guide to good hygiene practice - fsai

Guide to Good Hygiene Practice

Published by:

Food Safety Authority of IrelandAbbey CourtLower Abbey StreetDublin 1

Tel: +353 1 817 1300Fax: +353 1 817 1301Email: [email protected]: www.fsai.ie

©FSAI 2014

Applications for reproduction should be made to the FSAI Information Unit

ISBN 1-904465-03-X

Contents

Letter from The Chairman 2

Foreword 3

Part 1: General 4

Purpose and Scope 4

Structure of the Guidance 4

Definitions 4

Classification of Foods 5

Food Law 7

Part 2: Notification and Registration 7

Part 3: Requirements Under General Food Law 8

Introduction 8

Food Safety Requirements 8

Traceability 8

Food Information for Consumers 9

Part 4: Hygiene Requirements 10

General 10

Domestic Premises 10

Prerequisites 11

Premises 11

Equipment 12

Waterandice 12

Cleaning 13

Pestcontrol 14

Wastedisposal 14

Personalhygiene 14

Personalfacilities 15

Training 15

Food Production 17

Purchasing 17

Collectionoffood 17

Harvestinggardenproducts 18

Storingfoodingredients 19

Thawingfrozenfood 19

Foodpreparation 20

Cooking/Baking 21

Coolingfood 21

Jammaking 22

Honey 22

Storingfoodproduced 23

Transportingthefoodproduced 24

Displayoffood(whensoldinamarket) 24

Servingteas(whenservedatamarket) 25

Appendix A: Food Law 26

Hygiene of Foodstuffs Regulations 26

Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs 26

Annex II Chapter III 27

European Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2006 [S.I. No. 369 of 2006] 28

Guide to Good Hygiene Practice 1

Letter from The Chairman

Welcome to Country Markets Ltd.

ThisGuide to Good Hygiene PracticeisthecollaborativeworkoftheFoodSafetyAuthority

ofIreland,theHealthServiceExecutiveandCountryMarketsLtd.

Theguideisaimedatthelow-riskproducersincountrymarketswhoaccountforthemajority

offoodproducedandsoldatourweeklymarkets.Producersofhigh-riskfoodsaredirected

towardstheFoodSafetyAuthorityofIreland’sSafe Catering Packforbestpractice.

CountryMarketsLtdisanationalcooperativeestablishedin1946,withbranchmarkets

throughoutthecountryandcurrentlyhas1,042members.Allbranchesaregovernedbythe

samerules,seewww.countrymarkets.ie.CountryMarketsLtdisaco-operativesocietywhichrunslocalmarketsthroughoutIrelandinordertosellfreshfarm,gardenandhomeproduce

andcraftworkofitsmembers.

CountryMarketLtdproductsaresolddirectlytothecustomer.Astandardlabelisusedon

pre-packedfooditemswhichincludetheCountryMarketsLtdlogo,branchlocation,individual

producernumber,alistofingredientsonbaked/cookedproduceandthenationalorganisations

address.Loosebakedproductsarealsosoldatsomeofourmarkets.

Thebranchmarketratherthantheindividualmemberregisterswiththeirlocalenvironmental

healthofficerintheHealthServiceExecutive.Anup-to-datelistofproducersisavailableat

eachmarket.

Irecommendusingthisguidetohelpmaintainahighstandardoffoodsafetywithin

CountryMarketsLtd.

MargaretSweeneyNational Chairman

Country Markets Ltd

CoUNTRy MARkeTs LiMiTed | Food sAFeTy AUTHoRiTy oF iReLANd2

ForewordThisisaguidetogoodhygienepracticetoassistmemberswhenproducinglow-riskfoodathomeforsaleatCountryMarketsLtdvenuesaroundthecountry.IthasbeendevelopedbyCountryMarketsLimited,theHealthServiceExecutive’s(HSE)EnvironmentalHealthServiceandtheFoodSafetyAuthorityofIreland(FSAI).

Yourkitchenisfirstlyfornormaldomesticuse.Anyfoodyouproducethereforsalemustbedoneonadomesticscale.Foodproducedforsaleislimitedtowhatyoucanproducesafelyusingdomesticscaleequipmentandappliances.Theonlyadditionalequipmentthatmaybeusedisaseconddomesticfridgeforstoringingredientsorfinishedproducts.

Inordertoproducesafefood,itisessentialyouunderstandtherisksinvolvedandhowtocontrolthem.Beforeyoustart,youmusthavebasicfoodhygieneconditionsandpracticesinplace(thesearecalled‘pre-requisites).Youmustalsoknowwhatcangowronginyourkitchen,whatyoucandotopreventitandmakesureyouaredoingit.Insimpleterms,itinvolvescontrollingingredientsandsuppliescomingintoyourkitchenandwhatyoudowiththemafterthat.

Thisguidelists“Whatcangowrong”tomakefoodunsafetoeat.Italsosetsoutwhatmustbedonetopreventthesethingsfromgoingwrong.Thesepreventativemeasuresarelistedundertheheading‘Howcanitbeprevented’andtheymustbefollowed.

CountryMarketsLtdmemberstraditionallyproducemainlylow-riskfoods.Thisguidefocusesontheseactivities.Ifyouproducehigh-riskfood,werecommendthatyouusetheFSAI’sSafe Catering PackorIrish Standard I.S. 340:2007 Hygiene in the Catering Sector(availablefromtheNationalStandardsAuthorityofIreland).Thereasonforthisisthatinadditiontoknowingwhatcangowrongandhowtopreventit,whenhigh-riskfoodisbeingproduced,youalsoneedtocheckthatwhatyouaredoingiscorrect(monitoringandverification)andwhattodoifitisnot(correctiveaction)inamorestructuredway.Definitionsandexamplesoflowandhigh-riskfoodscanbefoundinPart1ofthisguidance.

NoTe:Everyone’s domestic kitchen and circumstances are different and not every kitchen will be suitable for the safe production of food for sale outside of the home, particularly high-risk food.

Recommendationscontainedinthisguidearebestpracticeandnotlegalrequirements.

Yourkitchenissubjecttoinspectionbyyourlocalenvironmentalhealthofficer(EHO)fromtheHSE.Howoftenyourkitchenmaybeinspectedwilldependonthelevelofriskassociatedwiththefoodyouproduce.Ifyouareproducinghigh-riskfood,itisstronglyrecommendedthatyoucontactyourlocalEHObeforeyoustarttodiscusswhatyouproposetodoandwhatrequirementsyouwillbeexpectedtomeet.

Ifyouproducehoney,youmaybesupervisedbytheDepartmentofAgriculture,FoodandtheMarine(DAFM).

Ifyouproducefoodatthemarket(apartfromteasandcoffees)itisoutsidethescopeofthisguidance.YouwillneedtofollowtheFSAI’sGuidance Note No. 16: Food Stalls; theFSAI’s Safe Catering PackorIrish Standard I.S. 340:2007 Hygiene in the Catering Sector.

“ In order to produce safe food, it essential you understand the risks involved and how to control them.”


Part 1: General

Purpose and scope

ThepurposeofthisguideistosetoutwhatisrequiredformembersofCountryMarketsLtdtocomplywithfoodlaw.

ThisGuide to Good Hygiene PracticemeetstherequirementsofRegulation(EC)No852/2004asamendedonthehygieneoffoodstuffs.TheEuropeanCommunities(HygieneofFoodstuffs)Regulations,2006[S.I.No.369of2006asamended]giveseffecttothisEuropeanCommunitiesRegulation.

ThisguideappliestothosemembersinvolvedintheproductionoffoodstuffsforsaleatthemarketsoperatedbyCountryMarketsLtd,providedthattheyareworkingonadomesticscaleinpremisesusedprimarilyasadwellinghouse.Domesticscalemeansthequantityoffoodthatcanbeproducedsafelyinadomestickitchen,usingdomesticscaleequipmentandappliances.Theonlyappliancethatmaybeaddedtotheappliancesnormallyfoundinadomestickitchen,isaseconddomesticfridge.

Thescopeofthisguideisaimedatthosemembersproducinglow-riskfood.

Suchfoodproducerswouldincludepeopleinvolvedonadomesticscaleintheproductionof:

• Bakedproducts

• Preserves

• Chocolates

• Productionandpackagingofhoney

Foodproducers,whoprepareorproducefoodintheirhomeforsaleatthemarketsoperatedbyCountryMarketsLtdandwhocomplywiththerequirementsofthisguidewillalsocomplywiththerequirementsforfoodsafetyintheEuropeanCommunities(HygieneofFoodstuffs)Regulations,2006asamended.Regulationsalsoexistonissuesotherthanfoodsafety,e.g.foodlabelling,andthesealsomustbecompliedwith.SeetheFSAI’sfactsheetFood Information for Consumers at Markets operated by Country Markets Limitedformoreinformation.

structure of the Guidance

Thisguideissetoutinfourparts:

• Part1:General

• Part2:NotificationandRegistration

• Part3:RequirementsunderGeneralFoodLaw

• Part4:HygieneRequirements

definitions

Contamination:Thepresenceofundesirablechemicals,e.g.detergent;foreignbodies,e.g.glass;orlivingorganisms,e.g.Salmonella,inafood,e.g.acookedchickenproductiscontaminatedwithSalmonella

Cross-contamination:Thetransferofmicroorganismsfromonesourcesuchasrawfood,people,equipmentortheenvironment,toanothersourcesuchascookedfood,e.g.rawmeatheldonthetopshelfofafridgedripsontoacakeheldonthebottomshelfandbacteriawillspreadfromthemeattothecake

Detergent:Achemicalusedtoremovegrease,dirtandfoodparticlesfromasurface,e.g.washing-upliquid,soap

Disinfectant:Achemicalorprocessusedtoreducenumbersofmicroorganismsbutnotnecessarilymicrobialsporesonasurfacetoasafeoracceptablelevel,e.g.chlorine,i.e.bleach,ultra-violetlight

Domestic Scale:Thequantityoffoodthatcanbeproducedsafelyinadomestickitchen,usingdomesticscaleequipmentandappliances;wheretheonlyappliancethatmaybeaddedtotheappliancesnormallyfoundinadomestickitchen,isaseconddomesticfridge

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point):Asystematicapproachtoidentifyingandcontrollinghazards,i.e.dangersthatcouldposeadangertothepreparationofsafefood.HACCPinvolvesidentifyingwhatcangowrong;planningtopreventitandmakingsureyouaredoingit


https://www.fsai.ie/publications_FIC_country_markets/

Hazard:Somethingthathasthepotentialtocauseharm.Hazards,i.e.dangers,maybebiological,chemicalorphysical,e.g.Salmonellaincookedchicken(biologicalhazard),detergentinmilk(chemicalhazard)orglassinabreakfastcereal(physicalhazard).

