Cleaning, Sanitising & Maintenance (Show all)

Sanitising - Are food contact surfaces and eating and drinking utensils sanitised using appropriate sanitising methods?

Guidance		A food business must ensure the following equipment is in a clean and sanitary condition: eating and drinking utensils (immediately before each use); and the food contact surfaces of equipment (whenever food that will come into contact with the surface is likely to be contaminated) [see Standard 3.2.2 cl 20 of the Code]. Eating and drinking utensils must be cleaned, sanitised and protected from contamination between uses. The Standard does not require that eating and drinking utensils are cleaned and sanitised prior to every use. Customers may retain eating and drinking utensils for reuse. For example, customers may reuse a plate to serve themselves food from a smorgasbord. However, if a used eating or drinking utensil is returned to the food business, it must be cleaned and sanitised before it is used again. A food contact surface must be cleaned and sanitised between being used for raw food and ready-to-eat food. If equipment or surfaces have contact with potentially hazardous food outside temperature control they must be cleaned and sanitised at least every 4 hours. These areas should be cleaned between batches or lots, to avoid the risk of contamination being transferred to each batch. For example, if a meat slicer is used to slice meat all day, it should be cleaned and sanitised at regular intervals (every 4 hours) or when the meat product is changed to prevent food contamination. If it is not cleaned and sanitised, meat residues left on the slicer provide an ideal breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria to grow. Sanitising means that the surface or utensils have had heat or chemicals or other processes, so that the number of micro-organisms on the surface of the item has been reduced to a level that does not compromise the safety of the food in with which it may come into contact and does not permit the transmission of infectious disease.
Non-compliance	Minor	A sanitiser is being used to wipe down benches after cleaning however the sanitiser is not a food grade sanitiser. Eating and drinking utensils not appropriately cleaned prior to sanitising. E.g. food material/lipstick are left on eating and drinking utensils resulting in the sanitiser being ineffective.
	Major	The dishwashing machine has run out of sanitising agent or the dishwasher is not reaching an appropriate sanitising temperature. Hot water is used as a sanitising method however the business does not have appropriate equipment (dipping baskets, heating elements, suitable sized sinks), knowledge or procedure to ensure sanitation. (This method is not recommended) A food grade sanitiser is in use however it is not applied correctly. E.g. staff are not using the correct application or dilution or sanitiser, or are unaware if sanitiser needs to be rinsed off.
	Critical	The food business is not providing any means of sanitising food contact surfaces and equipment. Equipment is not being cleaned and sanitised between raw and ready to eat foods. E.g. a knife and chopping board are used to cut raw meats then used to prepare fruit without being washed and sanitised in-between uses. Equipment is not being cleaned and sanitised regularly where it may further contaminate food. E.g. meat slicer used to slice potentially hazardous cold meats in an unrefrigerated area is not washed and sanitised at 4 hourly intervals. Dish washing facilities are non functional and no other form of equipment washing and sanitising is available.