Food Control Plan Checklist - Tararua District Council

Serve SafeChilled/frozen food storage1 Goal 2 Why?To protect chilled and frozen food from contamination andprevent microbes growing to harmful levels.• Storing readily perishable foods too warm can allowharmful microbes to grow.• Stock that is not sold before its ‘Use By’ date could result incustomers becoming ill.3 How this is doneRaw food is always kept separate from cookedand ready-to-eat food.Equipment used to hold chilled and frozen food is alwaysoperated within its design capacity and capability.Chilled food• Readily perishable food is stored at 4ºC, or colder unlessotherwise directed by the manufacturer’s instructions.• Food is kept covered and date marked.Date mark readily perishable food prepared onsite,including food that has become readily perishablethrough use (eg, a can of beef stew once opened).• Uncooked, raw food is separated from cooked or ready-toeat-foodby: [tick method used]storing cooked and ready-to-eat food covered andabove raw, uncooked food in the chiller/fridgestoring cooked and ready-to-eat food covered,and in different areas (sides) of the chiller from raw,uncooked food4 What if there is a problem?• Throw away ready-to-eat food that has becomecontaminated by raw food.• Throw away food that has passed its ‘Use By’ date.Chilled food above 4ºCReady-to-eat readily perishable foods that have been attemperatures between 4ºC and 60ºC for a total of:• less than 2hrs must be refrigerated or used immediately• between 2 and 4 hrs must be used immediately• longer than 4 hrs must be thrown out.Freezer is not working properlyIf food is still frozen solid move it to another freezer. If thiscan’t be done, keep the freezer door closed. Arrange forappliance to be repaired.If readily perishable food has thawed to the point ofbeing soft to the touch, it must be defrosted and usedwithin its normal refrigeration storage time.If frozen, ready-to-eat, readily perishable food hasdefrosted and has been above 4ºC for more than fourhours it should be thrown out.Do not refreeze any part-defrosted or fully defrosted food.using separate chillers for storing cooked, ready-to-eatfood, and raw uncooked food.• Raw poultry is stored so that it can’t touch, or drip juicesonto other foods. Where possible it is stored in a separaterefrigerator.Frozen food• Frozen food is stored frozen solid or in accordance with themanufacturer’s instructions• Food is kept covered.Foods that need to be kept coldCertain foods need to be chilled or frozen to helpreduce the growth of harmful microbes. Theseinclude: raw and cooked meat, poultry, seafoodand other readily perishable food.See Readily perishable food for more information.5Write it downEach day note in the Diary the foodtemperature in each chiller used to storereadily perishable food.Write down in the Diary what action youtook if food was not stored correctly.Keep a record in the Diary of anymaintenance that has been undertaken ofchillers/freezers etc.Food Control Plan Version 3.0 2011S4