Food and Health Guidelines - Torfaen Family Information Service

7. Food hygiene and safety
Other foods that need to be stored in the
fridge include:
• Eggs should be kept in the fridge, in their
box. (Ensure that the eggs have a Lion
Quality Mark).
• Keep prepared cold foods in the fridge
until it’s time to eat them. Dairy products
should be stored in the fridge too.
• Many foods now need to go in the fridge
once they’ve been opened - check the
labels to see which ones.
• Never put open cans in the fridge - transfer
contents into a storage container or
covered bowl, and remember to use within
two days (date the container to avoid using
the food after this time).
• Store foods in separate covered
containers. Cover dishes and other open
containers with foil or film. Don’t re-use
foil or film to wrap other foods.
• Food stocks should be rotated and food
beyond its ‘use-by’ date discarded.
Kitchen Hygiene
• Detergents or degreasers are required to
clean items or areas that are greasy or
oily e.g. grills. These materials do not kill
bacteria.
• Disinfectants should be used on surfaces
that come into contact with food or hands
after using a detergent (to kill bacteria)
• Sanitisers are chemicals that have
detergent and disinfectant properties.
When used in food preparation areas
they must be suitable for use in a food
environment.
It’s very important to keep worktops and
chopping boards clean to prevent crosscontamination:
• Spilt food needs to be wiped up
straight away.
• Worktops should always be washed
thoroughly and sanitised with antibacterial
cleaner after they have been touched by
raw meat, including poultry, or raw eggs.
• Ready-to-eat food, such as salad, bread
or fruit, must not be put on a worktop or
chopping board that has been touched by
raw meat, unless it has been washed and
sanitised thoroughly first.
• Ideally, it’s better to have separate
chopping boards and knives for raw meat
and for ready-to-eat food, colour coding
equipment is useful.
• Kitchen cloths and sponges should be
washed and disinfected regularly and
left to dry before using them again.
Dirty, damp cloths are the perfect place for
bacteria to breed.
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