UHC51M Food safety and health and safety for food and beverage service Unit reference number: Y/615/0855 Level: 2 Guided Learning (GL) hours: 30 Overview The aim of this unit is to develop learners knowledge and understanding of food safety and hygiene in a food and beverage service environment. Learners will develop their knowledge of the importance of food safety and the responsibilities of individuals for ensuring that all practice complies with food safety legislation. Learners will understand the significance of personal hygiene, the importance of keeping work areas clean and hygienic and the correct methods for disposing of waste. Learning outcomes On completion of this unit, learners will: LO1 Know the importance of food safety and the responsibilities of individuals LO2 Know how to control and identify food allergy risks LO3 Know the importance of complying with food safety legislation LO4 Know how to apply and monitor good hygiene practice LO5 Know about food safety management procedures Version 4 1
Assessment requirements Learners must complete both assessment requirements related to this unit: 1. External examination 2. Graded synoptic assessment 1. External examination All theory content will be tested by an external examination towards the end of the period of learning. External examinations will test knowledge and understanding from across the whole vocational area (mandatory units). Learners should use the unit content section of this unit to aid revision since exam questions will test the full breadth of this section. External examinations will be set and marked by VTCT and will contribute to the overall qualification grade. 2. Graded synoptic assessment In the last term or final third of their qualification, learners will be required to undertake a graded synoptic assessment. This will require learners to carry out a range of services from across the whole vocational area (mandatory units). Assessment coverage will vary year on year, although all services will be covered over time. VTCT will set a brief for centres which will detail the services to be covered in the graded synoptic assessment. Grading descriptors for the synoptic assessment will also be provided by VTCT. The graded synoptic assessment will be marked and graded by centre staff and externally verified by VTCT. The graded synoptic assessment will contribute to the overall qualification grade. 2
Unit content LO1 Know the importance of food safety and the responsibilities of individuals Learners must know the importance of food safety procedures in the workplace: Food safety procedures - Legal requirements and compliance to meet legal responsibility - Storage e.g. milk, fruit juices, sliced citrus fruit - Preparation e.g. when slicing fruit for cocktails, slicing citrus fruit for drinks or setting up food for a buffet service - Risk assessment e.g. assess hazards, plan action according to risk and take preventative action to minimise risk Importance of food safety procedures - Risk assessment so areas of risk can be identified and actions implemented to eliminate - Safe food handling and behaviour when serving food e.g. clean hands, clean uniform to prevent cross-contamination - Potential to harm customers and staff e.g. by non-compliance and causing an incident - Legal compliance and regulations consequences when found to be noncompliant - Risk of legal action e.g. against the business or against an individual, e.g. for negligence - Impact on reputation an organisation s reputation can be ruined by a food safety incident Learners must know the legal responsibilities of food handlers and food business operators: Legal responsibilities of food handlers - Personal hygiene e.g. clean uniform, clean hair, long hair tied back, short, clean nails - Reporting in line with current legislation e.g. personal illness or other hazards to prevent cross-contamination and making others sick - Knowledge of food hygiene so all food is handled safely - Knowledge of food poisoning prevention to ensure unsafe food is not served and is disposed of correctly Legal responsibilities of food business operators - To train staff in food safety and food hygiene so they know what they need to do - Compliance with current legislation and food hygiene regulations to prevent incident - Local authority registration to be compliant Learners must know the importance of personal hygiene in food safety: Personal hygiene practices to prevent cross-contamination - Clothes or uniform should be washed, clean and fit for purpose - Hair should be clean and tied back e.g. hair or beard nets (where appropriate) - Avoid overpowering perfume or aftershave - Have short, clean nails - Minimal or no jewellery 3
- Discreet or no make-up Hand washing - Prevent cross-contamination, always wash hands after coughing, sneezing, touching face (nose, eyes, ears or mouth); touching raw food waste products, using cleaning materials, after toilet breaks and after smoking breaks. There must be a separate sink for hand washing within the catering environment Personal illnesses - Report illness to supervisor/line manager - Stay off work until fit and fully recovered Cuts and wounds - Reporting cuts and wounds - Cover cuts with blue plaster Learners must know how to report hazards: Hazards - Broken equipment e.g. faulty Barista machine or unsafe trolley - Broken or cracked items e.g. glasses, cups, mugs - Unsafe working practices Non-compliance issues e.g. selling milk, beer or fruit juice past the sell-by date Unacceptable behaviour by colleague Report food safety hazards - To supervisor or line manager as soon as possible. Remove hazard, if possible under supervision - To health and safety officer Learners must know how to keep the work area and equipment clean and tidy: Keep the work area and equipment clean and tidy Correct use of chemicals when cleaning Use of health and safety signs to prevent slips and trips e.g. behind a bar area Follow equipment manufacturers instructions to prevent damage and injury Use organisational schedules for daily, weekly and monthly cleaning Disinfection methods e.g. use of correct dilution and correct storage of chemicals Correct waste disposal of food and other items, recycling in line with organisational policy Compliance with Control Of Substances Hazards to Health (COSHH) and current regulations and guidelines 4
