Food Safety

What goes into planning one of LRB Consulting's training courses? Find out with our behind the scenes look.

Listen to the first Podcast from Mike Ellerby of LRB Consulting Ltd. Mike talks of the controversial HSE Cost Recovery Proposals.

Pubs, shops and restaurants across the country are being given new food hygiene standard ratings in a bid to reduce the one million cases of food poisoning each year and give consumers the knowledge and confidence to know they are eating properly prepared foods.

Bacteria are single-cell, microscopic organisms, with over 1 million able to fit onto the head of a pin, and still be invisible to the naked eye. They can be found everywhere, in soil, water, food, on people and in the air that we breathe. In most cases hundreds of thousands, or even millions of bacteria need to be consumed to cause food poisoning, however, there are strains which will cause illness if a relatively small number are eaten.

Best practice is to “clean as you go” to prevent a buildup of dirt and waste where bacteria can multiply. It goes without saying that all surfaces MUST be sanitised before commencing work and that immediate cleaning and disinfection of equipment after working with foodstuffs is essential.

We already know that human beings carry a number of bacteria around with them; the same is true of insects, birds and animals. Pests can contaminate food with bacteria and disease, but they also cause physical contamination from droppings, urine, fur and feathers.

This is the first in a series of Food Safety blogs that we are writing, we’ll cover some of the most important aspects of Food Safety and provide you with some helpful advice to help your business, and your customers, stay safe.

Consumers in most areas can see how well a food business complies with food hygiene regulations through ‘Scores on the Doors’ schemes run by their local authority. The primary purpose of these ‘Scores on the Doors’ schemes is to allow consumers to make informed choices about the places in which they eat out and from which they purchase food, and, through this, to encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards.

Environmental Health Officers (EHO) have closed an Indian restaurant in Barrow upon Soar, near Loughborough, after a routine inspection revealed that the restaurant was operating with filthy conditions in the kitchen and in the storage areas.

With the launch of the new Scores on the Doors website has sharpened the focus on restaurant hygiene. The scores are based on audits conducted by Environmental Health Officers on visits to premises.

These guidance notes aim to provide a basis for a commonly agreed and consistent national standard in outdoor catering management. The guidance document aims to define acceptable food safety standards and health and safety requirements for catering at outdoor events.

Did you know...   As a food handler, you must let your employer know immediately if you:   Are suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea or if you have an infected cut or sore If you have suffered from the above whilst abroad If someone in your family is suffering from any of the above   Staff must then not handle or prepare food until 48 hours after they are free from the symptoms.   At LRB Consulting, we strive to help you understand and comply with the Health & Safety, Fire Safety and Food Safety rules and regulations that may affect your business.