Food Safety Principles

(i) List six guidelines that should be followed to ensure the safe preparation and storage of food in a care setting. In a care setting, it is essential that good food quality and service is delivered to the clients or patients using the provision. The Nursing Homes (Care and Welfare) Regulations 1993, Article 13 legislation under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland act, 1998 states: In every nursing home there shall be: (a) a separate kitchen with suitable and sufficient cooking facilities, kitchen equipment and tableware; (b) provision for the storage of food in hygienic conditions Murphy K, O’Shea E., Cooney A., Shiel A., & Hodgins M, (2006). Six guidelines that should be followed in relation to Article 13 (b) are; 1. Personal hygiene

It prevents potential problems in the following areas of food safety: ingredients, production, storage, service and distribution. (FSAI, 2006) The approach of HACCP provides catering establishments with a cost effective system that improves food safety management. HACCP has 7 principals: 1. Identify the hazards. 2. Determine the critical control points (CCS). 3. Establish critical limits. 4. Establish a system to monitor control of the CCP. 5. Establish the corrective action to be taken. 6. Establish procedures for verification to confirm the HACCP system is working. 7. Establish documentation concerning all procedures and records. The benefits of HACCP are: The food safety standards are immediately increased. Food quality is increased. The process is controlled by the catering business. It guarantees that the established is compliant with the law. Hazards are identified before a problem is caused. It organises the business to produce safe food and avoids food poisoning. It organises staff and promotes teamwork. HACCP saves the business money in the long run and is due diligence protection if brought to court. (FSAI,

coli) is found in the intestines of healthy people and animals. E-coli for the most part, are harmless, but when people are exposed to some strains of e-coli they can become ill, this is usually caused by from contaminated water, food or person-person contact. Duyff, L, R. (2006) E-coli differ from many other types of bacteria because people have to ingest only a small amount of certain strains to become ill. E-coli poisoning will affect the person typically within three or four days but may affect the person as soon as one day after ingesting the bacteria. Foods associated with e-coli strains are: Beef and beef products such as minced beef: When cattle are slaughtered, E. coli in their intestines can get onto the meat. Unpasteurized milk: Bacteria on a cow's udder or on milking equipment in the parlour can get into the milk. Raw vegetables: Runoff from farms can contaminate fields where fresh vegetables are grown; vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, so it is vital to wash all fresh vegetables. Contaminated water: Animal feces may pollute ground water such as streams and rivers, although some outbreaks of e-coli poisoning have been linked to contaminated municipal water supplies. Some people can become ill after swimming in pools. Person-person contact: It can travel from person to person, especially when the infected person doesn’t wash their hands properly. Nasty strains like E-coli 0157:H7 can resists heat up to 44°C and also resists drying and