You have worked hard to follow the strict guidelines and have achieved a 5-star food hygiene rating, but how do you make sure you hold on to it?
If you concentrate on the suggested areas below, your business should achieve a good score whenever food hygiene inspections are conducted.
Managing pest control
The need for a comprehensive pest management system is a must, especially in London where pest activity is on the increase, and in areas with a high concentration of food outlets. Regular pest control visits are conducted in conjunction with strict housekeeping and food waste controls to reduce the likelihood of pest infestations. Any pest entry points must be fixed and managed, in collaboration with the pest control contractor to eliminate or reduce pest activity to an acceptable level.
Due diligence monitoring systems
When assessing compliance with your due diligence system, it’s vital that any compulsory checks are conducted and documented in the specified time periods. If you have gaps in your temperature monitoring documentation, especially if full days are missed, it could result in your entire due diligence system being audited, which could mean points being deducted for Confidence in Management.
Preventing cross-contamination
Local authorities have invested significant time in supporting businesses in the prevention of E.coli in commercial food establishments. Cooked and ready-to-eat foods must not be cross-contaminated by raw meat. Therefore, it is essential that raw meat is prepared and stored in a designated area, ensuring that raw and cooked/ready-to-eat food items are also handled on the appropriate colour-coded chopping boards and with dedicated knives.
Levels of personal hygiene
When assessing the premises and interviewing the head chef, inspectors will also be keeping a keen eye on the personal hygiene habits of staff e.g. if they are washing their hands in between tasks, whether they use hot or cold running water, if they’re using antibacterial hand soap and if there are hand drying facilities.
Generally, good levels of cleanliness, evidence of food safety training and good conditions will ensure that a 5-star food hygiene rating is achieved and maintained.
Food Safety law does not require you to have independent food hygiene audits by a food hygiene auditor, but your food business will be inspected by the local food inspector from your council.
Sylvia A Consultancy are your safety net, a fully comprehensive food hygiene audit informs you to anything you need to comply with food hygiene regulations, so when they food inspector visits your business you can avoid costly legal action being taken against you and instead receive a 5-star rating!
