Stepping into Management Knowledge

Food Safety Training

3.6

HOW TO STORE REFRIGERATED FOOD CORRECTLY

PURPOSE OF THE TRAINING EXERCISE: To ensure that staff with food handling responsibilities understand how to store food in refrigerators safely and reduce the risk of cross contamination and bacterial growth. TRAINING AIDS:  Safety Policy Ref 7.45  Refrigerator/Freezer/Microwave & Food Prep Surfaces Cleaning Task Card  Fridge and Freezer Temperature Records TRAINING METHOD: This exercise is run as a question and answer session. Discuss correct answers with the group.

ASK QUESTION TO GROUP: What are the problems associated with incorrectly storing food in the refrigerator and at the wrong temperature? CONFIRM CORRECT ANSWER:  There may be several answers but make sure BACTERIAL GROWTH is included with the answers. ASK QUESTION TO GROUP: Name the two most important factors that must be considered when storing refrigerated food safely? CONFIRM CORRECT ANSWER:  Food temperature  Cross contamination.

EXPLAIN TO THE TEAM:  Bacteria will grow rapidly when the temperatures is above 8 o C . Growth rate is reduced by keeping food below 8 o C. To make certain this does not happen keep refrigerated food below 5 o C which keeps food safe up to its expected shelf life. It is an offence and we can be prosecuted for storing food in this dangerous temperature zone.  Raw food is likely to have bacteria on it when it is delivered so we must prevent it from contaminating other foods that may be in the fridge, the term for this is “cross contamination”.  Food that requires no further cooking or reheating before it is eaten is called “ready to eat” and is “high risk” because it will have no exposure to any high temperatures which would kill any bacteria that may be present due to contamination. ASK QUESTION TO GROUP: What are the main actions we take in our kitchen to make sure that food stored in the fridge is at the correct temperature? CONFIRM CORRECT ANSWERS:  All fridges must be fitted with an electronic digital gauge or have an internal fridge thermometer  Record twice daily temperature records of all chiller units and every Monday record the internal temperature of a food item in all fridges  Store chilled food at or below 5°c.  Store all high risk fish and shellfish e.g. Tuna and live Mussels on ice between 1°c and 4°c, use defrosted high risk fish within 24 hours of defrosting.  Food must not be stored in the saladette overnight, only for service

Safety Assurance March 2016

Food Safety 3.6