Risk Assessment and Food Safety Management

This assignment is based on various research papers and articles related to risk assessment and food safety management. It covers topics such as deliberate contamination of food production facilities, microbial contamination prevention, and early detection in the food industry. The assignment also includes environmental sampling for Listeria monocytogenes control and sensitive monitoring of enterobacterial contamination using self-propelled Janus microsensors. Additionally, it discusses the emergence of modern Chinese food safety law and provides guidance on food law in the UK. The summary of the assignment is intended to provide a detailed overview of the topic, highlighting key points and research findings related to risk assessment and food safety management.

Food Safety Management

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................4
AC 1.1 Discussing control measures for preventing physical and chemical contamination of
food.............................................................................................................................................4
AC 1.2 Comparing the characteristics of food poisoning and food borne infections.................5
AC 1.3 Discussing the methods of controlling food borne illness..............................................5
TASK 2 ...........................................................................................................................................6
AC 2.1 Categorising food spoilage agents that affects food ......................................................6
AC 2.2 Methods of food preservation........................................................................................7
AC 2.3 Evaluating the effectiveness of food preserving methods..............................................8
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................8
AC 3.1 Discussing the key steps in temperature control system................................................8
AC 3.2 Methods of safe storage food..........................................................................................9
AC 3.3 Importance of personal food hygiene in control of food contamination......................10
AC 3.4 Evaluating cleaning and disinfection as a process that supports safe food production 10
AC 3.5 Assessing the problems associated with pest control ..................................................10
AC 3.6 Justifying need of hygiene and construction of food premises....................................11
AC 3.7 Need of training for quality assurance mechanisms.....................................................11
AC 4.1 A food hazard risk assessment......................................................................................12
AC 4.2 Food safety control system...........................................................................................13
AC 43. Food safety guide for legislation compliance ..............................................................13
CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................13
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Food safety management system is the process of identifying, evaluating and controlling
food hazards in the organisation. This process runs through all the levels of food chain from
supply of ingredients to transportation of ready products (What is Food Safety Management and
Why Do We Need It, 2013). The present report will discuss about the food safety management in
The Ledbury, a restaurant located in Notting Hill, London, England. It comes in the list of
world's best 50 restaurants. It offers authentic British cuisines. The report will highlight controls
measures for preventing physical and chemical food contamination. It will show the processes
that helps in preventing spoilage of food, the steps for controlling temperature system and a food
safety guide for legislation compliance.
TASK 1
AC 1.1 Discussing control measures for preventing physical and chemical contamination of food
(Covered in ppt)
AC 1.2 Comparing the characteristics of food poisoning and food borne infections
(Covered in ppt)
AC 1.3 Discussing how the food borne illness can be controlled
(Covered in ppt)
TASK 2
AC 2.1 Categorising food spoilage agents that affects food
Food spoilage can be referred as the procedure in which food reaches to that level which
can not be eaten by humans. In other words, food deteriorate to a point in which it becomes
inedible (Rawat, S, 2015). For example, food may become unfit to eat if it is infected by germs,
protozoa, fungi etc.
Categorisation of food spoilage agents
Food spoilage agents Description of category Type of food
Bacteria  sphere shaped cocci
 rod shaped bacilli
 twisted shaped spirilla,
are living organisms that spoils
the food.
They usually affect the food
that are stored at cold places
for example food in
refrigerator are spoiled by
these bacteria.

Moulds These are a type of
mulitcellular, filamentous fungi
which consist of spores that
outspread through air and from
which new mould is created
(Phoku, and et.al., 2016).
Starchy food items such as
breads.
Yeasts These are unicellular fungi
which contain chlorophyll II,
requires water and an energy
source such as sugar for its
growth.
This type of fungi usually
spoils food items such
molasses, fruit juices, honey,
jellies, syrups etc.
Worms, bugs, moths These insects directly damages
the food items by eating it and
makes its contaminated.
Food grains, pulses are the
affected items that are spoiled
by this categories.
AC 2.2 Methods of food preservation
The staff of The Ledbury restaurant can use different methods for preserving its food that
are mentioned below:
List of methods:
 Cold storage
 Boiling
 Salting
 Dehydrating Canning
Methods of food preservation
Freezers : The restaurant can store its food items in freezers as germs and bacteria do not grow
quickly in cold places. The spoilage rate is very low in cold storage. Fruits, vegetables, cooked
food items are kept in cold places for preserving them (Chatterjee and Abraham 2018).
Boiling :Another method is boiling the food items such as milk, it destroys bacteria in it for

