English Course PDF

7/28/2019 English Course PDF

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Introduction

Employees in a foodstuffs company working with the production of food products must be either

vocationally educated, or have completed a course in food hygiene.

The aim of this course is to give participants:

Knowledge of the relevant laws concerning the manufacturing of foodstuffs.

Knowledge of the diseases transmitted by infected food.

Knowledge of microorganisms occurrences and cultivation within foodstuffs.

Learn how to impede the reproduction of harmful microorganisms.

An understanding of the principles concerning "Self-inspection".

Knowledge of the functions of health and safety inspections.

On satisfactory completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate that gives you the rightto work with the production of foodstuffs in an authorized, or approved, foodstuffs company.

The course is comprised of a printed text, which you can read for yourself, or as an audio file.

During the course, there will be films shown on microorganisms, food hygiene, and self-inspection.

There will also be a lot of assignments and games during the course, which you are encouraged to

participate in and complete.

Questions concerning the course?

If you have any questions concerning the course, you are welcome to call "Alimentas" hotline on 70

23 13 12. The telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 16.00 hours.

Furthermore, questions can also be sent by e-mail to [email protected].

All questions will be answered as soon as possible (but always within two days of being received).


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General Microbiology

In this module, you will gain a fundamental knowledge of microorganisms, and their propagation.

It is essential that you learn how the formation of microorganisms can be stopped, thus ensuringthat consumers will not become ill through contact with the foodstuffs you have responsibility for.

Contamination of foodstuffs

Contamination by physical objects

As an example the presence of small stones in rye bread, insects in grain or flour, splinters fromtools, hair, cigarette ends and many more should be mentioned.

Contamination by chemical substances

As an example the remains of sprayed pesticides must be mentioned. Also packing not approved for

wrapping of foods might liberate toxic chemicals, which will contaminate the food. Hot tap water

usually contains heavy metals.

Remains from cleaning detergents which have not been washed away properly from a table or from

a tool, are also an example. In this case the detergent remains are transmitted to foods being handled

on the table or getting in touch with kitchen utensils.

Contamination by microorganisms

This type of contamination can rarely be seen either, but can lead to food poisoning and food

infection. If you work in a food company, you should understand the living conditions needed by

microorganisms, and how to limit, or totally prevent their propagation.

Microorganisms are a very large group of extremely small organisms. A microorganism is a generic

term for these three major groups:

Bacteria

Fungi

Viruses

It is not possible to see single microorganisms with the naked eye, but you can see them under a

microscope. Only when there are many microorganisms grouped together, we can see them without

the aid of a microscope. We call a group of many microorganisms for a colony. For example,

patches of mould on bread are in fact a colony of fungus, whereas mucus on meat is in fact a colony

of bacteria. These we can see with the naked eye.

Microorganisms are found almost everywhere. We find them in water, soil, on animals and on us.

The largest amounts are found in excrement from animals and people, as well as in soil and on the

surface of water.


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Bacteria

Bacteria are single-celled organisms. During propagation, the cell divides into two, that is to say

one bacterium becomes two bacteria. Subsequently the two bacteria can further divide themselves

into four bacteria, and these can divide into eight and so on.

The time it takes for one bacterium to transform into two bacteria is known as the generating time.

Different external environments like the availability of water, temperatures, acidity, influence the

generation time and so on.

When writing down the names of bacteria one uses italics, as for example in Salmonella.

Fungi

Fungi are an important part of nature and are found everywhere. Mould fungi are a little larger thanbacteria, but even these can only been seen if there are several of them bunched together. In

everyday language, we call mould fungi simply mould.

Some mould fungi are useful, and they are used, in amongst other things, in soft-cheeses such as

Camembert and Danablu (blue cheese). However, there are also disease-causing mould fungi.

Some of these can be found, for example, on bread, in jam, or dried fruit.

Yeast fungus, long before anyone had ever heard of yeast cells, has been used in the production of

alcoholic drinks and baking bread. In these cases yeast fungus is useful. However, foodstuff

destroying fungi mould can also occur, such as when unimpeded fermentation occurs in fruit juice.

Some sorts can also be disease causing.

Virus

Unlike bacteria a virus cannot grow in foods, but is usually transferred directly from foods to people

either through vomit or stools typically through the hands. However, only a small amount of

virus is needed to cause a disease in comparison to the amount of bacteria.

Sources of infection can be polluted water and berries or fruit, which have been rinsed in

contaminated water. Another source of infection is shellfish that is eaten alive (raw). Shellfish has a

particular skill to gather virus particles from water.

In order to protect yourself from virus infections it is essential to have a good personal hygiene.

You must make sure to wash your hands before starting the preparation of food and also generally

to be clean. In this way the risk is considerably reduced. If you want to serve shellfish, the only safe

way to kill any virus is by boiling the shellfish thoroughly.


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Microorganisms in foodstuffs

Foodstuffs can contain several different types of microorganisms: bacteria, yeast and mould fungi

and viruses. These microorganisms can ruin foodstuffs or cause illnesses in consumers. The

majority of microorganisms are however harmless. Some are even useful and can add flavour tofood or increase their storage life.

Microorganisms are divided into three groups:

Useful microorganism

Destructive microorganism

Disease causing or pathogenic microorganisms

Useful microorganisms

Harmless bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria, can be added to the production of various foodstuffs:

sour or acidic milk products, butter, cheese, rye bread and some meat products such as for example

fermented sausages and ham.

During generation, lactic acid bacteria ferment carbohydrates in foodstuffs, which results in certain

kind of acidic production primarily lactic acid, acetic acid (vinegar and other acids). Furthermore

certain other flavor - giving substances are also produced.

Bacterial growth therefore adds certain smells, tastes and consistencies to foodstuff products.

Bacterial growth can also have a preserving effect on foods.

Breweries use yeast fungi in the production of beer.

Yeasts are also used in bread making. Bread must rise before baking. Rising is occasionedby the yeast fungi giving off air when they propagate, and the air makes the bread rise

Mould fungi are nowadays used in the production of penicillin. Penicillin and otherantibiotics can prevent or kill disease-causing microorganisms.

Mould fungi are also known from use in cheeses as for example Camembert and blue cheese(Danablu). Here the mould fungi are used to give the cheese its characteristic taste.

Lactic acid bacteria are used to the production of yoghurt.

In nature, you find microorganisms that break down dead cells from, for example, deadanimals and plants causing them eventually to decompose into humus.

Destructive microorganisms

Destructive microorganisms can break down nutritional substances in foods, causing them to appear

undesirable, smell and taste unacceptably. They make food go mouldy, and make food sour or

rotten. Aside from these modifications to foods, destructive microorganisms can cause discoloring

or food to become mucilaginous. To what degree, and just how, foodstuffs become putrefied is

dependent on, amongst other things, external environmental factors such as storage temperatures

and moisture; as well as the microorganisms ability to propagate and break down respectively,

carbohydrates, proteins and fats in foods.


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All foodstuffs that smell bad and un-fresh must be thrown away. As a rule, foods with moulds

should also be thrown out, for example, jams and fruit. On solid foods such as cheese, you are

allowed to cut off a few centimeters to remove any mould present.

Microorganisms Living Conditions

Temperature

Temperature levels play an important role in the growth of microorganisms. The chemical reactions

that occur in connection with propagation are temperature dependent.

Generally speaking, you can say that the greatest amount of microorganism propagation occurs

between 5 and 65C.

The bacteria growth is highest between 20 - 40C.

However there are some microorganisms that can grow at temperatures below 5C and above 65C.

However, propagation is much slower at these extremely low or high temperatures.

who is connected to the preparation process of foodstuffs must be aware of the necessary living

conditions of microorganisms. One must know how food infections and food poisoning can be

avoided. It is essential that food is prepared in a safe manner.

If you know the theory behind the living conditions of microorganisms then you can practically

inhibit or totally stop their propagation.

