You know those yummy looking cakes we all love ?

Well one of the reasons they look so yummy is that they are often decorated with glitters, sprinkles and sparkly dust. But they must comply with the law.

Some glitters, sprinkles and dusts that are labelled “edible” must comply with legislation Regulation 1333/2008 and packaging must also show the E number of any additives they contain. Only those glitters, sprinkles and dusts which adhere to this legislation can be used on food.

Some glitters, sprinkles and dusts are labelled “non toxic”. This does not mean that they are safe to eat or even that they are suitable for use with food. They must again comply with the relevant legislation and only those that have been tested for use with food can be used as food decoration. BUT they must be removed from the product before consumption and must not be eaten.

When using decorative items such as lettering, flowers or models (such as snowmen, bride & groom, etc.) these again must be suitable for use with food and any glitter or colouring matter must not fall into or onto the food. These items must be removed before the product is eaten.

Carlton Training runs Food Safety Courses across the UK..

The government’s Food Standards Agency is to pay for a systematic review on the survival of norovirus in foods and on food contact surfaces.

According to their website “Human enteric viruses are a major cause of infectious intestinal disease (IID) in the UK, and foodborne transmission is thought to be an important route of infection. However, the amount to which different food sources are responsible for norovirus infection is currently poorly understood.”

It is hoped that proper research into this area will lead to improvements in the advice regarding prevention of contamination within the food chain.

RSPH (Royal Society of Public Health) Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering This course is for anyone involved in preparing, cooking, or serving food. Good food hygiene can mean safer food, fewer complaints and reduced costs. The course can also help you to comply with legislation, in particular the Food Hygiene Regulations 2006. This Food Safety course lasts one day and is suitable for staff training on your own premises. Qualification Overview Carlton Training offer the RSPH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering is a qualification aimed at caterers and other food handlers. The qualification is intended for learners already working in food providing organisations and those who are preparing to work in the industry. Learners gaining this qualification will know that food safety is the responsibility of everyone involved in the storage, preparation, cooking service and handling of food. Its topics are regarded by the Foods Standards Agency as being important to maintaining good practice in the production of safe food. It is essential to food safety that all food handlers are aware of the hazards and safety measures associated with the types of food they produce. Every year, millions of people are made ill and several vulnerable people die as a result of eating contaminated food. Organisations providing food have a legal and moral obligation to ensure they are not contributing to these statistics. Whatever the type of food being produced, measures must be put in place to ensure all types of contamination and temperature abuse are either eliminated completely or controlled to ensure safety. There is a legal obligation to ensure that staff are trained in food hygiene matters, the most effective way of complying with this legal requirement is to obtain a Level 2 Award in Food Safety, enabling the knowledge gained to be implemented in the workplace. Carlton Training offer RSPH qualifications in food safety help organisations to comply with this requirement. This qualification will equip candidates with practical knowledge wholly relevant to their work activities. They will be able to contribute to producing safe food, protecting the reputation and safety of their workplace. RSPH qualifications are recognised by enforcement officers, food safety consultants and auditors, and enable any organisation to demonstrate their commitment to providing safe food and being legally compliant. Entry Guidance There are no prerequisites for this qualification. How the qualification is assessed This qualification is assessed through a straightforward 30-question multiple-choice question examination. The duration of the examination is 40 mins, which is completed and the end of the afternoon. Successful learners must achieve a score of at least 20 out of 30.

Food Safety continues to dominate the UK headlines today following major food safety scares in Sweden, Germany and France which has resulted in several deaths and hundreds of people falling ill with E.Coli food poisoning.

It is unclear how or why the outbreak has started, but initial reports have suggested that uncooked vegtables, cucumber in particular may have been the culprit, however it is now alleged the the outbreak is linked to bean sprouts and other sprouted seed foods sourced from a UK company.  The UK Food Standards Agency Have advised consumers to take extra care when preparing and eating sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, bean sprouts and fenugreek.

Botulism is a fairly rare type of food poisoning in the UK mainly because of our strict hygiene controls concerning tinned or canned goods. Botulism causes paralysis rather than the more common types that give the sufferer vomiting and or diarrhoea. Botulism is caused by the bacterium Clostridium Botulinum. It is from Clostridium Botulinum that Botox is manufactured.