• Biologicalhazardsincludethecontaminationoffoodbymicroorganismsortheirtoxinsandthegrowthandsurvivalofmicroorganisms.

• Chemicalhazardsincludethepresenceofpesticidesanddetergentresiduesatunacceptablelevels.

• Physicalhazardsincludehairandinsects.

High-risk food:Foodwhicharereadytoeat,maycontainorcansupportthegrowthofdangerousorganisms,i.e.pathogens,andwhichwillnotbesubjectedtoanyfurtherprocessing,suchascooking,whichcoulddestroyorreducenumbersofsuchorganismstoasafelevelpriortoconsumption,theseincludefreshsoftfruit,leafygreenvegetables,freshlypreparedsalads,cookedpasta,meatsanddairyproducts

Low-risk activity:Activitywherethepotentialtocauseharmtoconsumersislow,e.g.bakingbiscuitsandbrownbread

Microorganism:Alife-formthatgenerallycannotbeseenwiththenakedeye,e.g.bacteria,viruses,yeasts,mouldsandparasites

Potable water:WatermeetingtheminimumrequirementslaiddowninCouncilDirective98/83/ECof3November1998onthequalityofwaterintendedforhumanconsumption.S.I.No.122of2014transposesthisDirective.Potablewater,drinkingwaterandwaterintendedforhumanconsumptionhavethesamemeaning

Prerequisites (prerequisite hygiene requirements):Hygienicpracticesandproceduresthatmustbeinplacebeforeandwhileproducingfood,e.g.premises,equipment,stafftraining,pestcontrol,andwastemanagement

Sanitiser:Achemicalorprocessusedtocleanandreducenumbersofmicroorganismsonasurface,e.g.chlorine,ultravioletlight

Classification of Foods

Fromamicrobiologicalperspective,foodscanbeclassifiedunderthreeheadings:

• High-riskfoods

• Medium-riskfoods

• Low-riskfoods

HigH-risk Foods

High-riskfoodsarefoods(includingbeverages)thatareready-to-eat,maycontainorcansupportthegrowthofdangerousorganisms,i.e.pathogens,andwillnotbesubjectedtoanyfurtherprocessing,suchascooking,whichwoulddestroyorreducenumbersofsuchorganismstoasafelevelpriortoconsumption.Theseincluderawseafood,freshlypreparedsalads,somemeatsanddairyproducts.Ready-to-eatfoodisanyfoodwhichisnormallyconsumedinitsrawstateorfoodwhichhasbeencookedorprocessedanddoesnotrequirefurthercookingorprocessingtoensureitssafety,e.g.coleslaw,cookedslicedmeatsandsmokedsalmon.High-riskfoodsalsoincludefoodsthathavebeensubstantiallyhandledaftertheyhavebeencooked,suchaslooseorpackagedslicedmeats,sandwichesandsalads;andfoodseatenaftertheir‘use-by’date.

Thefollowingready-to-eatfoodsarehigh-riskfoods:

• Fishandshellfish,cookedandraw

• Meatandmeatproductscookedandraw,particularlyundercookedorlightlycookedmeat

• Cookedpoultryandpoultryproducts

• Cook-chillandcookedfreezemeals

• Milkandmilkproducts,particularlyunpasteurisedmilkandmilkproducts

• Eggsandeggproducts,particularlyproductsmadefromraweggsuchastiramisu,mousseandhomemademayonnaise

• Cookedriceandcookedpasta

• Salads

• Softfruitsandleafygreenvegetables

• Pre-preparedfreshfruitandsalad

• Rawsproutsandsproutedseeds

• Freshhummus,ifmadeusingtahinipaste

• Unpasteurisedfruitandvegetablejuices

• Unchlorinateddrinkingwaterfromprivatewellsandgroupschemesources

• Foodcontainingtheaboveasingredients,e.g.sandwiches,bakedgoods


High-riskfoodsmustbekeptatorbelow5°Corabove63°C.Theymustnotbehandledunnecessarilyandtheymustbesegregatedfromrawfoods.

MediuM-risk Foods

Medium-riskfoodsarefoodswhichcontainpathogensorsupportthegrowthoffoodpoisoningmicroorganismsbutrequirecookingorotherprocessingwhichwilleliminateorreducenumbersofsuchorganismstoanacceptablelevel.

Medium-riskfoodswouldincluderawfoodswhichmaycontainfoodpoisoningmicroorganisms.Theyinclude:

• Fish

• Meatandmeatproducts

• Poultryandpoultryproducts

• Eggsandeggproducts

• Vegetables

• Fruitjuices

Storethesefoodsatorbelow5°C.Thiswillminimisethegrowthoffoodpoisoningmicroorganisms,iftheyarepresent.Toavoidcrosscontamination,segregatethesefoodsfromhigh-riskfoods.Thisismostimportant.

Freshwholeeggsinintactshelldonotrequirerefrigerationbeforetheyreachthefinalconsumer,i.e.atretaillevelorifproducedonthemember’sfarmbeforetheyaresoldfromthemarketstall.Eggsshouldbestoredataconsistenttemperaturetoensureoptimalconservationoftheirquality.Ideally,thestoragetemperatureshouldbelessthan20°C.Hightemperaturesencouragemoisturelossandqualityreduction.However,thestorageathomeoffreshwholeeggsinintactshell,i.e.oncetheyarepurchasedfromtheCountryMarketsLtdstallorpurchasedbyamemberfromaretailoutlet,mustbeatorbelow5°C.

NoTe:Normal cooking will kill food poisoning microorganisms. It will not destroy the toxins which some microorganisms produce. These toxins are poisonous if consumed in large amounts.

Low-risk Foods

Low-riskfoodsarefoodswhichdonotsupportthegrowthoffoodpoisoningmicroorganismsorfoodsthathavebeenthoroughlycookedandserveddirectfromtheovenorpot.

Thefollowingfoodsarelow-riskfoods:

• Butter

• Sugar

• Salt

• Driedfoodssuchaspasta,spicesandmilkpowder

• Cannedandlong-lifefoodproducts

• Cerealssuchasoats,wheatandcorn

• Breakfastcereals

• Jams/Marmalades

• Longlifesaucesanddressings

• Flour

• Fruit(otherthansoftfruit)

• Long-lifepickledproducts

• Oilsandfats

• Biscuits

• Sweets

• Tea/Coffee/Mostbeverages(notincludingmilkorfruitjuices)

• Bread

• Freshpesto

• Freshhummus,ifnotmadeusingtahinipaste

Theymustbetreatedashigh-riskfoodsiftheyhavetobestoredinafridge,e.g.spreads,whichareablendofoils/fatsandwater,somehandmadechocolatesandfoodswhichrequirerefrigerationonceopened.

Low-riskfoodsrarelycontainfoodpoisoningmicroorganisms.Theymaycontainmicroorganismswhichcausefoodspoilage.Rawflour,forexample,oftencontainsmouldwhichwillgrowiftheflourbecomesdamporevenSalmonellafromtimetotime.Flourdustinbakeriesisoftenthecauseoffinishedbakerygoodsbecomingmouldy.

Whilearangeofhigh,mediumandlow-riskfoodsarelistedaboveasexamplesoftypicalfoodsthatfallintothethreeclassifications,someofthesefoodsmaynotbeproducedorsoldatCountryMarketsLtdmarkets.Thelistsaredesignedtoassistmemberswhendecidingiftheirbusinesscomeswithinthescopeofthisguidanceornot.


Food Law

Foodmustbesafeforconsumerstoeat.Foodlegislationlaysdownruleswhichfoodproducersmustcomplywithinordertosupplysafefood.Thehygienerulesapplytoallfoodbusinesses,butthelegislationdoesallowsomeflexibilitybasedonrisk.Otherpiecesoffoodlegislationdealwithissuessuchastraceability,foodinformation(labelling),marketingstandardsandfoodcontactmaterials,e.g.packaging.

Themainrulesthatapplyare:

• Generalfoodlaw–safefoodandtraceability

• Hygieneoffoodstuffs–notification,hygieneandHACCP

• Foodinformationregulations–generalandproductspecific

Otherspecificrulesmayapplytocertainfoodproduction.

MostofIreland’sfoodlawcomesfromEUlegislation.Generally,EUlegislationistransposedintoIrishlaw(StatutoryInstruments)inordertoauthoriseorganisation(s)toenforcethelegislationinIreland,andalsotolaydownpenaltiesfornon-compliancewiththelegislation.

Takingthehygieneoffoodstuffslegislationasanexample,theEUlegislationisRegulation(EC)No852/2004onthehygieneoffoodstuffs,whichistransposedintoIrishlawastheEuropeanCommunities(HygieneofFoodstuffs)Regulations,2006[S.I.No.369of2006].

wHere can you Find tHe LegisLation?

Itisimportantthatyoureadthelegislationsoyoucanworkouthowitappliestoyourfoodbusiness.ThereisacomprehensivefoodlegislationsectionontheFSAI’swebsite:www.fsai.ie fromwhichbothEUandnationallegislationcanbedownloaded.IrishlegislationisalsoavailablefreeofchargetodownloadfromTheStationeryOffice,GovernmentPublication’swebsite:www.irishstatutebook.ie.