The necessary living conditions for microorganisms in foodstuffs are dependent on many different

conditions, such as:

which type of foodstuff is being considered

at what temperatures foods are being stored

in what way foodstuffs are stored

as well as the presence of moisture

oxygen levels in foodstuffs

pH values in foodstuffs

the presence of substances that inhibit microorganisms can also influence the rate of growth

Living Conditions = Growth Conditions

Sustenance

The nutrients that microorganisms need are essentially the same as people need to survive.

Therefore, the majority of microorganisms thrive on our foodstuffs. In foodstuff companies it is

therefore essential that you clean thoroughly.


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Warming

All disease causing microorganisms die at temperatures above75C. Therefore easily perishable

food that is heated must always be warmed at a temperature of at least 75C.

When all microorganisms have been destroyed through heating one should ensure that no re-

infection occurs. On products that have been heat-treated all microorganisms are absent, therefore

any new arrival of microorganisms will have the perfect conditions for reproduction.

There are bacteria, which can assume a spore stage that is very heat-stable.

Some bacteria can form spores, which are a type of "survival-pod". A bacterial spore is capable of

surviving high temperatures, severe cold, and drought conditions and salt. Spores can survive

normal boiling. If they later are exposed to good living conditions then they can turn into normal

bacteria.

The spores that are still present in foods after heat treatment begin to form into bacteria when the

cooling-down temperature drops below 65C. Therefore it is important that the cooling-down

process is as short as possible.

These spores can only be killed at temperatures between 120 and 135C, in other words by

autoclaving (pressure heating). These high temperatures cannot be achieved through the normal


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production processes of boiling, frying or baking. In order to be able to reach these temperatures

heating must occur with the use of an autoclave.

Cooling-down

Under the cooling-down process and in fridge/cold storage microorganisms propagation is halted.

There are however individual microorganisms that can still propagate, though at greatly reduced

rate. The lower the cooling temperature the less growth and propagation will occur. Therefore it is

important that time taken to cool-down produce is as short as possible.

Refrigeration

If the temperature is decreased even further and falls below freezing point then microorganisms

become inactive, but are not killed. Microorganisms enter a period of inactivity. If foods are then

thawed up again, the microorganisms begin to propagate again. Therefore, it is vital that you do not

thaw foods outside of the fridge or cold room environment.

No bacteria can propagate below freezing point.

However, some mould fungi can propagate below freezing point (not by deep-freezing) but it goes

very slowly.

On the thermometer, you can read at which temperatures microorganisms or bacteria spores die,

when there is a danger for propagation, and when they enter a period of inactivity.

Smoke curing

Smoke contains chemical elements, which add taste, but also aid in prolonging the storage life of

foodstuffs. Products surfaces are at the same time dried during curing and therefore

microorganisms propagation is slightly inhibited.

Food preservatives

Microorganisms are inhibited or killed through food preservation. There are many different types of

preservation substances, which can be added to produce. In products such as jams there are always

food preservatives present.

Oxygen

Microorganisms needs for oxygen are very varied, and one can categorize them depending on their

requirements broadly into whether they grow better with the presence of a lot of oxygen, little

oxygen or none at all.

Most microorganisms do however need some oxygen to be able to propagate.

There is a packaging method whereby food can be packed into a controlled environment or in a

protective environment. By this method one replaces the normal atmosphere with a different


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composition of gas. In this way microorganism propagation is inhibited and produce can have a

longer storage life. When a vacuumed or protective packaging is broken, the use-by date no longer

applies. Check the label on the packaging to learn of the new use-by date on unsealed packaging.

Water

Microorganisms need water for their propagation. If one removes water it will inhibit

microorganism propagation. Therefore a way to increase the shelf life of foods is to dry the

products e.g. dried fruits and milk powder. In flour and grain products bacteria are not able

propagate due to a very small content of water, but there will always be bacteria spores in these

products.

pH value or degree of sourness

Microorganisms are very largely affected by the degree of sourness (acidity). The majority of foods

have a neutral value or slight acidity. That is they have a pH value of around 6 or 8. The majority of

bacteria thrive best in a neutral environment, due to their optimum pH value precisely being 6 or 8.

Disease inducing bacteria cannot grow at pH values of less than 4.5. This means there is no risk that

foodstuffs that have a pH value of less than 4.5 are inductive to bacterial food borne illnesses. Sour

products such as preserved beetroots, cucumbers, pickles, mayonnaise and coleslaw have a pH

value of less than 4.5. Therefore these products can be kept at room temperature.

Salt/sugar

The use of large quantities of salt or sugar in foodstuffs can inhibit or totally reduce the growth of

microorganisms.

Sugar is used to preserve, for example marmalades and juices. Salts ability to absorb water is

nearly ten times greater that that of sugar.

The hurdle effect

If several parameters are present in a foodstuff at the same time, such as requirements forpreservation and growth inhibiting are both present, for example, a low pH value, a low water

contetn and a temperature of less than 5C exist, then microorganisms ability to survive and

propagate is altered. There can occur a so-called "hurdle effect" which acts as an intensifying of the

preservation effect. For example, it can lead to the minimum pH value for bacterial growth of a

certain bacterium being increased, if at the same time there is a low water content in the produce,

and if the produce is stored in a fridge.

In order to prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria it may be important to introduce several

propagation hurdles at the same time, especially in certain critical or sensitive products.


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How rapidly do microorganisms propagate?

Under proper living conditions bacterial cells can subdivide them selves into two approximately

every 20 minutes. This means that a single bacterium can turn into more than a million bacteria

within six hours.


Disease causing microorganisms can lead to illnesses in people, if they are present in certain

quantities in foodstuffs, or if they have formed toxins, in other words poisons in foods. The

production of disease causing microorganisms does not lead to the putrefaction of foods. They are

cunning, because you can neither see, smell nor taste that foods have been contaminated with

disease-producing microorganisms.

Disease causing microorganisms, can amongst other things, be spread to foods via the surrounding

environment, especially in the production environment, and via animals and birds.

Disease causing microorganisms are also known as pathogenic microorganisms.

Causes of microbial food-borne illnesses

In order to prevent outbreaks of food-borne illnesses it is necessary to reduce the risks of infection,

and transmission, that is say to reduce the contamination of foodstuffs in all areas of the production

process from primary production, manufacture and storage before final preparation in kitchens.

Everyone has the right to buy healthy food. Certain produce, however, will contain in varyingdegrees disease-causing microorganisms. Therefore, it is necessary to take particular precautionary

measures when storing and preparing foodstuffs so that the health risks associate with eating food is

kept to a minimum.

From this schedule you can see that the most frequent reason to pathogenic diseases is the

Norovirus also known as acute gastroenteritis and the Salmonella bacteria. To protect yourself

from virus infections it is essential to have a good personal hygiene. Make sure to wash your hands

before your start cooking and always keep yourself clean. In this way the risk is reduced

considerably. If you wish to serve shellfish, the only sure way to kill any virus is to boil it

thoroughly. To protect yourself from Salmonella infections it is of vital importance that chicken,

pork and eggs are heated up to at least 75C and to keep a good separation in the kitchen andalso a good hand hygiene.

Food poisoning

Food poisoning is the term used when foods contain bacteria or bacteria spores that grow and

propagate, or they propagate in the intestines of humans, where they produce toxins/poisons.

Toxins are waste substances that bacteria produce during propagation and can therefore cause

intestinal problems. Some of these toxins can be very poisonous such as for example, those coming

from Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perfringens andBacillus cereus.


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Less poisonous toxins can also be formed such as Staphylococcus aureus.

Toxic substances can be destroyed, as a rule, through heating, but there are some that despite

prolonged heating are not destroyed.

Food infections

You can get food infections when food contains bacteria that by themselves can cause illness inhumans. Examples of bacteria which can induce food infections are: Salmonella, Campylobacter,

Yersinia, Listeria, Escherichia coli 0157and Shigella.

Who gets ill?

Everyone can be hit by food poisoning or food infections.

But those people with a weak immune defense system are most likely to be affected, that is to say

the newborn, elderly people or sick people. The pregnant and breastfeeding mothers also have a

weakened immune defense system.


