Make it safe! : a guide to food safety

297 Pages·2010·13.872 MB·English

by  CSIRO Publishing. Food and Nutritional Sciences

Make it
Safe
A Guide to
Food Safety
csiro Food and Nutritional sciences
Make It Safe
A Guide to Food Safety
CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences
© CSIRO 2010
All rights reserved. Except under the conditions described in the Australian Copyright Act 1968 and subsequent
amendments, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any
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prior permission of the copyright owner. Contact CSIRO PUBLISHING for all permission requests.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Make it safe: a guide to food safety.
9780643095687 (pbk.)
Food industry and trade – Australia – Quality control.
Food industry and trade – Australia – Safety measures.
Food industry and trade – Australia – Sanitation.
CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences.
664.0685
Published by
CSIRO PUBLISHING
150 Oxford Street (PO Box 1139)
Collingwood VIC 3066
Australia
Telephone: [phone]
Local call: 1300 788 000 (Australia only)
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Email: [email protected]
Website: www.publish.csiro.au
All photographs are by Chris Taylor, CT Image Technology, except the top photograph on page xii (iStockphoto
© Jaroslaw Wojcik) and images on pages 22, 54 and 160.
The ‘Always Wash Hands’ poster on the front cover and pages 65 and 103 is © 2005 Health Promotion Resources
Pty Ltd, www.hpr-safetystore.com.au
Permission to reproduce extracts from the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Standards
Code, User Guides and other relevant FSANZ publications, has been granted by FSANZ.
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CSIRO PUBLISHING publishes and distributes scientific, technical and health science books, magazines and
journals from Australia to a worldwide audience and conducts these activities autonomously from the research
activities of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of, and
should not be attributed to, the publisher.
Important notice concerning the information in this book
This book is not intended to take the place of advice specific to your circumstances.
Information in this book is of a general nature only and may change over time. It does not
purport to be a comprehensive statement of relevant regulations or guarantee any particular
outcome. You should always exercise your own skill, care and judgement in using any
information in this book. In particular, before using or relying on any information in this book
you should carefully evaluate its currency, accuracy, completeness and relevance for your specific
circumstances. You should seek legal and other professional advice on the requirements for your
specific circumstances.
Always comply with manufacturers’ instructions regarding the installation, use, maintenance
and repair of any equipment of a type referred to in this book.
No liability will be taken for any error or omission or for any loss arising in connection with
the use of any information in this book.
References (written or visual) to any organisation or to particular products or services are
included for information or example only and should not be regarded as endorsements. The
reference to any organisation, product or service in this book may not be used for advertising or
product endorsement purposes.
Conversely, the fact that a particular organisation, product or service is not referenced should not
be taken as any indication of any opinion of that organisation, product or service.
References to third-party websites and materials are provided for information and convenience
only and not as endorsements. No responsibility is taken for the content and currency of any
material included in third-party websites or materials.
     iii

