A Guide to Food Hygiene

Contents
Introduction 1 Topic 3. Personal Hygiene 15
Clothing, nails, hair and jewellery 15
Topic 1. Food Law and You 2
Wash your hands - when, how
What is food safety? 2 and what you need 16
Your responsibilities as a When you are sick 18
food handler 3
Smoking 18
Food poisoning 3
Gloves - How to use and when
Topic 2. Food Hygiene to change 18
– Keeping Food Safe 4
Topic 4. Cleaning 19
Food safety hazards 4
Clean as you go 19
Food spoilage and food poisoning 4
What do I clean with? 19
High risk foods 5
How do I clean? 20
Low risk foods 5
What is a cleaning schedule? 21
The food poisoning chain 6
Cleaning Schedule 21
What to do to prevent it 6
Pests - Common pests and
The right conditions: time, what they can do 22
moisture, temperature 7
Garbage 22
Temperature monitoring 8
Good house keeping tips 23
Cross contamination 9
Solutions to Activities 24 & 25
Food storage 10
Thawing 12
Cooking, cooling and reheating 13
Bain-maries and pie warmers 14
Ready-to-eat foods and ’no touch’
techniques 14
Introduction
Everyone who handles food in your business needs to know how to handle it safely.
Before any person starts work as a food handler, they should have the right skills and
knowledge in food safety and food hygiene. It is a legal requirement and part of the
Food Safety Program for the business.
This guide is designed to give food handlers a basic understanding of why hygiene is so
important when handling food, how and why food poisoning occurs and what people who
work with food can do to prevent it. The topics cover:
1. Food Law and You
2. Food Hygiene - Keeping Food Safe
3. Personal Hygiene
4. Cleaning
Work through each topic and along the way do the activities to test your knowledge.
Solutions can be found at the back of this book.
Once you have worked your way through the booklet, pass it on to another staff member or
put it somewhere handy. It is a practical reference tool that you can use when doing your job!

Throughout this booklet our Food Safety Supervisor champion

will provide you with handy tips and important information. Pay
close attention to her advice as you work through each topic.

1
Topic 1. Food Law and You
What is food safety?
Food safety is just common sense! It means keeping things clean and
serving hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
Food safety involves food storage, temperature control, cleaning and
sanitising, personal hygiene, and pest control.
If you work with food, YOU have an important responsibility to handle
it safely.
A Food Safety Program is the operating manual for the food business
that you work in and a requirement under the Food Act 1984. You may
be required to complete records that are part of the Food Safety Program.
Your Food Safety Supervisor will be able to show you which records these
are and how to fill them out.

ACTIVITY - Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Have a look at this cartoon. Can you see any food safety problems?
There are 20 problems in all to find”.
2
Food Safety Supervisor says …
“As a food handler you have many tasks to do.
If you are unsure of how to do them properly just
come and check with me.”

Your responsibilities as a food handler

A food handler is anyone in the business who has anything to do with food or a surface that
will come into contact with food. You could be a food process worker, kitchen hand, a canteen
worker, a waiting or serving staff member, a bakery assistant, a sandwich hand, or involved in
clearing and cleaning tables.
The Food Safety Supervisor in your workplace should be able to help you with anything that you
are unsure of.
Remember, as a food handler you need to handle and serve food safely. This is one of your key
responsibilities. You can also be fined under the food law. In Victoria, food handlers must
follow the Food Act 1984.

Food poisoning
Most us have experienced food poisoning or know
someone who has. While symptoms are similar to many
stomach ‘bugs’ – vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pains,
aching joints and generally feeling unwell – some food
poisonings can cause death, especially in children, the
elderly and the very ill.
Food poisoning is serious and also costly due to the
following possibilities:
• Customers getting sick
• Death in severe cases
• Closure of the food premises
• Loss of jobs
• Bad publicity/loss of reputation by media/word of
mouth
• Legal action taken by affected customers

3
Topic 2. Food Hygiene – Keeping Food Safe
Food hygiene is not only about cleanliness. It is also about taking the correct steps to make
sure that the food that you handle and serve is safe.
Good food hygiene practices means that you will have satisfied customers, a safe and clean
workplace, and meet your legal requirements.
Bad food hygiene practices can lead to food contamination and outbreaks of food poisoning.

