Hygiene and Sanitation in Food Sector

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Printed on 8 August 2022
Hygiene And Sanitation In Food Sector

https://hmhub.in/hygiene-and-sanitation-in-food-sector/
August 6, 2019
Categories: 3rd/4th Sem Food Safety & Quality Notes
Hygiene and Sanitization
Safe food is food which is free of contaminants and will not cause illness or harm. Our
food is devitalized, colored, filled with chemicals, drugs and synthetic ingredients,
polluted by agricultural and environmental chemicals and are grown on impoverished
land puffed up by chemical fertilizers. Moreover, the chemicals used are known to cause
adverse effects in
humans and animals. Therefore all individuals involved in food handling should be
trained in handling food safety. It is necessary to create and maintain hygienic and
sanitary conditions to safeguard the food.
This involves:
Protecting food from risk of contamination, i.e. preventing objectionable matter getting
into food, including harmful bacteria, poisons, and foreign bodies.
Preventing any bacteria present multiplying to a level which would result in the illness
of consumers or the early spoilage of food.
Destroying any harmful bacteria in the food by thorough cooking, processing or
irradiation; and
Discarding unfit or contaminated food.
Sanitary practices and hygienic conditions are becoming more and more important
because food is being processed, prepared and sold in larger volumes than before. Some
microorganism causes food spoilage and foodborne diseases, but others are beneficial n
food processing and preparation. Sanitation can reduce the growth of microorganisms
on equipment and dirt on
the food. This can reduce contamination of food by microorganisms that cause
foodborne diseases and food spoilage. Sanitary principles also apply to waste disposal
and can help reduce pollution and improve ecological balance.
Personal Hygiene
In catering, hygiene and sanitation play a vital role in promoting and protecting the
health and wellbeing of hundreds of people. The foods, materials, and equipment are
subject to constant handling by people at every stage of food production and service.
Thus it is the duty of every caterer to ensure that personal hygiene becomes a habit of
all food handlers. All food handlers reporting for duty must be fresh, well-groomed and
clean.
Few points for personal hygiene that food handlers must follow:
1. Bathing: Workers must bathe daily (even twice) as body odor is offensive and skin is
the main breeding ground for bacteria. Head bath again twice a week.
2. Hair: Wearing clean headgear to be encouraged to prevent hair from falling in food,
prevent from touching their scalp and also prevent long hair from getting entangled in
machinery.
3. Teeth and Mouth: Teeth to be brushed thoroughly twice a day with a moderately hard
brush – first thing in the morning and after dinner.
4. Hands: Hands are in direct contact with food, so can transfer bacteria and cause
illness. To prevent this, hands should be washed:
Before beginning work and after a break.
After eating or smoking.
After using the toilet.
After touching infected or unsanitary areas of the body or combing hair or using
mobile phones.
After using a handkerchief, sneezing or coughing into the hands.
After handling raw foods, especially meat, fish and poultry.
After handling waste food or refuse.
Whenever they are dirty.

Hands should be washed thoroughly with plenty of soap and water – preferably
rinsed in running water or water stored in clean covered containers with a tap fixed
on them. If soap cakes are used, they should be kept dry. Liquid soap is more hygienic
and economical to use. Hands must be thoroughly dried by using a roller towel,
disposable paper, towels or a hot air dryer. Exposed wounds, cuts, burns can harbor
bacteria. They need to be covered with a waterproof dressing. Pus formation,
inflammation indicates infection. Such people should not be allowed to handle food
for some time.
5. Finger Nails: Nails should be trimmed as they harbor germs and can also chip and fall
in the food and kept clean. Nail polish used should not be allowed.
6. Feet and Footwear: Feet should be washed and kept clean. Always wear socks with
shoes to keep away dirt and perspiration. Shoes should form a part of the uniform,
sturdy, well-fitting, and well-polished, with a low heel.
7. Jewelry: Food handlers should not wear any jewelry as they tend to harbor bacteria
and small parts may sometimes drop food into food.
8. Reporting Illness: If the food handler feels unwell he/she should report it to his or her
supervisor. Such food handlers should be excluded from work until medical clearance is
taken.
Habits to be avoided
Washing hands in sinks used for food preparation. In case there is no separate
All catering staff should need to be periodically put through a medical check-up to
ensure that they are not suffering from worms, T.B, skin or other infections. People
with colds, sore throat, boils, and diarrhea should not handle food.
Food Safety in Kitchens

Food hygiene may be defined as the sanitary science which aims to produce food which
is safe for the consumer and is of good keeping quality.
1. Procurement of raw material: Freshness, quality, quality of packaged food products

(e.g. Appearance, temperature, packaging and pack seals are intact).
2. Storage of Raw Materials: Storage areas (temperatures, products should be
completely covered, FIFO ( first in first out) & FEFO (first expired first Out), 6” above
the ground, veg & non-veg to be kept separate, all products with the label of expiry
date, delivery date,cold storage at 5°C or below for chillers and -18°C for freezers.
3. Preparation of raw material:
General – Use of only potable water from safe source, clean work area, equipment,
product cover after preparation / cooking.
Sieving/sorting or cleaning – use potable water, uncooked, ready to eat – fruits and
vegetables are disinfected with 50ppm chlorinated water before cutting, peeling or
serving. Do not reuse this chlorinated water for other purposes.
4. Cooking/Processing: Temp. of cooked food should reach 70°C, cooking in hygienic

