Food hygiene fact sheet

Food premises must be continually cleaned to ensure all food contact surfaces and equipment do not contain food poisoning organisms. Cleaning and sanitising preparation benches, chopping boards, cooking utensils and equipment used in the preparation of food is essential for the safe operation of any food business.

• Cleaning and sanitising your meat slicer (pdf 108 KB)
• Cleaning and sanitising (pdf 199 KB)
• Cleaning schedule example (pdf 184 KB).
• Food handling Hygiene (pdf 178 KB)
• Taste testing (pdf 1197 KB)

Basic steps for effective cleaning

Clean with detergent and hot water. Cleaning removes dirt and particles from the surface but does not kill all bacteria. Particles inhibit the effectiveness of sanitisers. Only clean surfaces can be sanitised. Sanitisers need contact time to work, so items such as utensils should be left to soak. Allow tableware and utensils to drip dry . This will prevent them from becoming re-contaminated when wiping with dirty cloths and tea towels.

Cleaning and sanitising - there is a difference!

Cleaning is the physical removal of visible particles, grease and dirt, whereas sanitising is the use of heat or chemicals to reduce the numbers of bacteria. Neither cleaning nor sanitising removes or kills all bacteria. The removal of all bacteria is called sterilisation and is not a method required for normal food business practice.

Designing a cleaning schedule

All premises need a cleaning schedule to ensure all areas are kept clean and sanitised. To design your cleaning schedule, the best method is to walk through your premises and make a list of all the items that need cleaning. Start with structural items like floors, walls and ceilings, then move onto equipment, fixtures, and fittings. Using a chart similar to the following example, list these items down the first column. Next to each item listed to clean, write down the cleaning product and cleaning method. Fill in details of frequency of cleaning (ie daily, weekly). Also detail the person responsible for making sure the task is completed.

Food Hygiene Signage

• Utensil washing only sign (pdf 227 KB).
• Dish and utensil washing only sign (pdf 92 KB)
• Food preparation only sign (pdf 128 KB)
• Hand washing only sign (pdf 142 KB)