Aswellasthelegislationitself,theEUandtheFSAIhaveproducedguidancedocumentstohelpyouunderstandtherequirements.InformationisavailableonthelegislationandpublicationssectionsoftheFSAIwebsite:www.fsai.ieandfromtheFSAIAdviceLineon1890336677.

Theessentialelementsoffoodlawthatapplytoyourbusinessarediscussedinthefollowingparts.Forconvenience,extractsfromthehygienelegislationareincludedinAppendixA.

Part 2: Notification and RegistrationAllfoodproducersmustnotifytheirlocalHSEEnvironmentalHealthOffice.AsCountryMarketsLtdoperatesasaco-operative,eachbranchofCountryMarketsLtdwillnotifytheHSEonbehalfofitsmembers.Individualmemberswillsupplydetailstotheirbranchchairman.CountryMarketsLtdNationalSecretarywillsigneachbranchnotificationformandforwardittotheHSE.Thechairmanofeachbranchwillensurethatup-to-datelistsofmembersandtheirdetails1willbeavailabletoEHOs.

ACountryMarketsLtdmemberwhotradesasafoodbusinessoperatoroutsideoftheorganisationwillberequiredtonotifytheHSEonanindividualbasis.

Onreceiptofthenotificationform,theHSEwillregisterthebranch.

AsCountryMarketsLtdoperatesasaco-operative,shouldanymattersarisefollowinganinspectionofamarketoramember’spremises,CountryMarketsLtdwilltakeresponsibility.AnycorrespondencefromtheHSEwillbeaddressedtoCountryMarketsLtd’snationalofficeandthebranchsecretarycopied.Whereanindividualmemberisinvolved,theywillbecopiedalso.

1 Thisincludesname,address,contactdetailsandtypesoffoodsproduced(perCountryMarketsLtdtemplate)


Part 3: Requirements Under General Food Law

introduction

Regulation(EC)No178/2002setsdownthegeneralprinciplesoffoodlawwhichmustbefollowed,e.g.labelling(foodinformation),foodsafetyrequirements,productwithdrawalandrecallandtraceability.Someoftheseprincipleshavebeensetoutinmorespecificrulesandguidance.ThisregulationistransposedintoIrishlawbytheEuropeanCommunities(GeneralFoodLaw)Regulations,2007[S.I.No747of2007].TherequirementsofthisRegulationapplytoanyoneproducingfoodtobeplacedonthemarketregardlessofthetype,sizeorquantityoffoodinvolved.

Food safety Requirements

Unsafefoodmustnotbeplacedonthemarket.Unsafefoodisfoodthatisinjurioustohealthorunfitforpeopletoeat.Whereyoubecomeawarethatfoodyouproducedisunsafeandhasbeensoldatthemarket,e.g.consumercomplaint,thecustomerandtheHSEmustbetold.Ifyouhaveconcerns,askyourEHOforadviceastowhatyoushoulddo.ThebestwaytotellthecustomeristoputupanoticeatthemarketstallandcomplywithanyotherrequestbytheEHO.

Traceability

Allfoodbusinessesmusthaveaneffectivetraceabilitysysteminplace.Youmustbeabletotracefoodonestepbacktoyoursuppliersandifyouaresupplyingfoodtootherbusinesses,onestepforwardtoyourcustomers.AsmembersofCountryMarketsLtdaresellingdirectlytothefinalconsumer,suppliertraceabilityisallthatisrequired:

• Suppliertraceabilityisparticularlyimportantifafoodsafetyproblemisdiscoveredbyyoursupplierandyouneedtoidentifywhichproductsyoureceivedfromthem.Youneedtokeepthefollowinginformationforallproductssuppliedtoyou:nameandaddressofsupplier,e.g.wholesaler,importerormanufacturer

• Accuratedescriptionofproductsupplied

• Dateofdelivery/purchase

Thisinformationmaybecontainedontheinvoices,receiptsordocketsyougetfromyoursupplier.

Inadditiontothegeneralrulesfortraceabilityabove,morespecificinformationisrequiredforfoodofanimalorigin,e.g.milkoreggsusedforbaking.Theadditionalinformationrequiredforfoodsofanimaloriginis:

• Thevolumeorquantityofthefood

• Areferenceidentifyingthelotorbatch

Itisbestpracticetokeepthisadditionalinformationforallproductssuppliedtoyouandnotjustforthoseofanimalorigin.Recordsmustbekeptatleastuntilthefoodislikelytohavebeenconsumed.Thisvariesdependingonthefoodconcerned.Asaruleofthumb,thismeansthattheinformationmustbekeptatleastuntilafterthe‘use-by’or‘best-before’dateonthefoodhaspassed.KeepdocumentssuchasinvoicesandreceiptsinawaythatmakesiteasyforyouoranEHOtocheck.

Traceabilityisalsorequiredforpackagingandothermaterialsandarticlesintendedtocomeintocontactwithfood.Regulation(EC)No1935/2004requiresthatfoodbusinessoperatorsshouldatleastbeabletoidentifythebusinessesfromwhich,andtowhich,packagingandothermaterialsandarticlesaresupplied.

FurtherinformationontraceabilityisavailableintheFSAI’sGuidance Note No. 10 Product Recall and Traceability.


https://www.fsai.ie/publications_guidancenote10_recall/

Food information for Consumers

Foodinformationforconsumers(foodlabelling)isusedtoinformconsumersofthepropertiesoffoods.Themostimportantruleisthatthelabelling,presentationandadvertisingoffood(includingitsshape,appearanceorpackaging)mustnotmisleadtheconsumer.Thisincludesthewayfoodisdisplayedandanyinformationsuppliedwithit,e.g.menuboards,leafletsandinformationdisplayedatthemarket.

Thelabellingthatmustbeappliedtofoodisdependentonthetypeoffoodbeingplacedonthemarketandwhetheritissoldlooseorpre-packaged.Allergenlabellingwillberequiredforloosefoodfrom13thDecember,2014.

Therearegenerallabellingruleswhichapplytoallprepackedfoodstuffsplacedonthemarket.Alongwiththegenerallabellingrules,thereareadditionallabellingrulesandmarketingstandardswhichapplytospecificproductsorwhereclaimsaremade,includingnutritionalorhealthclaims.

FurtherinformationonthelegalrequirementsforfoodinformationforconsumerssoldatmarketsisavailableontheFSAIwebsitewww.fsai.ieandspecificallyintheFSAI’sFactsheet:Food Information for Consumers at Markets operated by Country Markets Ltd.

“ All food businesses must have an effective traceability system in place. You must be able to trace food one step back to your suppliers and if you are supplying food to other businesses, one step forward to your customers.”


https://www.fsai.ie/publications_FIC_country_markets/

Part 4: Hygiene Requirements

General

Toproducefoodonadomesticscalewhichissafetoeatyoumust:

• Complywithgeneralruleswhichrelatetofoodhygiene

• UsetheprinciplesofHACCPtoidentify,evaluateandcontrolhazardsthataresignificantforfoodsafety,wherenecessary

Basicfoodhygieneconditionsandpracticecalled‘prerequisites’mustbeinplaceinyourkitchenandatthemarket.Prerequisitesinclude,whereappropriate:

• Suppliercontrol

• Cleaningandsanitation

• Maintenance

• Personalhygiene

• Pestcontrol

• Plantandequipment

• Premisesandstructure

• Services(compressedair,ice,steam,ventilation,wateretc.)

• Storage,distributionandtransport

• Wastemanagement

• Zoning(physicalseparationofactivitiestopreventpotentialfoodcontamination)

Whentheseprerequisitesareinplaceyouthenneedtolookatthestepsyouusetoproduceandmarketyourfood.Theflowdiagraminthesectiononfoodproductionincludesmostoftheactivities/stepsinyourbusiness.Youmightnotbedoingalltheseactivities,inwhichcaseyoucanskiptothenextactivity/stepthatappliestoyou.

Inthesectiononfoodproduction,theprinciplesofHACCPareusedtoidentifywhatcangowrongtomakefoodunsafetoeat.Thisisdoneforeachactivity/step.Themeasuresthatarenecessarytopreventthingsgoingwrongarethenidentified.Theyarelistedunder‘Howcanitbeprevented?’Soifyoufollowthispartfortheprerequisitesandfortheactivities/stepsinthefoodproductionsectionthatapplytoyourspecificbusiness,youwillhavecompliedwithyourlegalrequirements.

domestic Premises

wHat can go wrong (wHen using doMestic preMises)?

i. Foodcanbecomecontaminatedasaresultof:

• Normaldomesticactivities

• Poorhygiene

• People,petsorpestsenteringthefoodpreparationareas

• Facilitiesbeingtoosmall

• Workingwhenill

• Changing/feedingbabiesinthefoodpreparationarea

• Cleaningchemicals

ii. Productionoftoomuchfoodforthesizeofthekitchen

iii. Insufficient/unsuitablefridgespacetokeepfoodchilled

iv. Lackofequipmentnecessarytocoolfoodfastenoughaftercooking

v. Thetypeoffoodbeingproducedortheprocessinvolvedpresentstoohigharisktotakeplacesafelyinadomestickitchen

How can it be prevented?

i. Makesurethattheareaswherefoodistobepreparedorproducedare:

• Notusedassleepingquartersforpeopleorpets

• Cleanedbeforestartingtoprepareorproducefood

• Notusedfornormaldomesticactivitieswhenpreparingorproducingfood

NoTe:Normal activities would include consuming food, preparing food for domestic consumption, and sorting, washing, drying, ironing and folding clothes.

ii. Cleananddisinfectorsanitise,beforeuse,thesurfacesandequipmentthatcookedorreadytoeatfoodcomesintocontactwith.Onlyusecleanutensilsandequipmentincludingdishclothsandteatowels.

iii. Whilefoodisbeingpreparedorproduced,keepchildrenincludinginfants,non-foodworkers,animalsandpetsoutofthepreparationarea.


