BHC Hotel & Caterers (1)

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The Hygiene codeFor the Hotel & Catering Industry


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Contents

1 Introduction 6

2 Instructions for Use 8

3 Working Instructions for General Processes 113.1 Purchasing 11

Selecting suppliers (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 2) 11

Contractual Agreements 12

Inspection on reception 12

Packaging 13

Temperature measurement 13

Game brought in by hunters 13

3.2 Storage 14 First In First Out 14

Shelf-life and Storage Management 14

Keeping Foodstuffs 14

Internal transport 17

Refrigerated storage 17

Deep-freeze storage 18

Dry groceries 18

Hazardous substances 18

3.3 Disposing of waste 19

Disposing of waste 19

Used frying fat 19

3.4 Cleaning and Disinfection 20 Drawing up a cleaning plan 20

Washing up by machine 20

Washing up by hand 20

Cleaning refreshment bars 21

Cleaning rooms 23

Combatting vermin 23

3.5 Personal Hygiene 24

Personal hygiene 24

3.6 Quality and Food Safety 25

Quality Administration 25

Assessment of Basic Hygiene and Processes Hygiene 25 Training and teaching 26

Food poisoning and infections 26

Quality improvement 27

Non-Compulsory Work Activities 27

Exit inspection 27

Hygiene inspection 27

Entry inspection 27

3.7 The Layout of Operating Areas 29

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4 Working Instructions, Specific Processes 36

4.1 Food preparation 36

Contamination 36

Washing and cutting raw materials 37

Preparing cold dishes 37

Heating products at 75C and higher 37

Heating in fat and oil 38 Regeneration 38

Thawing and marinating 38

Drinks 39

Cooling down and packaging 39

4.2 Presenting and serving food 40

Garnishing 40

Presentation 40

2-Hour Security 40

Serving food 41

4.3 Party Catering 42

Equipping premises for party catering and events on location 42

Construction and layout 42

Materials and equipment 42

Transport and storage 42

Handwashing facilities 43

Waste bins 43

Additional working instructions for party catering and events: 43

4.4 Product development 44

Processes and product development 44

5 List of Terms 46

6 Addresses 48

7 Forms 49

8 Appendix 82 Processes Control Plan 82

ColophonThis is a publication by the Hotel & Catering Association

2004 Hotel & Catering AssociationThe Hotel & Catering Association accept no liability for the

accuracy of the information provided.Under no circumstances shall the Hotel & Catering Associationbe liable for any direct or indirect damage resulting from or inrelation to the information provided in this publication.The information contained in this publication may be usedelsewhere, providing its source is acknowledged.This English Hygiene code is a service. Mistakes in translationare reserved. The official Dutch text of the Hyginecode voor dehoreca (version may 2004) is determinative.

Zoetermeer, May 2004

This publication has partly been made possible by:Bacteriologisch Controlestation BV, KatwijkKoninklijk Horeca Nederland, WoerdenVoedsel- en Warenautoriteit, Den HaagBedrijfschap Horeca en Catering, Zoetermeer (code holder)

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Foreword

The first Hygiene Code for the Hotel & Catering Industry came out in March 1992, published by the Hotel& Catering Association. However, radical modifications became necessary after the issue of Directive93/43 EEC and its adoption into the Legislation on Food Hygiene, which came into force on the 14

thof

December 1995. A second version of the code appeared in August 1996, based on the HACCP principle,approved by the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sport.

After research into the working of the Code in practice, the Hygiene Pointer came out at the end of 1999 toassist entrepreneurs in putting the Hygiene Code into operation for the hotel and catering trade. As aresult of the announcement by the Minister for PHWS on the 16

thof February 1999, hygiene codes were

evaluated and modified at set times.

You are now in possession of the third version of the Hygiene Code for the Hotel & Catering Industry,adapted to the latest developments and knowledge, debated during the Regular Consultation on Food

Legislation on the 4

th

of April 2003 and approved on the 20

th

of April 2004 by the Minister for PHWS. Forthis reason, the previous version of the code dating from 1996 expires on the 15thof July 2004

The aim has been to construct the code as tightly as possible by leaving out lists of questions andexamples and working only with working instructions, accompanied here and there by a short explanation.The scope of the code has not changed, but, in addition to the general operating processes, attention hasalso been paid to more specific processes, which only appear in certain businesses or types of business.The code now includes such things as working instructions for presenting uncooled foods and for partycatering.

The hotel and catering trade hope they have made a valuable contribution by this to food safety in generaland to consumer confidence in a good, safe catering product.

J.G. VianenDirector of the Hotel & Catering Association


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1 Introduction

Hygiene CodeHygiene you only miss it when its not there. Being in the hotel & catering industry as an entrepreneur or

as an employee you know that hygienic working conditions are essential if the product youre providing foryour customers is to be safe. So you probably also know most of the hygiene rules and put them intoaction. The Food Hygiene Regulations of 1995 among other things compel hotel and catering firms toinvestigate what risks are involved for consumer health in their handling of food. The firms must also setdown in black and white what measures they are taking to prevent health threats, what checks they carryout and what the results of them are. The law prescribes that entrepreneurs must use an HACCP systemor a food safety system for this purpose. Firms that prepare, process, transport or handle food andbeverages must control their production in accordance with these regulations in such a way that they canguarantee the safety of their products. The purpose of all this: to prevent threats to health or limit them toan acceptable level. Because setting up such a system is a major undertaking for many firms, the lawallows organisations in the catering sector to establish codes of hygiene. Such a code of hygiene is asimplified system specific to the branch of industry for which the HACCP was designed.

The procedures described in this hygiene code are an elaboration of the legal instructions applicable tothe handling and transport of foodstuffs and ingredients. They are therefore procedures and instructionsthat are geared to the protection of public health. If those instructions are not followed, then the law hasbeen violated that law being the Food Hygiene Regulations and then the Food & Commodities

Authority can step in and take legal action. However, if caterers act in accordance with the proceduresdescribed in this hygiene code, then it can in principle be assumed that they are acting in accordance withthe law.

This hygiene code is the third version of the HACCP system approved for the hotel & catering industry.

ScopeFirms that prepare, process, transport or handle food and drinks must control their productions methods inaccordance with the Food & Commodities Act in such a way that they can guarantee the safety of theirproducts. The purpose of this is to aim at prevent threats to health. The Hotel & Catering Hygiene Code inany case applies to all firms for which the Hotel & Catering Association was instituted and which providefood and drinks after they have been prepared, processed, transported or handled. Those firms thatoperate in accordance with the hygiene code of the Vereniging Nederlandse Cateringorganisaties(Veneca) are excepted.The Hotel & Catering Association, as code holder, has included all the current Processes applied to theHotel & Catering Industry in this Hygiene Code. Thus, process descriptions for such things as partycatering and the preparation of sushi are also included in this version. The diversity of businesses,concepts and products within the industry is very great. Preparations vary from the simple to the verycomplex. If you want to make use of this Hygiene Code, you must determine for yourself which specificprocesses in this Hygiene Code apply to your business.

Other processesChanges are continually taking place within the hotel & catering industry. As a result of market

developments it is possible that you apply one or more processes that are not covered by this HygieneCode. In that case, you can do the following:

You can use the process description included in separate modules that the Hotel &Catering Association has drawn up for example, the module for preparing Ice-cream, Milkshakes and Cream.

If there is no module for a particular process for example, smoking fish you mustdraw up your own process description for this process in accordance with theProduct Development Process. The process description you have drawn up must bedrawn up in accordance with the principles of HACCP. You must produce it for theFood & Commodities Inspector for his evaluation, if he so requests.

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However, it is also possible to make use of process descriptions in other hygienecodes approved by the Minister of PHWS for those parts not covered by this HygieneCode.

Product LiabilityWe also advise you to work according to the Hygiene Code for the Hotel & Catering Industry in relation toproduct liability. If a customer became ill after visiting your establishment and holds you liable, you have torespond (Civil Code). With the application of this Hygiene Code you can show that you have done whatthe law required of you. You can only do that if you have written down all the hygiene data and kept them.

AdvantagesWorking to the Hygiene Code serves business interests as well.

In the short term:

a better product;

better process control and thus less wastage of raw materials;

better monitoring of raw materials, so that you can claim any shortfalls from thesupplier

clearer insight into the organisation of your firm and its production processes. Thisway you can also trace the causes of problems instead of just dealing with their

consequences; evidence in connection with product liability.