Listeria monocytogenes is especially harmful for pregnant women and the over sixties. It is found in soft cheeses, especially those made with unpasteurized milk, patés both vegetable and meat and butter. Listeria usually produces flu like symptoms in the sufferer.  Listeria can multiply at fairly low temperatures and so can colonize foods that are stored in the fridge for longer than others.

There are four main sections to the 1-day Food Safety course, the exam covers them all:

1. How to take personal responsibility for food safety
Importance of food safety procedures: Definition of food poisoning;
causes of food poisoning; incidence of food poisoning; common
symptoms; at-risk groups; effect of poor food safety to food
businesses; role and importance of food safety management systems
in reducing the risk of food poisoning by identifying and controlling food
safety hazards; outline of food safety systems such as Assured Safe
Catering, Safer Food Better Business and HACCP.
How to report food safety hazards: Importance of reporting possible
food safety hazards to supervisors and/or managers (to include faulty
equipment, food at incorrect temperature, out-of-date stock, presence
of pests); importance of record keeping; what records should be kept;
frequency of recording and monitoring (to include cleaning schedules,
food deliveries and the temperature of chillers, refrigerators, freezers,
store rooms, ovens and hot-holding facilities).
Legal responsibilities: Legal responsibilities of food businesses and
food handlers; importance of the 2005 legislation (EC Directive
852/2004 €˜Hygiene of foodstuffs’): The Food Hygiene (England)
Regulations 2006, The Food Hygiene in Scotland Regulations 2006,
The Food Hygiene (Wales) Regulations 2006, The Food Hygiene
Regulations (N. Ireland) 2006 or any superseding legislation;
requirements for hazard analysis and food hygiene training; outline of
legal sanctions and role of environmental health officers.

2. Importance of keeping clean and hygienic
Importance of personal hygiene in food safety: Food handlers as
sources of, and vehicles for, food poisoning bacteria; risk to food safety
due to poor personal hygiene and practices; how good personal
hygiene reduces the risk of contaminating food with bacteria.
Personal hygiene practices: Purpose and types of protective clothing;
design features of protective clothing to reduce the risk of
contamination; importance of keeping protective clothing clean and in
good condition; risk to food safety from jewellery and accessories;
required standard of personal hygiene; role of the hands in transferring
bacteria to food; importance of effective hand-washing practices;
occasions when hands should be washed; risk to food safety of food
handlers suffering from stomach upsets and other illnesses and
infections; the need to report such illnesses to supervisors and/or
managers; risk to food safety from cuts and wounds; need to use
appropriate dressings; need to report cuts and wounds to supervisors
and/or managers.

3. Importance of keeping the working areas clean and hygienic
How to keep the work area and equipment clean and tidy: Definitions
and examples of “clean-as-you-go”, “scheduled cleaning”, “cleaning in
place” and “cleaning out of place”; uses of cleaning and disinfection
chemicals; cleaning procedures for premises, equipment and utensils;
importance of using appropriate cleaning materials; importance of
waste disposal; methods for waste disposal; frequency of waste
disposal; cleaning and location of waste bins.
Work flow, work surfaces and equipment: Need for work surfaces,
floors, walls, sinks and equipment to be constructed of appropriate
materials, in order to aid cleaning, resist wear and damage and reduce
the risk of contamination; possible food safety hazard of damaged
surfaces and equipment; how the design and layout of kitchens and
food rooms can affect hygiene standards; importance of work flow in a
kitchen; standard of services and facilities.
Pest control: Control of pests such as rats, mice, cockroaches, flies,
birds; conditions favourable to attracting pests; signs of pest
infestation; contamination of food and surfaces by pests; preventing
access to pests; removal of pests.

