and guests. Some of the people who prepare those meals are untrained employees, whilst others are trained professionals.
It is important, therefore, to take steps to ensure that the meals provided are as healthy and wholesome as possible. However food safety is not only an issue for those organisations with commercial style kitchens. Most organisations today provide staff rooms with facilities for staff to store and reheat meals.
The Australian Food Standards Code now contains a number of 'Food Safety Standards' that have been developed to reduce the incidence of food poisoning and provide uniform standards for businesses across Australia.
Training Packages
Two training programs have been designed by the Australian Institute of Environmental Health in consultation with representatives from local and state governments, academia, industry and consumers. Available from:
Australian Institute of Environmental Health
PO Box 186
Victoria Park WA 6979
Tel: 1800 093 000
Fax: 08 9361 2198
Email: wa@aieh.org.au
FoodSafe - Food Handler Training Program
The program includes Video, Workbook and Guide for Proprietors.
FoodSafe Plus - Food Safety Program
Your guide to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) and designing your own Food Safety Program.
Risk Management Process
- Identify all the foods in the kitchen, whether they are raw products or prepared food.
- Categorise them into potentially hazardous, perishable (with a use by date) or other (longer life foods without a use by date).
- Record where each food is stored. Is the storage suitable for that category of food?
- Check that stock has been rotated. Are there any items in stock that are past their use by date? Is partly used food covered, labelled and dated?
- Observe if raw foods are stored separately from cooked foods.
- Measure and record the temperature of the fridge/cold store in the morning and afternoon each day for a week. Do the same for all pie warmers, hot boxes and other temperature maintenance devices that you have in the kitchen. What temperatures are unsatisfactory, and when do these unsatisfactory temperatures usually occur?
- Check that all temperature control appliances have thermometers. If no, which don't? If readings are recorded routinely, check that the records are complete.
- Is any potentially hazardous food stored at unsafe temperatures?
- Observe how often staff wash their hands and/or change gloves. When? Do they wash their hands for at least 30 seconds each time? Are hands washed/gloves changed often enough?
- Are liquid soap and paper towels provided at the wash hand basin (or wherever staff wash their hands)? Do staff use them?
- Are utensils and cutting boards cleaned between raw and cooked foods? Are wooden cutting boards or other wooden utensils in use?
- Categorise them into potentially hazardous, perishable (with a use by date) or other (longer life foods without a use by date).
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