In the long term:

tasks, functions and responsibilities become clearer. This enables internalcommunication to be greatly improved: everyone knows what he has to do;

If everyone is made to feel personally responsible, this will have a good influence onthe firms performance;

employees will have greater understanding of the need to work hygienically;

The trust of the consumer and the Food & Commodities Authority in your firm willincrease;

evidence in connection with product liability.

Learning toolsIn the new Food & Commodities Act there is yet another obligation. The catering entrepreneur mustensure that any of his employees who are involved in preparing food must be given instruction or trainingin food hygiene. This instruction or training must be geared to the work they do for the firm.In this respect, the Horeca Branche Instituut (Hotel & Catering Industry Institute) has developed a numberof training courses and learning tools based on the Hygiene Code for the Hotel & Catering Industry. Theirpurpose is to enable entrepreneurs and employees to ensure that their knowledge of hygiene is fully up todate, and to keep it that way. There are training courses for both entrepreneurs and managers and foremployees.

For more information: Klantenservice [Customer Service], Tel.: 0900 - 1402 ( 0,15 per minute) andwww.horeca.nl.

If you have comments to make about this Hygiene Code for the Hospitality Industry or suggestions forimprovements, please send them to: Bedrijfschap Horeca and Catering, Afdeling Communicatie, PO Box121, 2700 AC Zoetermeer, The Netherlands.

In the next chapter you will find a description of the way in which to use this working book. In conclusion,we wish you all success in applying this Hygiene Code for the Hotel & Catering Industry in your own firm.

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2 Instructions for Use

This working book will enable you to highlight any health risks that the preparation of products in your firmmight present for your customers. These could arise from the moment you receive the raw materials up toand including when you clean up. For this reason, the Code sets out all the Processes in your firm in aline.

The Code distinguishes the following processes:

General operating processes

Purchasing

Storage

Waste disposal

Cleaning and disinfection

Personal hygiene Quality and food safety

Equipping working space

Specific operating processes

Preparation

Presenting and serving

Party catering

Product development

This working book deals with the processes listed in the sequence shown above. Because not alloperating processes take place in all catering firms, we will explain to you in the staged plan how youshould use this working book.

Staged Plan

Step 1The first step you take to use this Code is to read the working instructions for the general processes. Theinstructions for these general processes apply to all hotel & catering businesses, and therefore to yourstoo.

Step 2Then you read through the working instructions for the specific processes, after which you determinewhich of these processes apply to your business. You will need more or fewer working instructions,depending on what type of business you operate (e.g., cafeteria, restaurant, ice-cream parlour, etc.).

Step 3The working instructions indicate what minimum requirements you must fulfill. In addition, some advice isgiven which is not obligatory, but which is intended to simplify working with the Hygiene Code. In this step,determine what measures you have to take in order to fulfill the minimum requirements set out in thegeneral processes and those which apply to specific processes. In addition, you will decide which adviceyou will follow and what else you have to arrange to do that.

Step 4Take measures to be able to comply with the minimal requirements. First and foremost, you must makesure that the technical status and equipment comply with all the legal requirements. These requirements

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are described in the chapter headed Equipping Working Space. You will probably have to acquire certainmaterials in order to carry out the working instructions properly, such as a thermometer, registration formsor alcohol cloths for disinfecting work surfaces. In this step, make sure you have everything you need.

Step 5In this step you carry out the process thoroughly in accordance with the description in the workinginstruction, including the prescribed checks and measurements.

Step 6Step 6 is the systematic recording of process data, such as the delivery dates of foodstuffs, thetemperature of the deep-freeze and cool room, the frequency of cleaning and decontamination of toolsand equipment, and so on. At the back of the Code you will find forms with which to do this. We adviseyou to copy the originals of the forms, or to design the forms you need yourself. You can also downloadthe forms free of charge from: www.bhenc.nl.

Step 7Finally, it is of the greatest importance that you keep all the information properly. In particular, you areobliged to keep the information for one year. You must keep the information so that you can access itquickly.

From time to time you can analyse the information so that you know what the effect of your measureswas. Moreover, the Inspector from the Food & Commodities Authority may ask you to produce it if hecomes on an inspection. It is also important that you can show with this recording system that you havecomplied with the law if you had to give account of yourself to a judicial body for example, if someonebecomes ill after eating food provided by you.

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The Hygiene Code comprises the following sections:

Working InstructionsThe standards and guidelines for achieving hygienic working methods. In a number of working instructionsyou will find after the title a reference to one or more articles from the Food Hygiene Regulations. In thiscase, the working instruction describes those parts which are compulsory by law. You must comply withthese instructions at all times.

List of TermsThis is a list of terms in alphabetical order used in the Hygiene Code, with explanations.

Standard ContractsStandard contracts are included at the end of this Code. These are contracts that could be used toconclude agreements with your suppliers, such as the "General Purchasing Conditions for the CateringTrade" [General Conditions of Purchase, Hotel & Catering] and the "Standard Purchasing Contract forthe Catering Trade" [Standard Hotel & Catering Purchase Contract].You can add your own contracts to these for example, purchase contracts.

Forms

At the end of this Code you will find samples of the forms you must use to record inspection andmeasurement data. You can copy these forms or download them free of charge from www.bhenc.nl. Ofcourse, you can also create the forms yourself, so that you can adapt them to your business. The Food &Commodities Authority may ask to see these forms!

AddressesAddresses of organisations that are concerned with hygiene in the catering trade, among other things.

Appendix: P ocess Control PlanrThe process control plan gives you an indication for each process of what you have to do to proceed insafety. It shows you at a glance how the risks are controlled.

The Food & Commodities Act

A number of important texts from the Food & Commodities Act can be found on the Internet sitewww.bhenc.nl.

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3 Working Instructions for GeneralProcesses

3.1 Purchasing

Bad raw materials can never provide a good end-product. For this reason it is important that you preventas many risks as possible even at the stage of purchasing raw materials. Choose the right supplier, makegood agreements and check the products at reception.

When choosing suppliers, price and quality have an important role to play. The quality of products and theway suppliers handle them are especially important for food safety. Asking clearly-formulated questionsand, if necessary, visiting various suppliers will make it easier for you to select the right suppliers.

Purchasing conditions and purchasing contracts can protect you as the customer against theconsequences of supplying products that do not fulfill the requirements. They can refer the supplier to hisresponsibility and make it possible to hold him liable. You can draw up your own purchasing conditionsand contracts or you can use the General Purchasing Conditions for the Catering Trade[GeneralPurchasing Conditions for the Catering Industry] and the Standard Purchasing Contract for the CateringTrade [Standard Purchasing Contract for the Catering Industry] from this Hygiene Code.

It is not always necessary for you to provide your suppliers with purchasing conditions and contractsyourself.

You do not need to conclude a purchasing contract if the supplier:

declares in writing in his delivery terms or in some other way that he subscribes tothe requirements of the Hygiene Code (General Purchasing Conditions for theCatering Industry and Standard Purchasing Contract for the Catering Industry). Majorsuppliers can use these to prevent them from having to make separate agreementswith a large number of individual catering entrepreneurs;

has been selected by the industrial association of which you are a member. Theassociation in this case has provided the purchasing conditions and concluded thecontract on behalf of its members.

With smaller local suppliers you will usually have to make clear and unambiguous agreements yourselfand include these in a purchasing contract.

The next step is to make agreements based on purchasing conditions, an appropriate purchasing contractand on the suppliers product descriptions.

Selecting suppliers (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 2)1. If possible, choose a number of potential suppliers from among business relations of

whom you have good experience.2. Send the following to those suppliers:

a list of the products you want to buy; a suppliers question list; your own purchasing conditions or, if you dont have them, the General PurchasingConditions for the Catering Industry, for example.

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Packaging

Packaging and/or casks must not lose their protective function if they are damaged. Perishable productsthat are directly exposed to the environment must be refused on delivery, because it is not possible tocheck what they have been in contact with.2. Send products back if:

their quality is not sufficient; the product shows signs of deterioration; the use-by/shelf-life date has expired; the inner packaging is damaged; the packaging of pre-packed products is not sufficiently labelled. Labels mustmention at least the following: the designation of the product, a list of ingredients or acategory of ingredients, the quantity of an ingredient, the nett quantity, an instructionon how to preserve and use it, shelf-life date/use-by date, details about themanufacturer, packer or seller, the place of origin or source, the alcohol content(where applicable), the production batch, a description of any packaging gas used; the temperature is not in accordance with the legal requirement.

