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Food Safety and Hygiene in Care Homes Policy

Policy Statement

This policy describes the approach taken to ensure high standards of food safety and hygiene in line with all statutory requirements and regulations.

It should:

• ensure that people who use the services benefit from having food provided for them that is of high quality, well presented and prepared and is nutritionally sound
• protect staff and people who use the services from food-related illness.

With respect to the food that it provides or that is brought into it, the home has a duty to ensure that all staff and people who use the services should be kept as safe as possible from food poisoning and related food associated illness by the adoption of high standards of food hygiene and food preparation.

Poorly prepared, stored or contaminated food can be the source of potentially fatal infections such as Salmonella and Listeria. Managers or owners of care homes are responsible for the food hygiene standards within their organisations. {{org_field_name}} believes that the effective management of food safety relies heavily on having written operational policies for the safe preparation, storage and handling of food.

Procedures

Food Preparation Facilities

In line with food safety and hygiene regulations:

• all food preparation areas will be designed to permit good hygiene practice and be easy to clean and disinfect
• all food preparation and storage areas will be designed and sited to provide adequate ventilation and to protect food against external sources of contamination such as pests and vermin — adequate pest control measures will be taken to ensure that the risk of contamination is minimised
• all food preparation areas, storage areas and serving areas will be kept in good repair and condition at all times — regular risk assessment and maintenance checks will be made with the findings recorded and logged
• all food preparation areas, storage areas and serving areas will be kept clean at all times — kitchens will be subject to regular cleaning by cleaning staff using colour coded equipment solely for use in kitchen areas in accordance with an established rota; catering staff will be expected to clean food preparation surfaces, equipment and utensils at regular intervals and as required during food preparation and cooking; records of cleaning activity will be kept and random quality checks made by {{org_field_name}} manager
• adequate sanitary and handwashing facilities will be made available for all catering staff
• lavatories will not lead directly into food handling areas
• any “mini-kitchens” designed for people to be able to prepare their own snacks and drinks will be kept in a clean and hygienic condition and to the same standards as larger kitchens.

Food Preparation and Handling

In {{org_field_name}}:

• all food will be prepared, cooked, stored and presented in line with the high standards required by the food safety and food hygiene laws
• all food safety and hygiene policies and procedures will be implemented by having effective management of food safety systems in place which include a form of risk assessment based upon the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system; all risk assessment findings will be documented and records kept
• staff preparing food will take all reasonable, practical steps to avoid the risk of cross contamination of food, ingredients, work surfaces and equipment
• all tools, equipment and surfaces that come into contact with food being prepared or served must be kept clean at all times
• everyone in a food handling area must maintain a high level of personal cleanliness and food handlers must wear suitable clean and, where appropriate, protective clothing
• at every stage of meal preparation, food must be protected from contamination likely to render it unfit for human consumption
• cooks should ensure that the correct colour coded knives and chopping boards are used when preparing food to avoid cross contamination, ie:
  • red — raw meat
  • yellow — cooked food
  • blue — raw fish
  • white — bread and dairy products
  • green — salads and fruits
  • brown — vegetables
  • purple — gluten free/allergy
• all foods should be cooked before serving and should not be reheated (especially “at risk” foods such as custards, gravies and meat dishes)
• poultry, rolled meat joints, stews, casseroles, minced meats and meat products should achieve a core temperature of 75°C (using a digital probe thermometer)
• digital probe thermometers should be checked on a monthly basis to ensure that they are giving an accurate reading; they should be serviced regularly and recalibrated as required (manufacturers’ instructions and guidelines should be followed when conducting tests or arranging for servicing — results of checks and services should be recorded); they should also be wiped and handled appropriately to avoid cross contamination
• all foods that are to be held hot prior to serving must be kept at above 63°C and should be placed in appropriate equipment, such as a pre-heated bain-marie/hot cabinet, as soon as possible after cooking
• all deep-frozen food should be thawed before cooking (especially important when using a microwave oven)
• all prepared fillings for sandwiches should be stored in a fridge until needed — small quantities of fillings should be taken out as required
• cooks and meal planners should be aware of the latest guidance relating to Salmonella infection associated with the cooking of eggs
• cooks should never reuse utensils which have been used to prepare raw eggs or meat without first washing them with hot water and detergent
• catering staff should never allow juices from raw meat to come into contact with other foods — cooked food and uncooked food should not be stored together and separate marked cutting boards and knives should be used for raw and ready-to-eat food
• salads must be washed thoroughly
• food handlers should receive adequate supervision, instruction and training in food hygiene
• when serving food, appropriate hygiene standards should be scrupulously observed by all staff
• all staff must wash their hands before and after handling foodstuffs and, in addition, all staff helping in the preparation or serving of food should wear the protective equipment provided, such as disposable gloves, hats and aprons
• when serving or displaying food, it can be kept out of temperature control for a limited period of time but this should only be done once and if any food is left after this time it must be thrown away or kept chilled at 8°C or below until it is used — cold foods can be kept above 8°C for up to four hours
• care staff should be careful to ensure that food taken to a person using the services away from the dining area is covered and kept hot throughout its journey
• where a person requires help to actually eat their meal this should be provided as quickly as possible to avoid the food going cold again
• if sandwiches are not to be consumed immediately they should be wrapped in food safe packing before display to avoid contamination from handling and to retain their freshness
• all wrapped sandwiches should be labelled with the date and time they were prepared
• it is recommended that sandwiches are stored chilled at all times
• if sandwiches are not refrigerated they should be thrown away after four hours
• wherever possible, staff should use utensils or packaging when serving to avoid direct contact with hands.