NoTe:Pets should always be kept out of the kitchen.

iv. Ifyouareproducingorusingamedium/high-riskfood,youhavetostoreitinafridge.Aseparatefridgeisrequiredforthispurpose.Thefamilyfridgecannotbeused.Whereaseparatefridgeisrequired,ingredientswhichrequirerefrigeratedstorage,mustbestoredinthisfridge.Storecookedfoodaboverawfood.

v. Washyourhandsproperlyandfrequently,particularlyafterusingthetoilet,handlingrefuse,rawfoodetc.Makesurethatyouhaveawashhandbasin/separatesinksolelyforuseforhandwashing,inorclosetothefoodpreparationarea.

vi. Youmustlimittheamountoffoodyouproducetotheamountthatyoucansafelyproduceinyourkitchen.Thiswilldependonthetypeoffoodyouproduce,thesizeofthekitchen,thestorageyouhaveandtherisksofcontaminationandcrosscontamination.

vii.Donotworkifyouareill,particularlyifsufferingfromvomiting/diarrhoea,infectedskinwounds,flu,coughingandinfectionsofthemouth,throat,eyesorears.

recoMMendations

i. Machinesusedforwashingordryingclothesshouldnotbelocatedinthekitchenorinanareawherefoodisstored.

ii. Youshouldhaveawashhandbasinforwashingyourhandsinthekitchen.

Prerequisites

Premises

wHat can go wrong (wHen tHe preMises are not suitabLe)?

i. Foodcanbecomecontaminatedasaresultofnormaldomesticactivities.

ii. Foodcanbecomecontaminatedfromtheenvironmentinwhichitispreparedorstored.


i. Keeptheareaaroundthepremisescleanandtidy.

NoTe:This will help prevent the breeding of insects and prevent dirt being brought into the premises on shoes or boots.

ii. Maintaintheareasusedforfoodpreparationandstoragesothattheycanbeproperlycleaned.Thisincludesthetopsofpresses,ceilings,wallsandfloors.

iii. Makesurethatthereisnoflakingpaintandreplacedamagedtilesanddamagedgroutingbetweentiles.

iv. Makesurethatfloorsaredurableandthatfloorsandwallscanbecleaned.

v. Surfaceswhichwillbeincontactwithfoodmustbekeptingoodcondition,beeasytocleanandwherenecessary,todisinfect.Thematerialsusedmustbesmooth,washable,corrosion-resistantandnon-toxic.

vi. Makesurethatcountertopsandtablesetc.arefreeofcracksandcrevices.

vii.Providesufficientnaturalorartificialventilationsoastopreventcondensationontheceilingorwalls.

viii.Makesurethattheleveloflightingissufficientatalltimestoallowfoodtobehandledsafely,andcleaningtobecarriedouteffectively.

ix. Keepornamentsandanyotherknick-knacksinthekitchenorfoodstorageareastoaminimum.Ifpresent,theymustbekeptclean.

x. Storecleaningchemicalssafelysoastopreventcontaminationoffood.

NoTe:Normal domestic finishes are suitable if they are in good repair and kept clean.


Equipment

wHat can go wrong (wHen using equipMent)?

i. Unsuitableordamagedequipmentcanleadtothecontaminationoffood.

ii. Foodcanbestored,cookedand/orcooledatincorrecttemperaturesifequipmentisfaulty.


i. Useonlydomesticscaleequipmentwhichwasmanufacturedforfooduseandwhichhasnotbeenusedforotherpurposes.

ii. Donotusebrokenorcrackedequipment.

iii. Makesurethatthefridgesandfreezerarecapableofstoringfoodatthecorrecttemperature.

NoTe:Food in fridges must be kept at 5°C or lower and in a freezer at -18°C or lower.

iv. Checkfreezersregularlytomakesuretheyareworkingproperly.Usevisualclueslikefrostingonfood,anydefrosting,signsofwaterdamagetoboxesetc.

v. Haveequipmentinstalledsothatitdoesnotleadtothebuild-upofdirtin,underoraroundit.

vi. Maintainequipmentingoodrepair.

recoMMendations

i. Thekitchensinkshouldbeadoublesinksoastoallowequipmentandutensilstobewashedinonesinkandthenrinsedintheothersink.Alternatively,onesinkandadishwashershouldbeprovided.

ii. Fridgesshouldbefittedwithafridgethermometerwhichshowstheactualtemperatureratherthanadial.

iii. Thermometersshouldbetestedperiodicallytomakesuretheyareworkingproperly.Asimplecheckistoimmersethethermometerinicedwater(0°C)andboilingwater(100°).

Water and ice

wHat can go wrong (wHen using water and ice)?

i. Bothwaterandicecanbecontaminatedwithmicroorganisms,chemicalsorforeignbodies.


i. Youmusthaveanadequatesupplyofpotablewater(drinkingwater),whichistobeusedwhenevernecessarytoensurefoodsarenotcontaminated.

ii. Useonlypotablewaterformakingice,washingfood,cookingandrinsingfoodcontactsurfaces.

iii. Youmustknowthesourceandqualityofthewateryouuse.Ifyouareonaprivatewell,itmustbeproperlymaintainedandthewatertreatedtomeetthelegalstandardsforpotablewater.

iv. Youmustknowtheinternalplumbingarrangementsinyourpremises.Theinternalplumbingmustbemaintainedinsuchaconditionthatitdoesnotcause,contributeto,orgiverisetoariskofnon-complianceofthepotablewaterwiththelegalstandards.

v. Onlywatertakendirectlyfromtheincomingpipe(fromtherisingmainifyouareonapublicsupplyorfromthewellifyouareonaprivatesupply)canberegardedaspotablewater.Watercannotberegardedasdrinkingwaterifithasbeenstoredinatankorifthesanitaryauthoritieshaveissuedawarningthatthewaterisunsuitablefordrinking.

vi. WatertakenfromaprivatewelloragroupschemecanonlyberegardedasdrinkingwaterifithasbeentestedatthepointofuseandatthefrequencyrequiredbyS.I.No.122of2014:EuropeanCommunities(DrinkingWater)Regulations,2014.ItmustcomplywiththeseRegulations.

Ifyouareonaprivatewell,youmusttakespecialcaretoensurethedrinkingwaterisnotcontaminated.Themainrisktoyourwelliscontaminationfromhumanoranimalwaste.ManyareasinIrelandhavehighgroundwatervulnerability,whichmakescontaminationofwellwatermorelikely.Ifyourwellisvulnerabletocontaminationandisnotproperlyconstructed,itispossiblethathumanoranimalwastefromseptictanks,landspreadingorrunofffromthesurroundinglandmayenteryourwell.Contaminatedwatercanmakeyouoranyonewhoconsumesthewaterill.Onewayofensuringthesafetyofprivatewellwateristotreatthewater,e.g.bychlorination.


Ifyouareconcernedaboutyourwellwater,contactyourlocalauthorityoryourEHOforadvice.Ifyoususpectthatyourwatermaybecontaminated,itmaybeadvisabletoboilyourwateruntilyouhavehadyourwellwatertested.

FurtherinformationonprivatewellsisavailablefromtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyathttp://www.epa.ie/water/dw/hhinfo/

Cleaning

eFFective cLeaning

Tocleankitchenequipmentandutensils:

• Firstremovedebris

• Thenwashwithadetergent

• Rinse

• Thendisinfectwithnearboilingwaterorwithafoodgradedisinfectantwhichisnon-perfumedanddoesnotleavearesidue

Choppingboards,utensils,andequipmentusedincontactwithfood,shouldbechosensothattheycanbecleanedanddisinfectedinadishwasher.Ifthisisnotpossible,thetwosinkmethodofcleaninganddisinfectingutensilsandequipmentshouldbeused.Useonesinkforwashingwiththedetergentandtheotherforrinsinganddisinfecting.

Allfoodcontactsurfacesshouldbefirstcleanedwithadetergentsolutionandthenrinsedwithcleanwater.

Thesurfacesandequipment,includingfoodthermometers,thatreadytoeatfoodorcookedfoodcomesintocontactwith,mustbecleanedanddisinfected.Thiscanbedonebyusingwaterabove82°Corbyusingadisinfectantorasanitiser.Wherethesurfacescannotbedriedinair,thesurfacescanbedriedusingacleanclothorapapertowel.

wHat can go wrong (iF cLeaning is not done properLy)?

i. Dirtcanattractpestsorbeasourceoffoodformicroorganisms.

ii. Dirtydishcloths,floorclothsorteatowelscancausemicrobiologicalcontamination.

iii. Theuseofincorrectcleaningproductsorincorrectcleaningprocedurescancausethechemicalcontaminationoffood.

iv. Theuseofoldcloths,wirewooletc.cancausephysicalcontaminationoffood.


i. Cleanthepremises,includingfittingsandfixturesandparticularlythoseitemsyouhandle,suchaselectricplugs,doorhandles,lightswitchesandbrushes,asfrequentlyasnecessarytoensurethatthepremisesarealwaysvisuallyclean.

ii. Cleanequipment,foodpreparationsurfaces,utensils,foodcontainers,crockery,etc.aftereachuseandbeforereuse,wherenecessary.

iii. Cleananddisinfectorsanitisebeforeuse,thesurfacesandequipmentthatcookedorready-to-eatfoodcomesintocontactwith.Thisincludesthermometers.

iv. Emptyandcleancontainersusedforstoringlooseflour,cereals,sugarandsimilarproducts,asfrequentlyasnecessaryandatleastonceeverymonth.

v. Keeptheextractionhoodoverequipmentvisuallycleanandcleanitatleastonceeverythreemonths.

vi. Cleanreusablebinsaftereachuseifareusablebinisusedtocollectfoodwastewithinthepremises.

vii.Cleanupproductspillagesassoonaspossibleandneverleavethemovernight.

viii.Makesurethatcleaningproductsareclearlylabelledormarkedandthattheyarestoredinaseparateareatofood.

ix. Nevertransfercleaningproductsintofoodcontainers.

x. Useonlyfoodgradedisinfectantsorsanitisersandusethematthecorrectconcentrations.

xi. Washanddisinfectorsanitise,reusabledishcloths,cleaningcloths,potscrubsetc.atleastdaily.

xii.Emptythewaterusedtowashthefloorinanexternalgully.