You are advised to carry out an entry inspection from time to time with the aid of the Entry Inspectionworking instruction.

3. Check the total delivery at least once a week by taking random samples from one ortwo products. Record this in the Weekly Hygiene Form. If you send a delivery back,then use the Return Slip

4. Store the products once you are sure that the delivery corresponds with your order.5. Decide yourself (or the employee authorised to do so) on whether to accept the

products or not.

Temperature measurement (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 3)1. For temperature measurements use an electronic thermometer with a sensor that

can be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected (not a mercury thermometer!)2. Check whether the sensor is clean. Disinfect it and rinse it off before you measure

the temperature of an unpackaged product. See also the working instructionWashing up by Hand. The sensor may also be disinfected with an alcohol cloth

specially for this purpose.3. Place the sensor between the delivered, refrigerated or frozen raw materials or

products.4. Remove the sensor only when the temperature no longer goes up or down.5. Note down the temperature reading on the Weekly Hygiene Form.6. Clean the sensor after use.7. Test the thermometer regularly, but at least once a year. For example, in boiling

water (100C) or in melting ice (0C).

Game brought in by hunters (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 2)1. Process game brought in by hunters directly after the hunt only in a room intended

for this purpose and suitable for butchery.2. Do not accept any game that has been skinned or from which the head and feet have

been removed.3. When butchering, do not allow the guts to come into contact with the carcass of the

animal.4. butchering, consult the Hygiene Code for the Poultry Industry.

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3.2 Storage

After accepting delivered products you will be responsible for them. Store them as quickly as possible inthe appropriate place. If internal transport takes too long, then the temperature of the goods will riseconsiderably, giving rise to loss of quality or even accelerated deterioration. For example, ice-cream thathas become too warm and then re-frozen becomes too hard or will contain small ice particles.

When storing goods, take account of the order of sequence of storage (First In First Out). Moreover, theshelf-life dates of perishable products should not be exceeded, not even within the processing period.Requirements are imposed on the layout of the storage areas to prevent health hazards, such as theprevention of cross-contamination, for example.

When storing things (for example, in deep-freeze, fridge or store-room), temperature and air humidity areimportant. For example, in fridges the development of micro-organisms is not halted, but carries on moreslowly.

The method of storage is important too. In this respect think about dating and identifying products, the useof the FIFO system and hygienic working methods. The term hygienic working methods will be taken tomean keeping raw and cooked, clean and dirty products separate, and the temperature-time relationship,

among other things: the relationship between the temperature of a product and the length of time it is kept.

First In First Out1. When storing goods, use the principle of FIFO (First In First Out): products that have

entered storage first are used first. The application of FIFO is particularly importantfor chilled perishable products. For this reason, store stocks just delivered behindstocks already in storage. With larger quantities of stocks you can use a systemwhereby you store things on wheels, so that you dont always have to keep movingexisting stocks around.

2. FIFO applies to delivered raw materials, semi-finished products and self-preparedproducts.

3. Put a clear shelf-life date yourself on prepared perishable products and semi-finishedproducts for storage.

4. With FIFO the shelf-life date on the packaging applies: first use the products with the

nearest shelf-life date, even if they were delivered later5. Make it a habit that whenever you pick up a product, check whether the FIFO system

is being properly applied.6. Check the application of the FIFO system to perishable products at least once a

week. You record this check in the Weekly Hygiene Form.

Shelf-life and Storage Management1. The person responsible for storage will prevent the shelf-life dates being exceeded.2. Check the shelf-life dates on the packaging regularly.3. Remove products whose shelf-life dates have been exceeded. Moreover, remove

chilled perishable raw materials whose shelf-life expires within two days and do notuse or sell the product within these two days.

4. Record products that have been removed on the Removed Products Form.

Keeping Foodstuffs1. Always check the shelf-life code and the storage conditions as indicated on the

packaging. Remember here that exceeding the use-by date is punishable by law.2. Keep the products in accordance with the guidelines indicated on the packaging. If

this does not apply, use the table below. The table gives advice on how long variouscategories of perishable products can be kept for; the column head Shelf-Life givesonly general guidelines. Always look at the use-by/shelf-life date and storagetemperature indicated by the supplier/manufacturer. If foods are kept at a highertemperature, this will shorten their shelf-life.

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3. Keep freshly-delivered raw meat, fish and shellfish for which no use-by/shelf-life dateis mentioned for as short a time as possible, so that the growth of micro-organismsand the formation of harmful substances like histamine are prevented.

4. Keep self-prepared products for no more than 48 hours.5. Keep self-prepared sushichilled and for no longer than the day of preparation. If they

are to be kept for longer, it is advisable to lower the pH value. See working instructionon Preparing Cold Dishes

6. Check as often as possible the use-by/ shelf-life dates and the internal maximumstorage time of prepared products. Remove products whose maximum storage timehas been exceeded and record this in the Weekly Hygiene Form.

7. Do not keep products in tin cans that have been opened, because of contaminationby metals. Empty the contents of the tin into a storage container that can be cleanedproperly and sealed.

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Table: Recommended shelf-life

Storage Packaging: Temp. (C) Shelf-lifeMeat productsfresh meatproducts

Fridge Pre-packed or vacuum

7 3 to 4 days

meat preserves Store Tin/jar Max. 1 yearMeatfresh beef/pork Fridge Packed 7 2 daysFresh chicken &poultry

Fridge Packed 7, preferably 4 2 days

deep-frozenpork

Freezer Packed -18 Approx. 3months

deep-frozenbeef


deep-frozenveal


Fishfresh fish (incl.fish fillets)

Fridge In grease-proof paper or on ice

7, preferably 4 2 days

deep-frozen fish Freezer -18 6 monthstinned fish (incl.salmon, tuna,sardines,mackerel)

Store In tins Max. 1 year

processed fish(incl. pickledherring, jelliedeels)

Fridge In glass jar or vacuum-packed

7 Up to shelf-lifedate

processed fish,not in vinegar

Fridge Openedpackaging

7 1 2 days

pickled herring Fridge Opened

packaging

7 5 days

Potatoproductsfresh pre-friedpotato chips

Fridge Packed 7 2 days

deep-frozen pre-fried potatochips

Freezer Packed -18 3 months

Vegetables andfruitfresh veg. andfruit, processedor self-prepared

Fridge Pre- packed 7 Up to use-bydate

Fresh veg. &fruit

Fridge Openedpackaging

7 1 2 days

Deep-frozenveg. and fruit


Cookingcommoditiesfresh cookingcommodities

Fridge Packed 7 1 to 2 days

frozen cookingcommodities


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Storage Packaging: Temp. (C) Shelf-lifeMilk & milkproductspasteurised Fridge Packed 7 2 dayscheese (hard)sliced

Fridge Packed 7 1 week

cheese (soft)sliced

Fridge Packed 7, preferably 4 2 days

EggsFresh eggs Fridge Packed 7 Shelf-life date

Internal transport (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 3)1. Store chilled and deep-frozen foods as quickly as possible in any case, not more

than 15 minutes after delivery.2. During internal transport, keep different types of products separate. For example, do

not transport salad together with deep-frozen products or cleaning agents with bread.3. Do not let raw animal products drip on to semi-finished or end products store raw

materials at the bottom and move the goods when completely covered.4. Remove perishable products that have been moved about for some time in an

uncooled environment and which have reached a temperature that is significantly

higher than 7C. If the temperature has been exceeded only slightly, then you mustput the products immediately back in the fridge to cool it back down again.

5. Put deep-freeze products that have spent too long in uncooled surroundings, butwhich are still frozen, immediately back in the freezer to chill them down again.

6. Throw deep-freeze products away that have spent too long in uncooled conditions,and have defrosted, or use them as chilled working stock, provided the temperatureis lower than 7C

7. Remove products that have become contaminated with a hazardous substance8. Remove prepared [cooked] products that have had direct contact with a raw product.

Refrigerated storage (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 3)1. Keep perishable products at a temperature lower than 7C or at a lower temperature

if the supplier so instructs.