Food safety hazards

A food safety hazard is something found in food that shouldn’t be there. Hazards can be
harmful once in the food. This is called contamination.
There are three types of hazards that can contaminate food:
Microbiological hazards - include bacteria, fungi, yeasts and moulds.
Chemical hazards - food contaminated by cleaning chemicals or pesticides.
Physical hazards - things found in food that are not meant to be there.
Imagine finding some of these things in your food:
• Hair, fingernails or band aids
• Bolts, wire, nails or screws from machinery
• Glass, wood chips or razor blades
• Maggots, moths or flies

Food Safety Supervisor says …

“As a food handler you are responsible for serving safe food.
Be aware of these food safety hazards!”

Food spoilage and food poisoning

Food spoilage is when food goes ‘off’. Some examples include sour milk, mouldy bread, and
vegetables that have gone green and slimy. The smell, taste and look of the food make it unfit to
eat and should be thrown away, however this is not food poisoning.
Food poisoning is different to food spoilage because
you can’t see or smell any difference in the food.
The food looks, smells and tastes normal even though
there are many food poisoning bacteria on the food.

4
High risk foods
Bacteria need food to survive and there are certain types of food that food poisoning bacteria
grow well in. These are grouped together and called high risk foods.
These high risk foods are also called potentially hazardous foods. They are high in protein and
water content (they are often moist) and include:
• Eggs and egg products (such as cooked eggs in salad)
• Rice (cooked or partially cooked) and pasta (cooked or fresh)
• Beans (cooked or partially cooked) such as kidney,
lima or borlotti beans
• Raw and cooked meats
• Fish and poultry
• Stuffing for meat and poultry
• Stews, soups and stocks
• Pizza, sandwiches and filled cakes
• Milk and dairy products such as cream, cheese and custards
• Sauces and gravies
• Processed and canned meats (after opening)
• Shellfish (especially oysters)

Low risk foods

Bacteria don’t grow well in these foods:
Dry - Packaged foods such as flour, tea, coffee, dry pasta, sugar and dried fruits are safe
foods. These foods don’t need refrigeration and have a long shelf life. However many dried
foods become high risk foods once water is added - for instance cooked rice or pasta.
Frozen - No bacterial growth occurs in frozen foods as water is in solid form. Bacteria will grow
once the food is defrosted.
High in acid - pickles, chutneys, tomatoes
High in salt and sugar - salty and sweet foods

5
The food poisoning chain
A chain of events take place before food poisoning occurs:

Source of food poisoning

Transfer of bacteria

Growth of bacteria (in the right conditions)

Food is eaten

FOOD POISONING

• There must be food poisoning bacteria on the food

• The bacteria must have the right conditions to multiply
• The food must be eaten for food poisoning to occur

What to do to prevent it
There are three steps that can be
taken to prevent food poisoning:
Step 1 - protecting food from
bacterial contamination with correct
handling and storage.
Step 2 - preventing the growth of
bacteria in food through time and
temperature monitoring.
Step 3 - destroying or reducing
bacteria present in food by cooking
food thoroughly - this can be
checked using a thermometer.

6
The right conditions: time, moisture, temperature
Time
Under the right conditions, bacteria can multiply every
20 minutes. This means that in 3.5 hours, one bacterium
can become one million bacteria.

Moisture
Bacteria need moisture to grow. If there is no moisture,
the growth may slow down or stop. This is why drying
food is a safe way to preserve it.

100 Temperature
Bacteria grow in temperatures between 5°C and 60°C.
90 This temperature range is called the Danger Zone.
At 5°C bacteria start growing. They grow faster as the
80 temperature rises up to approximately 45°C when their
growth slows.
70 Bacteria stop growing at around 60°C. Food must be cooked
to reach a core temperature above 75°C to kill bacteria.
60
Food in the freezer - Bacteria are not active when food is frozen
solid (-18°C and below).
50
Food in the refrigerator - Temperatures (0-4°C) prevent most
40
food poisoning bacteria from growing.
Food at room temperature – Food is in the Danger Zone
Danger
30 (5-60°C) which are ideal conditions for bacteria growth and
Zone
reproduction.
20

10

TAKE CARE: Foods are not to be in the danger zone

(between 5°C and 60°C) longer than necessary.

