What is food hygiene and safety?

Research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health shows that cleanliness is one of the most important factors when guests decide their choice of restaurant. [1] This puts into perspective just how high the stakes are when it comes to restaurant hygiene.

That’s why understanding the basics of food hygiene and safety is crucial for anyone involved in the food industry. Let us dive deeper into what these practices involve, why they are important, and how you can ensure that the food you serve is safe and free from contamination.

Simply put, food hygiene and safety entails, preparing, handling and storing food in a way that ensures it is fit for eating. To achieve this, a set of guidelines must be put in place covering every aspect to create a food-safe establishment.

Why is food hygiene and food safety important?

Simply put, food hygiene and safety measures prevent hazards such as foodborne illnesses and protect your guests’ health. This in turn shields your business’s reputation and even prevents unforeseen costs. Those could be anything from loss of regular business to having to provide financial compensation to affected customers.

The importance of food hygiene and safety may seem like a simple concept, and yet it can be overseen in the day-to-day rush. It is essential for any food service establishment to ensure that their products are properly handled, prepared, and stored. Otherwise, the implications of neglecting these procedures could be severe.

Which are the risk factors for food hygiene and safety?

Food and hygiene should always go hand in hand. Proper food hygiene and safety methods are the number one way to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses that cause foodborne illnesses and infections (such as Norovirus and E.coli).

These health issues are primarily enabled by five main risk factors: [2]

Keeping food at incorrect temperatures
Improperly cooked and raw food
Contaminated kitchen equipment and cooking utensils
Ingredients from unsafe sources
Poor staff personal hygiene

Keep in mind that having these risk factors under control benefits not only your guests and employees, but also your business’s reputation and profits.

What are the four principles of food safety?

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides a framework with four key aspects of food safety to eliminate the risk of foodborne illnesses and infections. These principles are known as the four C’s of food safety.[3] Following these kitchen hygiene rules will allow for effective food safety and hygiene in your establishment.

Step 1: Cleaning

Having a clean and hygienic environment for food storage and preparation is the vital first step in ensuring high food and kitchen safety standards.

Basically, anything that comes into contact with food must be thoroughly cleaned to limit the risk of cross-contamination. This also includes hands (several studies reveal that practising proper hand hygiene reduces the risk of diarrhoeal disease and respiratory infections [4]) and hard surfaces (bacteria and viruses can survive there hours and even weeks).

Personal and surface hygiene procedures

Wash your hands with food-safe hand soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds before, during, and after preparing food — especially after handling raw meat, flour, eggs, or seafood. Lastly, dry your hands with a disposable paper towel.
Wash any equipment (such as knives, tongs, or spoons) and surfaces (like kitchen countertops and chopping boards) with hot, soapy water after preparing each item of food. Make sure that you’re using a towel designed for foodservice settings with scouring capabilities to tackle harder to clean messes. Then dry them using a non-scouring foodservice towel.
Rinse fresh produce under running water.

Placing hand soap and hand sanitizer dispensers near sinks and prep stations makes it easier for your team to adopt hand hygiene habits when handling food. Also, keeping paper hand towels within reach facilitates regular clean up of small messes and spills in a quick and hygienic way.

Step 2: Cross contamination risk

The second principle of food safety is storing different types of food separately to avoid cross-contamination. This is because potential bacteria and viruses in uncooked ingredients can spread to any cooked food if they are kept in the same place.

Even with the limited space that can sometimes come with smaller kitchens, minimizing the risk of cross-contamination by separating food items is crucial to ensure safety.

Correct food storage and separation measures

Keep raw ingredients (particularly raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs) separated from ready-to-eat foods, even if they are sealed.
Store raw foods in sealed containers to prevent their juices from leaking onto other foods. For added caution, keep them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to avoid any dripping.
Use separate cutting boards for raw and ready-to-eat food. Consider getting color-coded cutting boards to make this easier for your team.
Wash raw poultry or meat as carefully as possible (without splashing water onto surfaces) to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses to sinks and countertops.
Seal or wrap any leftover food packets or containers.

Step 3: Cooking

Cooking food to the correct internal temperature is crucial for food safety, as it kills the harmful bacteria and viruses that can lead to foodborne illnesses. So, how do you make sure food is cooked properly?

Standard procedure is to cook food until it reaches a core temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes. [7]

Key temperature procedures

Use a food probe thermometer to accurately test internal temperature. Make sure all kitchen staff know how to use this tool correctly to get an accurate reading from each type of food.
Ensure your team is aware of the correct internal temperature of all types of food served in your establishment.
When using a microwave, select enough time for the food to reach its correct internal temperature and allow it to sit for a few minutes so that the heat can be distributed evenly.

Step 4: Chilling

When food is left at room temperature or in what is known as 'the danger zone' (between 4.4°C and 60°C), bacteria that can cause foodborne illnesses tends to multiply rapidly. [8] Luckily, this can be avoided by following cooling best practices.