2. Place raw materials and products in a refrigerated room off the floor and away fromthe walls.

3. Store raw materials, semi-finished and end products separately, so as to preventcross-contamination. In a small refrigerator, place uncooked raw materials below andend products above. Cover end products completely.

4. Only place products warmer than 7C in a fridge if it is suitable for cooling foodsdown. The temperature of the product must never be above the ambient temperatureor room temperature when it is put in the fridge.

5. In all cases, follow the working instructions of First In First Out and Shelf-Life andStorage Management.

6. Check the temperature of the fridge every day by means of the display, so that ifthere is a defect you can take action immediately. Measure and record thetemperature in the fridge every week; for this you can use the Weekly Hygiene Form.

In any case, measure the product temperature if the air temperature in the cold storeis higher than 7C.7. Defrost the fridge according to the manufacturers instructions.8. Remove products whose shelf-life has expired.9. Remove products that have been kept in uncooled or poorly cooled conditions and

whose temperature is significantly higher than 7C. You can put products whosetemperature has been slightly exceeded in a properly working cold store in order tocool them down again.

10. Remove products if you think they might have been contaminated.

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Deep-freeze storage (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 3)1. Keep deep-frozen products at a temperature of -18C or lower.2. Put raw materials and products in a cold store away from the floor and the walls. This

requirement does not apply if storing them in a freezer.3. Prevent frost-burn by keeping products sealed and airtight.4. Only put products in a cold store or freezer that are warmer than -18C if they are

suitable for freezing.5. In all cases, follow the work instructions First In First Out and Shelf-Life and Storage

Management.6. Check the temperature of the cold store or freezer every day by means of the

display, so that if there is a defect you can take action immediately. Measure andrecord the temperature in the cold store every week; for this you can use the WeeklyHygiene Form. If the air temperature in the deep-freeze is warmer than -18C,measure it again between the products. Remove products with a temperature higherthan -12C. As the case may be, let them thaw out and use them as working stock.

Adjust the temperature setting. You can put products with a temperature between 12C and 18C in a properly working freezer to cool them back down again.

7. Defrost the humidifier according to the manufacturers instructions.8. Remove products whose shelf-life has expired.9. Also remove products if you think they might have been contaminated.

Dry groceries (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 7)1. Store dry groceries in a well-ventilated, dry room at room temperature (max. 25C).

Protect the products against frost and extreme heat.2. Keep products off the floor, so that the floor can be thoroughly cleaned.3. In all cases, follow the work instructions First In First Out and Shelf-Life and Storage

Management.4. Do not store hazardous substances (cleaning agents, disinfectants and so on)

together with dry groceries. Remove dry groceries if you see that they have comeinto direct contact with a hazardous substance. Correct the storage method so as toprevent a repetition.

5. Remove products whose shelf-life has expired.

Hazardous substances (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 7)1. Store hazardous substances (pesticides, cleaning agents and disinfectants) in a

separate locked room or cupboard, unless the supplier prescribes special conditions.Use this room or cupboard only for this purpose.

2. Keep the substances in their original containers, with the following information onthem:name of product, function of product, warning about toxicity during use and measuresto be taken if product is used incorrectly.

3.. Give these substances only to staff who have been properly instructed in their use.4. Ensure that the substances are used correctly.5. Remove containers from the store that are insufficiently coded.

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3.3 Disposing of waste

Waste is a feeding-ground and hiding-place for moulds and bacteria (micro-organisms) and vermin. So getrid of everything youve used as fast as possible. Waste must be handled in such a way that the risk ofcross-contamination (contact between waste and end product) is prevented. The routing of rubbish and itstiming are therefore important. Separating waste items for environmental purposes can help with

preventing problems arising from disposing of waste.

Disposing o was e (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 28 and 29)f t1. Remove waste as fast as possible from the food preparation area.2. Ensure that the facilities for storing waste are in working order. Make sure that:

vermin cannot get into the waste; containers can be closed properly and are leak-proof, and that they can be cleanedthoroughly; contamination of foods and drinking water by waste is prevented; the containers are placed either outside the building or in a well-ventilated, separateroom with a smooth tiled floor and, if possible, in a cool place.

3. Give instructions that the waste bins and containers should always be cleaned afterbeing emptied

4. Contact the local council or the waste-collection firm if the amount of waste becomestoo large

Used frying fatYou can offer used frying fat as waste to the local council or a recognised frying-oil collection firm. Thefrying fat of recognised frying-fat collectors can be re-used no longer as animal fodder but for makingsoap, for example. To do this, a number of conditions must be fulfilled.

If you do not have the frying fat taken away by the local council but by a collection firm instead, you areadvised to use only special (marked) fats, which are provided by the firms that collect frying fats.

The used frying fat must be stored in such a way that it cannot be contaminated by waste products suchas mineral oil, cleaning substances and other chemicals or food leftovers. Unauthorised persons must beprevented from dumping stuff into the container, which would make the fat unsuitable as a raw material.

So put the container in a room to which only authorised personnel will have access.

Frying fat that has become contaminated in any way with substances that make it unsuitable as a rawmaterial must not be offered to a recognised frying-fat collector, but must be taken away as a wasteproduct by the local council, for example.

1. Treat frying fats as a raw material.2. Make sure that used frying fats do not contain any foodstuffs or other foreign matter

(mineral oil, cleaning substances or other chemical substances, cutlery,packing/containers, etc.) that would make the frying fats unsuitable for Processing.

3. Prevent vermin being drawn to the fat or that it seriously deteriorates by being storedtoo long.

4. Use only special containers for storing the fat provided for you by a recognisedcollection firm or by the local council.

5. Make sure that unauthorised persons do nothave access to the containers and onlyhand over the filled container to a recognised collection firm or the local council

6. Never use the containers for (temporary) storage of any substance other than usedfrying fat.

7. Never put hot fat, leftovers or fats with water in the containers!

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3.4 Cleaning and Disinfection

Moulds and bacteria (micro-organisms) can feed in dirty spaces, on dirty equipment, crockery and so on.For this reason regular cleaning and disinfection is essential. All the materials used must be so clean thatmicro-organisms never have anything to feed on any more.

Cleaning means the removal of visible dirt by a cleaning agent. Disinfecting means the chemical removaland/or killing of bacteria and spores. If knowledge about this is lacking in your establishment, a supplier ofcleaning materials could be helpful to you here. In a hygiene plan you record all cleaning and disinfectionactivities.

Vermin too can bring hazards to health. Getting rid of them is therefore of the utmost importance.

Drawing up a cleaning plan (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 6)1. Indicate in the cleaning plan what cleaning and disinfection work you carry out.

Indicate here: the object that is cleaned or disinfected; how the object is cleaned (cleaning, disinfection, rinsing, drying);

how often the object is cleaned (after use, daily, weekly, as required); who is responsible for doing it.2. Adapt the plan to radical changes.3. You can also use a cleaning plan drawn up by a supplier of cleaning and disinfection

materials.It is advisable to use cleaning materials (cleaning cloths, buckets and brushes) inthree different colours.

Colour 1: food contact places, such as equipment and work surfacesColour 2: dirty surfaces in the kitchen, such as floors and waste binesColour 3: Toilet facilities.

Washing up by machine (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 25)1. Follow closely the instructions of the machines manufacturer and the detergent

supplier.

2. Keep clean and dirty crockery and cutlery separate from each other.3. Do not allow clean crockery to become fouled by condensation in the dishwashing

room.4. Every time the machine is used, check that it has washed things properly and that

they are visibly clean. If not, wash them again and check once more.5. Once every three months, check the washing temperature with the aid of the

dishwashers specifications.6. The dishwasher must have a rinsing programme. Check the rinsing temperature

once every three months with the aid of the dishwashers specifications.7. Check machines with an automatic dosing system once every three months whether

a container unit provides detergent for the number of washing sessions indicated bythe manufacturer, with a margin of 5%.

8. If necessary, adapt the way the machine functions so that it does so at the right

temperature and with the right dosage of detergent

Washing up by hand (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 25)Tools, equipment and surfaces that come into constant contact with raw materials and end product areboth cleaned and disinfected (cream machines and ice-cream mixers, meat and vegetable-slicingmachines, mincers, mixers, dough-kneaders, sieves, piping bags with nozzles, cutting-boards, pots, pans,and so on). Cleaning and disinfection is done in three stages:

The fysic cleaning: the removal of visable dirt

The chemaical cleaning: the treatment with a detergent and rinsing with hot water

The microbiological cleaning (desinfect): the killing of bacteria.