7
Temperature monitoring
The temperature of food is taken using a probe thermometer. To take the temperature of foods
you should:
1. Wash the probe. Rinse the probe under hot running water before each use.
2. Sanitise. Wash in sanitising solution or use sanitising wipes before each use.
3. Insert. Put the probe into food.
4. Read and record. Write down the temperature on the Food Safety Program record form.

Wash Sanitise Insert Read/record

If you don’t think that the reading sounds right or the food is between 5°C and 60°C,
check with your Food Safety Supervisor.

Food Safety Supervisor says… “Remember always:

• Take the core (internal) temperature by putting the probe
into the thickest part of the food
• Stir liquids (such as soups and sauces) before taking temperature
• Wash and sanitise the probe between every reading”

8
Cross contamination
Food poisoning bacteria are all around us everyday. They can be found in the soil,
on animals, on our skin and our things. In fact, everything that we touch and use!
Cross contamination is when bacteria contaminates food or a food contact surface.
Food is usually cross contaminated by food handlers incorrectly handling food.
Here are some dos and don’ts for when handling food:

✓ Do ✗ Don’t
✓ Keep raw meat and vegetables away ✗ Chop raw and cooked meat on the
from cooked food same chopping board
✓ Keep cooked meat above raw meat ✗ Handle raw food then cooked food
in the refrigerator without washing your hands
✓ Keep food covered to protect from dust, ✗ Use food handling gloves for handling
flies and dirt money
✓ Thoroughly rinse/wash all fruit and ✗ Store food uncovered in the fridge
vegetables in clean water to remove soil, or cool room
insects and chemicals

✗
✓ Clean and sanitise all equipment and
benches
✓ Keep food stored in food-grade
containers
✓ Wear clean protective clothing
✓ Wash hands before handling food

Remember, make hand washing and good personal and food

hygiene habits a way of life.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

Did you know that it is really easy to cross contaminate food through:
• Food handlers’ poor hygiene habits
• Your suppliers
•Storing foods incorrectly

9
ACTIVITY - Food Safety Supervisor says…
“Read Joe’s diary carefully and determine which tasks were
performed correctly”. (Insert ✓or ✗)

Right ✓ Wrong ✗
Sliced vegetables with a clean and sanitised knife
Used the same knife to slice the cooked ham
Washed tomatoes in the hand-wash basin
Put sliced ham in a covered container and placed it on the
top shelf of the refrigerator
Placed the hot soup by the open window to cool quickly
Went outside for a cigarette and washed his hands when
re-entering the kitchen
Used the same chopping board to cut up raw meat and
cooked meat

Food storage
Storing food correctly is important in any kitchen. There are three main food storage areas:
1. The dry store for the storage of dry ingredients
2. The refrigerator or cool room for the storage of fresh perishable food
3. The freezer for the storage of frozen foods

1. Dry food storage in the dry store (pantry/larder)

Dry foods like flour, tea, coffee, dried pasta, sugar, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices can be kept
in the dry store or pantry. These foods have a long shelf life because they are dry. They can be
kept at room temperature.

Always
• Store dry foods such as flour, herbs and spices and dried pasta, oil in cartons, tins or
containers with tight fitting lids.
• Check for signs of dampness, the use-by date, dented or rusty cans, and holes in
packaging.
• Store food on shelves off the floor and store chemicals in a separate area.
• Rotate stock – first in, first out rule.
10
2. Cold food storage in the refrigerator
High risk foods must be kept in the refrigerator at 5°C or cooler.

✓ Do ✗ Don’t
✓ Store cooked food above raw food. ✗ Over stack the refrigerator or the cold air
✓ Keep opening and closing of the door can’t circulate.
to a minimum. ✗ Put hot food straight into the fridge.
✓ Defrost regularly and make sure that the ✗ Store cans in the fridge once they have
refrigerator is in good repair and kept been opened.
clean.
✓ Cover, label and date foods.
✓ Rotate stock – first in, first out rule.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Remember keep food covered, labelled and dated!!!!”