The symptoms of a food poisoning and food infection owing to the various pathogene bacteria arevery much the same. The symptoms are: nausea, stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhea. However,

there is a great difference of the incubation period - i.e. the time it takes from having eaten the

infected food until you get ill. The incubation time may vary from 2-3 hours as for Staplycoccus

aureus and up to 10 days for Campylobacter.

As you are not aware, which food-stuff has caused the illness or whether the illness owes to a

food-stuff at all, it is extremely difficult to find the cause of the illness. In most cases you never find

the food-stuff in question. The problem is also that the food causing the disease has been eaten and

therefore evidence no longer exists.

Food-borne illnesses

Occurrence

As mentioned before there are bacteria everywhere and especially our food-stuffs contain goodconditions for bacteria.

Products like poultry and meat especially contain bacteria that can cause infections, i.e. bacteria

which themselves are pathogenic. That could be Salmonella, Campylobacterand Yersinia. If you

just make sure to heat up the food sufficiently, these bacteria are killed, and you can then eat food,

which has been contaminated, if it is only cooked thoroughly.

In the past years Campylobacterand Salmonella are the food-borne bacterium causing the highest

number of cases in Denmark. Just one small drop ofCampylobacter-infected meat juice or blood

can cause a disease. If you use the chopping board to cut salad and then use it to cut chicken, you

have a great risk of getting ill from Campylobacter.


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On vegetables and spices coming from the nature you will find spore-forming soil bacteria

such as Clostridium perfringens andBacillus cereus. These spores can cause food poisoning. The

problem with soil bacteria arises when they get in touch with perishable foods. As an example the

bacteria may occur in a stew, which after the heat treatment has been cooled off too slowly so

that the surviving spores have got good conditions to develop into bacteria and create toxins.

Pathogenic bacteria can also be found on people. Staphylococcus aureus is mainly to be found in

the nose and throat of humans. Very often they are present in infectious boils, wounds and fingers

and are then transmitted to foods from there.

In dried foods such as nuts, corn and dried fruit which have been harvested and stored at a too high

umidity, damaging mould fungus may occur such as Fusarium andAspergillus. These mould

fungus make toxins/poisons such as aflatoxin which is cancer-causing.

In raw fish you very often find small damaging parasites called anisakis larva. They are not a

microorganism, but is mentioned here as it is also pathogenic. If you heat treat the fish, it is notdangerous to eat it. However, if you eat it raw such as sushi, gravlax etc, the parasite may make

you ill.

If you eat shellfish coming from contaminated water, you may be ill due to the norovirus.


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Self Inspection

In this module, you will gain general knowledge of what self-regulation is and how to build up a

self-regulation program. In the following module, the different areas within self-regulation arelooked at closer, such as the handling of foodstuffs, storage, production and cleaning.

Short introduction to self-regulation

Self-regulation is the systematic routine companies carry out to ensure that Veterinary and Food

Administration's regulations are observed. Self-regulation is daily monitoring and periodic controls.

Self-regulation should ensure that a company has the necessary procedures to monitor:

That product does not present a health risk to people.

That the Veterinary and Food Administration's regulations are observed.

All companies that prepare and handle foods are required by law to have their own internal control

programs and to carry out self-regulation.

Self-regulation gives an overview of the risks and mistakes that typically occur in the production

process. Thereby the risks and mistakes can be reduced, and a safe product can be produced.

Furthermore, the costs can also often be reduced, as fewer products need to be destroyed.

Self-regulation is a common European Union requirement for food companies, regardless of their

size.

Self-regulation is built up around the HACCP system, which includes:

Risk assessment

Critical control points/Good work practices

Critical limits

Monitoring procedures

Corrective actions

Documentation

Revision

Self-regulation ensures good hygiene, safe and healthy food produce, good quality and preventionof mistakes.

Registration of self-regulation program

Companies must send their self-regulation programs for registration to the relevant Veterinary and

Food Administration's regional control office. The program will be discussed with the company and

will be evaluated to establish whether there is need for adjustment or additions before it is

registered.

The self-regulation program is hereby a part of the companys approval.


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Self-regulation program

A self-regulation program is a description of how a company performs self-regulation of their

business.

Self-regulation programs must cover the following areas:

Primary produce

Production

Finished products

Cleaning

Maintenance

Personal hygiene

Completed self-regulation is documentation for the preparation of foodstuffs has been performed

according to the self-regulation program and thereby complies with the Veterinary and Food

Administration's regulations.

Documentation

As a rule, self-regulation must be documented. It must be written into the self-regulation program

which areas of the company are to be documented. There must always be a register of failures

recorded mistakes, how they can be corrected, what has been done to ensure they do not repeat

themselves. Staff can eventually note down on a scheme or similar that monitoring has been done.

Companies can have, for example, a scheme for the monitoring of heating and cooling down offoods and a scheme for the monitoring of temperatures in fridges and freezers.

There should also be documentation that a cleaning schedule is followed.

Revision

If changes occur within a company, for example, new equipment is bought or the work procedure is

changed, the company must perform a self-regulation program and evaluate the need for

adjustments. In addition, if there have been no changes to the company, the company must perform

their own self-regulation program at least once a year. In that connection the failures register make

a good basis for revision of the program.

Template for self-regulation program

Companies must send their self-regulation programs for registration to the relevant Veterinary and

Food Administration's regional control office. The program will be discussed with the company and

will be evaluated to establish whether there is need for adjustment or additions before it is

registered.

The self-regulation program is hereby a part of the companys approval.


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There is a template for use in the self-regulation program available on the Veterinary and Food

Administration's homepage. If one uses such a template then the program does not need to be sent

in for approval, but can be approved by company inspection.

Branch codes

Branch codes are a kind of recipe book, adapted to each particular branch, which offers guidance in

how to organize and carry out self-regulation in individual companies.

A branch code contains the guide lines that a self-inspection program must include for a specific

branch e.g. bakeries, butchers or supermarkets.

The branch codes are elaborated by the branch organizations and contain a risk analysis for the

specific branch.

The branch codes are provided by the Veterinary and Food Administration, but still have to beadapted to the specific business.

Inspection and control

The results of the self-regulation must be accessible to inspection by the Veterinary and Food

Administration's regional control office. The Veterinary and Food Administration's regional control

office continues to make controls in a company, which has a self-regulation program. An important

job of the inspector is to evaluate whether the company carries out self-regulations and whether the

program is working properly.

A self-regulation program should be built up using the following seven steps:

1. Risk assessment: What can go wrong in my company?2. Critical control points/Good work practices: Where/how can I control so it does not go

wrong?

3. Critical limits: What are the limits for making a product acceptable or not?4. Monitoring procedures: How and how often do I control?5. Corrective actions: What do I do if something goes wrong?

6. Documentation: How do I write the critical control points I have monitored?7. Revision: How do I ensure that the self-regulation program always matches my business?


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Step 1: Risk assessment

In all food companies there are many risk factors, which are connected to the production of the

company.

The risk assessment must deal with:

All work spaces in the company, for example

o kitchen

o dishwashing

o o cold store

Work processes in the company, for example

o heating of foods

o grinding of meat

o hakning af kd

o cleaning of surfaces

Personal hygiene

Training

Step 2a: Good work practices

Activities in the company where there is no direct risk of food safety, it is sufficient to have good

work practices.

All foods business must employ good work practices for the way they ensure proper hygiene and

ensure that products are correctly labeled and that they generally comply with the rules. Thecompany itself determines its own good work practices.

There are no demands that the good work practices should be written. Some businesses will likely

choose to write down their good work practices to help in controlling everything. This can be an

advantage especially for businesses with many employees.

Good work practices are typically:

cleaning

pest control

waste disposal personal hygiene

training of personel

Step 2b: Critical control points

Critical control points are activities/areas in the company where there is a direct risk of food safety

and which can be measured and regulated

Point out the areas where it is possible to carry out control. Many processes and points can be

systematically controlled so that a greater food safety is achieved.