Eggs

{{org_field_name}} is aware that, following improved food safety controls in recent years with regard to egg production, elderly people can now safely eat raw or lightly cooked hen eggs, or foods containing them, that are produced under the British Lion Code of Practice.

However, the home also understands NHS guidance to state that vulnerable people should still avoid raw or lightly cooked eggs that are:

• not British Lion stamped
• not hen eggs (eg duck or quail eggs)
• from outside the UK.

In such cases, a risk of Salmonella may still exist and eggs should be cooked through until the white and yolk are solid.

In {{org_field_name}}, all eggs will be procured from a reliable source and will be subject to the British Lion Code of Practice. Catering staff will be expected to implement the latest best practice in egg preparation to ensure that people who use the services can safely benefit from and enjoy eggs prepared in many ways as part of a varied and healthy diet.

In line with NHS advice, people who have a severely weakened immune system and who are on a medically supervised diet prescribed by a health professional should have all eggs cooked thoroughly, even eggs that have the Red Lion stamp. Where appropriate, further advice should be obtained from the healthcare professional or from a dietician.

Food Waste Disposal

In {{org_field_name}}:

• all food waste should be disposed of in a hygienic and environmentally friendly way in line with the home’s waste disposal policy
• refuse should not be allowed to accumulate in kitchens and should not be left overnight
• food waste should be disposed of in appropriately labelled and covered receptacles — receptacles that are usually used for the storage of food for consumption should not be used for refuse
• other kitchen waste generated may be stored in black polythene bags which should be removed when full and at the end of each day; the bags should not be overfilled and should be tied to prevent problems from insects
• the containers for such bags should be maintained in a clean condition and be foot operated and staff should be trained to wash their hands after using the receptacles
• suitable outdoors waste storage facilities will be provided for the storage of food waste prior to its removal from the establishment; these facilities must be maintained in a clean and secure manner to ensure that they are free from pest activity and do not present a health hazard.

Food Procurement and Storage

Product date codes

Catering staff responsible for food ordering and storage must maintain a strict regime of stock control that includes the removal and disposal of all out-of-date foods.

Staff should always follow the instructions for storage and preparation that appear on food packaging, especially “use by” and “best before” date codes. Staff should check these dates carefully and look out for advice or instructions on how long food can be kept for once packaging has been opened.

Catering staff should follow the NHS guidance and best practice catering guidance not to use any food or drink after the “use by” date, even if the food looks and smells fine. {{org_field_name}} recognises that failure to comply with a “use by” date raises the risk of poisoning from food that has spoilt.

In {{org_field_name}}:

• all catering products will be procured from reliable, high-quality sources
• all products must be used before the expiry of date codes
• care must be taken when using products to check labelling instructions; these might indicate, for example, that the product must be refrigerated after opening or used within three days of opening, etc
• the rule “First In — First Out” should always be applied
• opened packs of food should be decanted into clean containers with close fitting lids labelled and date coded.

Refrigeration

In {{org_field_name}}, the following rules should be applied when storing food in a refrigerator.

• High-risk foods should be stored between 0–4ºC*.
• Fresh meat, poultry and fish should be stored between 0–1ºC.
• Frozen foods to be stored at or below –18ºC.
• Cook-chill products to be stored at 3ºC or below.

*High-risk foods are usually those which contain protein and are intended for consumption without further treatment which would destroy such organisms, eg all cooked meat and poultry, cooked meat products including gravy and stock, milk, cream, artificial cream, custards and dairy produce, cooked eggs and products made with eggs, for example mayonnaise, shellfish and other seafood, and cooked rice.

In {{org_field_name}}:

• refrigerators should be packed in a manner which allows good air circulation
• all food should be covered to prevent drying out, cross contamination and the absorption of odour
• higher risk foods should be stored at the rear of the refrigerator where possible and always above raw foods
• cooked, ready-to-eat and raw foods should ideally be stored in separate refrigerators
• refrigerators should be cleaned on at least a weekly basis using food safe chemicals
• spillages should be cleaned as soon as they occur; after cleansing, the surfaces need to be completely dried
• refrigerator, freezer and chill-holding equipment temperatures should be checked and recorded on a daily basis and refrigerators should be serviced on a regular basis, at least twice a year.

In the Event of Illness in a Food Handler or a Suspected Food-related Health Problem

In {{org_field_name}}, in the event of illness in a food handler or a suspected food-related health problem among people receiving care:

• any member of staff who becomes ill while handling food should stop work at once and report to whoever is in charge at the time; staff involved in food handling who are ill should see their GP and should only return to work when their GP states that they are safe to do so
• suspected outbreaks of food-related ill health should be reported immediately to a senior member of staff
• any suspected outbreaks of food-related ill health should be reported immediately to the local consultant in communicable disease control (CCDC) and infection control team.

Training

All staff should learn about the dangers of poor food handling and about proper handwashing techniques. Such training must be designed to raise awareness and should form part of the induction process for any new staff. All catering and food handling staff should be appropriately qualified and be offered ongoing training to develop their catering skills and ensure that their infection control techniques are up to date.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

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