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1 Clean and disinfect equipment that is in continual use in accordance with thecleaning plan.

2. Clean equipment immediately after use.3. Disinfect equipment just before use.4. Disinfect work surfaces, cutting boards and other materials that come into direct

contact with food immediately after cleaning as well.5. Clean cleaning materials such as wipers and brushes immediately after use, and

disinfect the materials used for cleaning food contact places as wel6. When cleaning and disinfecting, follow closely the suppliers instructions7. Disinfecting equipment:

everything that has been in contact with raw materials or end-products; use the disinfection materials specifically intended for this; rinse thoroughly (hot or cold). Be careful about electricity!

8. Pay extra attention to the use of milk products in equipment: rinse out remains with lukewarm water (not hot or boiling water); clean with soda; rinse with hot water; disinfect before use; rinse with water once more.

9. Keep your assortment of cleaning and disinfection agents limited. This makescleaning and disinfection simpler and prevents mistakes.

10. Handle machines according to the manufacturers instructions. Try to find out fromyour equipment suppliers whether the cleaning and disinfection agents you are usingare correct

11. Check after each cleaning whether the material is visibly clean. If not, clean oncemore and check once more before you carry out disinfection.

Cleaning refreshmen barst1. Check the grills of coolers, air conditioning units, fans, condensers and humidifiers

every day. Clean them at least once a month, and more often if necessary.2. Check bottle holders daily and clean them if necessary, and at least once a week.3. Clean the taps of pre-mix and post-mix equipment every day with hot water. Clean

and disinfect the pipes regularly in accordance with the manufacturers or suppliersinstructions.

4. Clean and de-grease the glasswork after use with a cleaning agent specially for beerglasses.

5. Clean and disinfect the glass brush every day after closing.6. Clean the outlet of the beer tap, the column, the drip-tray, the sink, the rinsing

brushes and the skimmers after closing-time with hot water and universal cleaningagent (without chlorine) and dry them. Chlorine may only be used in the waste pipe,but it must be rinsed away with water.

7. Keep the barrel-room clean and cool. Start barrel/cellar beer on the basis of "First InFirst Out".

8. Tap beer no more than three days from one barrel. If turnover is slow, change over tosmaller barrels. If this three-day period is not viable, cooled storage at 5C max. isdesirable.

9. After disconnecting an empty barrel and with a high turnover rate of barrels do thefollowing once a day, max.: take off tap-head and rinse clean with water; connect the rinsing head coupled to the water tap to the bung and clean the pipesby opening the water tap and bung tap; close the bung tap and water tap and fit the tap head to the new barrel and keep itclosed; before drawing beer, open the tap head and draw off the water.

10. Have each beer pipe cleaned at least once every four weeks by a certified orrecognised firm, or by a procedure approved by the brewery, and record the

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cleaning. The tap head must be cleaned every week with warm soda water. After notbeing used for a long time (longer than a week), the pipes must be rinsed throughwith water, the barrel connection cleaned and the tap head fitted back on the barrel inthe closed position.

11. Pipes that are not going to be used for more than four weeks must be cleaned afteruse and blown dry with CO2and cleaned once more before use, in accordance withpoint 6.

12. Instructions regarding a Cellar beer installation: keep the place where the tanks are deployed in the cold store clean in accordancewith the working instruction entitled Cleaning Rooms; do not permit other foods to be stored in the cold store for the cellar beer; the hygienic connection of cellar beer must be carried out according to thebrewerys manual; check the temperature (preferably lower than 5C) of the cold store regularly; usethe Weekly Hygiene Form for this. If the temperature was lower than 4C or higherthan 7C, then action must be taken; if the cellar beer installation is not in a cold store, check and record the temperatureof the water cistern regularly; the temperature must be 2 4C, depending on thesystem; if the cleaning of the cellar beer installation is done by the entrepreneur himself, it

should be done in accordance with the brewerys manual.

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Cleaning rooms (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 25)1. Clean rooms systematically in accordance with the Cleaning Plan you have drawn

up.2. Do not use cleaning materials that are used in the toilets, showers and changing

rooms for restaurant rooms and food-preparation areas.3. Clean as follows:

clean floors and walls every day; clean work-tables, kitchen aids, taps, door-knobs and sinks every day and disinfectthem too; clean store-rooms every two weeks; empty and clean waste-bins after work is over for the day; clean and disinfect toilets, showers, taps and (door-)knobs;

After each cleaning, check whether the surfaces are visibly clean. If not, clean againand check once more.

4. When cleaning, carefully follow the instructions of the supplier of the cleaningmaterials

5. Keep your assortment of cleaning and disinfection agents limited. This makescleaning and disinfection simpler and prevents mistakes.

6. Treat floors, walls and ceilings in accordance with the instructions of the supplier ofthe cleaning materials.

7. Consider checking the hygienic condition of the cleaned surfaces a few times a yearin accordance with the Hygiene Inspection Work Instruction.

Combatting vermin (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 29)

All living beings, such as insects, birds and mice, can be a source of microbiological infection. Becausethey are highly mobile, it is easy for them to spread infections. Keeping vermin out is of primaryimportance in the interests of food safety. They can be kept out through architectural provisions and agood layout (insect screens, properly sealed cable tunnels, smooth walls, keeping materials off the floor,and so on).1. Limit access to rooms containing products, raw materials or semi-finished products to

authorised persons.2. Make sure that working areas are orderly, clean and well-lit.

3. Keep food storage areas free of work material and equipment that are not often used.4. Remove waste frequently from the workplace and ensure that your waste storage

does not attract vermin.5. Limit the use of toxic substances to a minimum.6. Set up a continual vermin-elimination programme only when really necessary. You

can carry out vermin elimination yourself. If you wish, you can also source thisoperation out to the local council or to a specialist vermin-elimination firm.

7. Make sure that the person ultimately responsible sees to it that it is absolutelyimpossible for the pesticides used to come into contact with food. Place pesticides inpublic areas in such a way that they are inaccessible to children and small householdpets.

8. Inspect the working areas regularly and take action immediately if the presence ofvermin is discovered

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3.5 Personal Hygiene

Good personal hygiene is one of the essentials of food safety. People carry many micro-organisms aroundwith them. Through people, foods can become contaminated by contact with mucus particles, hands, hair,chefs towels, clothing, etc. Ornaments on hands and wrists can retain dirt and micro-organisms and thusconstitute a source of contamination. There is also a danger with ornaments and piercings that particles of

them can break off and end up in the food.Moreover, an employee can be seriously injured if he/she becomes entangled in working equipment.Because people work in a traditional manner in the catering industry, contact between people andproducts is inevitable. This working instruction is designed to prevent contamination of food by people, orat least to limit it as far as possible.

Personal hygiene (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 39)1. Use clean, appropriate protective clothing that can be thoroughly cleaned.2. Do not wear ornaments (chains, bracelets, rings, earrings, broaches), visible

piercings and wristwatches while working with food. A smooth wedding-ring thatcannot be removed without damage may be worn, however.

3. Put (long) hair up or wear a hairnet.4. When serving food, make sure that clothing, hair styles and any ornaments worn do

not constitute a threat to the guest because particles of them might get into their foodor transmit infection5. Employees must work in a clean condition and without noticeable body odour.6. Wash your hands before starting work, after breaks and going to the toilet. Do this

after working with raw products as well, before you go on to handle end-products andsemi-finished ones that have yet to be garnished.

7. Wash your hands as follows: wash hands, forearms and nails with running water and soap from a dispenser; rinse off any remaining soap with plenty of running water; do not use towels used by other people to dry off with, but use single-use dryingmaterial.

8. Disinfect the hands after washing them only if what you were doing before washingyour hands was likely to cause contamination with pathogens for example, in thecase of illness or working with raw chicken.

9. Cover any small wounds with a coloured water-resistant plaster.10 Wash a test spoon or fork and use this again for that purpose.11. Use chefs towelsonlyfor picking up hot pans and such like.12. Put private and work clothing away, preferably in well-ventilated clothing

lockers/wardrobes.13. Do not keep personal possessions in areas where food is being handled or stored.14. If staff show symptoms of illness, have them examined by the company medical

officer.

