Food Handling and Unethical Business Practices - Coursework Example

 Introduction Food handling should be done with the highest degree of hygiene since unhygienic food poses risks of contracting diseases. The bodies tasked with implementing food regulations on food need to properly implement the regulations set. Unethical business practices such as the sale of expired foods, preparing food in unhygienic conditions need to be faced fully by the EHPs (Environmental Health Practitioners). Proper considerate measures have to be given to all aspects of food. This includes delivery, preparation, cooking and cleanliness in the point of consumption. Inspection is, therefore, from time to time to ensure adherence to the food handling regulations by the EHPs. Inspection ought to be conducted to ensure that there are no contraventions of the Food Safety Act 1990, as well as the Food Safety Regulations. Another goal of carrying out inspection is to advise food handlers on how contraventions can be corrected. Furthermore, inspection ensures identification of potential risks, indication of action that is needed in the event of serious risks. In addition, inspection seeks to issue the enforcement notice of the food regulations (Lund & Hunter 2008: 329). Powers of the EHPs EHPs mainly do investigations so as to make decisions on what actions to take on business operators in the food industry who contravene the set regulations. For instance, if the action is to issue a notice, they must decide what should be included in the notice specification. The EHPs are given a lot of investigative powers, which fall under a broad range of statutory provisions. An excellent example is the Health and Safety at Work, under section 20, relating to powers of inspectors (Stephen 2013: 280). An EHP inspector possesses the power to enter any premises at any time to carry out the relevant statutory provisions. The officer may as well take a police officer with him where he fears obstructions. The EHP also has powers to take any equipment from the visited premises in line with carrying out the statutory provisions. The EHP has the power to take photographs and measurements while on a mission. The EHP also has powers to question any person believed to give relevant information regarding the investigations (Stephen 2013: 281). In carrying out the inspection process, the EHPs are concerned about the temperature control, to ascertain whether the food is left at the right temperature. The inspector also ensures that the food handling facility has enough refrigerators and deep freezers, all set at the correct temperature. The food handlers are also required to do defrosting at the most suitable temperature. Food should also be cooked at the correct temperature, and that probe temperatures are applied. In their inspection, the EHPs should also ensure that food trolleys are preheated, and the centre temperature of the food is regularly measured (Lund & Hunter 2008: 329). The food inspectors give a clear-cut difference between the recommendations of good hygiene practices and the others which contravene food hygiene legislation. Proper assessment should be done at all times so as to control management of food handling. All food handling areas should be inspected at least twice a year and findings recorded (Lund & Hunter 2008: 329). Summary of the report It was on such an inspection visit that the EHP and I came across a premise by the name Kath’s café. Confirming claims of non-compliance to the food hygiene regulations, we were able to identify a number of practices contrary to the set requirements of safe food handling. To start with, the facility lacked staff training records or any evidence of a formal Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This report details the contraventions which will be evidenced by photographs. In the report, I will also give recommendations to the most appropriate level of intervention. The photographs are given in the appendices. Inspection To start with, the café’s work surface had food debris and rodents’ droppings, as shown in reference 1. This is a clear indication of how neglected the workplace is. This is hazardous since human beings can contract diseases from such a dirty environment. This is in contravention of the Regulation EC 178/2202-Article 14. The food from this particular café is unsafe and unfit for human consumption due to contamination from the rodents’ droppings. This further contravenes the food law based on Council Regulation (EEC) number 315/93 of 8 February 1993, emphasises on the Community procedures for contaminants in food (Regulation 2004: 6). The second photo we took in the café shows food handling equipment placed on a dirty surface. These equipments are likely to be contaminated with bacteria and other pathogens, therefore, unfit to handle foodstuffs. This is in contravention of regulation EC 852/2204-Annex II. The recommendation for this would be to ensure proper storage of food handling equipment. The surfaces should thoroughly clean and sterilised (Regulation 2004: 6). The photograph referenced as four shows a freezer for food storage. The freezer itself is dirty and dusty on the sides and the inside parts. This is hazardous since the dirt will pass to the preserved food, some of which was already