Food safety in your daily work

A food safety system comes down to daily habits. Most businesses carry out opening checks and closing checks, and record temperatures, deliveries and cleaning. Do each check when it is due, and record what you actually found.

When a check fails, take corrective action. Do not ignore it, and do not write down a better number. If a chicken thigh reads 68°C, keep cooking it and check it again. If a fridge in Manchester reads 11°C at opening, tell your supervisor, check the food and move it to a working fridge. Then record what happened and what was done.

The person who did the check should write it down at the time. Inspectors look at whether the records match what they can see. A sheet of perfect numbers next to a broken fridge raises questions. Managers should look through records regularly, so that problems are spotted early.

Tell your manager when something changes. A new dish, a new supplier or a new piece of equipment may bring new hazards, and the procedures may need updating.

You have now followed food through the whole business. If you are ever unsure, stop and ask. It is always better to ask than to guess.