In this assignment I am going to be outlining and explaining safe practices necessary in preparing, cooking and serving food in a health or social care setting and relevant legislation in relation to preparing, cooking and serving food.
Safe practices of food preparation, cooking and service
Hygiene Control
When you are working in a hospital with food, it is highly important that hygiene is well controlled because food must be kept safe, otherwise patients could become ill, this is normally done by;
- Protecting food from contamination by harmful bacteria
- Preventing bacteria from multiplying to dangerous levels
- Destroying harmful bacteria in or on food by cooking
- Disposing of harmful food safely. Troi.coleman.1240@facebook.co,
The basic rules of food hygiene are outlined below;
- Always wash your hands before touching food, particularly after going to the toilet, after touching animals, your own skin and hair and after touching raw food.
- Always cover any break in the skin of your hands, or sores or spots, with waterproof adhesive dressing (preferably a brightly coloured one so it is noticeably if it comes off)
- No smoking during the preparation of food or in areas where food or prepared or consumed.
- Avoid preparing food if you have any illness (particularly skin, nose or throat infections and sickness and/or diarrhoea.)
- Do not allow animals into the food preparation area.
- Cover food to protect it from flies and other insects.
- Wrap all food waste and dispose of it in a covered waste bin.
- Clean as you go. Wash surfaces with hot water and detergent.
- Wipe spills up immediately with kitchen tissue and place this is in a covered bin.
- Serve food as soon as possible after preparing it.
- Never allow raw food to come in