NoTe:Market premises must be visually clean. Crockery, knives, spoons etc. and any surfaces which ready-to-eat food comes in contact with, must be cleaned and disinfected or sanitised.


recoMMendations

i. Cleaningasyougoisstronglyrecommended.

ii. Donotusethebrushesandcleaningequipmentthatyouusedforcleaninginthekitchenorfoodstorageareasforcleaningotherareas,particularlyyardsetc.

iii. Donotusespongesforcleaningastheyarevirtuallyimpossibletoclean.

iv. Clothsusedforcleaningfloorsshouldbeadifferentcolourtoothercloths.

v. Prepareacleaningchecklist.

Pest control

wHat can go wrong (iF pest inFestation occurs)

i. Foodcanbecontaminatedeitherdirectlyorindirectlybydomesticanimals,pestssuchasrodents,birdsandinsects.Theycancarrydiseasewhichcanbetransferredtofoodortheycanbeasourceoffoodpoisoningmicroorganisms.


i. Ifevidenceofinfestationisfoundinoraroundthepremises,takeactiontoeliminateit.

ii. Donotallowdomesticanimalstoenterareaswherefoodisstoredorprepared.

iii. Donotuseflysprays,flypaperorchemicalflystripsinthekitchenwhilefoodisbeingprepared.

recoMMendations

i. Aflyscreenshouldbeinstalledonwindowsthatareopenedforventilation.

Waste disposal

wHat can go wrong (wHen storing or HandLing Food waste)?

i. Foodwasteifnotproperlystoredandhandled,canattractpestswhichinturncancausefoodpoisoning.


i. Removerefusecontainerseverydayfromthekitchen.Thesecontainersmustbeclean.

ii. Whenfoodwastehastobestored,storeitinasealedcontaineroracoveredbin.

NoTe:Containers and bins used to store food waste should be kept on a surface that can be easily cleaned.

Personal hygiene

wHat can go wrong (wHen personaL Hygiene is ignored)?

i. Foodcanbecomecontaminatedasaresultofpoorhygienepractices.


i. Donotprepareorhandlefoodifyouaresufferingfroman:

• Infectionofthemouth,throat,nose,earsoreyes

• Infectiousskindisorder

• Illnesswithanyofthefollowingsymptoms–apersistentcough,fever,diarrhoeaorvomiting

ii. Donotpreparefoodtobeplacedonthemarket,ifanymemberofthehouseholdissufferingfromdiarrhoeaorvomiting.

iii. Washyourhands,includingforearmswhenexposed,usinganon-perfumedsoap,asfrequentlyasnecessarytokeepthemcleanandalways:

• Beforestartingworkorafterabreak

• Afterhandlingorpreparingrawfood

• Beforehandlingcookedorready-to-eatfood

• Afterhandlingwaste

• Aftercleaningduties

• Afterusingthetoilet

• Afterblowingnose,sneezingorcoughing

• Aftereating,drinking,smokingorusingaphone

• Aftercollectionofgardenproductsortheremovalofoutdoorfootwear

iv. Donotsmoke,drink,eatorchewgumwhilepreparingorhandlingfood.

v. Whenhandlingorpreparingfood:

• Wearacleanapronorequivalentprotectiveclothing

• Keepyourfingernailscleanandshortandfreeofnailvarnishorfalsenails

• Donotwearjewelleryexceptforplainweddingringsandsleeperearrings

• Donotwearexcessiveperfume,deodorantoraftershave


vi. Disposableglovescanbeeffectiveinhelpingpreventthetransferoffoodpoisoningmicroorganismsontofood.Ifyouweardisposablegloves:

• Handsmustbewashedthoroughlybeforeandafteruse

• Glovesmustonlybeusedonce.Changeglovesbetweentasks,e.g.aftertouchingrawmeat,poultry,fish,eggs;beforetouchingready-to-eatfoods;afteremptyingbins;aftercleaning;afterhandlingmoneyetc.

• Discardusedglovesaftereachtask

recoMMendations

i. Longhairshouldbetiedback.Ahairnetshouldbewornwhenpreparingfood.Thereasonistopreventhairfromenteringthefood.

Personal facilities

wHat can go wrong (wHen personaL FaciLities are not adequate)?

i. Inadequatefacilitiescancontributetopoorpersonalhygienepractices.


i. Makesurethatthereisawashhandbasin,withhotandcoldrunningwater,closetothefoodpreparationarea.

ii. Makesurethatthereissoapandsingleusehandtowelsclosetothehandwashingfacilities.

iii. Theremustbeatoiletwithinthepremises.Thetoiletcannotleaddirectlyintothekitchenorotherfoodareas,anditmustbeventilatedeitherbyanoutsidewindoworbyanextractionfan.

NoTe:The use of a nail brush is not recommended unless it is kept in a sterilising solution.

NoTe:The use of liquid bactericidal soap in a dispenser is recommended. The use of disinfectant wipes for hands is also recommended where high-risk food is being prepared.

Training

wHat can go wrong (iF training in Hygiene is inadequate)

i. Foodcanbecomecontaminatedduetolackofknowledgeoffoodhygiene.


i. Ifyouareinvolvedinpreparingorproducingfoodyoumustbeinstructedand/ortrainedinfoodhygienetoallowyoutodoyourjobsafely.Allfoodhandlersshouldbeinstructedinbasicfoodhygienebeforetheystartwork.

ii. Ensurethatthetrainingaddresses:

• Thereasonsforgoodhygienepractices

• Thecausesandpreventionoffoodpoisoningandfoodspoilage

• Personalhygiene

• Cleaning

• Pestsandpestcontrol

iii. Makesurethatyouandanyonehelpingyouisawareofthecontentsofthisguideandofthebasicprinciplesoffoodhygiene.

TheFSAIhasproducedarangeoftrainingmaterialintraditionalandine-learningformatwhichisavailableatwww.fsai.ie


Purchasing

Collection and delivery of food

Storing food ingredients

Food preparation Thawing frozen food

Harvesting of garden produce

Cooking/Baking Jam/HoneyServing food

Cooling food

Packaging

Storing the food produced

Transporting the food produced

Serving teas Food display

Flow diagram


Food Production

reasons For controLLing tHe teMperature oF Food

Controllingthetemperatureofhighandcertainmedium-riskfoodfromthetimeofpurchasingyouringredientstothesaleofyourproductsatthemarket,iscriticaltofoodsafety.

Thetemperatureofhighandcertainmedium-riskfoodmustbecontrolledto:

• Preventfoodpoisoning

• Controltheincreaseinnumberofmicroorganisms

Therearesomemicroorganismswhichifpresentinfood,willcausefoodpoisoning.Thereareothermicroorganismswhichproducetoxins.Thesetoxinswhicharepoisonouschemicals,canalsocausefoodpoisoning.

Normalcookingwilldestroyfoodpoisoningmicroorganisms,butwillnotdestroyalltoxins.Toprotectpublichealth,youmustmakeeveryefforttokeepthenumberofmicroorganismsonfoodtoaminimum.Thiswillreducetheriskoftoxinsbeingpresentatasufficientleveltocausefoodpoisoning.

Holdperishablerawfoodatorbelow5°C.Thiswillhelppreventthegrowthofthosemicroorganismswhichcouldcausefoodpoisoning.

Forcookedfood,eatorservethefoodimmediatelyaftercooking.Wherethisisnotpossible,holdthefoodatorabove63°C,orcoolitto5°Corbelowimmediatelyaftercooking.Thiswillhelppreventthegrowthofthosemicroorganismswhichcouldcausefoodpoisoning.

Ifthegrowthofmicroorganismswhichcouldcausefoodpoisoningisreduced,soalsowillthegrowthofthosemicroorganismwhichcausefoodspoilage.Thiswillbeofbenefitinextendingtheshelf-life.

Purchasing

wHat can go wrong (wHen purcHasing Food or packaging)?

i. Thefoodoringredientsyoubuymaybecontaminated.

ii. Packagingmaterialthatcomesincontactwithfoodmaybeunsuitableormaybecontaminated.


i. Onlybuyfood,foodingredientsandfoodpackagingfromsupplierswhoyoubelievewillsupplysuitableandsafeproducts.

ii. Keeparecordofthenamesandaddressesofwhoyoubuyyourfoodandpackagingfrom.

iii. Don’tbuymorefoodthanyouneed.

Collection of food

wHat can go wrong (wHen coLLecting Food FroM tHe superMarket or casH and carry)?

i. Iffoodwhichshouldbekeptinafridgeisnotkeptcold,microorganismscangrowonthefood.Theycanalsogrowonfrozenfoodifitisallowedtothaworpartiallythaw.

ii. Crosscontaminationcanoccurifdifferenttypesoffoodarenotsegregated,e.g.cookedandothergroceriessuchasrawmeat.

iii. Foodcanbecontaminatedbychemicals,foreignmatteroradirtyvehicle.


i. Whencollectingfoodmakesurethat:

• Theinteriorofthevehicleusediscleanandfreefromconditionsthatcouldcausethecontaminationoffood

• Reusablecontainers,suchastrays,boxesandshoppingbagsifused,areclean

• Chilledfoodistransportedunderrefrigeratedconditionsifitisnotforimmediateuse

• Frozenfoodistransportedunderrefrigeratedconditionsifitisnotforimmediateuse

• Rawfoodswhichcouldcontainharmfulmicroorganismsaresegregatedfromready-to-eatfoods

• Cookedorready-to-eatfoodisnotplacedbelowrawfood


• Domestic,gardenandotherchemicals,includingdetergentsandtoiletries,arenottransportedwithfoodunlesstheyaretotallysegregatedfromit

• Makesurefoodiswithindate,especiallyfoodwitha‘use-by’date

NoTe:Insulated or other containers may be used to transport chilled food once the temperature does of the food does not exceed 5°C. They may also be used to transport frozen food if the food doesn’t thaw or partially thaw during transportation.