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Critical control points are typically:

Sufficiently low temperature for cooled products at receipt of raw food

The storage temperature of the fridge and freezers

Sufficiently high temperature for heated products Sufficiently high temperature for hot holding products

Step 3: Critical limits

Critical limits for the critical control points are determined. The company determines when a

product is acceptable for example

The temperature of cooled products at receipt of raw foods

The storage temperature of the fridge

The heating temperature of easily perishable food

The hot holding temperature

Allowed time for cooling down hot food

Step 4: Monitoring procedures

The company can decide themselves how the monitoring is to be performed, for example

At the receipt of raw food always make a spot test controlling whether the products are

proper labeled, separated, packed and have the right temperature

Every day control the temperature of the fridges

Always control the temperature when heating easily perishable food Every time food stuffs are cooled down the time and temperature are controlled

Step 5: Corrective actions

The corrective actions tell you what to do when the critical limit is exceeded, for example

- If chilling or freezing cabinets cannot maintain the temperatures necessary

You have to determine:

Whether the products can be used or must be disposed of If a product is not disposed, what can be done to make the product acceptable

Who is responsible for taking action

Examples of corrective actions:

If the temperature of the fridge is too high you have to control whether the temperature of

the products is too warm or not. If these are still o.k., they can be moved to another fridge. If

the products are too warm, they should be disposed of

If the temperature has not reached 75C in all parts of a product, it must be heated until it

reached a minimum temperature of 75C


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Step 6: Documentation

You must maintain an account of the critical control points. In your self-regulation program there

must therefore be a record of:

What you write down, and

How often you do this

All documentation must be kept for at least 2 years.

Step 7: Revision

If you make changes in the store or restaurant you must check as to whether an adjustment of theprogram is needed. You should check the program at least once a year to be sure that it matches

your business.

You must contemplate whether you should make corrections in your self-inspection program:

when new changes of the legislation mean that you must do things differently

when you change your activities or change the interior of your business

when the same mistake of a critical control point occurs several times

Summary

All companies that prepare and handle foods are required by law to have their own internal control

programs and to carry out self-regulation.

Self-regulation ensures good hygiene, safe and healthy food produce, good quality and prevention

of mistakes.

A self-regulation program should be built up using the following seven steps:

1. Risk assessment: What can go wrong in my company?2. Critical control points/Good work practices: Where/how can I control so it does not go

wrong?

3. Critical limits: What are the limits for making a product acceptable or not?4. Monitoring procedures: How and how often do I control?5. Corrective actions: What do I do if something goes wrong?6. Documentation: How do I write the critical control points I have monitored?7. Revision: How do I ensure that the self-regulation program always matches my business?

A critical point is an area:

Where there is a danger that propagation of possible microorganisms in foods will take place

Where there is danger for the addition of new microorganisms to foods

Where there is risk of physical or chemical contamination


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Primary Produce

Introduction

In this module, you will learn about primary produce and stock delivery. You will learn about what

you should pay special attention to when receiving primary produce deliveries, and which critical

points may occur concerning different types of produce.

By saying, a foodstuff is easily perishable, means that if kept at room temperature it will quickly go

off. A non-perishable foodstuff can be kept at room temperature.

Fruit and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables, which are to be sold or served in a food company, must be fresh, must not berotten and not be infested with pests.

If potatoes are green, this means they have been exposed to too much light and overexposure to

light can cause toxins to form in potatoes. Therefore, it is not permitted to sell, or use, green colored

potatoes.

Because vegetables always grow under or in the ground, there will always be earth-bound bacteria

on them. There is no danger in eating earth grown vegetables, even if there are remains of earth

upon them. The danger lies in any contact they may have with easily perishable produce such as

raw meat. On such produce, earth bound bacteria have an ideal climate to reproduce and

contaminate produce, and at the right temperature form toxins. Therefore, it is extremely important

to ensure that meat and vegetables are kept separate, r ight up until the moment that they are to be

used together in, for example, a stew. It is also important to make sure all vegetables are washed

and peeled as well as possible.

When handling vegetables covered with earth, earth-bound produced bacteria are transmitted

through air; therefore, it is vital that they are kept separate from easily perishable foodstuffs.

Therefore, raw vegetables must be washed in a separate room or separate sink, all depending on

what the regional Veterinary and Food Administration has deemed acceptable. Keep all vegetables

separate from all other foodstuffs. This is important when receiving stocks, when storing, when

cleaning and when cutting or slicing for preparation.

Small children sitting on the lawn are rarely ill simply because they eat a few mouthfuls of earth.

However, if the same amount of earth was added to a portion of meat sauce and then left at room

temperature it would immediately become life threatening to eat.

Good work practices concerning fruit and vegetables:

Sufficient peeling and cleaning

Keep fruit and vegetables separate from other food produce


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Eggs

Freshly laid eggs rarely contain bacteria in the actual egg, but because eggs actually come out of the

rear end of chickens, there is a mass of microorganisms on the actual shell of the egg. The eggshell

is actually supposed to protect the yolk and white of the egg, but occasionally bacteria can seep into

the egg through the shell. If eggs are damp or wet, then bacteria can easily break through the shell,

or of course, if there is a crack in the shell.

Salmonella is present in approximately one out of a thousand eggs. As Denmark uses approximately

10 million eggs daily, this means that on average about 10,000 eggs containing Salmonella are

cracked open everyday. Therefore, it is forbidden to use raw egg products, which have not been pre-

warmed, to temperatures of at least 75C.

When working with raw eggs it is essential that you have very good kitchen hygiene. Ensure that all

utensils, cloths, and work places, which are or have been in contact with eggs, are well washeddown and if necessary disinfected.

Egg trays may not be used for anything else than keeping or containing eggs.

Eggs still in their shells must be kept at a temperature under 12C and pasteurized eggs must be

kept at a temperature no more than 5C.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning eggs:

Dishes which include raw eggs must be heated to at least 75C

For dishes which are not to be heated above 75C, pasteurized eggs must be used Keep raw eggs separated from other food products

Raw eggs must kept at a temperature below 12C

Pasteurized eggs must be kept at a temperature below 5C

Meat

I Meat is the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. When the animal is slaughtered, some of the

microorganisms, which are present in the animals stomach, mouth and throat are transmitted to themeat. When kept at room temperature it will not take long for pernicious microorganisms to turn the

meat mucid and make it smell. Neither will it take long for pathogenic bacteria to reproduce at roomtemperature, and therefore make food a health risk. Therefore, it is essential that the cooling process

for meat is never broken. In other words it is essential that meat always must be kept cold, from the

point when it is slaughtered to the moment of preparation and consumption.

Whole pieces of meat do not contain bacteria in the middle of them. Bacteria always sit upon the

surface layer of meat, but when cutting into the meat or chopping it up, the bacteria are transferred

to different layers of the meat. Because chopped meat has a larger surface area, an optimal

environment for bacterial growth is produced. Therefore, chopped, or minced meat must be used

within 24 hours of preparation. When slicing, or chopping, it is essential that you work and prepare

meat on/at clean work places/tables/and chopping boards. With clean hands, clean knives and clean

choppers.


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Minced meat, which is kept in a supermarket cooler, must be labeled with the time it was chopped.

If the meat is packed in a protecting environment by an authorized company, then its used by date

can be extended by a few days.

It is permitted to process meat, that is to say you can take a joint of meat that has been on sale in arefrigerated display counter and carve up into chops, then afterwards sell it as diced meat, and

finally sell it on as minced meat. You are allowed to process as much as you believe is responsible,

however, companies are naturally held responsible in ensuring that an acceptable level of

microbiological meat quality is retained.

Beef

Beef can contain many different bacteria, amongst others, Salmonella andE. coli. As bacteria are

only found on the surface, it is permitted to serve a not thoroughly cooked roast of beef.

Pork

Likewise, in pork several different pathogenic bacteria can be found. The most common are

Yersinia and Salmonella. Yersinia can grow in fridges, but heating can kill it. Therefore, it is

important to ensure good kitchen hygiene practices when working with pork.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning meat:

Minced meat must be used within 24 hours of mincing

Minced meat packed in a protective environment has to be kept at the temperature labeled. If

its use by date is to be prolonged over 24 hours, it has to been labeled

Meat is heated to at least 75C

Meat must be kept separate from other produce

Poultry

Because a large amount of meat contains pathogenic bacteria, it is very important to have good

kitchen hygiene practices when working with fresh poultry.

