Food Safety and Hygiene Supervision Level 3 (VTQ)
Course Content
- Introduction to Food Safety Level 3
- Food Safety Laws and Regulations
- HACCP
- Bacteriology and Food Poisoning
- Introduction Food Poisoning and Foodbourne Diseases
- Understanding Foodborne Illnesses
- High risk groups of people for food safety
- Poisons and Food Poisoning
- Food Poisoning - Signs and Symptoms
- Food Poisoning and allergic reactions
- Introduction to Microbiology
- Bacteria and Their Effects
- How we Control Bacteria Growth
- Guidance in Controlling E.coli 0157
- Types of Infections
- Storage and hazards of chemicals near food
- Natural Plant Foods and Allergies
- Listeria and keeping food safe
- Campylobacter
- Sources of Food Poisoning
- Non bacterial Food Poisoning
- Destruction of Bacteria in Food
- Food Contamination
- Introduction to Contamination Hazards in Food Safety
- Cross-contamination direct and indirect
- Example of indirect cross contamination
- Preventing cross-contamination
- Chemicals and Foreign Objects
- Wearing Jewellery in Food Production Areas
- Effective cleaning
- Cleaning Schedules
- Types of cleaning and chemicals
- In-House and Contract Cleaners
- Chopping Board Colours
- Introduction to Food Safety Pest Management
- Pest Control
- Fly control
- Rules on food waste, including waste cooking oil
- Storing Hot Food
- Serving in bars and restaurants
- Restaurant Workers
- Signs of Food Spoilage
- Physical Contamination
- Causative Agents
- Controlling food pests
- Essential Pest Control Measures for Food Supervisors
- Personal Hygiene
- Personal Hygiene in Food Safety
- Cleaning your hands effectively
- Waterless hand gels
- Protective clothing in food production
- First aid kits for food preparation
- Personal responsibilities at work
- Personal illness and exclusion from work
- Personal illness, employee's responsibilities
- Food area PPE
- Using a Nailbrush
- Accidents and First Aid
- Food Premises
- Food Storage and Preservation
- Food area requirements
- Rules on keeping your water supply safe
- Date Marks, Damaged Food and Record Keeping
- Heating, refrigeration and freezing
- Refrigeration and Freezing
- Dietary requirements
- Gluten free foods and Coeliac Disease
- Egg precautions
- Use by and best before dates for effective stock control
- Defrosting
- Stock Control
- Food Safety Monitoring
- Water and Water Supplies
- Waste Handling
- Cleaning, Disinfection and Workplace Controls
- Food Safety Supervision Management
- Enforcement and Visits
- Diet, Nutrition and Hydration introduction
- Macronutrients
- Micronutrients
- Fluids
- Nutrition and Malnutrition
- Food Groups
- Different Diets
- Food Labelling
- Food Allergies
- Food Allergies and Labelling
- Allergen Controls
- Summary
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The law requires that in all food businesses other than those engaged in primary production (e.g. farmers and growers) and associated operations:“No person suffering from, or being a carrier of a disease likely to be transmitted through food or afflicted, for example, with infected wounds, skin infections, sores or diarrhoea is to be permitted to handle food or enter any food-handling area in any capacity if there is any likelihood of direct or indirect contamination.”“Any person so affected and employed in a food business and who is likely to come into contact with food is to report immediately the illness or symptoms, and if possible their causes, to their manager or supervisor.” The people referred to in these requirements are commonly referred to as food handlers.A person can be a carrier of a disease and pass it on through food or directly to other people. When bacteria infect an individual and cause gastrointestinal illness (food poisoning), they live and multiply in the gut and are excreted in faeces or in vomit. The risk of bacteria spreading is highest when the infected person has diarrhoea and vomiting because there are lots of bacteria and a loose or liquid stool is more likely to contaminate hands and other things. Some types of bacteria that cause food poisoning can also infect damaged skin and can be carried in the nose and throat.Food may be contaminated with harmful bacteria, either directly by an infected food handler, or indirectly through contact with a food contact surface that has been contaminated by an infected food handler. Foods which will not be cooked before being eaten are at greater risk because cooking is a process that would kill many of the bacteria present.People can also have infections without showing any symptoms. This can be because they are long-term carriers of infectious bacteria; because they just have very mild infections; or because they are only in the early stages of illness and symptoms are not yet apparent. This is one reason why it is important for food handlers to always follow the hand-washing guidance in this document, Some viruses can be transmitted through food and spread in much the same way as bacteria, with similar effects. The main differences are that viruses cannot multiply on food but can survive on food for long periods. Viruses can spread via contaminated hands and some can also spread through the air, especially when an infected person vomits. This characteristic is often what