Correct refrigeration measures

Keep refrigerators at 4.4°C or below and any freezer at -17.7°C or below to prevent food from spoiling.
Don’t leave perishable food unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours or 1 hour if it has been previously stored in an area that exceeds 32.2°C (outside on a hot day or in a vehicle, for instance).
Defrost food in the refrigerator. Thawing it on countertops can cause it to reach room temperature, putting it at risk of bacterial growth.
Clean refrigerators and freezers regularly, as spills and spoiled food can cause germs to multiply and spread further. This includes all shelves, handles and storage compartments.

Food hygiene and safety standards beyond the kitchen

Food hygiene and safety aren't just a concern for those working in the kitchen. Anyone handling food is responsible for minimizing the risk of contamination and transmission of foodborne illnesses too. Servers need to take the following two factors into account:

Personal hygiene

Following strict personal hygiene procedures is the best way for servers and other hospitality staff to contribute to food hygiene and safety. [6] The number one way to achieve this is by practicing regular and thorough hand hygiene. This means washing their hands with food-safe soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and then drying them with a paper hand towel.

They can follow this up with hand sanitiser for extra protection, just make sure they know to let it dry completely before touching any food again.

Regular handwashing in the foodservice industry is critical, and it is particularly important in the following circumstances:

Before handling food
After handling food
After using the restroom
Before and after a lunch break
After touching high-contact surfaces
After touching hair or clothing
After handling money
After covering your face during sneezing or coughing, nose-blowing, or touching hair
Before and after glove use

Personal hygiene goes further than just hands, though. Food handlers and other restaurant employees can help ensure a hygienic and safe environment by:

Wearing a clean uniform for every shift
Avoiding the use of strong perfumes or scents
Tying long hair back
Keeping fingernails short, clean, and free of nail polish that is prone to chipping
Avoiding jewellery use (wristwatches, rings, earrings, necklaces, piercings etc.)
Wearing clean, appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Staying at home when feeling ill

Clean guest areas

The transmission of foodborne illnesses can occur not just in the restaurant kitchen, but anywhere where food and people intersect. Regular cleaning of your entire establishment is an excellent way to decrease this risk and keep guests coming back.

Cleaning these types of surfaces couldn’t be simpler, just spray with a surface cleaner and wipe with a microfiber cloth, then dry with a disposable paper towel.

High-contact objects and surfaces that should be cleaned on a daily basis include:

Counters
Tables
Menus
Condiments
Seating
Tablecloths
Aprons
Dishcloths

Dishcloths and other washables can be cleaned either on a hot cycle of a washing machine or boiled in water for 15 minutes.

What type of products should be used to clean a restaurant?

The most important factor to consider when choosing cleaning products is making sure that they are food-safe.

Any products you use should be NSF E-2 rated, meaning they are safe to use in foodservice and food processing environments. You can recognize this as a symbol with a wine glass and a fork on the packaging. This applies to hand hygiene products as well as products used to clean surfaces.

For appropriate surface cleaning, make sure to follow these simple steps:

Clear any food debris or grease with a clean, dry single-use towel. This will make it easier to clean thoroughly.
Wipe the surface with warm soapy water and a clean towel.
Dry the surface with a disposable paper towel.
Disinfect the surface using a chlorine solution and dry with a disposable paper towel (except for food preparation surfaces)

Using towels that are specifically designed for foodservice environments can help you keep bacterial growth under control. To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, use color-coded cloths by area and ensure all employees are aware so they keep them in their designated cleaning area.

Food hygiene and safety is all about following the proper cleaning procedures and using the right products. It can take some time and effort to implement this in your establishment, but it is worth it to keep the health of your employees and customers, as well as your profits. To keep learning how to ensure all areas of your restaurant are safe and hygienic, you can find specific tips and recommendations in our guide on how to clean food preparation surfaces.

Reference

[1] Chua BL, Karim S, Lee S, Han H. Customer Restaurant Choice: An Empirical Analysis of Restaurant Types and Eating-out Occasions. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Aug 28;17(17):6276. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17176276. PMID: 32872267; PMCID: PMC7503372.

[2] https://www.fda.gov/media/164194/download?attachment

[3] https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/food-hygiene-for-your-business

[4] Mihalache OA, Teixeira P, Langsrud S, Nicolau AI. Hand hygiene practices during meal preparation-a ranking among ten European countries. BMC Public Health. 2023 Jul 10;23(1):1315. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16222-5. PMID: 37430245; PMCID: PMC10332090.

[5] https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/cleaning-effectively-in-your-business

[6] https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/avoiding-cross-contamination-in-your-food-business

[7] https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/cooking-safely-in-your-business

[8] https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cooking-your-food

[9] https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/chilling-food-correctly-in-your-business

[10] https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/personal-hygiene