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| Catering
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What are the food issues with catering?
A number of food poisoning outbreaks have been due to catering operations where food was not cooked or stored properly prior to consumption. Other problems include inadequate handling of food that’s been prepared at one site and transported and served at another site. Facilities that are ill-equipped or unsuitable for the volume of food being prepared is another common catering problem.
What are some of the common mistakes?
Some common mistakes that can cause food poisoning include:
- Under-cooking that does not kill bacteria in raw foods such as meat and poultry,
- Slow reheating and slow cooking under low heat that provides the ideal temperature (20°C - 50°C) for bacteria to grow,
- Improper cooling that allows food to stay at the ideal temperature for bacteria to grow for extended periods of time,
- Inadequate transportation and storage temperatures, that can allow the growth of bacteria,
- Cooking foods too far in advance which increases the chance of food becoming contaminated with bacteria and food being stored incorrectly that allows growth of bacteria,
- Poor personal hygiene from food handlers can lead to contamination of food through dirty hands, coughing, etc.
How can I prevent food poisoning?
Here are some simple steps to help prevent food poisoning.
Thawing
Prior to cooking, ensure frozen foods are completely thawed before use. This is especially important with large cuts of meat or poultry, which may not cook totally through if not thawed. Frozen food must be fully thawed in a refrigerator or a microwave oven before cooking.
Cook food properly
Cooking food properly is an effective way to make it safe to eat. Food must be cooked at a high enough temperature to destroy bacteria. The key is to not cook more food than you can effectively handle.
In order to ensure correct cooking temperatures are reached, use a calibrated probe thermometer.
The probe should be disinfected before and after use, and all final cooking temperatures recorded.
Food must be cooked to the appropriate internal temperature, this is particularly important for meat (71°C), poultry (82°C) and seafood (65°C ). Once cooked, meat and poultry should be maintained above 60°C or cooled below 5°C as soon as possible.
Partially cooked meat must be re-heated so the core temperature reaches at least 75°C immediately before serving. All other food must be preheated before placing in a hot holding device (e.g. bain marie).
Storage and transportation of food
You must ensure there is adequate hot/cold storage and display unit capacity so food can be stored at the appropriate temperature - 5°C for cold food, above 60°C for hot food.
Consider reducing portion size to enable food to cool or heat more rapidly (eg. by using shallow dishes instead of large pots).
When delivering food to a party or group function, make sure all food is maintained at the appropriate storage temperature. Transport vehicles should be designed and constructed in accordance with NSW legislation.
Protect food
All food must be adequately protected (i.e. enclosed or covered) when stored or displayed to prevent contamination by dust, insects or other sources. This is especially important if catering for outdoor events, especially during summer when flies can be a problem. It is important to ensure food and utensils are protected from contamination by flies.
Avoid cross contamination
Ensure raw food is handled separately from ready-to-eat food to avoid cross contamination with bacteria. Where possible, use separate equipment and utensils (knives, tongs, cutting boards etc) for raw and ready-to-eat food, or clean and sanitise thoroughly between use. A chemical sanitiser is needed for sanitising utensils. A separate container may be required for rinsing.
Food safety training and personal hygiene
Food handlers should be adequately trained in food safety and personal hygiene. Basic personal hygiene practices include:
- Thoroughly washing and drying hands before handling food, and after visiting the toilet, blowing your nose or coughing, smoking, handling raw food and waste.
- Wearing clean outer clothing when handling food.
- Using clean disposable gloves when handling food.
- Long hair must be tied back or a cap worn.
- Covering cuts, sores or skin breaks with clean waterproof dressings.
- Avoiding coughing or sneezing over food.
- Bare hands should ideally not be used to handle ready-to-eat food, although they can be used providing hands are clean with no bare wounds or sores. It is better to use tongs, other utensils or disposable gloves. Disposable gloves need to be changed regularly and will only remain clean if you don’t touch anything that might be contaminated.
- Food handlers must inform employers if they have any skin, nose, throat or bowel infections. If suffering any of these conditions they must not handle food.
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