Therefore, it is very important that poultry is always thoroughly cooked and that you use separate

tools, chopping boards and work places when handling fresh poultry. In poultry the most commonbacteria are Salmonella and Campylobacter. Neither of these bacteria produces toxins, and heating

can kill both off. If you ensure that the dish is thoroughly cooked, and you make sure that no juices

from the poultry are transferred to other foods, then it is perfectly safe to eat poultry, even if

Salmonella or Campylobacterhave infected it.

The dangerous thing about Campylobacteris that there only has to be a few bacteria present to

induce sickness. A few drops of meat juices are enough to induce stomach aches and chronic

diarrhea. However, if you stick to good kitchen hygiene practices then you will not become ill, even

though bacteria may be present in meat, which is almost unavoidable as bacteria are present

everywhere in nature.


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Every year about 50,000 Danes fall ill due to Campylobacterin food. The majority of these casesare due to poultry contamination. The majority of cases also occur during the summer. This is partly

because many people forget to practice good hygiene when barbequing, and partly due toCampylobacterthriving in the summer. , far more chickens contain the bacteria in the summer half

of the year than during the winter.

Minced poultry, just as minced meat, must be used within 24 hours of mincing.

Fish

Fresh fish must always be kept at a temperature of no more than 2C and must be kept on ice. This

is due to fish sometimes containing microorganisms that can convert the amino acid histidine to the

toxin histamine. This microorganism can be active at very low temperatures, all the way down to2C.

Raw fish often contains parasites (Anisakis larva) and these can be harmful. If you heat the fish, the

parasites will die and therefore are safe to eat. However, if you are eating raw fish, like for example

Sushi, raw salmon and so on, the parasites can be detrimental to health.

If fish is frozen at a temperature of less than minus 20 C for over 24 hours, then the parasites will

also die and the fish is safe to eat. If the fish is heavily pickled or salted, then the parasites will also

be killed and therefore this type of product does not require freezing before being served. Therefore,

it is required by law that all fish that is to be served raw must be frozen at a minimum of minus

20C for 24 hours.

Fish forcemeat (cream of fish) must, like minced meat, be used within 24 hours of mincing.

Shellfish, as for example oysters, which have lived in contaminated water, can containNorwalk-like

viruses that can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Therefore, the eating of shellfish is at the customers

own discretion.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning the serving of raw fish:

Fish must be frozen for at least 24 hours at a minimum temperature of minus 20C

Fish must be kept at a temperature of under 2C before and after freezing


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Flour, Grain and Rice

Products such as grain, rice and flour are not easily perishable and can be kept at room temperature

in dry storage. This is because there are no liquids available for the growth of bacteria. These

products can contain bacteria spores that if exposed to moisture can convert into bacteria and form

toxins. Therefore, it is very important that the dry storage area has a good ventilation system.

Furthermore, it is essential that the area is protected from pests and vermin.

When Rice has been boiled, it should be treated as an easily perishable product. This means it

should be cooled down within 3 hours from 65C to 10C and kept chilled at 5C. This is because

now there is liquid available for any eventual remaining spores to use and convert into bacteria,

which may produce toxins.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning flour, grain and rice:

Store flour, grain and rice in dry conditions

Cool down dishes containing flour, grain or rice from 65C to 10C within 3 hours due to

bacteria spores

Spices

Spices and herbs contain spores, so when adding spices to food, bacteria spores are also added.

Therefore, it is important to be extra careful when handling easily perishable foodstuffs that have

been spiced. Furthermore, it is important to heat food that has had spice added to it. This does not

mean you cannot sprinkle extra pepper over your food on the plate, because if consumed

immediately there is no problem attached. There is only a problem attached if the spores contained

in spices are allowed time to develop and grow in food.

Critical control points concerning spices:

Spices are to be added to dishes before being heated to 75C due to bacteria spores

Cool down dishes containing spices from 65C to 10C within 3 hours due to bacteria spores

Water

When you use water in cooking, you should always use water taken from the cold tap. There is a

great risk that the water from the hot tap contains bacteria or heavy metals.

When using an ice machine, it is important to practice good hygiene, as well as cleaning the

machine regularly. Ice cubes must be taken up with a clean spoon. The spoon must be placed on top

of the machine in a clean container, and must never be left lying amongst the ice cubes. If the spoon

is placed into the machine - the bacteria - that have been transferred from the hands to the spoon -

will be transferred to the ice cubes.


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It is important that the machine is rinsed down thoroughly after cleaning, to ensure no remains of

cleaning fluids or disinfectants can be transferred to the next batch of ice cubes.

Self-inspection

Primary produce must always be fresh and intact when taken delivery of and when used. One risk

on delivery is that the foodstuffs have been kept at too high a temperature whilst chilled or frozen,

causing them to be deteriorated or even putrefied.

To avoid this - a company can impose demands on suppliers when negotiating purchasing

agreements. Companies can specify that relevant foodstuffs laws concerning primary produce must

be upheld, for example the chilling of fresh fish and the temperatures existing during transport and

delivery.

If the right demands are written into the purchasing contract, then it should be adequate just tocontrol the temperature, packaging, and appearance of the produce on delivery. Companies who

import their own produce may have to place more demands on their suppliers.

Reception of goods

When the goods arrive at the company, they must be controlled to see whether they are OK. From

the moment you receive the foodstuffs, you are responsible for the goods and it is therefore

important that you have reliable suppliers. Also it is important that the goods have been stored

correctly during the transport both regarding the temperature as well as the risk for cross

contamination.

For example is it not permitted to accept a leaking carton of milk. Partly you dont know when the

leak has arisen (which equals opening of the carton) and partly microorganisms may have

contaminated the milk through the hole.

Also you must control that no goods with a passed use-by date are received nor goods with visible

impurities or mould.

A foodstuffs company must only accept foodstuffs from other registered and approved orauthorized companies.

You must never use products from private and not approved homes. For example is it not allowed to

peel potatoes at home and take them to work, because it is not allowed to prepare earth

contaminated vegetables in the company in question. In such cases you must buy the potatoes from

another company, which is approved to peel them.

Immediately after having controlled and accepted the goods, they must be put away in the fridge

room, the freezer room, the storage room or in the store. Its important that cool and frozen foods

are put away immediately after the arrival so that the temperature does not get to high.

Foods must never be placed on the floor not even for a short moment.


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If you open canned foods such as peeled tomatoes and it splashes, you must never use the

contents. This means that the autoclavation of the can has not been effected correctly and there are

bacteria in the can. They are air producing bacteria making this over-pressure in the can.

Critical control points and good work practices at reception of goods

The temperature must comply with the law.

The use-by date must not have passed.

The packaging must not be ruined.

The packaging must not be puffed out.

The packaging must be clean.

The foodstuffs must be separated to avoid cross contamination.

No foreign objects must be present.

If possible control that the goods smell fine and look fresh


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Storage

In this section, you will get some information on the storage of foodstuffs. You will becomefamiliar with certain terminologies such as refrigeration, temperature levels, defrosting, and storage

of frozen goods, storage in dry conditions and used by dates.

The storage of foodstuffs can only take place at legally approved sites. Storage can be by

refrigeration, frost or in dry conditions.

It is not allowed to store private items in a companys fridge, refrigerator or storage room.

For example, if employees have their own lunch boxes with them, they must be stored in a special

separate fridge, which may be placed in a staff room.

Foods are only allowed to be stored in approved packings. It is for example not allowed to keep

ham in a garbage bag, as this might give off toxic chemicals to the ham.

Cold storage

It is always important to ensure that the fridge or chilled room is kept clean, and that the products

are kept covered and separate from each other. Ensure that there is good ventilation in both the

fridge and chilled room, and ensure that neither is overcrowded. Furthermore it is recommended

that all products are clearly labelled with their end by date. In this way all employees will be aware

of how fresh individual products are.

