Your business is steady, the staff are doing their jobs well, with the odd health and safety slip up, and your restaurant hygiene ratings average around a 3 so you’re not unduly worried.

However, unless every member of your team, from trainee or new starter through to management has received health and safety training and attended food safety courses and are model employees who never make mistakes (impossible!) then your business is still at risk from a food hygiene issue.

How conversant are you about these unwelcome guests?

Norovirus

This is the “winter vomiting bug.” Norovirus occurs when food is incorrectly handled or cooked inadequately.

The germs can survive for days so a contaminated person can touch someone or prepare food and transfer the virus if health and safety is not adhered to.

This is horrendous so please don’t take unnecessary risks.

Instead, look at health and safety training and food safety courses to minimise risks.

Salmonella

Salmonella results from a lack of food safety management.  Salmonella lives in the gut of farm animals.

Sources include meat, poultry, eggs and fish but fruit and vegetables treated with manure pose a risk.

You may have heard recently that bagged salad provides a perfect environment for salmonella to thrive in.

It has no visible signs or an odour. It takes between 12-72 hours to present its awful symptoms.

The only way to eradicate it is to follow food safety HACCP procedures and to handle and cook food correctly and professionally.

E-coli

Escherichia Coli is a health risk that often makes headlines when there’s an outbreak.

The symptoms can appear within hours or sometimes they wait for a few days to deliver a dreadful food poisoning episode but please ensure that it never visits your establishment by taking effective food safety courses.

There are two Chartered Institute of Environmental Health level 2 food safety courses which can be studied online or in person, they are delivered by specialist food safety training firms including the London based Food Alert.

Level 2 equates to a GCSE at grades A*-C inclusive. Management can progress to level 3.

CIEH Level 2 Food Safety Course for Manufacturing.

This course is vital for everyone involved in a preparation, catering, manufacturing or retailing of food products.

This food safety course delivers fundamental information about food safety, legislation and hygiene plus practical skills which can be used in their work environment.

• The importance of food safety.
• Safe food storage.
• Food safety hazards.
• Food safety management.
• Temperature controls.
• Personal hygiene.
• Risks and prevention.
• Cleaning safely.
• Use of chemicals.

CIEH Food Safety Course in Catering

Training comprises of the basics of food hygiene and the skills to work safely are discussed.

• Legislation.
• Food safety.
• Food handling.
• Hygiene hazards.
• Safe food storage.
• Temperature control.
• Refrigeration, chilling and cold holding.
• Cooking, hot holding and reheating.
• Cleaning.
• Food premises and equipment.

There are several health and safety and food safety courses available so please take advantage of them to secure a healthy food environment.