Preface
The huge variety of manufactured foods available to Australian consumers today has largely
been the result of the hard work and creativity of a group of relatively small manufacturers.
Small businesses, defined as those employing less than 20 staff, make up approximately two-
thirds of businesses in Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing industry.
This book is aimed at those businesses currently manufacturing food on a small scale, or those
considering entering this market. It will assist those already operating a small business to develop
a better understanding of key food safety systems, while those who are in the ‘start-up’ phase will
gain knowledge essential to providing their business with a solid foundation in food safety. The
content will also be useful for students of food technology who wish to seek employment in the
industry or are planning on establishing their own manufacturing operation.
It is often said by those associated with the food industry that food safety is non-negotiable, and
this is the basis on which this book is written. Failure to control food safety hazards can have
devastating consequences on the health of consumers and the viability of food businesses.
Information is presented in a straightforward, instructive manner, with details provided on the
reasons why specific legislated food safety requirements are in place. Key messages are
highlighted at the end of each chapter and provide a ready reference point for those seeking a
summary of the main points.
The reader is led through a logical sequence of topics, starting with information on why food safety
is so important to food business operators. Chapter 2 provides an outline of the three food safety
hazards: microbial, chemical and physical. The control of microbial hazards is given special
emphasis throughout the book because this is the greatest challenge to food manufacturers.
Chapters 3 to 7 are devoted to practical guidance on how food safety hazards can be controlled.
Areas covered include: premises, equipment, staff, product recipes, raw ingredients, preparation,
processing, packaging, shelf-life and labelling. Chapter 8 covers the important topic of food recalls.
Chapter 9 provides detailed information on each of the different types of pathogenic foodborne
microorganisms of concern in Australia. To wrap up the book, the last sections – ‘Sources of
information’, ‘Useful contacts’ and the ‘Glossary’ – provide a listing of references used in the book,
contact details for those who can help small businesses with many aspects of food safety, and an
explanation of terms in the book that the reader may not have encountered previously.
     v
This book was written under the auspices of CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences (CFNS) and
its predecessor, Food Science Australia (FSA). CFNS continues CSIRO and FSA’s long history of
providing food and nutrition research to support the health and wellbeing of the Australian
community and the sustainability of the Australian food industry.
Sincere thanks go to Brigitte Cox and Keith Richardson who contributed significantly to the
writing of this book. I would also like to thank other CFNS colleagues for their assistance:
• Heather Craven
• Patricia Desmarchelier
• Gary Dykes
• Vicki Eggelston
• Narelle Fegan
• Ailsa Hocking
• Atul Kacker
• Jennifer Keogh
• Cathy Moir
• Bob Steele
CFNS would also like to acknowledge and thank the representatives from the following bodies
who contributed to the review process:
• Australian Capital Territory Department of Health
• Australian Food and Grocery Council
• Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
• Coles Supermarkets
• New South Wales Food Authority
• Northern Territory Department of Health and Families
• Safe Food Production Queensland
• South Australian Department of Health
• TAFE New South Wales
• Tasmanian Department of Health and Human Services
• Victorian Department of Human Services
• Western Australian Department of Health, and
• Two representatives of the Australian small food business sector
CFNS received funding from the Australian Government towards this book.
Katherine Scurrah
Project Leader, CFNS
vi Make It Safe: A Guide to Food Safety
Contents
Important notice concerning the information in this book  iii
Preface  v
Chapter 1 Why is food safety your concern? 1
What are the food safety hazards you should know about? 1
Microbial hazards  1
Chemical hazards  3
Physical hazards   4
Taking responsibility for food safety – it’s the Law 5
The Australia New Zealand food standards system   5
The benefits of taking food safety issues seriously 9
Health and wellbeing of your customers  11
Viability and growth of your business  13
Continued popularity of products in your industry sector  15
Minimising the overall cost to society   16
Protecting the reputation of Australia’s food industry   17
Key messages from Chapter 1 19
Chapter 2 Food safety hazards – under the spotlight 21
Microbial hazards – pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins 21
Pathogenic foodborne bacteria  22
Pathogenic foodborne viruses  34
Parasites  36
Chemicals – environmental contaminants, food business use or
naturally occurring 38
Government regulations and monitoring  38
Chemicals hazards in food businesses   39
Naturally occurring substances   43
Physical contaminants in food 50
Key messages from Chapter 2 53
     vii
Chapter 3 Controlling food safety hazards – premises and people 55
Food business premises and equipment 55
Safe products cannot be made in an unsafe environment  55
Fit-for-purpose equipment   67
Cleaning and sanitising   78
Pest control and animal exclusion  91
Food safety – the responsibility of all who operate or work for a
food business 96
Staff experience and training  96
The health of food handlers  98
Food hygiene essentials   101
Key messages from Chapter 3 111
Chapter 4 Controlling food safety hazards – your product recipes 113
Adding acid to food 113
Reducing the available water in food 120
When to measure pH and water activity 122
Adding chemical preservatives 123
Nitrites and nitrates   123
Nisin  124
Sulphur dioxide and sulphites  125
Combining hurdles to control pathogenic microorganisms 126
Key messages from Chapter 4 129
Chapter 5 Controlling food safety hazards – your ingredients 131
Purchasing your ingredients 131
Purchasing from a supplier – approved supplier programs  131
Regulatory requirements and product specifications   133
Steps to follow when receiving deliveries 137
Goods receipt form   138
Overview of what to check for   140
Checking the temperature of potentially hazardous foods  141
Checking food for adequate protection against contamination  145
Traceability  145
Use of your own vehicles when purchasing ingredients 146
Storing your ingredients safely 147
viii     Make It Safe: A Guide to Food Safety
Recommended storage practices for different food categories  149
Food storage containers and covers  153
Re-packing and portioning bulk ingredients  155
Stock rotation   155
Separation of rejected or discarded foods   156
Key messages from Chapter 5 159
Chapter 6 Controlling food safety hazards – preparing, cooking and
cooling safely 161
The planning phase – it pays to think before you make 161
Basic steps for safely preparing food 161
Chilling as you go  163
Washing and sanitising fruit and vegetables  163
Thawing frozen foods  165
Food preparation equipment  166
Labelling and keeping track of individual components  167
Making unplanned changes  167
Clearing and cleaning as you go  168
Preparing products containing food allergens  168
Cooking – some like it hot, but not pathogens … 169
Commercial sterilisation  170
Measuring the temperature of food   173
Pasteurisation  178
Cooling – now your product is hot you must cool it down … carefully 188
Reducing portion sizes before chilling  189
Chilling equipment   189
Chilling in appropriate containers  191
Freezing post pasteurisation   192
Chilling without a prior cooking step 193
Microbiological testing provides important evidence 193
Key messages from Chapter 6 195
Chapter 7 Controlling food safety hazards – packaging, shelf-life and
labelling 197
Packaging your products 197
Packaging materials  198
Contents     ix