NoTe:Raw foods which could contain harmful microorganisms include fish and fish products; meat and meat products; poultry and poultry products; egg and egg products; fruit and vegetables.

ii. Transferthefoodyoucollectintosuitablestoragewithoutdelay

Harvesting garden products

wHat can go wrong (wHen Harvesting garden products)?

i. Gardenproducemaycontaininsectsand/ormicroorganisms.Itmayalsocontainresiduesofherbicidesorpesticides.

ii. Yourclothingandfootwearcanbecomedirtywhencollectinggardenproduce.Thisdirt,ifbroughtintothekitchen,cancausefoodcontamination.


i. Whenharvestingvegetables,removeroots,clayandinsectsfromthevegetablesbeforebringingthemintothefoodpreparationarea.

ii. Whencollectingfruit,removeanyinsectspresentbeforebringingthefruitintothefoodpreparationarea.

iii. Harvestedfruitandvegetablesmustbethoroughlywashedbeforeuse.Caremustbetakentoavoidcontaminationofcleanproduce.Thisisparticularlyimportantforfruit,vegetablesandleafygreenswhichwillnotbecooked.

iv. Keepdirtyeggsseparatefromcleaneggs.Cleandirtyeggsbeforebringingthemintothekitchenorthefoodpreparationarea.Youmustusetheeggsyouhavecleanedimmediatelyaftercleaning.

v. Makesurethatdirtfromthegarden,outhouses,henhousesetc,isnotbroughtintothekitchenorotherfoodpreparationareasonyourclothingorfootwear.

NoTe:You must wash your hands after collecting garden produce or removing outdoor footwear.

vi. Ifyouuseherbicidesorpesticides,onlyusetheminaccordancewiththesuppliers’instructions.

recoMMendation

i. Theuseofherbicidesandpesticidesisnotgenerallyrecommended.Ifyouuseherbicidesand/orpesticides,youshouldkeepalistoftheherbicidesand/orpesticidesusedandwhentheywereused.

“ Normal cooking will destroy food poisoning microorganisms, but will not destroy all toxins. To protect public health, you must make every effort to keep the number of microorganisms on food to a minimum.”


Storing food ingredients

wHat can go wrong (wHen storing Food ingredients)?

i. Foodcanspoilandbecomeunusableifitiskeptfortoolong.

ii. Ifperishableorhigh-riskfoodisnotkeptcold,harmfulmicroorganismscangrowonthefood.

iii. Foodcanbecontaminatedifitisstoredwithgardenorotherchemicals.

iv. Drygoodssuchasflour,cereals,riceandsugarmaycontainmitesorweevils.


i. Thekitchenmustbelargeenoughfordifferenttypesoffoodtobestoredseparately.Thiswillreducethedangerofcrosscontamination.

ii. Storedrygoodsincludingflour,grainsandcerealsinanareawhichisclean,dryandfreeofcondensation.Ifbinsareusedforstorage,keepthemcoveredanddonottopthemup.

iii. Foodmustnotbestoreddirectlyonthefloor.

iv. Storeperishableandhigh-riskfoodingredientsinafridge.

v. Keepthefridgeat5°Corlower.Keepthefreezerat-18°Corlower.Thisdoesnotapplyduringthedefrostcycle.

vi. Foodforbusinessandthehouseholdshouldbeseparated.

vii.Donotusefoodwhichhaspassedits‘use-by’date.Usetheoldestfoodfirst.

viii.Whereyouareproducingfoodtobeplacedonthemarketwhichishigh-riskfood,youmuststoreitinaseparatefridgetothefamilyfridge.

ix. Donotstorecookedorready-to-eatfoodinthesamefridgeasrawfoodunlessthecookedandready-to-eatfoodisbothcoveredandseparated.Donotstorerawfoodabovecookedorready-to-eatfood.Thiswillpreventcross-contamination.

x. Donotstoredomestic,gardenorotherchemicalsincludingdetergentsandtoiletries,withfood.Onnoaccountcananychemicalsbetransferredtofoodcontainersorcontainerssimilartothoseusedforfood.

xi. Donotstoregardenorotherchemicalsinthekitchenorinafoodstoragearea.

recoMMendations

i. Fridgesshouldbefittedwithathermometer.Aprobethermometershouldbeusedtochecktemperature.

ii. Drygoodsshouldbestoredinliddedairtightcontainers.

Thawing frozen food

wHat can go wrong (wHen tHawing Food)?

i. Microorganismscangrowwhilefoodisbeingthawed.Theyoftengrowonthesurfaceoffoodifthesurfacetemperatureofthefoodrisesabove5°C.

ii. Iffoodisnotfullythawedbeforeitiscooked,thecentreofthefoodmaynotbefullycooked.Thiscouldresultinthesurvivaloffoodpoisoningmicroorganisms.


i. Thawfoodcompletelybeforecookingit,unlessthefoodisnormallycookedfromthefrozenstate.

ii. Alwaysthawfrozenfoodwhichcannotbecookedfromfrozenina:

• Fridge

• Microwaveovenwithaproperthawingcycle

NoTe: A microwave oven is not suitable for thawing large joints of meat or whole poultry.

iii. Makesurethatthefoodisfullythawed(between-1°and+3°C)bycheckingthecentreofthefood.Checkforiceinthefoodusingyourhand,askeweroraprobethermometer.Useacleanthermometerandsanitiseitafteruse.Withpoultry,checkthejointsareflexible.

iv. Asageneralrule,youshouldnotrefreezefood.However,youcandefrostfood,cookitandfreezeitagain.


Food preparation

wHat can go wrong?

i. Crosscontaminationcanoccurwhenfoodisbeingprepared.

ii. Harmfulmicroorganismscangrowifthetemperatureofanypartofthefoodremainsbetween5°Cand63°Cfortoolong.

iii. Foreignmattersuchashairs,fliesandflakingpaintcanenterfoodwhenitisbeingprepared.


i. Useseparateequipmentandutensilsforready-to-eatfoodandrawfood.Thisincludesknivesandbowls.

ii. Useseparateworksurfaces,includingchoppingboards,forready-to-eatfoodandforrawfood.Choppingboardscanbemadeofwoodorplastic.

iii. Donotprepareready-to-eatfoodonachoppingboardorothersurfacewhichwasusedtopreparerawmeat,rawfishorrawpoultry.

iv. Makesurethatallready-to-eatfoodisphysicallyseparatedfromrawfood.

v. Keepthetimethefoodspendsoutsideofthefridgeasshortaspossible.Takesmallquantitiesoffoodoutofthefridgeatatime.

vi. Washvegetables(withtheexceptionofonionsandhardcabbage)andfruitbeforeuse.

vii.Whenhandlingcleanfoodutensils,crockery,glassware,cutleryetc.handlethemonlybythesurfaceswhichdonotcomeintocontactwithfood.

viii.Usefrozenfoodwithin24hoursofthawing.

ix. Useonlypasteurisedeggs,eggsfromaSalmonellafreeflock,eggsproducedundertheBoardBiaEggQualityAssuranceSchemeoreggsproducedunderanequivalentqualityassuranceschemetoproduceuncooked/lightlycookedready-to-eateggproductssuchasmayonnaiseandpavlova.

NoTe:If you are using your own eggs from your own farm, the flock (regardless of the size) must be registered under animal health regulations with DAFM. The FSAI recommends that the flock is periodically tested for Salmonella. In this way, you can demonstrate to your EHO that you have considered the risk and are verifying controls by flock testing. Testing certificates should suffice as documentary evidence of these controls. You may also use local farm eggs that are stamped and graded in compliance with the egg marketing legislation. The stamp is sufficient to demonstrate the safety of the egg as these flocks have to be tested for Salmonella under the control of DAFM.

recoMMendations

i. Donotweargloveswhenhandlingfoodunlesstheyaredisposablegloves.Boththeinsideandtheoutsideoftheglovesmustbeclean.

NoTe:Gloves can cause hands to perspire if they are worn for long periods. This perspiration can be a source of food poisoning microorganisms.

ii. Equipmentshouldbecolourcodedwheredifferenttypesoffoodareprepared.Thefollowingisthegenerallyacceptedcolourcode:

a. Blue–Rawfish

b. Red–Rawmeat

c. Green–Saladandfruit

d. White–Dairyandbakingproducts

e. Yellow–Cookedmeats

f. Brown–Vegetables


Cooking/Baking

wHat can go wrong (wHen cooking or baking Food)?

i. Foodpoisoningmicroorganismscansurviveiffoodisnotfullycookedorbaked.Themicroorganismsthatsurvivecanthenrapidlyincreaseinnumber,undertherightconditions.

ii. Foodcanbecontaminatedbytheequipmentusedtostirortowhiskfood,iftheequipmentisusedforraworpartiallycookedfoodandthenforcookedfoodwithoutcleaning.

iii. Adirtycookerythermometercancontaminatefood.


i. Treatbakeryproductswhichcontainhigh-riskfillings,ashigh-riskfoods.

ii. Whenaddingahigh-riskfillingtoabakeryproduct,addthefillingeithercold(5°Corlower)orhot(63°Corhigher).

iii. AsrawflourmaycontainmouldandsometimesSalmonella,makesurethatbakedproductsarenotcontaminatedbyrawflour.

iv. Followmanufacturer’sinstructionswhenusingmicrowaveovensforcooking.

recoMMendations

i. Astherecanbecoldspotsinmicrowaveovens,theyarenotrecommendedforcookingfoodproductswhichcouldcontainfoodpoisoningmicroorganisms.Thepresenceofcoldspotscouldresultinpartofthefoodnotreachingtherequiredtemperaturethatisnecessarytokillallfoodpoisoningmicroorganisms.Inaddition,microwaveovensloosepowerovertime.

Cooling food

wHat can go wrong (wHen cooLing Food)?

i. Foodmaybecomecontaminatedasaresultofcrosscontamination.

ii. Harmfulmicroorganismsmaygrowonorinfoodifitisnotcooledquickly.


i. Coolfoodasquicklyaspossibleto5°Corloweraftercooking/baking.Placeinthefridgewithintwohours.Thiswouldnotbenecessaryforfoodssuchasbreadwhicharenotnormallystoredinafridge.