4. Importance of keeping food safe
Sources and risks to food safety from contamination and cross
contamination: Biological, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards to
food safety; role of microorganisms in food poisoning; growth
requirements of microorganisms; high risk foods; importance of toxins
and spores; sources of food poisoning bacteria; examples of chemical
and physical hazards and allergens; how these hazards get into food;
contamination and cross-contamination; contamination vehicles such
as hands, cloths and equipment, hand contact surfaces, food contact
surfaces; contamination routes; procedures for reducing the food safety
risk from allergens.
Food spoilage: Spoilage of food by bacteria and moulds; appearance
of spoiled food; reporting procedures and disposal of spoiled food.
Safe food handling practices and procedures: Importance of thorough
cooking of food and keeping prepared food out of the “Temperature
Danger Zone”; destruction of bacterial toxins and spores; maintaining
hot or cold temperatures; reheating, cooling and thawing food; use of
microwave ovens; refrigerating and freezing; prevention of
contamination and cross-contamination; correct use of heated trolleys,
cupboards and food service counters; correct use of chillers and chilled
food service counters; holding times and temperatures for different
foods; prevention of contamination and cross contamination during the
holding and serving of food.

Legislation
Food safety and hygiene hazards
Temperature control
Refrigeration, chilling and cold holding
Cooking, hot holding and reheating
Food handling
Principles of safe food storage
Cleaning
Food premises and equipment

Storage and Reheating of Cooked Food

Never put hot or warm food in the fridge or freezer. This hot or warm food can affect the food that is already in the fridge or freezer and raise the temperature enough to allow the growth of food poisoning bacteria in the stored food. Instead, cool the food to 10º C or less within 90 minutes (an hour and a half) and then you will be able to put it in the fridge or freezer without risking the safety of the food already being stored. Cooling food to 10º C or less within 90 minutes is also good practice if you wish to serve the food cold.

Food poisoning bacteria usually multiply in foods that are between 5º C to 63º C so either keep the food cold or keep it hot. Do not leave it on the worktop overnight.When reheating food that is already cooked it should be reach a temperature of 70º C for at least two minutes and be thoroughly hot all through. The temperature of 70º C is the one that is often described as “piping hot”. The best way to check the temperature of food is by using a probe thermometer. These can be bought easily on the internet or from a good kitchen equipment shop. A decent probe thermometer is about £10.

Food that is already cooked must only be reheated once. If the food is not eaten then it should be thrown away.

Are green potatoes poisonous ? Yes !  Here’s an explanation.

Potatoes that are green or have green patches and also sprouting potatoes contain a poison called solanine. The green colouring indicates that solanine is present. Cutting the green parts off will not remove the poison. Cutting off the sprouts from a potato will also not remove the poison. This is because the poison is present throughout the potato tuber. The green colouring and the sprouting parts merely indicate that the poison is there.

Potatoes belong to the same family as deadly nightshade, henbane and tomatoes. All parts of the tomato are poisonous except the fruit i.e. the tomato itself. Solanine affects the central nervous system and can cause paralysis as well as vomiting and fever.

It is unlikely that eating a small amount of potato containing the poison would make a healthy adult ill but it could badly affect a small child.

So, do not cut the green or sprouting bits off the potatoes. You will not be removing the poison. Throw them away instead.

To prevent potatoes sprouting or becoming green they should be kept in a cool, dark place. Dry, unwashed, old potatoes can often be kept for some weeks under the correct conditions. New potatoes do not last nearly so long and it may be better to keep them in the fridge during warm weather.

Check out the advice from the Food Standards Agency

Food Poisoning Bacteria

Most people know that raw meat is contaminated with food poisoning bacteria. This contamination occurs because the food poisoning bacteria live in the gut or intestines of the animal. When the animal is killed and the insides are removed to prepare the meat for sale then contents of the intestines spill out onto the meat. This happens with all raw meat including beef, pork, chicken, turkey and lamb.

To prevent the food poisoning bacteria contaminating other foods it is important to wash your hands after touching raw meat and also to wash thoroughly any chopping boards, plates or knives that have come into contact with the raw meat.

Food poisoning bacteria are also found in the soil. Remember, farmers often put manure from the animals on to the fields to fertilise the land and ensure that the crops grow well. So always wash your hands after peeling the potatoes, cleaning the celery or touching any other raw vegetables to prevent food poisoning bacteria contaminating other foods. Again the chopping board and knife must also be well washed after use.