To achieve top marks necessary for a Silver or Gold award you should aim for the following standards:

Management Systems

Food safety hazards should have been identified using a risk assessment system such as HACCP or “Assured Safe Catering” and suitable controls and monitoring systems introduced. The assessment and control and monitoring systems must be fully documented in order to obtain a Gold award.

Food Hygiene Training

• All staff should be trained in food hygiene commensurate with their food handling duties. Staff handling “open food” should be trained to Basic Certificate level and those in a supervisory role to Intermediate Certificate level.
• Training records and certificates must be available for all staff.

Temperature Control

All high-risk food such as cooked foods containing meat, fish or dairy products should spend as little time as possible in the Danger Zone, between 5° C and 63° C. This applies at all stages of storage, preparation, cooking and display.

• High-risk foods such as Frozen food should be kept below minus 18oc.
• The temperature of all fridges, freezers and hot storage cupboards and displays should be regularly monitored using a good quality temperature probe and the results recorded in a temperature log.
• Each unit should be provided with a non-glass thermometer within the unit, so that temperatures can be checked at a glance when working.

Food Handling Practices

Raw and cooked foods should be kept completely separate at all times to prevent cross-contamination. This may require the provision of separate fridges or storage areas and will certainly require separate utensils and chopping boards for cooked and raw foods.

• Food must be covered wherever possible to protect it from contamination from dust, dirt and pests.
• A stock rotation and date coding system must be in place.
• Cleaning equipment and materials, accumulations of refuse, and laundry facilities must be kept out of food rooms to prevent contamination.

Personal Hygiene

• Food handlers must keep themselves clean and tidy at all times, wearing clean overclothing, including head coverings.
• Spots and cuts on exposed skin must be covered by highly coloured, waterproof dressings.
• No jewellery, other than a wedding ring or other similar single ring, must be worn by food handlers.
• Hands must be washed regularly, particularly before starting work, after “dirty” tasks, and after handling raw foods. Bactericidal soap should be available at the wash hand basin.

Cleanliness

• All parts of the food premises and equipment must be kept clean at all times.
• A cleaning schedule should be drawn up, clearly identifying frequency, method and responsibility for cleaning tasks.
• Sanitizer should be available (preferably a spray gun).
• The golden rule is “clean as you go”.

Pest Control

• Regular checks should be carried out to ensure that pests are controlled; ideally this should be through a professional pest control contractor.
• Positive measures should be taken to prevent access by pests, such as proofing of doors, windows, pipe ducts and ventilators etc. Flying insects should be controlled by electric insect killers.

Premises

• All parts of the food premises should be in good repair and designed and constructed so that cleaning is easy. Materials used should be durable, non-absorbent and be capable of being cleaned and, where necessary, disinfected.
• There should be adequate facilities for the washing of hands and equipment and for the storage of food at the proper temperature, protected from contamination.

Advice on design and construction of food rooms is available, free of charge, from the Food Safety Team.