NoTe:Placing very hot food in a fridge can result in the fridge becoming too warm. This can cause other food in the fridge to increase in temperature.

ii. Whencoolingfoodmakesurethatcrosscontaminationdoesnotoccur.

NoTe:You cannot use your kitchen for domestic activities while food is being cooled in the open.

recoMMendations

Tocoolfoodquickly:

• Divideitintosmallerportionsorspreadoutthefoodinshallowtrays.Liquidscanbestirredregularlytospeedupcooling

• Placefoodinacontainerwhichisinturnplacedinacontainerofice

• Movefoodtoacoolerarea


Jam making

wHat can go wrong (wHen Making jaM)?

i. Fruitmaycontaininsects,foreignmatterandchemicals,suchasinsecticide.

ii. Mouldcangrowonjamifthereisnotenoughsugarinthejam.

iii. Jarsusedforjamcanbeasourceofcontamination.


i. Pickoverfruittoremoveanyforeignmatter.

ii. Makesurethatthereisatleast6kgofsugarforevery10kgoffinishedjam.

iii. Inspecteachjaranddiscardanyjarsthataredamagedorwhereyouhaveanysuspicionthattheyhavebeenusedfornon-fooditemsormaterials.

iv. Washalljars,re-inspectthemandthensterilisethem.

v. Pourthejamwhilehotintohotsterilejarsandthensealthejarwithajamcoverorasterilisedlid.

recoMMendations

i. Tosterilisejars,putcleanjarsintoanovenpreheatedto180°C,foratleastfiveminutes.Tosteriliselids,sterilisetheminboilingwater.Alternatively,jarscanbewashedinthedishwasheronahotcycleandbeallowedtoairdryinthedishwasher.

Honey

wHat can go wrong (wHen separating and packing Honey)?

i. Honeycanbecomecontaminatedfromtheequipmentusedtoseparateitorfromtheenvironmentinwhichitisseparated.

ii. Honeycanpickupcontaminationfromthejarsinwhichitispacked.


i. Makesurethattheextractoriscleanandfreefromrust.

ii. Screentheextractedhoneytoremoveforeignbodiesandwax.

iii. Makesurethatthecontainersusedtostorebulkhoneyarebothcleanandairtightandhavenotbeenusedfornon-foodproducts.

iv. Inspecteachjaranddiscardanyjarsthataredamagedorwhereyouhaveanysuspicionthattheymayhavebeenusedfornon-fooditemsormaterials.

v. Washalljars,re-inspectthemandthensterilisethem.

vi. Keepthehoneyhouseclean,whenitisinuse.

vii.Whereyouhaveaseparatehoneyhouse,itmustcontainawashhandbasin.

recoMMendations

i. Theextractorshouldbemadeofstainlesssteel.

ii. Storetheextractedbulkhoneyinairtightcontainerswiththeminimumamountofairpresentinthecontainer.

iii. Whenbottlinghoney,placethebulkcontainerinaheatedcabinet,atamaximumtemperatureof46°Cforthreedaysandthenfilterthehoneythroughnylonorganzaoranequivalentfilterintoabottler.

iv. Placethebottleinaheatedcabinet,atamaximumtemperatureof40°Cfor24hourstoremoveairbubblesandthenfillthehoneyintosterilejars.

v. Tosterilisejars,putcleanjarsintoanovenpreheatedto180°C,foratleastfiveminutes.

vi. Forcombhoney,cleanthesectionandpackinstandardcontainersforsale.

vii.Forcutcombhoney,packitinastandardcontainerforsale.


NoTe:The Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations provides labels which help ensure traceability.

DAFMhasproducedanumberofpublicationsonhoneyincluding:The Beekeepers Ideal Honey House; DAFM Beekeeper’s Inspections – Common Inspection Issues and their Solutions and Lead Contamination in Honey, October 2013.Theyareavailableathttp://www.agriculture.gov.ie/farmingsectors/beekeepinghoney/

Storing food produced

wHat can go wrong (wHen storing tHe Food tHat was produced)?

i. Foodcanspoilandbecomeunfittoeatifitiskeptfortoolong.

ii. Harmfulmicroorganismscangrowonhigh-riskfoodifthetemperatureinthefridgeistoohigh.

iii. Chemicalscontaminationcanoccuriffoodisstoredwithdomestic,gardenorotherchemicals.

iv. Crosscontaminationcanoccur.


i. Foodshouldbecovered,storedincleancontainersorwrappedtopreventcontamination,dryingoutorbeingtaintedbyotherfood.

ii. Storehigh-riskfoodinafridgeorafreezer.

NoTe:You must have a separate fridge for the food you produce if it has to be stored in a fridge.

iii. Keepthetemperatureofthefridgebetween5°Corlowerandfreezersat-18°Corlower(donotputhotfoodinthefridge;donotleavethedooropenoropenthedoortoooften).

iv. Neverstorecookedorready-to-eatfoodbelowrawfood.

v. Foodthatdoesnotrequirerefrigeratedstorageshouldbestoredinasuitablestoragearea.Thisstorageareamustbelargeenoughsothatthefoodyouproduceisseparatefromotherfoods.

vi. Storedrygoodsinaclean,drystorageareafreefromcondensationandpests.

vii.Donotstoredomestic,gardenorotherchemicals,includingdetergentsandtoiletries,withfood.

recoMMendations

i. Storedcookedfoodshouldbelabelledproperlywiththedateofpreparation.

ii. Foodshouldbeusedona‘first-infirst-out’basis.


Transporting the food produced

wHat can go wrong (wHen transporting tHe Food you produced)?

i. Microorganismscangrowonchilledfoodifitisnotkeptcold.

ii. Crosscontaminationcanoccurifdifferenttypesoffoodarenotsegregated.

iii. Foodcanbecontaminatedbychemicals,foreignbodiesoradirtyvehicle.


i. Whentransportingthefoodwhichyouproducemakesurethat:

• Theinteriorofthevehicleyouuseiscleanandfreefromconditionsthatcouldcausethecontaminationoffood

• Reusablecontainers,suchastraysandboxesifused,areclean

• High-riskfoodistransportedinpre-cooledinsulatedcontainers(ice-packscanbeusedforthispurpose)

• Frozenfoodistransportedunderrefrigeratedconditions

• Hotfoodismaintainedabove63°C

• Rawfoodswhichcouldcontainharmfulmicroorganismsaresegregatedfromoneanother

• Cookedorready-to-eatfoodissegregatedfromrawfood

• Cookedorready-to-eatfoodisnotplacedbelowrawfood

• Thefoodisplacedincleancontainersorcleanpackaging

• Flowers,pottedplantsandcraftitemsaresegregatedfromfood

• Domestic,gardenandotherchemicals,includingdetergentsandtoiletries,arenottransportedwithfoodunlesstheyaretotallysegregatedfromit

NoTe:When transporting chilled food, the core temperature must not exceed 5°C.

NoTe:Raw foods which could contain harmful microorganisms include fish and fish products; meat and meat products; poultry and poultry products; egg and egg products; fruit and vegetables.

Display of food (when sold in a market)

wHat can go wrong (wHen dispLaying Food For saLe)?

i. Microorganismscangrowifthetemperatureofthefoodrisesabove5°C.

ii. Contaminationcanbecausedby:

• Handlingoffoodorsneezingorcoughingoverfood

• Displayingfoodinadustyordirtyenvironment

• Animals,insectsandflies


i. Displayallhigh-riskfoodinpackages,coveredorotherwisesuitablyprotected.

ii. Keephigh-riskfoodininsulatedcontainersandbelow5°Cuntilimmediatelybeforethemarketisopened.

iii. Ifhigh-riskfoodisdisplayedatroomtemperature,onlydisplayasmuchfoodaswillbesoldwithin60minutes.Donotsellorsupplyhigh-riskfoodwhichhasbeenondisplayformorethan60minutes.

iv. Displayready-to-eatfoodinaseparateareatorawfood.Rawfoodincludesvegetablesandeggs.

v. Displayflowers,pottedplantsandcraftworkonaseparatecountertofood.

vi. Avoidcrosscontaminationwhenpackingandstoringcustomer’sorders.

recoMMendations

i. Displaytheminimumquantitypossibleofhigh-riskfood.Thepurposeofthisistopreventthefoodondisplayfromreachingroomtemperature.

ii. Handlereusablefoodcontainerswithcareanddonotstoretheminthesalesarea.Onlydisplaytheamountofhigh-riskfoodsthatwillbeconsumedwithin60minutesofbeingputondisplay.


Serving teas (when served at a market)

wHat can go wrong (wHen serving teas)?

i. Crockeryandutensilsmaybecomecontaminatedwithmicroorganisms.


i. Makesurethatallcrockeryandutensilsarecleanandthatanycrackedcrockeryisthrownout.

ii. Suitablefacilitiesmustbeavailableorarrangementsinplacetocleancrockeryandutensils.

records

Thefollowingmustbekept:

i. Alistofsuppliersoffoodandpackaging

ii. Thequantityandtypeoffoodproducedonadailyorweeklybasisasappropriate

iii. Thetemperatureofallfridgesandfreezers,takenatleastonceperweek

NoTe:The temperature of fridges and freezers should be checked daily but need only be recorded weekly.

NoTe:A small diary may be used for keeping these records. The records should be kept for a year.

iv. Laboratoryreportsforwatertestingifyouareonaprivatewellorgroupscheme

“ Display the minimum quantity possible of high-risk food. The purpose of this is to prevent the food on display from reaching room temperature.”


Appendix A: Food LawThespecificrequirementsoffoodlawnowgenerallycomefromEUlegislation.TheEUlegislationisthentransposedintoIrishlawbyStatutoryInstruments(S.I.s)wheretheoffences,penaltiesandenforcementpowersaresetout.Youneedtoreadbothtogether.