3. Frozen food storage in the freezer

Frozen food should be kept in a freezer that is cold enough to keep the food rock solid frozen
(-18°C and below).

Remember
• Frozen foods can still contain bacteria, and once thawed, the bacteria will again start to
grow.
• Keep freezers at -18 to -20°C and in good working order.
• Frozen food must be rock solid frozen. When receiving food from suppliers check that it is
frozen solid.
• Don’t overload freezers.
• Cover, label and date foods.
• Rotate stock – first in, first out rule.

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Thawing
It is important that food is completely thawed before cooking. If the food is still partly frozen it
may not reach the right temperature on the inside to kill food poisoning bacteria.

Always
• Thaw food in a refrigerator or microwave (defrost).
• Allow plenty of time to thaw thoroughly.
• Cook food within 24 hours of thawing.
• Check the temperature of the food with a probe thermometer.
• Cover, label and date foods.
Remember:
Don’t re-freeze food once it has thawed.

ACTIVITY - Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Don’t forget to thaw food completely before cooking, or the inside
of the food may still be frozen and not get hot enough to kill food
poisoning bacteria”.

“Food must be stored correctly in the fridge.

Put a letter in each box to show where you should store each food”.
A. Prepared salads
B. Cooked ham
C. Raw chicken
D. Sponge cake with cream

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Cooking, cooling and reheating
Cooking food thoroughly is an important aspect of food hygiene and a way to prevent food
poisoning. Make sure that all foods, especially high risk food, is cooked to an internal core
temperature of 75°C or higher. This will kill most bacteria.

Cooking
• Cook food to 75°C or higher.
• Stir liquids to heat evenly.
• Re-cook meat that is cut from gyros on a hotplate.

Cooling
Sometimes you may want to cook food and then cool it and re-heat it for service the next day.
Special rules apply when doing this:
• Cool food quickly.
• Decant food into shallow containers.
• Portion food into small amounts to cool faster.
• Put foods into the cool room or fridge - don’t leave it on the bench or stove to cool.

TAKE CARE: Foods are not to be in the danger zone

(between 5°C and 60°C) longer than necessary.
Reheating
• Re-heat food by the quickest method, making sure the core temperature reaches 75°C.
• Food should only be reheated once and then thrown out if not eaten or sold.
• If heating food in the microwave, make sure that it is re-heated all the way through.

Remember Food Safety Supervisor says...

“Work quickly with high risk foods in the danger zone.
Cook and re-heat foods by the quickest method and cool foods
quickly by breaking them down to smaller quantities”.

13
Bain-maries and pie warmers
Bain-maries and pie warmers should only be used for keeping HOT food HOT for a short time
during meal service. They are NOT to be used to cook or reheat food.

✓ Do ✘ Don’t
✓ Ensure temperature of bain-marie ✘ Mix fresh with those already on
is greater than 60°C prior to loading. display.
✓ Take the temperature of hot food. ✘ Overload with food.
✓ Clean regularly. ✘ Use to heat or cook food.
✓ Replace trays.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Remember to heat food in the oven before putting into a
bain-marie or pie warmer and use separate tongs, spoons and
serving utensils for each tray in the bain-marie”.

Ready-to-eat foods and ‘no touch’ techniques

Ready-to-eat foods can be eaten or served straight away without any further food preparation
such as cooking or heating which would normally kill bacteria.
Some ready-to-eat foods include:
• Hot meat pies, pasties, sausage rolls and cooked pizza
• Prepared sandwiches and filled rolls
• Cakes, pastries, custards, yoghurt and cheese
• Cut fruit, salads, dips, sushi and ice cream
• Cooked rice, pasta and noodle dishes

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Take care when handling ready-to-eat foods so that they won’t be
contaminated. Use ‘No Touch’ techniques. These techniques put a
barrier between the food and your hands to protect the food”.