shorter period. Enzymes gets destroyed in high temperature. High acidic food products can
effectively be preserved by boiling them.
Salting : The chefs of restaurant could use salting as a method for preserving their food items
like fish.
Canning : Food items could be kept in air tight jars and cans because bacteria and germs
could not easily enter into these airtight jars (Farage and et.al., 2017).
AC 2.3 Evaluating the effectiveness of food preserving methods
Effectiveness of methods of food preservation
Cold storage : This is highly effective because frozen germs and bacteria are totally inactive,
which means that they do not grow in cold places and thus helps in preventing food from
getting spoiled (Karlovsky and et.al., 2016).
Boiling : This method only preserves food items for few hours unlike cold storage method that
preserves things for days. For example, milk have to be boiled 2 times a day in summer times
for preserving it.
Salting : Most of the bacteria, fungi do not survive in salty environment which makes it
possible for people to preserve food by this method. For example salted fish and salt cured meat
are very popular food items are cured by this method.
Canning: Storing food in airtight cans is effective because it usually prserves food for a period
of on to five years. Airtight jars do not allow any room for bacteria and germs to come into
contact with food inside the cans because of the unavailability of transmitting medium that is air
(Ribes and et.al.,2018).
TASK 3
AC 3.1 Discussing the key steps in temperature control system
Temperature control system involves several steps that are discussed below:
Storage : Keeping food in the cold storage areas such as freezer helps in preserving the
items for few days. The food must be kept at 5 degree Celsius or colder. Vegetables, fruits, juices
must be kept at this temperature for avoiding food spoilage. Extreme low temperature also would

make the food items unfit for cooking and eating as gas that emerges from freezers does affect
the products.
Preparation : The staff must know at what room temperature, the dishes must be
prepared for eliminating the probability of food spoilage through bacteria and germs that are
present in the environment (Marriott, Schilling and Gravani, 2018).
Cooking : Temperature plays a crucial role in avoiding diseases like Salmonella,
Listerosis. Food must be cooked at the right temperature for killing bacteria that are present in
items. For example, cold food items must be cooked at 41 F or less. Fish, meat, eggs must be
cooked at 145 F for destroying the germs completely.
Defrosting: It means melting a substance by brining the temperature above the freezing
point. Frozen food must be defrost according to room temperature for making it fit for eating or
using it in the preparation of dishes by the restaurant. For example, one pound of meat takes
around one hour for coming to a normal temperature.
Reheating : The food must be reheat properly and the ideal temperature for it is 165 F for
at least 15 seconds. The food should be heated very quickly before food gets dry out.
Inappropriate reheating do not swipe away the bacteria and could lead to food poising disease in
people (Muhterem-Uyar and et.al., 2015).
AC 3.2 Methods of safe storage food
The food could be stored safely by the restaurants by applying below mentioned
methods :
 Storing food in refrigerators and freezers helps in keeping food free from bacteria, fungi
and germs.
 Boiling vegetables and fruits, milk could help the restaurant in destructing bacteria that
leads to food spoilage.
 Keeping meat products and fishes in the salty environment that helps in storing foods
safely.
 Defrosting and thawing the frozen food is another method through food could be stored
safely.
 Dry storage is the method under which food items could be stored for longer period such
as one year to five year. These are effective for items that does not need any climate