Asthisguidancefocusesonthehygienerequirements,theyhavebeenincludedhere.DetailsontheotherlegislationmentionedinthisguidanceareavailableontheFSAIwebsiteunderlegislationatwww.fsai.ie

Hygiene of Foodstuffs Regulations

RelevantextractsfromRegulation(EC)No852/2004onthehygieneoffoodstuffsandtheEuropeanCommunities(HygieneofFoodstuffs)Regulations,2006[S.I.No.369of2006]:

Regulation (eC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs

Article 4

generaL and speciFic Hygiene requireMents

1. FoodbusinessoperatorscarryingoutprimaryproductionandthoseassociatedoperationslistedinAnnexIshallcomplywiththegeneralhygieneprovisionslaiddowninpartAofAnnexIandanyspecificrequirementsprovidedforinRegulation(EC)No853/20042.

2. Foodbusinessoperatorscarryingoutanystageofproduction,processinganddistributionoffoodafterthosestagestowhichparagraph1appliesshallcomplywiththegeneralhygienerequirementslaiddowninAnnexIIandanyspecificrequirementsprovidedforinRegulation(EC)No853/2004.

3. Foodbusinessoperatorsshall,asappropriate,adoptthefollowingspecifichygienemeasures:

(a) compliancewithmicrobiologicalcriteriaforfoodstuffs;

(b) proceduresnecessarytomeettargetssettoachievetheobjectivesofthisRegulation;

(c) compliancewithtemperaturecontrolrequirementsforfoodstuffs;

(d) maintenanceofthecoldchain;

(e) samplingandanalysis.

4. Thecriteria,requirementsandtargetsreferredtoinparagraph3shallbeadoptedinaccordancewiththeprocedurereferredtoinArticle14(2).Associatedsamplingandanalysismethodsshallbelaiddowninaccordancewiththesameprocedure.

5. WhenthisRegulation,Regulation(EC)No853/2004andtheirimplementingmeasuresdonotspecifysamplingoranalysismethods,foodbusinessoperatorsmayuseappropriatemethodslaiddowninotherCommunityornationallegislationor,intheabsenceofsuchmethods,methodsthatofferequivalentresultstothoseobtainedusingthereferencemethod,iftheyarescientificallyvalidatedinaccordancewithinternationallyrecognisedrulesorprotocols.

6. FoodbusinessoperatorsmayusetheguidesprovidedforinArticles7,8and9asanaidtocompliancewiththeirobligationsunderthisRegulation.

2 Regulation(EC)No853/2004layingdownspecifichygienerulesforfoodofanimalorigin


Article 5

Hazard anaLysis and criticaL controL points

1. Foodbusinessoperatorsshallputinplace,implementandmaintainapermanentprocedureorproceduresbasedontheHACCPprinciples.

2. TheHACCPprinciplesreferredtoinparagraph1consistofthefollowing:

(a) Identifyinganyhazardsthatmustbeprevented,eliminatedorreducedtoacceptablelevels;

(b) Identifyingthecriticalcontrolpointsatthesteporstepsatwhichcontrolisessentialtopreventoreliminateahazardortoreduceittoacceptablelevels;

(c) Establishingcriticallimitsatcriticalcontrolpointswhichseparateacceptabilityfromunacceptabilityfortheprevention,eliminationorreductionofidentifiedhazards;

(d) Establishingandimplementingeffectivemonitoringproceduresatcriticalcontrolpoints;

(e) Establishingcorrectiveactionswhenmonitoringindicatesthatacriticalcontrolpointisnotundercontrol;

(f) Establishingprocedures,whichshallbecarriedoutregularly,toverifythatthemeasuresoutlinedinsubparagraphs(a)to(e)areworkingeffectively;and

(g) Establishingdocumentsandrecordscommensuratewiththenatureandsizeofthefoodbusinesstodemonstratetheeffectiveapplicationofthemeasuresoutlinedinsubparagraphs(a)to(f).

Whenanymodificationismadeintheproduct,process,oranystep,foodbusinessoperatorsshallreviewtheprocedureandmakethenecessarychangestoit.

3. Paragraph1shallapplyonlytofoodbusinessoperatorscarryingoutanystageofproduction,processinganddistributionoffoodafterprimaryproductionandthoseassociatedoperationslistedinAnnexI.

4. Foodbusinessoperatorsshall:

(a) providethecompetentauthoritywithevidenceoftheircompliancewithparagraph1inthemannerthatthecompetentauthorityrequires,takingaccountofthenatureandsizeofthefoodbusiness;

(b) ensurethatanydocumentsdescribingtheproceduresdevelopedinaccordancewiththisArticleareup-to-dateatalltimes;

(c) retainanyotherdocumentsandrecordsforanappropriateperiod.

5.DetailedarrangementsfortheimplementationofthisArticlemaybelaiddowninaccordancewiththeprocedurereferredtoinArticle14(2).SucharrangementsmayfacilitatetheimplementationofthisArticlebycertainfoodbusinessoperators,inparticularbyprovidingfortheuseofproceduressetoutinguidesfortheapplicationofHACCPprinciples,inordertocomplywithparagraph1.Sucharrangementsmayalsospecifytheperiodduringwhichfoodbusinessoperatorsshallretaindocumentsandrecordsinaccordancewithparagraph4(c).

Annex ii Chapter iii

Requirementsformovableand/ortemporarypremises(suchasmarquees,marketstalls,mobilesalesvehicles),premisesusedprimarilyasaprivatedwelling-housebutwherefoodsareregularlypreparedforplacingonthemarketandvendingmachines

1. Premisesandvendingmachinesare,sofarasisreasonablypracticable,tobesosited,designed,constructedandkeptcleanandmaintainedingoodrepairandconditionastoavoidtheriskofcontamination,inparticularbyanimalsandpests.

2. Inparticular,wherenecessary:

(a) appropriatefacilitiesaretobeavailabletomaintainadequatepersonalhygiene(includingfacilitiesforthehygienicwashinganddryingofhands,hygienicsanitaryarrangementsandchangingfacilities);

(b) surfacesincontactwithfoodaretobeinasoundconditionandbeeasytocleanand,wherenecessary,todisinfect.Thiswillrequiretheuseofsmooth,washable,corrosion-resistantandnon-toxicmaterials,unlessfoodbusinessoperatorscansatisfythecompetentauthoritythatothermaterialsusedareappropriate;

(c) adequateprovisionistobemadeforthecleaningand,wherenecessary,disinfectingofworkingutensilsandequipment;


(d) wherefoodstuffsarecleanedaspartofthefoodbusiness’operations,adequateprovisionistobemadeforthistobeundertakenhygienically;

(e) anadequatesupplyofhotand/orcoldpotablewateristobeavailable;

(f) adequatearrangementsand/orfacilitiesforthehygienicstorageanddisposalofhazardousand/orinediblesubstancesandwaste(whetherliquidorsolid)aretobeavailable;

(g) adequatefacilitiesand/orarrangementsformaintainingandmonitoringsuitablefoodtemperatureconditionsaretobeavailable;

(h) foodstuffsaretobesoplacedastoavoidtheriskofcontaminationsofarasisreasonablypracticable.

european Communities (Hygiene of Foodstuffs) Regulations, 2006 [s.i. No. 369 of 2006]

Regulation 4

(1)AfoodbusinessoperatorwhofailstocomplywiththegeneralhygienerequirementslaiddowninAnnexIItotheECRegulation3isguiltyofanoffence.

(2)Whereafoodbusinessoperatorderogatesfromthegeneralhygienerequirementsreferredtoinparagraph(1)inaccordancewiththederogationssetdowninCommissionDirective96/3/ECof26January1996,asamendedbyCommissionDirective2004/4/ECof15January2004,andinCommissionDirective98/28/ECof29April1998,heorsheisnotguiltyofanoffence.

(3)AfoodbusinessoperatorwhofailstoadoptanyspecifichygienemeasuresrequiredinaccordancewithArticle4(3)(b),(c),(d)or(e)oftheECRegulation,wherethecriteria,requirementsortargetsreferredtoinArticle4(4)havebeenadoptedinrespectofthatspecifichygienemeasureinaccordancewithArticle14(2)oftheECRegulation,isguiltyofanoffence.

(4)AfoodbusinessoperatorwhofailstocarryoutsamplingandanalysismethodslaiddowninaccordancewithArticle14(2),asreferredtomethodslaiddowninaccordancewithArticle14(2)

Regulation 5

(1)AfoodbusinessoperatorwhofailstocomplywiththerequirementsofArticle5(1)and(2)oftheECRegulationisguiltyofanoffence.

(2)Afoodbusinessoperatorisguiltyofanoffenceiftheoperator-

(a) failstoprovidetheofficialagencywiththeevidencerequiredbytheofficialagency,inthemannerthattheofficialagencyrequires,takingaccountofthenatureandsizeofthefoodbusiness,oftheoperator’scompliancewithArticle5(1)oftheECRegulation,

(b) failstoensurethatthedocumentsdescribingtheproceduresdevelopedinaccordancewithArticle5oftheECRegulationareup-to-dateatalltimes,or

(c) failstoretainsuchdocumentsandrecords,astheoperatorisobligedtoretainpursuanttoArticle5(4)(c)oftheECRegulation,fortheperiodsspecifiedinparagraphs(3),(4)and(5).

(3) Inthecaseoffoodstuffsrequiringtheindicationofa‘useby’dateinaccordancewithArticle10ofDirective2000/13/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof20March2000,thedocumentsandrecordsshallberetainedforthreemonthsaftertheexpiryoftherelevant‘useby’date.

(4) Inthecaseoffoodstuffsrequiringtheindicationofa‘bestbefore’or‘bestbeforeenddateinaccordancewithArticle9ofDirective2000/13/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof20March2000,thedocumentsandrecordsshallberetainedforoneyearaftertheexpiryoftherelevant‘bestbefore’or‘bestbeforeend’date,asthecasemaybe.

(5) Inthecaseoffoodstuffsforimmediateconsumption,thedocumentsandrecordsshallberetainedforthreemonthsafterthesaleofthefoodstuff.

3 Regulation(EC)No852/2004onthehygieneoffoodstuffs


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