In a large company, which has a large number of fridges and/or rooms, it is a good idea to use a

separate fridge for each different type of foodstuff. For example, one fridge for the storage of raw

meat, one for fowl and game, one for fish, one for ready-made meals such as sandwiches, and

possibly one for vegetables and greens. Raw foodstuffs such as meats, fish, fowl and fruit and

vegetables, which are all large bacteria carriers should not be allowed to be exposed to ready-to-

serve dishes. Neither should these bacteria full raw products be allowed to be exposed to each other.

If there is only one fridge within the company then it is very important that different products are

placed separate from each other, and that they are kept well covered up. The storage of food in

fridges must be kept systematic and there must be a set of rules and practices available concerningwhere individual products are stored.

It is a good idea to place the most vulnerable foodstuffs on the top shelves of the fridge, then for

example raw meat products, and then eventually diary products on the lower shelves.

It is very important to pay special attention to the fact that the temperature of a fridge is always

highest at the top, and therefore the thermometer should be placed there. All fridges and freezers

must have a permanently placed thermometer so that you can always control the temperature.

The lower the temperatures within the fridge the better are conditions for keeping food fresh. When

storing in fridges or in a chilled room, the temperature should normally be kept to less than 5C.


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Some produce, for example fish, however, requires a storage temperature of under 2C. At this

temperature, bacterial growth is very slow or reaches a standstill. Control at least once a day that

these temperatures are correct. In this way, the risk of disease spreading bacteria forming in food is

reduced. For example, Salmonella bacteria can grow at 8C but not at 5C. The temperature in a

fridge must not fall to less that 0C, otherwise foodstuffs will freeze. In open fridge and freezercases, you must be extra aware of the temperature level on hot days. Customers must be able to

always see the temperature level of both the closed and open fridge and freezers.

There are no cold storage demands for fruit or vegetables (unless it particularly stipulates so on the

packaging, as for example it does with bean sprouts), however, it is advisable you keep fruit and

vegetables cold, for example at 10C, in order to prolong their freshness.

Temperature demands to the storage of foodstuffs

Foodstuffs must always be stored at the temperature stated on the packaging.

Cold storage

Max.temperature,

CDetail

MEAT

Meat of poultry (chicken, ducks,turkey...)

5

Minced meat 5

Cooked meat 5

EGG

Fresh eggs 12

Industrially produced eggproducts(pasteurized eggs)

5

MILK

Liquid milk products(Except UHT- treated or sterilizedliquid milk that can be kept at roomtemperature)

5

FISH

Fresh fish (hole, unwrapped) 0-2

Other fishproduce, vacuum packed,minced

0-2

Cooked produce of for examplecrayfish

0-2

Lightly preserved fish produce inretail packaging , eg. smoked or heattreated

5

Lightly preserved shrimps/prawns inbrine in wholesale packaging

5

Semi-preserved fish 10


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Defrosting

Frozen, easily perishable foods should be defrosted in fridges. When food is frozen, bacteria are

only in a temporary dormant state. When the temperature is again increased to more than 5C, a

bacterial propagation will take place, due to the upper layer of the defrosted produce reaching room

temperature - whilst the middle layer is still frozen solid. Foodstuffs that are defrosted must be

placed in a dish or tray in order for juices and any liquids to be collected, ensuring they do not drip

onto any surfaces. Gastric juices can contain pathogenic microorganisms that can cause problems ifthey are spread to foodstuffs that subsequently are to be heated.

Defrosting takes a longer time in fridges, but the advantage is that the quality of, for example, meat

is better, as the meat is able to mature and reabsorb the gastric juices that are often lost in the

defrosting process.

Defrosting may be performed in a microwave oven if the food is to be consumed or heated

immediately afterwards.

Defrosted foods may not be refrozen.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning defrosting:

Temperatures must not exceed 5C, not even surface temperatures

Inadequate packaging can lead to meat juices dripping onto ready to eat products

Freezing storage

Deep-frozen produce is kept in a freezer or freezer room at a temperature less than minus 18C (in

other words the temperature may be minus 19C, but not minus 17C).

Freezers must be defrosted regularly and all foodstuffs must be marked with a use-by date.

OTHER

Heated, cooled-down, easilyperishable

5

Foodstuffs containing custard, cream

or mousse

5

Foodstuffs containing custard, creamor mousse to be sold within 12 hoursof manufacture

10

Mayonnaise, salads and coleslawswith a PH factor over 4.5

10

DEFROST

Fish -18

Egg and egg produce -12

Deep-frozen produce

Source: Fdevarestyrelsen (Danish Veterinaryand food Administration)


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Self-inspection

Monitoring procedures during self-inspection may be carried out daily to control that temperature

levels are correct and to ensure foodstuffs are properly packaged.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning a freezer:

Temperature less than minus 18C for frozen produce

Different foodstuffs to be kept separate from each other

Adequate packaging

Cleaning

Storage of easily perishable foodstuffs at room temperature

If easily perishable foodstuffs are to be kept at a temperature of more than 5C and less than 65C,

then they must be consumed/sold within three hours. This applies to products such as sandwiches,

sausage rolls and pizzas.

Storage in Dry Conditions

A dry store must, as the name implies, be dry and have a good ventilation system. If damp or

moisture is present then mould fungus may build up on many of the produce.

It is important to prevent entry of pests or vermin, and ensure all produce is packed properly and air

tight. If pests are seen to be present, then it may be necessary to dispose of all foodstuffs and seek

professional help for the extermination of pests. You are not allowed to use poisons in thefoodstuffs industry, not even to combat pest infestation in dry storage areas.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning dry storage:

Good ventilation ensuring products are not exposed to moisture

Containment of pests


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Durability & PerishAability

The durability of foodstuffs is dependent upon which type of produce we are considering, how the

produce is treated and how it is packaged.

Fresh meat products can hold chilled for a couple of days. Minced meat and minced fish though can

only hold for 24 hours. Fresh meat products that are vacuum packed or packed in a modified

protective atmosphere can have an increased use-by date if kept at the recommended temperature

indicated on the packaging (though not more than 2C).

Products which have past their use-by date may not be sold

Packaged foodstuffs must be labelled with a use-by date, and this must be strictly respected.

As soon as packaging is broken on, for example, vacuum or modified atmospheric packaging, then

the use-by date is the same as it is for non-packed (exposed) products. Pre-heated and chilled

foodstuffs, for example, soups and other ready-to-serve dishes can have a reasonably long use-by

date if the products have been heated adequately and subsequently frozen correctly.

Companies are responsible for marking of use-by dates on products they produce. All products must

naturally have an acceptable level of bacterial content (germ count), if the foodstuffs are taken away

to be analysed by the regional Food Administration.

Food, which has passed the use-by date, must be removed/destroyed by companies when the date

has passed. Food may not be allowed to remain in a fridge if the use-by date has passed, as a

colleague may unknowingly sell the produce to a customer. Likewise, food with an exceeded use-bydate may not be left in a retail outlet.

It is forbidden to put a new use-by date on a product, which has exceeded its original use-by date,

even if it appears that the product can hold fresh a little longer. However, it is permissible to

reprocess produce, thereby enabling one to manufacture new products with a new use-by date. For

example, it is permissible to make cuts of pork chops out of a joint of pork, which has been on sale

in a cold counter for several days.

Remember that the use-by date is only valid as long as packaging remain unbroken

Many foodstuffs, for example milk, can only be kept opened for a few days in a fridge. Manyproducts have a use-by once opened date.

The labeled durability of different foods is only valid if the storage temperatures have been

observed.

Special rules for cream desserts

All easily perishable foods with exception of cream desserts must be used within 3 hours, if they are

kept at a temperature over 5C or lower than 65C. Cream products must be sold within 12 hours, if

they are kept at a temperature below 10C.


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This means that if a cream cake is kept at 6C, it must be sold within 12 hours. If it is kept at 11C,

it is recommended to be sold within 3 hours.

If it is kept at 5C there are no rules and the company must decide the durability themselves.

Whipped cream cakes, mousses and similar desserts, should normally be kept at less than 5C, but

if they are to be sold within 12 hours, they may be kept at a maximum of 10C.