control environment such as cereals, flour, rice etc (Nerín, Aznar and Carrizo, 2016).
AC 3.3 Importance of personal food hygiene in control of food contamination
In the Ledbury restaurant, personal hygiene of the staff that handles food holds great
significance in controlling food contamination and food spoilage. Customers prefers restaurant
that ultimate care while handling the food products in the place.
Frequent and thorough washing of hands before taking food in hand, cleaning up with
towel, not sneezing while cooking and serving food to people, wearing neat and clean clothes in
kitchen, covering long hairs, short nails etc. are some ways by which staff of the restaurant could
avoid the physical food contamination and promote personal hygiene at the place (Pacheco,
Jurado-Sánchez and Escarpa,2018).
AC 3.4 Evaluating cleaning and disinfection as a process that supports safe food production
Cleaning plays a major role in safe production of food in the restaurant as well as in the
other areas too, right from farming the products to its packaging or to the level its reaches to end
consumers. For example, maintaining high level of cleanliness in the kitchen assist the restaurant
in producing the dishes that are free from contagious bacteria and germs. Cleanliness mainly
helps in avoiding physical contamination of food as it reduces the probability of unhygienic
conditions affecting safety of dishes produced in restaurant's kitchen.
Disinfection is a procedure of cleansing things such as raw materials, utensils, kitchen
equipments etc., with chemical agents for killing the germs and bacteria. The Ledbury staff
focuses on eliminating the possibility of chemical contamination of food. Cleaning agents are
applied by staff for destructing the micro bacterial organisms in the kitchen area. Such
sterilization of objects in the kitchen helps it in manufacturing highly safe products.
However, there is problem in applying chemical sanitisers that it reacts differently when
these comes into contact with different objects such as wood, metal, glass or plastic. Therefore,
staff needs to be careful while using these anti-infecting agents.
AC 3.5 Assessing the problems associated with pest control
Pest control is the management of animal species that have the capability of affecting
human operations in a significant manner. Pest in the food premises largely contaminates and
spoils the food. The pest is generally classified into three categories that are; rats, insects and
birds. Identification of pest in the restaurant in the event of inspection or through compliant,

could lead to winding up of premises under the act prescribed by government. This is the reason
why every restaurant owner focuses on pest control in its premises.
However, there are some challenges that are associated with pest control. They are
discussed below:
 Proper pest control management could not apply till the staff is trained. This lack of
training and knowledge becomes a challenge in controlling pest in premises.
 Self controlling pest does not adequately solve the problem of pest contaminating the
food. Hiring professionals for ensuring pest free place involves cost for the restaurant.
 Efficient supervision is required for controlling pest in restaurant. Managers sometimes
becomes lazy about this aspect of business which costs them in the future.
 Unnecessary stock of raw materials and large inventory creates problems in the pest
control management of the Ledbury.
AC 3.6 Justifying need of hygiene and construction of food premises
The food safety laws in the country requires designing and construction of the food
premises in a such way that:
 allows room for hygiene activities take place,
 controls pest entrée in the business premises
 Protect against the possibility of getting toxic substances into food materials.
Proper drainage system, system of washing utensils, other kitchen equipments, cleaning
of surface of the restaurant is all necessary for the safer production of food. This is because these
factors directly contributes to the contamination of food items leading to outspread of contagious
diseases (Food Poisoning, 2019). Also, these are necessary from business point of view, as
hygiene factor of the food premises is the first thing that a customer notices which drives its
desire of visiting the place again in the future. Also, these are factors that could are in the control
of restaurant. Properly adhering to these requirements ensures success of the restaurant as people
expects safe food.
AC 3.7 Need of training for quality assurance mechanisms
The quality assurance mechanism of the Ledbury ensures that food items are offered to
customers at the consistent quality. This mechanism is responsible for maintaining the quality of
products and services offered to people. In this training of the staff plays a significant role.
Employees of the restaurant needs to provide training regarding how they are supposed to

conduct their activities. It holds importance in the sense that knowledgable employees of
restaurant knows how to tackle and treat a customer. This is an integral part of quality control in
Ledbury. Ongoing training needs to be provided for updating skills of employees regarding how
they should maintain hygiene factor high in the business premises, how they can produce and
serve dishes to customers that are free from germs and bacteria. Also, how food could be kept
safely is essential part of quality control mechanism in restaurant as it lead to elimination of food
spoilage and food contamination. This helps Ledbury in reducing their operational costs which
eventually leads higher profitability and customer experience (Snyder, 2016).
AC 4.1 A food hazard risk assessment
Various hazards are encountered while preparing and serving food to customers that are
mentioned below:
 Inappropriate storage
 Disasters from manual handling
 falls and slips of food items
 Electrical perils
 Fire accidents
Lack of safe storage of food leads to food spoilage. For example not keeping food
properly in refrigerators, shelves could lead to contamination of food materials. It can be
controlled by arranging and organising things properly in kitchen. Avoiding excess stock of raw
materials by employing FIFO food control method.
Manual handling causes various hazards in kitchen such as mixing of food components,
unloading of beverages, movement of kitchen equipments, lifting boxes etc. These becomes the
reasons why food gets physically contaminated in kitchen. It can be controlled by wearing hand
gloves while preparing food, using handling equipments for carrying heavy goods such as
trolleys.
Falling and slipping of food materials on the grounds in restaurant's kitchen due to
human mistakes makes things messy on the floor. It leads wastage in production, unhygienic
environment and contaminated food. These falls and slips could be avoided by taking excess
caution while preparing and serving dishes, ensuring efficient housekeeping activities for
clearing up the mess frequently (Marriott, Schilling and Gravani, 2018).