LO2 Know how to control and identify food allergy risks Learners must know the symptoms of food allergies: Mild and medium reaction e.g. tingling or itching in the mouth, a raised and/or itchy red rash More severe reactions e.g. swelling of the face, mouth or other areas of the body, difficulty swallowing, wheezing or shortness of breath, vomiting, abdominal pain or diarrhoea Severe reaction e.g. anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock. In these cases urgent medical attention and treatment is required as these reactions can be fatal. People who suffer from this type of severe reactions should have medication in the form of an EpiPen Learners must know the importance of providing food allergen information to customers: Compliance with current food labelling legislation so customers are aware what ingredients are in the food Customer safety so customers can avoid food items they are allergic or intolerant to Reputation to ensure the good name of the organisation and so that customers know they can rely on that organisation and the information it provides Risk of prosecution and associated cost prevent illness or death of customers which would result in prosecution, fines or jail time for responsible owners/employers Learners must know the risks associated with food allergies: Food allergens definition of a food allergy and a food allergen is when the body s immune system reacts to certain foods The 14 common allergens (at the time of publication) currently on the regulatory list are - Celery - Cereal containing gluten - Crustaceans - Eggs - Fish - Lupins - Milk - Molluscs - Mustard - Nuts - Peanuts - Sesame seeds - Soya - Sulphur dioxide Know how the risks associated with food allergies can be controlled - Written and oral communication e.g. food chain information on all the ingredients used in food production should be available to all staff - Making information available to customers e.g. having correct and accurate information on menus and regularly updating this - Staff training e.g. to reduce mistakes or misinformation - All staff must comply with hygiene controls e.g. hand washing to prevent cross-contamination 5
LO3 Know the importance of complying with food safety legislation Learners must know the importance of food safety management procedures: Food safety management procedures - Current health and safety legislation, current food safety legislation, current initiatives (Food Standards Agency Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB), hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) are an internationally recognised food safety management. The emphasis is on identifying the critical points in a process where food safety problems (or hazards) could arise. Steps can then be put in place to prevent things going wrong. Keeping records is also an important part of HACCP systems - Monitoring and evaluating procedures - Pest control - Fully trained staff - Correct organisational procedures e.g. waste disposal, equipment and premises maintenance, cleaning, delivery, storage and serving food - Up-to-date risk assessments Importance of food safety management procedures - Personal and business legal requirements - Duty of care - Due diligence - Customer satisfaction - Safety of customers and staff - Prevent illness - Prevent cross-contamination - Reduce food waste Learners must know the responsibilities of employers and employees in respect of food safety legislation and procedures for compliance: Implementing procedures throughout the organisation to minimise risk and provide procedures for staff to follow Staff training on a regular basis so staff are aware of their responsibility and how they can minimise risk Supply suitable resources for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the - Following sell-by dates and dispose of waste responsibility - Compliance with legislation e.g. trade descriptions legislation and description of food items, food safety and storage of food items, labelling, licensing laws, selling alcohol and alcohol measures - Supervision of systems designed to deliver safe food 6
Learners must know how legislation is enforced: Enforcing legislation - Know current legislation, current regulations and current EU directives - Monitoring visits from authorised specialist bodies e.g. the local authority trading standards, food and food safety inspectors from the local authority environmental health team to check compliance and standards - Non-compliance could result in civil and criminal court action - Appropriate organisational procedures and policies need to be in place being followed up to minimise risks - Employer and employee training must be attended to keep everyone up to date 7
LO4 Know how to apply and monitor good hygiene practice Learners must know the importance of temperature control and identify the methods of controlling temperature: Importance of temperature control e.g. a refrigerated dessert trolley, a fridge where milk is stored for Barista drinks must be kept at the correct temperature to preserve the quality of the food items Comply with current legislation, Environmental Health Officer (EHO) requirements to minimise risk Maintain the correct temperatures control e.g. fridges, chillers, display cabinets - Chilled food below 5 c Learners must know the procedures to control contamination and crosscontamination: Regular cleaning procedures for daily, weekly, monthly and periodical tasks Comply with current legislation COSHH, RIDDOR, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Wear the correct uniform that is clean every shift Good personal hygiene Correctly cleaned equipment Barista equipment, refrigerated cabinets Correct use of cleaning materials Carry out regular maintenance e.g. for refrigerated cabinets Proper use of equipment Correct disposal of all types of waste Update training regularly to maintain standards Learners must know the importance of high standards of personal hygiene: High standards of personal hygiene - Clean and ironed uniform - No or minimal jewellery - No or minimal make-up - No strong fragrance - Appropriate length nails - Suitable and clean footwear - Use of gloves - Hair and beard nets or hair tied back (if appropriate) - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Wash hands after toilet breaks and between tasks - Report all illness to supervisor e.g. diarrhoea, vomiting, colds, sore throats, skin infections and stomach upsets - Cover cuts and grazes with appropriate dressings Importance of personal hygiene - Comply with current legislation - Prevent cross-contamination - Minimise spread of bacteria - Personal protection - Protect customers and colleagues - Consequences of non-compliance e.g. fines, imprisonment, illness, accidents 8
