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 form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, duplicating or otherwise, without the 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: +61 3 9662 7666 Local call: 1300 788 000 (Australia only) Fax: +61 3 9662 7555 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. Set in Adobe Minion 10.5/16 and Adobe Optima Edited by Peter Storer Editorial Services Cover and text design by James Kelly Typeset by Desktop Concepts Pty Ltd, Melbourne Printed in China by 1010 Printing International Ltd 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