Always use a ‘no touch’ technique

• Use tongs and serving spoons to handle food.
• Grab or hold food using a piece of food grade grease proof paper or paper serviette.
• Use clean food handling gloves to handle food.
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Topic 3. Personal Hygiene
Everyone has bacteria on and inside their bodies. You have
bacteria on your, skin, hands, underneath fingernails, in your
hair, ears, nose and throat and other body areas.
About 64 per cent of the population carry food poisoning bacteria
(Staphylococcus aureus) in their ears, nose, and throat and on their hands.
As a food handler you must be careful not to contaminate food with
these bacteria. This topic details personal hygiene ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’.
Personal hygiene is making sure that the food handler is clean
and knows what to do to keep food clean and safe.

Clothing, nails, hair and jewellery

Clothing
The uniform that you wear in the food industry is designed to protect
food from your body and will depend on the kind of food that you handle.
Your clothing should not contaminate food or a food contact surface.
Protective clothing includes: overalls; aprons; uniforms; protective coats;
hair nets/hats; beard snoods and disposable food handling gloves.

✓ Do ✘ Don’t
✓ Store personal belongings and clothing ✘ Store personal belongings and clothing
in a locker or changing room in food preparation or food storage areas.
✓ Wear a clean, well-fitted uniform and ✘ Change in the toilet.
shoes to protect the food ✘ Wear unsuitable clothes for food handling
✓ Take off your apron when you go to the such as shorts and thongs.
toilet or outside the food preparation area

Nails, hair, and jewellery

Nails, hair, and jewellery harbour bacteria and can also fall into food.

Nails
✓ Do ✘ Don’t
✓ Keep them short and clean. ✘ Wear artificial nails as they can fall
off and into food.
✘ Wear nail polish as it can chip off into
food. You also won’t be able to see if
your nails are clean underneath.
15
Hair
✓ Do ✘ Don’t
✓ Keep hair clean and tied back when ✘ Touch or comb your hair when preparing
handling food. food.

Jewellery
✘ Don’t
✘ Wear watches and rings as bacteria live on watchstraps and jewellery.
✘ Wear rings or body piercings with stones as they can fall into food.
✘ Touch your face and body piercings.

Remember that jewellery can:

• Be an occupational health and safety hazard. It can heat up near cooking appliances and
burn your skin. It can also get caught in machinery
• Stop you from washing your hands thoroughly.

Wash your hands - when, how and what you need

When to wash your hands
Your hands come into contact with food all the time. Wash your hands thoroughly before and
during work to keep the number of bacteria down.
Always wash your hands after:
• Handling rubbish, washing out rubbish bins and cleaning
• Going to the toilet and starting work or coming back from a break
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• Smoking
• Eating or drinking
• Handling money
• Touching any part of your body like scratching, touching
earrings or your hair or wiping sweat from your forehead
• After handling raw food and before handling ready-to-eat food

16
How to wash your hands
Step 1: Apply soap and wet hands with warm water
Step 2: Wash. Use soap and warm water to thoroughly wash your hands right up to the
forearm and between your fingers for at least 60 seconds.
Step 3: Rinse hands under warm, running water.
Step 4: Dry hands using an air dryer or paper towel.

Apply soap Wash Rinse Dry

What – you need to wash your hands

1. Soap, (liquid antibacterial soap is best for hand washing as it kills bacteria and is non-
perfumed)
2. Warm running water
3. Disposable paper towels or an air dryer
4. Rubbish bin to throw the used paper towels into
Talk to your Food Safety Supervisor if your hand wash area has
run out of supplies of soap or paper towels.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Don’t use the food preparation sink for hand washing.
Never use the hand wash basin for food preparation”.

17
When you are sick
As a food handler you have a responsibility to tell your Food Safety Supervisor when you are
sick in order to avoid contaminating the food.
Remember: Never cough or sneeze near food or a food contact surface.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“If you are sick it is best to go to your doctor, get a medical certificate
and take your doctor’s advice about when you can return to work.
I must record your illness in the Food Safety Program”.

Smoking
Smoking is not allowed in any area where food is received, stored,
prepared, transported or served.
Ash, cigarette butts and smoke can all contaminate food.
Smoking can also cause coughing which can contaminate food.
When smoking, harmful bacteria are passed from your mouth, to
your hands and onto the food. Make hand washing a habit!

Gloves - How to use and when to change

Food-handling gloves
Disposable food-handling gloves are a great tool to help you handle food safely.
Dirty food- handling gloves can be worse than dirty hands and can contaminate food.