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Production

In this module, you will learn how foodstuffs should be treated under preparation. You will gain

knowledge of terms such as cross-contamination, heat-treatment, cold dishes, cooling-down, heat-retainment and buffets.

Cross-contamination

Foodstuffs can be contaminated if they are subjected to direct or indirect contact with

microorganisms.

Cross-contamination can occur in all areas of a company, in freezers, fridges or work surfaces.

Contamination from produce to produce

A direct type of contact can occur when, for example, vegetables are contaminated with earth orsoil, and afterwards become contaminated with earth-borne microorganisms. Likewise, meat can

come in direct contact with excrement and stomach contents from animals gastrointestinal tract,

during the slaughtering process, and thus be contaminated with microorganisms, which are

normally found in the intestines.

Furthermore, transmission of microorganisms can occur between different types of produce. Meat,

for example can become contaminated with earth-borne microorganisms if it comes into direct

contact with earth-contaminated vegetables. Likewise, vegetables can be contaminated with

intestinal bacteria from meat.

During storage and the cutting out of different meat pieces there can also occur a spread of

microorganisms from one meat type to another, or from one meat piece to another if they come in

contact with each other, for example in a fridge or cold storage room or cold case. Such a

contamination can cause substantial food hygiene problems. It can be eliminated by ensuring a

proper separation of produce during manufacture, storage and preparation.

Contamination between raw and finished products

Another Another form of contamination can occur when raw and finished dishes are not kept apart.

If finished products, or often-heated dishes, which have a low content of microorganisms, areexposed to the microorganisms present in raw meat, raw eggs or raw vegetables very unfortunate

consequences can arise.

The reason being that the microorganisms, which retransferred to the finished products, will be free

to grow, as they will have no competition from other microorganisms. This can mean that potential

disease inducing microorganisms can propagate in the fished products, and especially if these

products are left outside of cold storage for a while.

Finished products can for example be cold cuts of meat or cheeses used for sandwiches. As these

are ready to eat products, which are consumed without further heat treatment, they can induce

illness, if any point they have been exposed to contamination from raw products. Therefore, one


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must apply garnishes to these products when adding them to bread, such herbs or spices at the last

minute, as spices and herbs are often contaminated with earth-borne bacteria.

Contamination through equipment

Contamination can occur via tools and equipment, surfaces, hands and so on. If utensils, which have

been used to handle meat, are used immediately afterwards to treat vegetables, a cross-

contamination between the tools and vegetables will occur. Such an example is salads containing

microorganisms from meat.

During the treatment of different types of meat, contamination of microorganisms from one type of

meat to another can occur via knives, cutting boards and dicing machines, for example, transference

from pork to beef, or from poultry to beef.

Indirect transfer of microorganisms can also occur between raw and finished products via utensils,

machines, table surfaces and hands.

To avoid this form of microorganisms spreading you must be very careful when washing and

cleaning utensils, machines, hands and so on during each stage of the work process. Furthermore,

the risk of contamination can be greatly reduced by using different work areas for the handling of

meat and vegetables and so on. Additionally, you must always use separate utensils, for example,

different cutting boards, knives, dishes and so on in the preparation of meat, vegetable and ready-to-

eat products. If for example, you only possess one cutting board, it must be thoroughly washed and

heat-disinfected in-between any changes in use.

Compliance with the certification

It is essential that you comply with the rules outlined in the regional food control authoritys

approval. Usually a description is written in this certification of how you may manufacture and

produce the different foodstuffs. For example, it is mentioned how you must clean/peel vegetables

in a scullery, and that open sandwiches must be prepared in a cold area and so on.

In many smaller companies the approval will require that earth contaminated vegetables may not be

handled, but that all vegetables must be received in a pre-clean state. This is due to the inspector

assessing that there is not sufficient room on the premises for the handling of earth-contaminated

products, due to them requiring separate preparation facilities.

When you peel, for example potatoes covered in soil, earth-borne bacteria enter the atmosphere.

Some companies can be granted permission to clean vegetables at a separate time to the remaining

areas of the production process.

In other words, they may be allowed to clean vegetables in the morning when they meet for work,

and subsequently clean and disinfect all utensils and equipment, after which the remaining

production processes may begin. This is only allowed if one has a specific approval to do so and the

actual procedure is written in the self-regulation programme.


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Heating/Warming

Heating kills bacteria

Heat-treatment of foods can be performed in many different ways. The effectiveness of killing offmicroorganisms is dependent upon how long the heating occurs, and at which temperature. An

adequate heating of foods heated to a minimum temperature of 75C can reduce the risk of food-

borne illnesses greatly, due to the disease carrying microorganisms being killed off. Furthermore,

the shelf life of a foodstuff is increased after heating, because the destructive bacteria are also

killed.

The temperature can be measured with a roast meat thermometer placed in the middle of the piece

of meat, or in the centre of a boiled or liquid dish. When producing large amounts of a dish, it may

be necessary to measure the temperature in numerous places, as there might be wide varieties in

temperatures between the middle and outer edges of dishes. It is not sufficient that a dish is simply

bobbling, as the bobbling does not in itself necessarily indicate a sufficiently high temperature. If indoubt, always use a meat thermometer.

Heat-treated easily perishable foodstuffs must always be heated to a minimum temperature of 75C.

If food is to be re-heated the same rule applies, it must be heated over 75C.

Special procedures

Whole pieces of meat normally only contain bacteria on their surface. That is the reason why meat

that has a tradition for not being well-done, such as roast beef and steaks, are excepted to the 75Crule.

Minced meat contains bacteria all over, as bacteria from the surface of the meat is spread to the

remaining meat during mincing. Dishes made of minced or diced meat must always be heated to

75C, which means that the meat will be thoroughly cooked. Likewise, poultry must be heated to

75C, as poultry contains pockets of air where microorganisms are found.

Likewise, under normal conditions, fish must be thoroughly cooked or boiled.

Dishes containing eggs must always be heated to at least 75C, unless using pasteurized eggs. But

not eggs that are served one at a time.

Only foods that are heated to at least 75C, the whole dish, such as meatballs, cakes, buns and like

are allowed to contain raw eggs (eggs cracked from the shell). If you are serving raw eggs, or only

lightly heated eggs, such as in omelettes, scrambled egg, barnaise sauce, custard, cold buttermilk

dishes or ice cream you must use pasteurized eggs.

It is permitted to use raw eggs where there is a tradition to do so, even if they are not heated to over

75C, such as soft-boiled eggs, fried eggs. However, we have not said you may not serve one

person two fried eggs. It is the company who is responsible for the safety of food; however it is the

customers own responsibility if they wish to eat such foods.


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In dishes where several eggs are mixed together and the temperature does not exceed 75C, you

must use pasteurized eggs (this also applies even if the dish is to be served only to one individual).

In other words, it is only in dishes where you serve one egg to one person that you are allowed to

not heat the raw egg to a minimum of 75C. That is, if you are serving single portions of a dish,such as an omelette, you are not allowed to use raw eggs (not even if you are only using one egg in

the recipe).

Exceptions to the 75C rule:

It is permitted to serve:

Meat that has a tradition for not being well-done, such as roast beef and steaks

Eggs that are served individually, such as soft-boiled eggs, fried eggs and such like.

Heating/Warming

Heating in a microwave oven

Due Due to the fact that microwave oven heats food very unevenly, it is very important to make

sure that food is adequately heated all over. Therefore, it is important to check the temperature of

the product in different places after heating.

Self-inspection

The supervision process in self-inspection could be measuring of the temperature regularly andfollowing approved recipes.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning production:

Handle pork, poultry, beef, fish, eggs and vegetables separately so that transmission of

microorganisms between the different produce does not occur.

Keep raw meat and raw vegetables separate from finished products such as cold-cuts and

ready-to-serve dishes.

Always control that knives, machines and cutting-boards are completely clean before use.

Utensils, and equipment which have been used to treat and prepare meat, poultry, fish, eggs

and vegetables must be cleaned and disinfected immediately so as not to come in contactwith other foodstuffs. Utensils must also be cleaned in-between the handling of different

types of meat.

