YOUR
KITCHEN RULES
WELCOME to the Winter 2016 edition of YOUR KITCHEN RULES.
Council’s Environmental Health Team hopes that you had a prosperous 2015 / 2016 Financial Year and we are looking forward to working with you over the 2016 / 2017 financial year.
This edition aims to provide you with information on raw hamburger patties, Food Safety Supervisor Refresher course, allergens and implementing a staff illness policy.
HAMBURGER SAFETY
There is an increasing trend of eating raw or undercooked hamburger patties in NSW.
Raw and undercooked hamburger patties may contain bacteria that is harmful to your customer’s health and could result in you giving them food poisoning. The most commonly found bacteria are pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli (E.coli) which is mostly due to incorrect food handling and preparation.
The difference between eating a rare steak and a rare hamburger patty is that a steak is cooked on all exposed surface areas (killing the bacteria). In comparison, hamburger patties have been minced so what was originally on the outside is now on the inside and the bacteria has potentially been spread throughout the entire patty.
See the NSW Food Authority’s
‘Hamburger Food Safety’ Factsheet for further information.
RAW EGGS
Food poisoning has been associated with:
1. Raw egg dressings
(e.g. mayonnaise, aioli, hollandaise and egg butter);
2. Desserts made without effective cooking (e.g. tiramisu, mousse and fried ice-cream); and
3. Drinks containing raw eggs (e.g. raw egg high protein smoothies, egg flip and eggnog).
Businesses are encouraged to use safer alternatives to raw egg products.
Consider using commercially produced dressings and / or using pasteurised egg products.
You must comply with the NSW Food Authority’s ‘Guidelines for the preparation of raw egg products’ which are available on their website.
ALLERGY AWARENESS
Do your staff know what allergies are? Do they know what ingredients are in particular food products you sell?
C o m m o n a l l e r g e n s include: peanuts, tree nuts, egg, milk, fish, crustaceans, sesame, soy and wheat.
It is important that your staff know this information and understand how to record customers requests so that a meal can be prepared that is safe for their consumption.
9843 0555 | www.thehills.nsw.gov.au
RAW MILK
The NSW Food Authority released a new factsheet ‘Raw Milk Advice to Consumers’ in October 2015. Whilst this factsheet is targeted at consumers it is important to understand why it is illegal to sell raw milk (except goats milk under certain circumstances). Raw milk is known to carry Salmonella, Escherichia coli and Staphyloccocus aureus amongst other disease causing organisms.
F O O D S A F E T Y S U P E R V I S O R — REFRESHER
It has been over 5 years since the first Food Safety Supervisor courses were completed which means that you may need to complete a
‘refresher’ course soon.
New topics included in the refresher training include:
1. Safe egg handling;
2. Allergen management; and
3. Cleaning and sanitising practices.
When your FSS Certificate has expired you have 30 days to ensure that either:
1. The current FSS renews their training; or 2. Another FSS with a current qualification
is nominated.
Please ensure that your food businesses FSS Certificate is current and is easily accessible so when you are asked, you know where it is!
DO YOU HAVE A STAFF ILLNESS POLICY?
You and your staff must not handle food if you or your staff are sick from
one or more of the following conditions:
1. If you are suffering from food-borne i l l n e s s ( f o o d poisoning);
2. If you suspect you have symptoms of a food-borne illness (food poisoning);
3. If you suspect that your sickness is likely to cause you to contaminate food.
If you are sick and cannot work as you reasonably suspect that you could contaminate food or if you have a certificate from a medical professional which states that you should not work where food may be contaminated you are to ‘follow the work place policy for illness’.
You should develop a simple policy of how staff
are to report that they cannot work due to sickness and how / where records can be maintained.
RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO YOU
Food Safety Training ManualThe manual is available on our website and can be downloaded as a word document. You can edit it to reflect your business and values.
Posters
Posters are available from our website they can be downloaded and printed. Laminate them and post them in your food business to remind staff of the importance of food safety.
Stickers
Hand wash basin stickers to remind staff to wash their hands are available from Council.
Please request one at your next routine inspection.
Food Wise
The NSW Food Authority produces a publication called Food Wise which is available on their website. Further information can be obtained from their website under the
‘resources tab’.
www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au
COUNCIL AMALGAMATIONS
Recently the NSW Government announced that certain Council’s will be amalgamated. As part of this the suburbs of Carlingford, Oatlands, Northmead, North Parramatta, and parts of North Rocks and Baulkham Hills have been transferred to the City of Parramatta.
DOES COUNCIL HAVE YOUR EMAIL?
This year our staff will continue to be conducting your inspection using iPads. Your inspection report will be emailed to your nominated email at the end of the inspection.
It is important that your details are up to date.
Please email council@thehills.nsw.gov.au to update now.
OUR REFERENCES
Information has been obtained from:
NSW Food Authority
www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au