✓ Do change your gloves frequently ✘ Don’t use food-handling gloves for:

(such as every half hour) and: ✘ Anything other than handling food
✓ After handling garbage ✘ For handling money
✓ After every break ✘ For cleaning, handling packaging or
✓ Between handling raw and cooked foods picking things up off the floor
✘ When moving from one task to the next

Cuts and wounds

Cover with a blue food handler’s band-aid and disposable glove.

18
Topic 4. Cleaning
Clean as you go
In any business, surfaces and equipment become unclean because of food scraps, grease or
other mess. This can be hazardous!
Cleaning is the process of removing dust, grease, odours, dirt and stains from all surfaces,
fixtures (such as lights, cupboards and shelving), utensils and equipment – not only inside a
building, but also outside, in the backyard and in rubbish areas.
There are many reasons why cleaning is important in food handling areas:
• Customer satisfaction
• Prevents food poisoning
• Prevents disease spreading
• Creates safe working conditions
• Helps keep equipment well maintained
Manual cleaning
This involves cleaning dirt, grease and food scraps off surfaces using cleaning equipment such
as brooms, mops and scrubbing machines and/or hot soapy water.

Microscopic cleaning
This involves killing bacteria on the surface being cleaned by using either very hot water or a
sanitiser.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Cleaning should always be seen as a preventative measure,
not as an afterthought so you should ‘clean as you go’.
If left until the end of the day, the cleaning tasks are bigger
and you may be too tired to start on a big cleaning job.”

What do I clean with?

Cleaning equipment
It is important to have good cleaning equipment such as mops, brushes,
protective clothing, gloves and chemicals.
All cleaning equipment should be kept in a good and clean condition to
avoid spreading bacteria.

Remember to always store cleaning equipment away from food areas.

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Detergents
Detergents are used to remove grease, dirt and grime from surfaces.
Detergent is like soap – it only removes surface bacteria – it does
not kill bacteria.

Food grade sanitisers

A sanitiser is used after the detergent and kills bacteria. Sanitisers can be chemicals or very
hot water (80°C to 85°C). Methylated spirits and water (75/25 per cent ratio), chlorine bleach,
or a commercial chemical sanitiser can be used.
It is not an option to use either a detergent or a sanitiser – both MUST be used.

Disinfectants
Disinfectants are chemicals which often have a strong smell. They are used in toilet and
dressing room areas and should never be used in the place of sanitisers.

How do I clean?
There are four steps that need to be taken to clean and sanitise effectively.
The steps apply to all food businesses and to all equipment, surfaces, floors and walls.

Step 1: Scraping
Loosen and remove food scraps,
dirt and grease by soaking,
scraping and rinsing.

Step 2: Main cleaning

Remove surface dirt, grime, food
debris or grease by washing and
scrubbing using a detergent.

Step 3: Sanitising Step 1: Scraping Step 2: Main cleaning

Use a chemical sanitiser or
very hot water.

Step 4: Air drying

Allow cleaned items to air dry
naturally on a clean, sanitised
surface. Air drying is an important
step in the cleaning process.
Tea towels should be avoided as
they are excellent breeding places
for food poisoning bacteria. Step 3: Sanitising Step 4: Air drying
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Food Safety Supervisor says…
“Remember to air dry plates. Don’t be temped to pick
up a damp tea towel and wipe them as you won’t be drying
them but contaminating them instead!”

What is a cleaning schedule?

Your Food Safety Supervisor will use a ‘cleaning schedule’ to keep track of vital cleaning tasks.
Food preparation areas and equipment should be cleaned:
• Before use each day
• During the day
• At the end of the day
As a food handler you are responsible for certain cleaning tasks, and to sign the cleaning
schedule. Your Food Safety Supervisor will check the cleaned item and the schedule to see
that it is filled in daily.
The schedule should be put on a wall or noticeboard where everyone can see it.
The schedule includes details about:
• Who is to clean
• What is to be cleaned
• How it should be cleaned
• When it should be cleaned
• What chemicals, materials and equipment are required