Employees with diarrhoea, inflammations, open wounds or skin diseases of the head, neck, arms orhands may not work with unpacked food or drinks. It is also not permitted to allow these employees withclean work materials, equipment or surfaces by which indirect contamination of food or drinks might occur.

Employees suffering from infectious diseases such as salmonellosis, typhus, para-typhus, dysentery orcholera may not work with food or drinks or be engaged in similar activities. Only the GGD (Govt. HealthDept.) may determine whether such people may work in your establishment, and if so, under whatconditions.

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3.6 Quality and Food Safety

With Quality Care, the care for hygiene becomes a permanent component of your business policy. QualityCare is not a separate production process, but pervades, as it were, all the other processes. Quality Carealso contributes to improvements within your business. By monitoring quality you can compare the wayyour business is run today with how it was run yesterday. It enables you to see if improvements have been

made or if there is a fall in standards. This is why it is important to keep records. These records willinclude, among other things, temperature measurements, refused deliveries and what happened toproducts that exceeded their shelf-life.

In addition, it is useful to know when and how the working method changed at a particular time, so thatyou can see if this signified an improvement or a deterioration. This Hygiene Code contains a number ofcheck-lists and registration forms to make it easy to set down all this information.

Hygiene problems are difficult and take up a lot of time. If, whenever a problem is encountered, you write itdown together with its solution, you will be able to solve such problems faster in the future or evenperhaps prevent them. If you find it difficult to make a good report of your operational management, youcan always get help from a specialist laboratory/firm of consultants. Below is a description of a number ofcompulsory and non-compulsory work activities.

Compulsory wo k activitiesr

Quality Administration (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 30)1. Get employees designated to carry out one or more working instructions to record

the data where asked to do so in those instructions.2. Keep the forms that have been filled in for at least one year.

Assessment of Basic Hygiene and Processes Hygiene(Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 30)1. Every year, check how far implementation of the Hygiene Code is going according to

plan. To do this, use the registration form Assessment of Basic Hygiene andProcesses Hygiene from this Hygiene Code.

2. In large firms with many employees it is advisable to carry out the check

unannounced.3. You are carrying out the process well if you have answered all the questions with

satisfactory (S).4. If there are questions relating to processes that are not carried out in your business,

put N/A (Not Applicable) next to them.5. Where there are questions to which the answer is unsatisfactory (U), mention what

measure you will take to rectify this shortcoming. To do this, you can consult theWorking Instructions and the Processes Control Plan see appendix.

6. Draw up a plan of action to rectify the shortcomings. Draw up a schedule and makeclear agreements about implementing the various corrective actions.

7. If necessary, make sure that employees are retrained if it appears that they are notimplementing the working instructions of the Hygiene Code properly.

8. Repeat the check when the corrective actions have been completed, so that you

know for sure that the improvement has been made. Record the result of this checktoo.

9. You are legally obliged to carry out this check at least once a year or, if wished, tohave it carried out by an external firm. In the meantime, carry out the check aftermajor changes within your firm (for example, after rebuilding or extending yourpremises).

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Training and teaching (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 4)

Employees who work on preparing or handling food and drinks must have received training for this. Thetraining is compulsory by law. You can outsource training to an external training agency. Of course, youcan train your employees yourself for specific activities that are undertaken within your firm.1. Specify (or have specified) who will be filling what position.2. . Give the employee copies of the working instructions relevant to him from this

Hygiene Code. Thus you will make it clear what is expected of him/her. You note thisdown on the Education & Training form.

3. After a few weeks, check whether the employee knows the working instructions. Theemployee may also indicate by him/herself that he/she is willing to be tested on thissubject. You assess the employee on how he/she is doing the work and you can alsoask questions about the working instructions here. It is important that you make surethat the employee if fully aware of the working instructions and the measures thathave to be taken in the interests of food safety. You note this down on the form.

4. The form is personal and may be used as a reference by third parties, or taken by theemployee if he/she is looking for another job.

5. If you use the form, you can also keep up to date on the employees progress intraining sessions and/or courses.

6. Cross out the signature on the form if after a time it appears that the employee is

incapable of doing what he/she was trained to do.

Food poisoning and infectionsIn spite of all the efforts you made to work hygienically with food with the proper attention, it can happenthat a customer makes a complaint about food poisoning or food infection. This concerns complaintswhereby a consumer says he became ill or nauseous after a visit to your establishment.1. Always take complaints about food seriously. Listen calmly and attentively and make

notes.2. Note down the following information on the Food Poisoning and Infections form:

name of customer, his address and phone number; the date on which the customer visited your establishment; whether the customer was alone or with others; what precisely was consumed (note names of dishes, indicate the names of the

dishes on the menu if necessary); note what any other members of the group ate and who has complaints and whohas not); what else the customer ate that day; what the customer did that day (e.g., working, swimming, barbequeuing); when the first complaints started (date and time); what the complaints were (headache, nauseousness, diarrhoea, fever); whether any other people also had complaints; how long the complaints persisted; whether a doctor was consulted.

3. Do not make any statements about whether or not the complaint was justified.Explain that you will first investigate it.

4. Agree on a date when you will contact the customer.5. Do not take risks. If you have any leftovers from the dish, ingredients or raw materials

concerned, block them and keep them separated from everything else in the coldstore for investigation.

6. Carry out interim measurements and checks, so that you obtain more data aboutproduct handling and temperature control in your establishment.

7. Decide how you are going to settle the complaint further. To do this, you need toinvestigate the hygiene and product handling in your establishment and, if possible,the products present as well. You can get help for this from an external laboratoryand firm of consultants. When investigating the cause of the food-poisoning orinfection, you can use the registration forms that have been filled in.

8. With serious food complaints you are advised to inform the GGD (Community Health

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Department) and the Food & Commodities Authority about them.9. If after investigation it appears that the complaint was justified, take immediate

measures to prevent any repetition, such as throwing suspect products away,contacting the supplier, giving instructions to staff, etc.

10. Note down all measures taken by the further details about the complaint on the form.Make sure you keep this information safe.

Quality improvement (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 30)1. Evaluate the results of the working-method assessment.2. Evaluate the level of training and education of employees.3. Evaluate your action plans.4. With the aid of your action plans, make it clear what subjects need the most

attention.5. If necessary, determine with the aid of advisers what changes in policy you need to

make and how you will render them into clear instructions to the staff.6. Similarly, evaluate the results of the assessment of any entry inspections, hygiene

checks and exit inspections carried out.

Non Compulsory Work Activities-Products that are prepared and handled in catering establishments must be suitable for human

consumption. Among other things, this implies that the products must not be tainted, mouldy or turnedsour.The Food & Commodities Authority carries out inspections to ensure that the Hygiene Code is beingobserved and may take samples for microbiological analysis if there is any doubt about the control of thecritical points. In that assessment, use is made of the microbiological guide values mentioned on theInternet site of the Hotel & Catering Association: www.bhenc.nl/mbr

Exit inspectionThe exit inspection as described in this working instruction is not compulsory. You may carry out the exitinspection as you require. With an exit inspection you can check, using random samples, whether the end-products meet with customer-satisfaction.

Have an independent institution take samples of end-products for microbiologicalexamination.

Samples will be taken preferably unannounced. Determine whether the results of the microbiological examination accord with the

standards of the Food & Commodities Act or, as the case may be, those of your ownestablishment.

Hygiene inspectionThe hygiene inspection is not compulsory, either. So it is entirely up to you whether you carry it out. In ahygiene inspection you look to see, by taking random samples, whether any threat of cross-contaminationhas been prevented by working in a clean, orderly and organised fashion.1. Have an independent body carry out a hygiene inspection into working methods.2. Have visible cleanliness checked.3. Have samples of surfaces taken in order to assess the manner of cleaning and

disinfection microbiologically.

4. Inspections will be done preferably unannounced.

Entry inspectionAt an entry inspection samples of delivered products are taken during reception of goods in order to checkwhether the product has been contaminated by harmful micro-organisms that could cause deterioration orrotting. Biological deterioration (also known as microbial deterioration) is in most cases deterioration thatcannot be seen with the naked eye. It occurs in everything that lives and grows and is harmful to peopleshealth. Such deterioration is caused by micro-organisms such as bacteria, yeasts, moulds and viruses.

