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The Council is permitted by the Food Hygiene Regulations to treat fundraising operations as occasional food premises, allowing the organisers to operate without a registered food premises being used. While some of the strict physical requirements of the above regulations are relaxed for such situations, it is important to note that the conduct and maintenance provisions of the Regulations remain in force. Some key areas of interest that may relate to your operation are as follows: - Meat, poultry, fish, cheese, milk, cream, egg products and
other perishable foods may be stored or displayed at room temperature for a
maximum of 2 hours. If food is to be kept longer, it must be stored under
refrigeration, or in a chilly bin with freezer packs. This will apply from the
time of purchase or preparation until the time that the food is cooked or
displayed. Products which are purchased frozen should be kept under
deep freeze conditions for as long as possible until they are thawed out. Once
defrosted they should be treated as if they were fresh produce. On no account
must thawed foods be re-frozen. Defrosting is best carried out by leaving the
food in the bottom of a refrigerator and leaving it for as long as it requires
to reach the refrigerator’s temperature. Ideally the refrigerator will be
operating at no more than 40C. Products should only be transported within the original
packaging or within clean, hygienic containers, which have first been
thoroughly washed and sanitised. Food should only be transported within clean
vehicles. Raw meat products must be kept under refrigeration or
within chilly bins with freezer packs until required for cooking. Once cooked,
keep them on the coolest part of the griddle so as to keep them piping hot.
The art is not to cook too many or too few! If Barbeque sauce is to be added
to the meat, make sure that it is applied using clean equipment. The use of
animal drenching guns is most certainly not advisable! Cook slowly and turn regularly to make sure that the meat
is properly cooked right through. This is especially important in chops and
chicken portions. Sausages may also be purchased pre-cooked from your butcher. Food workers must ONLY wipe or dry their hands on
clean, disposable paper towels or roller towels. Fabric towels will rapidly
become soiled and damp and harbour germs. A supply of waterproof dressings must be provided in case
of cuts or sores. If non-waterproof dressings are used (i.e. Band-Aids) then a
disposable latex glove must be worn over the top, as ordinary dressings allow
bacteria to pass through, placing food at risk of contamination. If suitable handwashing facilities are not available (i.e.
running water, soap, a nailbrush and single use or disposable hand
drying facilities) in the working area, it is important that no direct contact
with food occurs. The use of tongs or other suitable implements and clean,
disposable gloves is recommended. Latex gloves must be changed regularly, and
are available at local pharmacies. Tongs and implements must be changed or
washed regularly. Separate tongs must be used for raw and cooked foods. If
handwashing facilities provided with soap, nailbrush and single use or
disposable hand drying facilities are available, workers must be reminded to
wash their hands thoroughly at regular intervals, and always after activities
that will contaminate hands. Suitable surface must be provided for food preparation.
These must be able to be readily cleaned, and must be sanitised before use.
Branded kitchen sanitisers will suffice for this purpose. Separate cutting boards should be provided for handling
cooked and raw foods. It may also be advisable for separate boards for such
items as buttering bread and cutting up fresh onions. Not everyone likes a
mixture of the flavours of both! Food must be protected from contamination at all times.
This can be done by packaging food so it is protected from contamination [e.g.
in plastic food wrap], or by using a cover, lid or similar to prevent food
becoming contaminated. If possible, make sure that you have a supply of aprons,
which can be worn by helpers. This will also present a very positive image to
your customers. There are safety issues to consider with
barbeques. The equipment that you use must be in good condition and
properly maintained. Make sure that gas bottles are not leaking. Arrange for
testing from the manufacturer or by the gas bottle re-filler to make sure.
Recent surveys have found that as many as 1% of gas bottles fail due to leaks.
Care must also be taken with the siting of the equipment to make sure that it
is stable, that the public are not allowed to come in contact with it and that
it is well away from sources of contamination and/or insects. Be sensible concerning the areas in which you choose to work. Remember that you are handling food products that people will eat, and make sure that the premises you use or the area that you set up your barbeque in, are clean and presentable. Your customers will judge you by these considerations even though you are not a full time food business. An application can be completed on line or downloaded as a pdf document from our Publications page. Should you require any further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Council’s Environmental Health Officers at:- Clutha District Council Regulatory Services 1 Rosebank Terrace P O Box 25 Balclutha 9240 Phone: 03 419 0200 Fax: 03 418 3185
Email:
help.desk@cluthadc.govt.nz
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Clutha District Council, PO Box 25, Balclutha |