Fire and electrical accidents leads to serious injurious to people working in kitchen. It
could be controlled by ensuring no naked wires are there in kitchen, working very diligently
while preparing dishes that are associated with risk of igniting naked flames.
AC 4.2 Food safety control system
Food control system is basically automation of activities in a restaurant for assuring
highest safety and quality of products and services. Ledbury could apply different control system
available in market which best meets their needs. Such control system helps the restaurant in
managing and organising its operation in a very controlled manner that ultimately leads to
delivering of safe and quality products to customers.
AC 43. Food safety guide for legislation compliance
The food industry is highly regulated by the governing bodies for protecting consumer's
interest in terms of health and safety. Non compliance of these regulations involves shutting
down of the business. The Food Standard Agency has laid down various rules for each stage in
food preparation such as production, processing, packaging and labelling, transportation,
distribution. These regulations and legislations such as Food Hygiene Directive requires utmost
hygiene in the restaurant, prohibition of food additives that are harmful to humans. Cleanliness,
safe storage, proper cooking are the important aspects that every chef in restaurant needs to
consider for producing food that is free from hazardous substances (Food law guidance, 2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it can be summarised that maintaining quality of food requires a
special care while manufacturing it. This helps the restaurant in offering food which is free from
any type of contamination. The report concluded various methods of preserving food such as
storing food in freezers, pasteurization, putting the food in airtight jars. These helps in avoiding
contamination in food because bacteria generally do not spread and grow in such environment.
The other segment summarised that food safety regulations such as Food Safety and Hygiene
regulations 2013, Food Hygiene Directive are to complied for ensuring safety and health of
consumers.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Chang, Y., Erera, A.L. and White, C.C., (2017). Risk assessment of deliberate contamination of
food production facilities. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics:
Systems. 47(3). pp.381-393.
Chatterjee, A. and Abraham, J., (2018). Microbial Contamination, Prevention, and Early
Detection in Food Industry. In Microbial Contamination and Food Degradation.(pp. 21-
47). Academic Press.
Farage, P and et.al., (2017). Content validation and semantic evaluation of a check-list elaborated
for the prevention of gluten cross-contamination in food services. nutrients, 9(1), p.36.
Karlovsky, and et.al., (2016). Impact of food processing and detoxification treatments on
mycotoxin contamination. Mycotoxin research. 32(4). pp.179-205.
Marriott, N. G., Schilling, M. W. and Gravani, R. B., (2018). Principles of food sanitation.
Springer.
Muhterem-Uyar, M and et.al., (2015). Environmental sampling for Listeria monocytogenes
control in food processing facilities reveals three contamination scenarios. Food
Control. 51. pp.94-107.
Nerín, C., Aznar, M. and Carrizo, D., (2016). Food contamination during food process. Trends in
food science & technology. 48. pp.63-68.
Pacheco, M., Jurado-Sánchez, B. and Escarpa, A., (2018). Sensitive monitoring of
enterobacterial contamination of food using self-propelled Janus microsensors. Analytical
chemistry. 90(4). pp.2912-2917.
Phoku, J. Z nad et.al., (2016). Fungal dissemination by housefly (Musca domestica L.) and
contamination of food commodities in rural areas of South Africa. International journal of
food microbiology. 217. pp.177-181.
Rawat, S., (2015). Food Spoilage: Microorganisms and their prevention. Asian Journal of Plant
Science and Research. 5(4). pp.47-56.
Ribes, S and et.al., (2018). Prevention of fungal spoilage in food products using natural
compounds: a review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. 58(12). pp.2002-
2016.

Snyder, F., (2016). Emergence of Modern Chinese Food Safety Law. In Food Safety Law in
China .(pp. 108-179). Brill Nijhoff.
Online
Food law guidance. 2019. [Online]. Available through
<https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/business/environmental-health/food-safety/Pages/food-
law-guidance.aspx>
What is Food Safety Management and Why Do We Need It. 2013. [Online]. Available through
<https://vmokshagroup.com/blog/what-is-food-safety-management-and-why-do-we-need-
it/>
Food Poisoning. 2019. [Online]. Available through <https://www.healthline.com/health/food-
poisoning#symptoms>