Cleaning Schedule

EXAMPLE OF A CLEANING SCHEDULE

ITEM WHO WHEN HOW WHAT WITH
1. Kitchen Floors Peter Evans 1. After Spillages 1. Sweep entire area, especially where the Broom, Dustpan,
floors meet the walls and coving Vacuum, Mop,
2. Mop with hot water and detergent Wringer Bucket,
3. Mop with sanitiser Detergent Sanitiser
4. Allow to air dry

2. Preparation Peter Evans 1. Start of day 1. Remove loose debris with clean cloth Hand Scraper
benches 2. After spillages 2. Wash in hot water and detergent Clean Cloth
3. End of day 3. Apply sanitiser Detergent
4. Allow to air dry Double Sided Bucket

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Pests - Common pests and what they can do
Pests spread disease through bacteria and droppings. They can cause food
poisoning and damage equipment and premises. It is vital that pests are kept
out of food preparation and handling areas.
The most common pests that cause a threat to food areas are flies,
cockroaches, ants, rats, mice and weevils.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Let me know if you see any evidence of pests”.

Garbage
Handling and disposing of garbage correctly is vital in any food premises to minimise the risk of
cross contamination, odour and pests. Like most cleaning tasks, managing the rubbish is just
common sense.

Bins in food preparation/service areas

• Empty bins regularly – after each meal service or when full
• Wash out the bin with hot soapy water and line with plastic bin liners

Council garbage bins

• Hose down the area where bins are stored
• Close the bin lid and make sure that it is not too full
• Do not compress garbage
• Wash out the bin with hot, soapy water
Tell your Food Safety Supervisor if there are not enough bins
(or when they are overflowing).

Food Safety Supervisor says…

“Don’t forget to separate recyclables like glass, paper,
cardboard, aluminium cans, plastic and put them into
a separate bin for collection”.

22
To download the City of Melbourne’s Waste Wise Guide, got to
www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/wastewise.

Good house keeping tips

Good housekeeping is everyone’s responsibility in the food industry.

Food Safety Supervisor says…

• “Clean up after yourself and put things away after you have
finished with them.
• Pick things up off the floor and put things back into storage
areas where they should be.
• Wipe up spills on the floor before someone falls over.
• Make sure that food ingredients are stored correctly.
• Check to see that chemicals are labelled properly.
• Empty bins when they are full.
• Replace hand washing supplies like paper towels if you see
the dispenser is empty.
• Ask what else you can do to help and report any mishaps to me.
• Remember to ’clean as you go’.”

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Solutions to Activities
Dirty Kitchen
Did you find…(from page 3)

Cleaning and sanitising

- dirty tea towel
- cold water used for washing dishes in sink
Garbage and pests
- Lid partly off garbage bin
- Open window and no fly screens
- Plate of food left to cool by the open window
Cleaning and storage
- Cracked plates that cannot be cleaned and sanitised
- Open tins and packets
- Chemicals incorrectly stored with food
Temperature control and food storage
- Fridge door open
- Leg of meat left out of the fridge
- Raw steak placed above cooked lamb
- Blood and juices dripping onto cooked meat
Pest control
- Mouse hole in skirting board and trail of mouse droppings on floor
Personal hygiene
- Smoking in a food preparation area
- Hair is uncovered
- Bandage on finger uncovered
- Dirty clothing
- No protective uniform
Cross Contamination
- Cutting up chicken and meat on the one work surface
- Blood from steak contaminating work bench

24
Joe’s diary (from page 10)

Right ✓ Wrong ✗
Sliced vegetables with a clean and sanitised knife ✓ ✗
Used the same knife to slice the cooked ham ✗ ✓
Washed tomatoes in the hand-wash basin ✗ ✓
Put sliced ham in a covered container and placed it on the
✓ ✗
top shelf of the refrigerator
Placed the hot soup by the open window to cool quickly ✗ ✓
Went outside for a cigarette and washed his hands when
✓ ✗
re-entering the kitchen
Used the same chopping board to cut up raw meat and
✗ ✔
cooked meat

Storing foods (from page 12)

Top shelf: B. Cooked ham and D. Sponge cake with cream.
They are ready to be eaten or cooked.
Middle shelf: A. Prepared salads must be above raw meat.
Bottom shelf: C. Raw chicken must ALWAYS be on the bottom.

25
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June 2007

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