causes large-scale outbreaks of viral infection in enclosed environments. Viruses are also generally quite easy to destroy by cooking food.Some types of parasitic worms can infect the human intestines. They spread by laying tiny eggs inside the infected person, which are shed in faeces. Protozoa, such as amoeba, are single-celled organisms that can infect the human intestines and body and can cause serious illness such as dysentery. They can also spread through faeces. Infections caused by these organisms are not common in the UK.Managers must exclude any person from food handling duties and food handling areas if they have an infection of the stomach or gut or if they have an area of infected skin that cannot be covered. The length of the exclusion is usually 48 hours from when their symptoms stop. If you are in doubt about whether to exclude someone, it is advisable to take into account the nature of the likely consequences of something going wrong should you make the wrong decision.Factors to consider include the nature of their duties, processes that will be applied to the food and whether vulnerable people will be consuming the food, e.g. young children or people who are already ill.Food handling duties would include directly handling open food or touching surfaces that will come into direct contact with food, such as food packaging areas and food equipment.The affected member of staff could be given work elsewhere on the premises, such as warehouse operations where only packaged food is handled, although they should practice good personal hygiene.It is the responsibility of the food business operator to ensure that people who are not directly employed by them, for example, maintenance staff, contractors and other visitors to food handling areas, do not pose a risk to food safety as they may know very little about food safety.In most cases of infection, bacteria and viruses can still be found in someone’s faeces after symptoms stop. It is therefore important that managers continue to exclude food handlers for a period of 48 hours. This time is counted from the time that symptoms (mainly diarrhoea) stop of their own accord or from the end of any treatment of the symptoms with medicine.It is reasonable to presume that a single bout (e.g. one loose stool) or incidence of vomiting is not infectious if 24 hours have elapsed without any further symptoms and this is not accompanied by fever. In this case, as long as there is no other evidence to suggest an infectious cause, the person would only pose a very low risk of being infected and could resume work before the 48-hour limit.Infections are not the only cause of diarrhoea and vomiting and exclusion is not required where there is good evidence of a non-infective cause. Examples of this are: Morning sickness during pregnancy, Some medicines and medical treatments, Inflammation of the bowel including diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease, Irritable bowel syndrome, Cancer of the bowelCoeliac disease, Dietary indiscretions like consuming too much alcohol or spicy food.If in doubt, it is best to assume that the cause is an infection and to exclude the person until there evidence to show it is safe for them to return to work.
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Guidelines for Food Handlers on Infections and Exclusion
Legal Requirements for Food Handlers
Understand the legal obligations concerning infections in food businesses:
- No person with a disease likely to be transmitted through food or with infected wounds, skin infections, sores, or diarrhoea should handle food or enter food-handling areas.
- Report any illness or symptoms immediately to the manager if likely to come into contact with food.
- Such individuals are commonly referred to as food handlers.
Risks of Disease Transmission
Learn about the risks of disease transmission through food handling:
- Bacteria causing gastrointestinal illness can spread through faeces or vomit, particularly when a person has diarrhoea and vomiting.
- Viruses can survive on food and spread via contaminated hands or airborne particles, leading to outbreaks.
- Parasitic worms and protozoa can also infect through faecal contamination.
Management Responsibilities
Responsibilities of managers regarding exclusion and management of infected food handlers:
- Exclude any person with stomach/gut infections or unmanageable skin infections from food handling duties.
- Exclude period is usually 48 hours after symptoms cease.
- Consider the nature of duties, food processes, and vulnerable consumers when making exclusion decisions.
Exclusion Criteria and Exceptions
Criteria for excluding food handlers and exceptions based on symptoms:
- Exclude individuals with infectious symptoms until 48 hours after symptoms cease, except for non-infective causes like morning sickness or certain medical conditions.
- Continue exclusion if symptoms persist or return within the 48-hour period.
Non-Infective Causes of Symptoms
Examples of non-infective causes where exclusion may not be necessary:
- Morning sickness, certain medications, bowel inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome, and dietary causes.
- Use caution and medical advice to determine if symptoms are non-infective.