Learners must know the procedures for cleaning, disinfection and waste disposal: Follow organisational procedures Clean the work station during the service session to help with work flow Use of appropriate cleaning materials for task Correct use of chemicals e.g. dilution, mixing, all bottles labelled with content and storage of chemicals (COSHH) Products past their use by dates and sell by dates are disposed of responsibly Electrical equipment should be unplugged, manufacturers instructions should be followed and stored correctly Correct disposal of waste e.g. recycling of bottles, plastic containers and food waste Learners must know the importance of pest control and identify the methods of controlling pests: Location of pests e.g. can be present in kitchens, stores, cellars, bin and recycling areas Types of pests - Cockroaches - Rodents - Insects and flies - Urban wildlife e.g. foxes, badgers, wild cats, birds - Domestic pets Methods for pest control - Organisational procedures for correct disposal of waste - Compliance with cleaning and maintenance procedures for all areas - Appropriate response to pest problem e.g. traps, poisons, rodenticides and pesticides (in accordance with relevant guidance) - Electronic fly killers for use where appropriate Importance of pest control - Avoid cross-contamination as pests transfer bacteria - Minimise the risk of spreading of disease by pests - Minimise food waste as not to encourage pests - Impact on Food Standards Agency hygiene rating Illness caused by pests and the negative impact on an organisation s reputation and image will mean - Loss of reputation - Loss of customers - Decrease in sales - Loss of profit - Loss of jobs 9
LO5 Know about food safety management procedures Learners must know the importance to food safety management of identifying microbial, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards: Microbial hazards e.g. salmonella, campylobacter, e. coli, e. coli VTEC 0157, bacterial growth line Chemical hazards e.g. cleaning chemicals Physical hazards e.g. broken equipment, packaging material, plants, string, pests and insects Allergenic hazards e.g. nuts, dairy products, shellfish, yeast and gluten Importance of food safety management - Awareness of hazards, training, avoidance, written procedures and policies, response to customer needs Learners must know the requirements for monitoring and recording food safety procedures: Mandatory required keeping of records - Deliveries so stock rotation can be maintained and food used within date - Temperature control so food items kept at correct temperature to prevent spoilage - Staff sickness to ensure there aren t any patterns of sickness - Staff training so all staff know what they need to do - Cleaning schedules and records so all areas are kept clean and to minimise risk - Maintenance schedules and records so all faults are recorded and fixed and regular maintenance prevents breakdowns Organisational policies and procedures e.g. storage and disposal of waste, pest control, recycling, responsible resourcing, procurement Learners must know the methods for and the importance of evaluating food safety controls and procedures: Methods of evaluating food safety controls and procedures - Management spot inspections - Analyse all records - Regular audits - Inspections by outside bodies e.g. Environmental Health, Trading Standards, local authority - Feedback from staff Importance of evaluating food safety controls and procedures - Identify patterns of irregularity - Identify danger areas - Key indicators of risk - Highlight areas that need action 10
Learners must know the requirements for induction and on-going training of staff in food safety: Requirements for induction - Legal requirement for new staff to be supervised, trained, have instruction in food hygiene as part of the induction process - Allows staff to develop good working practices Ongoing training of staff - Update current practices - Awareness of new legal requirements - Implement current guidelines - Monitor staff performance to ensure standards being met consistently - Identify training needs Learners must know the importance of effective communication of food safety procedures: Importance of effective communication of food safety procedures - Legal requirement - Minimise risk of misunderstandings - Ensure all information available to staff - Staff understand their responsibilities - Staff are aware of procedures they need to follow - Awareness raised of any non-compliance Communication - Notice boards - Staff newsletters - Handbooks - Leaflets e.g. from food standards agency website - Staff training - Staff meetings 11
Resources The special resources required for this unit are access to a real or realistic working environment which supports the implementation of food safety practices. Recommended websites: Food Standards Agency: www.food.gov.uk Delivery guidance Teachers are encouraged to use innovative, practical and engaging delivery methods to enhance the learning experience. Learners may benefit from: Meaningful employer engagement so they relate what is being learned to the real world of work and understand commercial competency and the importance of complying with food safety regulations Work experience within a professional kitchen so they can practise to hone their knowledge and skills of food safety and health and safety in a real environment Using interactive information and technology, systems and hardware so they can learn about concepts and theories; research current trends; research product knowledge and produce visual aids Links with other units This unit has direct links with all mandatory units. Learners must be professionally and hygienically presented for all practical sessions and assessments and must apply their knowledge of food safety to everyday working practices in the kitchen. Learners must demonstrate that they can work within the current food safety regulations and follow all relevant operational routines and procedures to ensure their behaviour and actions minimise the risk of cross-contamination and the potential risk of severe health hazards. The food safety unit should be delivered before the other mandatory units. It must be embedded and integrated through every practical unit delivery and assessment. Graded synoptic assessment At the end of the qualification of which this unit forms part, there will be a graded synoptic assessment which will assess the learner s ability to identify and use effectively in an integrated way an appropriate selection of skills, techniques, concepts, theories and knowledge from a number of units from within the qualification. It is therefore necessary and important that units are delivered and assessed together and synoptically to prepare learners suitably for their final graded assessment. 12