Cloths, tea towels, aprons and so forth can spread microorganisms. Therefore it is of

paramount importance that these are kept clean and are changed regularly.

After handling a produce it is important to wash your hands thoroughly before moving on to

the treatment of the next produce.

The temperature must be a minimum of 75C all the way through the product.


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Cold Dishes

When working with cold dishes such as open sandwiches, it is important to ensure a high level of

hygiene, as these are ready-to-eat products, which are not going to be heated before consumption.

Due to the fact that is impossible to arrange the dish at 5C, it is important that the produce remains

in the fridge for as long as possible before preparation. Furthermore, it is important that the

prepared dish is returned to the fridge or is served as soon as it is ready (at least within 3 hours after

it has left the fridge).

Naturally, it is essential that you have a good level of personal hygiene and use clean utensils.

After the use of cold-cutting machines, remains of cold meat will be found. These remains are idealfor the formation of bacteria as their temperature is approximately 20C. Therefore, it is important

you clean them often, if you are using them all day.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning cold dishes:

Clean hands and good personal hygiene

Use clean utensils, cutting-boards and cloths

Clean hands, utensils and work areas often

Use only fresh produce

Temperature during preparation

Only remove produce from a fridge when it is to be used Preparation should take place as near to the point of serving as possible

Desserts and cakes

When preparing foodstuffs such as ice cream, custards and cream cakes it is very important, youhave both a good personal hygiene and good kitchen hygiene, as these products are not heat-treated.

Therefore, you must always use pasteurized eggs, because these products are note heat-treated to a

minimum of 75C. Cream, pasteurized eggs and so forth, must first be taken out of the fridge the

moment you intend to use them, and the dishes must be put on chill or ice as soon as they are

finished.

If you are boiling cake cream, you are allowed to use raw eggs, but here it is essential that the

cooling-down of the cream is done rapidly. It is recommended to cool it down from 65C to 10C

within 3 hours.

When the regional food control authority finds coli-shaped bacteria (contaminating bacteria) in this

type of product, it is indicative that the company has been lacking in their hygiene practices. It

could be that, for example, a whisk has not been sufficiently cleaned.

Cream cakes, mousses and such like desserts should normally be kept at less that 5C,

but if they are to be sold within 12 hours, they can be kept at 10C.


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Cooling Process

Easily perishable foodstuffs must be stored at a maximum temperature of 5C, and therefore heat-

treated easily perishable foods must be cooled down as quickly as possible to less that 5C.

Heating foodstuffs to a minimum of 75C entails the killing of microorganisms, but any remaining

spores can be turned into disease inducing bacteria. These can quickly propagate if food following

heating is kept at too high a temperature for several hours. These bacteria can form pathogenic

toxins that are not necessarily destroyed by subsequent heating. Therefore you can become very ill

though the consumption of this kind of food.

Bacteria thrive best at a temperature between 10C and 65C, and therefore it is important that food

is kept for as short a period as possible at this temperature interval.

The incorrect cooling down of foodstuffs is one of the major causes of food poisoning in Denmark.

Easily perishable foods must be cooled down as quickly as possible. It is recommended that you

cool down food in a way that the temperature range between 65C to 10C is passed within 3 hours.

Is the cooling process to slow, there will occur a propagation of bacteria.

At 37C one bacterium can grow to 1.000 in 3 hours and to 1 million in 6 hours.

In order for warm food to be cooled down as quickly as possible, it should be placed on cold

immediately after its steam has dampened off.

It is often necessary to divide large portions into smaller ones - to increase the speed of the coolingdown process.

It can also be a good idea to effectively cool down foods with the help of running cold water or in a

cold-water bath, before putting it on ice. It may be necessary to actively cool down large portions of

food, in other words by using a cooling fan or cooling cupboard. It is not permitted to place warm

foodstuffs outside to cool down.

When heated foods are to be cooled down, the cooling down process must occur as rapidly as

possible. It is recommended that you cool down food in a way that the temperature range between

65C and 10C is passed within 3 hours

Remember that - when warm food is placed in a fridge to cool down - the fridge temperature

increases, so be aware of any temperature increase in other foodstuffs in the fridge.

Portioning and wrapping

After food is heat-treated and thereby ready to be eaten, it is important to ensure that it is not

contaminated with new bacteria. Therefore, it is always important to maintain a good standard of

hygiene whilst portioning and wrapping food that is to be cooled down, or which is already cooled

down.


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Suggestions to how cooling-down can be carried out:

Cooling-fan

Portioned into smaller portions and afterwards put to chill or on ice

Portioned into containers with large surface areas and then put to chill Containers with the heated foodstuffs are placed in ice cold/cold water

Self-inspection

The supervision process during self-inspection can be the regular measuring of time andtemperature used and the use of certain containers with large surface areas.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning cooling process:

Cooling down from 65C to 10C within 3 hours

Clean redistribution utensils and clean containers Good personal hygiene

Storage temperature above 5C

Covered and kept separate from other foodstuffs

Heat retainment

Heated foodstuffs (75C), which are to be kept warm, such as liver pate and meatballs from a

delicatessen, must be kept at a temperature of at least 65C. Control regularly that the temperature

in all products is 65C. There are no rules concerning the time allowed for keeping food warm. This

is up to individual companies to decide at their discretion.

When foods are stored at a temperature greater than 65C, propagation of bacteria cannot occur;

therefore there is no microbiological danger. However, heat retainment should only last for a shorter

period as heat retainment greatly reduces the quality of foods. Therefore, it is often better to cool

down the product after preparation, and reheat it later.

If you wish to keep food warm, then you should always first pre-heat them to a temperature of at

least 75C, and thereafter place them in a warming cupboard, or similar, with a temperature of at

least 65C. It is not permissible to remove food directly from a fridge and place them in a warming

cupboard at a temperature of 65C.

Food that has been kept hot may be chilled again and reused if has been pre-heated to a temperature

of more than 75C.


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Self-inspection

The supervision process during self-inspection could be the regular control of temperature levels in

products that are to be kept warm.

Critical control points and good work practices concerning heat retainment:

The temperature of foodstuff must always be at least 65C

Foods must always be pre-heated to at least 75 C before they are kept at 65C

Buffet

When serving food as a buffet there are many critical control points to take into consideration.

Especially there is a rather big risk that the buffet guests will infect each other with norovirus. The

past years we have experienced an increase of the number of buffet guests, who have been infected

with novovirus from other guests through the food on the buffet. It is therefore important to ensure

that the guests are not having any directly contact to the food.

Cold buffets

If you have a cold counter with your buffet, for example, a salad bar, you may serve the produce for

as long as you think it is responsible to do so. The produces temperature must be less than 5C.

Heated Buffet

If the buffet is to be kept warm, the same rules apply as when keeping food chilled: food may beserved as long as it is deemed responsible. The temperature of foodstuffs must not be higher than

65C.

Buffet without a cold counter or heat

Food that is not presented as a chilled buffet (5C) or heated buffet (65C) should be eaten within 3

hours of preparation. Food that has been used for a buffet must be thrown away. If you have many

products that must be kept according to the 3-hour rule, it could be an idea to put a parking disc

with each product, or have a list where the time is written down.

Leftovers

Leftovers may be reused, however, if they have been standing for less than 3 hours, or have been

heated to a temperature greater than 75C. For example, you may use the remains of a roast, which

has been left standing for two hours as part of a buffet to make a beef hash. However, you cannot

reuse it as cold cuts if you have not preheated it to more than 75C after it has been removed from

the buffet and subsequently cooled down correctly.


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Self-inspection

The supervision process during self-inspection can be the regular measuring of the temperature of

products kept chilled or warm.

Control that the time period - at which products may be kept - does not exceed 3 hours.

Ensure that the buffet is always under staff supervision, that there is always clean cutlery available

and that food is not topped up but whole containers replaced.

Critical points and good work practices when serving food at room temperature/buffet:

Customers come in direct contact with food.

Food is often kept over 5C or under 65C, and therefore it is recommended that it is served

within 3 hours including preparation time

Easily perishable foodstuffs are sprinkled with greens covered with earth-borne bacteria

There must be sufficient cutler

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