Download Hazardous Practices Guidance 8

Hazardous Practices Guidance 8
The most common causes of food poisoning outbreaks, in order of significance are:
 The use of raw egg in uncooked or partially cooked dishes, e.g. mousse,
tiramisu, soft meringue, hollandaise sauce, cake decorating etc.
 Preparation too far in advance, e.g. preparation of food for a large buffet or
gravy, well in advance of use, without adequate refrigerated storage.
 Storage of food at room temperature, e.g. Brie cheese put out on a cheese
board or cooked rice left out for more than 4 hours.
 Inadequate cooling, e.g. large joints of meat cooked in the morning and left to
cool at room temperature until required for use in the evening.
 Inadequate reheating, e.g. partly cooked beef burgers only warmed through
on griddle for service.
 Contaminated processed food, e.g. unpasteurised cheeses contaminated
with high levels of bacteria, such as Listeria.
 Undercooking, e.g. large poultry/boned and rolled joints cooked to a
temperature of less than 75C at the core.
 Inadequate thawing, of for example, frozen chickens, leaving ice crystals in
the core, which prevent thorough cooking in the normal time.
 Cross contamination, e.g. by the handling of cooked or ready to eat foods,
without having washed your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat or
vegetables.