area, was basin in the kitchen (e.g. In a dhaba or kiosk), then put a small tap outside
and segregate it. Tasting food with fingers or with the same spoon: is the most
unhygienic thing to do. Leaving cooked food uncovered for a long time. Blowing air from
the mouth over the hot food. separate equipments and utensils for vegetarian and non-
vegetarian product, potable water, frying oil/fat should be changed immediately when
there is colour change, foiling, syrupiness scum formation, ice should be prepared from
potable water.
5. Storage of cooked food: Cooked food should be stored covered and at appropriate
temperature, cold foods at 5°C or below hot foods at 60°C or above. Veg & non- veg
products should be stored separately and properly labeled with day and date of
preparation, salads, garnishes or ready to eat foods are immediately stored in clean
covered containers and refrigerated.
6. Preparation of cooked food before serving: Cold foods are served cold, hot foods hot
(up to 70°C), and cooked food is not left at room temp. For more than 2 hours, surplus
food is discarded and not mixed up with freshly prepared food; transported cooked food
is consumed/used within 4 hours of its arrival.
7. Serving of Cooked Food: Use clean & intact utensils/ one time use disposables, clean
and non-toxic material is used for packing food. Printed paper is not used for wrapping.
All tables and food serving counters are to be kept clean, use spatula/spoon/hand
gloves etc. for serving and not with bare hands.
8. Storage of surplus food: surplus food is consumed before expiry/use by date, surplus
foods are stored in the refrigerator, surplus food is discarded, perishable products are
consumed immediately. Canned products once opened should be transferred in the
suitable covered containers and kept refrigerated.
9. Quality of water & ice: Municipal water supply should be used as it is safely treated in
the water plant, ice should be handled hygienically with clean scoops.
10. Utensils & Equipment: Equipment cleaning and hygiene of establishment,
surrounding/ environment, good lighting facility, pest control, insect electrocuting device
(IED) on the entrance of Kitchens, Air screens, maintenance & cleaning. Last but not the
least personal hygiene.
Safety in Storage of Food

Foods should be stored in the right way so that they do not become hazardous to
health and their quality does not deteriorate. There are two kinds of storages:
1. Dry Storage Rooms (For Dry Ingredients)
Meant for non-perishable foods like cereals, pulses, legumes, sugars, spices, fats and
oils, packaged and canned foods; and for semi – perishables like under ripe fruits and
vegetables, potatoes and onions, bread and eggs. Temperature conditions – 20-25°C
(room temperature). If the outside temperatures are too high, then the store
temperatures have to be brought down by air cooling the store. The storage should be
dry cool well ventilated and free from infestation to maintain quality of food. Good
ventilation will counteract the effort of humidity and high temperature.
While most non-perishables can be stored together in a storeroom, some semi –

perishables require separate ventilated storage facilities, slightly cooler than the rest
of the store.
Foods which need to be held only for 2-3 days require a temperature of 10- 15.5°C.
Like breads, bakery products.
If space allows, fats and oils should be stored away from the rest of the food.
As far as possible, the non-perishables should be stored in air tight covered bins,
cartons, polythene packs and cans.
Transparent glass jars may be used for pulses and spices.
Eggs may be kept in cardboard trays and cartons and consumed in 2-3 days.
Cleaning supplies which include detergents, brushes, mops, and antiseptic solutions
should be stored in separate section.
Trash is always stored away from the store.
In a small food joint, like coffee shops or kiosks, the dry store may have to provide space
for storing all types of commodities. In such a case, care should be taken to ensure that
food, equipment and detergents are placed in separate cabinets or
shelves (detergent may be added instead of salt)

2. Low Temperature Storage
The principle is to maintain temperatures at levels which will inhibit the growth of
micro-organisms, and thus preserving food. Perishable foods have a high content of
moisture, providing suitable humidity for microbes to thrive and for spoilage to occur.
They are two types:

Refrigerated Storage
Temperatures between 0 – 10 deg. Celsius. This is necessary for perishables like milk
and milk products, leftovers of cooked food,
fermented batters, dough’s, green vegetables and fruits. All foods must be kept
covered.
Freezer Storage
Freezer storage may be in the form of a free standing cabinet or a separate cabinet in
the refrigerator where the temperature is maintained from -20 to 0 deg. Celsius. All
meat/fish/poultry, frozen veggies, ice-creams etc. require frozen conditions. For
successful freezing, it is necessary to blanch foods, cool quickly to freezing
temperatures and pack in air tight containers and packets. A food removed from the
freezer, thawed for use, must never be put back in the freezer as this increases the
microbes manifold and make the food unsafe.
Sanitation and Safety of Stores

Dry food stores should be fly proofed. Wire meshing of doors and windows to be
done. Use of insect electrocuting device at the entry.
Walls to be treated with insecticide sprays which leave insecticidal films on walls –
remain effective for 2 – 3 months.
While whitewashing D.D.T or Lindane may be mixed with the white was to make the
surface insect repellent.
All stores to be guarded against pests like rodents, cockroaches, flies to safeguard
both staff and consumers against infested and contaminated food. The store
supervisor should:
Maintain cleanliness.
Use poisoned baits or traps for rats (Zinc Phosphide, Warfarin, are effective rat
poisons)
All openings to be sealed – open drains, gaps in doors, around water pipes.
Cockroaches hide in dark nooks and corners. All cracks and crevices to be sealed.
Personal Hygiene should be maintained by the staff.

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hmhub

India’s largest hospitality education website

Printed on 8 August 2022

Hygiene and Sanitization

Before beginning work and after a break.

After eating or smoking.

After using the toilet.

After using a handkerchief, sneezing or coughing into the hands.

After handling raw foods, especially meat, fish and poultry.

After handling waste food or refuse.

Whenever they are dirty.

Food Safety in Kitchens

1. Procurement of raw material: Freshness, quality, quality of packaged food products

4. Cooking/Processing: Temp. of cooked food should reach 70°C, cooking in hygienic

Safety in Storage of Food

While most non-perishables can be stored together in a storeroom, some semi –

shelves (detergent may be added instead of salt)

They are two types:

Sanitation and Safety of Stores

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