The entry inspection is an aid to test whether the quality of the raw materials complies with the appropriatestandards. You can have this inspection done yourself. However, you can also ask your supplier to

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demonstrate that the products comply with the standards required. Here, the supplier must provide youwith a report from an independent, qualified laboratory.1. Have samples taken once a year to test the microbiological level, or ask your

suppliers for reports on the products they deliver to you.2. This inspection should preferably be done unannounced.

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3.7 The Layout of Operating Areas

In order to be able to work properly and above all hygienically, the premises must be of sufficient size.Stringent demands must also be made regarding the finishings and layout. It is important that the entirepremises can be cleaned easily and responsibly. A good layout makes supervision and inspection easier.In addition, vermin and other pollutants must be prevented from getting into the premises.

It is of the utmost importance with regard to the layout to pay sufficient attention to preventing cross-contamination. In order to prevent cross-contamination, there must be separate work surfaces for raw andcooked food. Clean and dirty cutlery, dishes, kitchen implements and so on must be kept separate fromeach other. Putting dirty items in the food preparation area is irresponsible from the hygiene point of view.

Proper separation can be achieved by installing separation walls or keeping a proper distance betweenthese areas. In addition, the establishment must be set up in such a way that adequate routing is possibleand the right temperatures can be maintained.

If the premises are to be rebuilt, newly built or modified, it is advisable to check whether the (proposed)premises comply with the legal requirements. You can check whether the premises comply with the legalrequirements yourself, by using the Layout Hygiene form. You can also consult an adviser for this. If the

legal requirements as described in this chapter are not complied with, the building must be adapted wherepossible, or you can apply for an exemption.

Archi ectural provisionstWhen a catering establishment is being built or rebuilt, special attention must be paid to the areas in whichfood is to be prepared or stored. The right choice of materials and correct finishings for the premises canreduce the dangers of infection significantly. It is of the utmost importance that floors, walls, ceilings andother surfaces can be cleaned thoroughly. Old material, uneven surfaces and sharp corners in which dirtcan get trapped are breeding grounds for micro-organisms. Proper drainage for floors when they are beingwashed is essential.

Floors (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 14)From the hygiene point of view, stringent requirements are imposed on the floors of rooms in which food isprepared or stored.

Legal requirement:

The floors must be solidly made and easy to clean.

The floors must be made of material that does not absorb moisture or allow it topermeate through.

The floors must have proper drainage from their surfaces.

Advice:

Choose, for example, extra-hard fired tiles with well-grouted joints.

The construction of the drainage must be such that washing and rinsing water cannotflow back. So make sure that the floors slope in such a way that washing and rinsingwater can flow directly along open gutters to washing drains. These must be fittedwith an odour excluder and removable grille.

In areas where a floor-scrubbing machine is used that also sucks up the washingwater, it is not necessary to have a sloping floor.

Joints between the floor and the walls and between the floor and the fixtures must beseamless and rounded.

Walls (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 15)

Legal requirement:

The walls, up to the appropriate working height, must be solidly made, capable ofbeing cleaned thoroughly and have a smooth, impermeable surface

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The height of the ceiling in the preparation areas must be at least 2.4 metres in publicareas where drinks are poured and which are subject to the Drinks and Catering law.

Advice:

It is important to choose a light colour for them so that dirt will show up clearly. Ofcourse it is a requirement that the walls can be thoroughly cleaned. It isrecommended that they be fitted with glazed tiles (white or cream) to a height ofabout 180 cm.

The walls must offer sufficient resistance to mechanical force (knocks) and beabsorbent above the tiling level so as to prevent the formation of condensation andthe growth of mould (stuccowork, for example)

The walls must be free of surface pipes and cables as far as possible. These must beburied in the wall or enclosed in conduits.

There should be no empty spaces behind the coating material. This is to keep outcockroaches and other vermin

Ceilings (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 16)

Legal requirement:

Ceilings must be designed and constructed in such a way as to counteract

condensation, the undesirable formation of mould, the accumulation of dirt andparticles breaking free.

The height of the ceiling in the preparation areas must be at least 2.4 metres in publicareas where drinks are poured and which are subject to the Drinks and Catering law.

Advice:

It is advisable to choose a ceiling system with a smooth and washable surface with alight colour.

The ceiling must be made of fire-proof, dust-free material from which no particles canbreak free.

Windows (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 17)Insects and other vermin can easily get into the food preparation areas and stores through open windows.

The window-sills and frames must fulfill special requirements in order to prevent the accumulation of dirtand micro-organisms.

Legal requirement:

Windows must be constructed and finished in such a way that the accumulation ofdirt is prevented.

The windows in the operating areas must, if they are opened to the outside, be fittedwith insect screens. These must be easy to remove for cleaning purposes.

The windows must not be opened if by doing so it would lead to the contamination offood or drinks (for example, near a waste-storage area).

Advice:

The material of the frames must be smooth and easy to clean. Woodwork from whichthe paint is peeling forms and ideal environment for the explosive growth of micro-organisms.

The windows must shut properly. In order to keep out humidity and mould, thereshould be no space between the window and the frame.

It is preferable to fit window-sills that slope down from the windows.

Doors (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 18)Doors are frequently handled because of their function. Contamination via a door is therefore highly likely.

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Legal requirement:

Doors must be smooth and capable of thorough cleaning and disinfection; they mustnot have any moisture-absorbing surfaces.

Advice:

Maintain the doors well (paintwo k).r

t

It is better for connecting doors not to be fitted with knobs or handles, so as toprevent bacteria being deposited.

Work benches and food-contact surfaces(Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 19)Work benches and other food contact surfaces such as cutting boards are the places in the preparationroom that come most into contact with (disease-carrying) micro-organisms. For this reason theirconstruction is of essential importance to hygiene in the establishment.

Legal requirement:

Work benches and other food-contact surfaces must be well maintained, should besolidly made and easy to clean and disinfect.

Work benches must be made of washable material that is not toxic.

It must be easy to move them, so that areas under and behind the tables can be

cleaned thoroughly.

Advice:

Fixed work surfaces must be fixed to the wall in such a way that no dirt can dropdown behind

Inspect the work benches and other food contact surfaces regularly to check for splitsor unnecessary unevenness.

Make sure that the height of the work surfaces is such that employees can workcomfortably at them. If necessary, ask for specialist ergonomic advice.

Stairs and auxiliary constructions (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 7)

Legal requirement:

Pollution or contamination of food must be prevented as much as possible, alsoduring transportation.

Advice:

Stairs, lift cages and auxiliary constructions, such as platforms, ladders, gutters andconduits, must be situated and constructed in such a way that they do not cause foodto be contaminated.

In this respect too, make sure that surfaces can be easily cleaned and avoidirregularities and sharp corners where dirt can accumulate.

Hea ing elements (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 7)Heating elements attract dust and dirt.

Legal requirement: Operating areas must be clean, well maintained and laid out in such a way that,

among other things, dirt is prevented from accumulating.

Advice:

The heating elements must be constructed and attached in such a way that they canbe easily cleaned.

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Water supply (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 21)

Legal requirement:

Operating areas must be provided with an uninterrupted supply of hot and cold waterof drinking quality.

Removal of was e water (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 11)t

Legal requirement:

The drainage system must be so designed that the drinking-water supply cannot bepolluted.

Establishments must have a properly working system for removing waste water.

The drains must be so designed that the drinking-water supply cannot becontaminated.

Advice:

Make sure that all waste-water pipes (including the drain) must have sufficientcapacity to cope with peak loads.

If there is fat and oil trap, it must be installed outside the food preparation room andoutside the room for reception and storage of raw materials and packaging material.

Removal of rubbish (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 28 and 29)

Legal requirement:

Rubbish must not accumulate in areas where foodstuffs are also present.

Rubbish must be collected in solidly-constructed, rubbish bins that can be closed insuch a way that unpleasant odours cannot spread from the rubbish.

It must be possible to clean the storage places for rubbish thoroughly.

Provisions for the transportation and storage of rubbish must be designed in such away that vermin cannot get to the rubbish and that contamination of food and drinkingwater is prevented.

Advice:

Collect rubbish in leak-proof containers that can be closed properly. Choose containers that are constructed without joints/seams and are easy to clean.

Choose dustbins that are preferably opened with a foot-pedal.

The containers must either be placed outside the building or in a well-ventilatedseparate room with a smooth stone floor. If possible, in a cool place so, facingNorth or East.

Stores (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 7)

Legal requirement:

In all areas where opened packaging is stored the floors, walls, ceilings, etc. mustcomply with the standards above.

Advice: If a store does not fulfill all the layout requirements, only closed packaging may be

stored there, provided the room is kept sufficiently clean and there are defencesagainst vermin. If these conditions are fulfilled, the use of, for example, unpaintedwooden shelving is permitted.

Toilets (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 9)Toilets are located in those places in a catering establishment where hygiene should play a predominantrole.

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Legal requirement:

Toilets must be kept clean and well-maintained.

Toilets and urinals must be separated from the food-preparation area by at least twodoors.

In the toilet room itself or in the antechamber there must be a hand-washing facilitywith hot and cold running water and hygienic facilities for washing and drying hands.

Advice:

It must be possible to clean and disinfect the toilet areas easily. The walls must betiled to a height of 180 cm

The rooms must be well lit and ventilated.

Toilets must not have any windows, doors or trapdoors that give direct access toareas where food is handled, or are directly connected to them.

It is worth recommending that an instruction be displayed in the toilets about handwashing.

Changing rooms and showe srThe same stringent requirements apply to changing rooms and showers as to toilets.

Advice:

In order to facilitate the draining of shower and floor-washing water into the drains,the floor should be slightly sloping.

The drains must be fitted with an odour excluder and removable grille.

Keep personal clothing and work clothing separate and store it in separate, well-ventilated wardrobes or lockers

Hand-basins (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 8)

Legal requirement:

There must be sufficient hand-washing facilities in operating areas.

The hand-basin must be provided with hot and cold running water and hygienicfacilities for washing and drying hands.

There must be a hand-basin in the toilet room itself or in the antechamber

Advice:

The hand-washing area must be so situated that it is used automatically after goingto the toilet. Furthermore, there should be a hand-washing area in all places wherehands must be washed before preparing food.

Use liquid soap from a dispenser.

For drying hands, there should either be disposable, coarse-fibre paper hand towelsor an automatic roller-towel device with coarse towelling. Do not use communaltowels

Where paper towels are used, there must be a sufficient number of dispensers andwaste bins close to each sink.

It is worth recommending that taps be fitted that do not require manual operation for example, foot-operated taps or ones operated with the elbows.

Cleaning cupboards and materials

Advice:

The cupboards for storing cleaning equipment and materials must be easy to cleanand disinfect. The materials, such as brushes, mops, floor-cloths and the like whichare used for toilets and showers, must be kept in a separate cupboard, closed offfrom the kitchen and storage room.

Mark the equipment!For example:

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Red toilet/shower,Blue kitchen, dirty part,Green kitchen, food-preparation area.

Washing sinks (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 20)

Legal requirement:

There must be appropriate facilities for cleaning and disinfecting implements andequipment.

These facilities must be made of corrosion-resistant materials (rust-resistant), whichcan be cleaned easily.

There must be an uninterrupted supply of hot and cold running water.

Lighting (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 6)

Legal requirement:

Operating areas must be sufficiently lit by natural or artificial light.

Advice:

Try as much as possible to provide direct lighting that does not throw shadows overworkbenches

A good guideline for brightness is: 540 lux on all work surfaces, 220 lux in workroomsand 110 lux in other areas

The lighting elements must not cause any dirt to accumulate. Safety lamps andfittings should be placed above foods and raw materials (in all stages of production).

In order to avoid pollution if a bulb breaks, all lamps should be screened off.

Ventilation (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 10)

Legal requirement:

The direction of the airflow must nevergo from dirty areas to clean ones.

There must be good ventilation in the workrooms in order to remove excessive

amounts of heat, steam, condensation, dust and polluted air.

Equipment and implements (Food & Commodities Act, Food Hygiene, Art. 19 and 25)

Legal requirement:

Equipment and implements used in the food-preparation area and coming intocontact with foodstuffs must be free of damage, durable and capable of beingcleaned thoroughly.

Advice:

Remember that older material often has little splits in it, in which micro-organismscan lurk. Loose knife-handles are a real breeding-ground for bacteria.

Choice o materialf

Legal requirement:

In addition to requirements regarding durability, the equipment and implements mustbe made of durable, solidly-constructed non-toxic material that can be cleanedthoroughly.

Advice:

It is advisable to use stainless steel work materials as much as possible

Do not use enamelled objects in the kitchen.

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We strongly advise against using aluminium (not corrosion-resistant), wood (grains)and glass (splinters) in the food-preparation area.

Replace materials that are damaged or worn out in order to prevent sharp or hardparticles coming loose from them and getting into the products.

Only use equipment, materials and containers that are suitable for foodstuffs.

Design, construction and installation

Legal requirement:

All equipment and implements must be so designed and constructed that it is easilypossible to clean and disinfect them thoroughly.

Advice:

That means noparts or places that are difficult to clean, or which cannot be checked.

Equipment used for processing food must be easy to assemble and disassemble orsuitable for cleaning without dismantling.

Fixed equipment must be installed in such a way that it is easily accessible and canbe thoroughly cleaned and inspected.

Because older equipment and small kitchen implements will show dents, splits andother defects, all material used should be checked for quality.

Cold sto es and freezer-roomsr

Advice:

All cold stores and freezer-rooms must be provided with impermeable walls.

Fit the equipment with thermometers placed in the least favourable places thus, thewarmest areas.

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4 Working Instructions, SpecificProcesses

4.1 Food preparation

There are many activities involved in the preparation of food. For example, they include washing andslicing, baking and frying, garnishing and apportioning, cooling down and packaging.When preparing products it is important to know what activities help to keep them in good condition andwhat risks are involved. For example, freezing and chilling can help keep food in good condition, thawingout and cooling food down involve risks. In particular, cooling meal components down, to be regeneratedlater is a critical point in food preparation. Pay careful attention to this.Preparing food can therefore increase or decrease the chance arising of a threat to health. In general, wecan say that processes which involved heating will reduce risks. Slicing, mixing and garnishing productsgenerally increase the risks.

Products can be contaminated in various ways before, during or after preparation. It is a question here ofcross-contamination and post-contamination. Implement the measures described in this Hygiene Code tocombat this.

Con aminationt

1. Prevent contamination by: processing raw and cooked products on separate work surfaces and choppingboards; no mixing up the implements for raw with those for cooked products cleaning and disinfecting properly (see Working Instruction Washing up by Hand); immediately wiping away melt-water from frozen products (drip) and not letting itcome into contact with other foods. This melt-water contains many micro-organisms; using pasteurised eggs and egg products as much as possible; fresh eggs may only be used for making fried eggs, soft-boiled eggs and dishes thatare cooked to 75C or higher. In this case, a written guarantee must be obtained fromthe egg-supplier that the eggs are free of salmonella and the egg must be preventedfrom becoming contaminated on the outside when being used; so, fresh eggs may not be used in dishes that are not cooked to over 75C. Toprepare these dishes, eggs and egg products may only be used that have beentreated previously in such a way that Salmonella is absent (by pasteurisation, forexample); keep cooked food in the fridge or cold store on a higher shelf than raw food; cover food carefully with Clingfilm, for example. Make sure that the film itself is notcontaminated; never supplement cold food with hot; never mix old products with freshly-prepared ones; do not reheat leafy vegetables;

keep dirty and clean dishes separate.2. If contamination has occurred, remove the contaminated product. If, for example,

lettuce has been lying on unwrapped chicken, remove the lettuce. The contaminatedproduct does not have to be removed if it can be heated immediately.

3. Clean the room and disinfect equipment and implements if they are not clean or havenot been cleaned and disinfected according to the Cleaning Plan.

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Washing and cutting raw materials1. Wash vegetables that were delivered unwashed, before preparing.2. It is advisable to wash vegetables and fruit destined to be processed raw in salads or

patisserie before cooking for 10 to 15 minutes in a citric acid solution (5 grams perlitre), or a similar solution of other food acid (same pH). This will halt the growth ofpathogenic micro-organisms.

3. If this solution gives rise to undesirable changes of flavour, rinse the washed andsliced AGF (potatoes/vegetables/fruit) products with drinking water shortly beforeserving.

Preparing cold dishes1. Only work with raw materials and ingredients of good quality. Check before using

whether the products comply with the specifications and whether their shelf-life is stillsufficiently long. Remove any product if its qual

Documents

BHC Hotel & Caterers (1)