cooked, including boiled milk. This renders the preserved food unfit for human consumption. The unhygienic nature of the food storage facility is in contravention of the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations-2013 Regulations 6-10 Food Law (England) Code of Practice April 2014. The recommendation for this would be to improve the hygiene of the food storage facilities, in line with the provisions for enforcement action. Regular cleaning should be done on the facilities to keep them off the hazards (Regulation 2004: 32). Reference 4 is a photograph showing a dishcloth for cleaning work surfaces, which appears to be in a wanting condition. The cloth is so dirty and mouldy. When the same cloth is used on dishes, chances are some unseen pathogens may be left on the dishes posing a danger to the potential users of the dishes. This one again contravenes Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations-2013 Regulations 6-10 Food Law (England) Code of Practice April 2014. The recommendation would be to press the person in charge of the cleaning department in the café to rinse the dish washing clothes well and spread them to dry without accumulating the moulds. Reference 5 is a photograph showing some food left in a plate. The food is left to the exposure of flies. It is known that flies are vectors of diseases. This means the food is contaminated which is in contravention of The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 – Schedule 4, Regulation 32 FSA Guidance of the Temperature Control Legislation in the UK. Human for human consumption should be placed in closed, cool and dry places under the right temperatures to keep away such flies. Reference 6 is a photo we took in the café showing a hand wash basin. The basin is clogged, blocking the dirty water from flowing down the drainage pipe. As a result, dirty water accumulates in the basin; unsafe for anyone using the sink as the water will splash back to him/her. This practice contravenes Regulation EC 852/2004 – Annex II. The recommendation for this would be to issue a statutory notice to the management of the café. This will prompt the management to improve the hygiene of the premises and facilities such as the sink. Washbasins for cleaning hands should be provided with hot and cold water running freely into the drainage pipes. There should also be materials for cleaning hands and also for a hygienic drying. The hand-washing facility should be separate from the facilities for washing food (Regulation 2004: 40). Kath’s café store room, on the other hand, was also in a pathetic situation, as shown in photograph reference 7. This contravenes Specific Requirements for Approved Premises stipulated in Regulation 853/2004. The premises should always be clean. Right from where the customers sit to where the food is prepared should be kept clean. The floor surfaces should be maintained in good condition, easy to clean and disinfect. This requires the use of impervious, non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic materials. The floors should allow adequate surface drainage (Regulation 2004: 42). Cooked food should be preserved under the right temperatures. In this particular café, we took a photograph showing cooked sauce stored at room temperature overnight. When probed a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius was displayed, as shown in the photograph reference 8. This exposure of the food will cause it to go bad easily. Food for human consumption should be preserved under the right temperature conditions. This is in contravention of the Temperature Control Requirements, as stipulated in the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 – Schedule 4, Regulation 32 FSA Guidance of the Temperature Control Legislation in the UK. The management should ensure proper food preservation methods. There should be suitable temperature-controlled storage conditions for maintaining foodstuffs at the most appropriate temperatures. The temperatures should be recorded (Regulation 2004: 40). Reference 9 is a photograph showing a dirty apron used by food operatives in the Kath’s cafe. The apron should not be worn by a person dealing in food handling, in contravention with the general hygiene requirements as stipulated in Regulation EC 852/2004 – Annex II. The regulation requires that the all the persons working in a food-handling area should maintain a high level of personal cleanliness and ought to wear proper and clean protective clothing (Regulation 2004: 50). Kath’s café is also in contravention of equipment handling as shown in the photograph in reference 10. The wooden chopping board is badly scored. The chopping board is contaminated and most likely to render food unfit for human consumption. The recommendation for this is to ensure the equipment is effectively cleaned and disinfected where necessary. The cleaning and disinfection should be done on a regular basis in avoidance of the risk of contamination (Regulation 2004: 47). Sale of expired products is unethical since such food is totally unfit for human consumption. Reference 11 shows a packet of ready to eat ham, with an expired date. This practice is in contravention of Article 14(1) of Regulation 178/2002. The article requires that the unsafe food is not placed on the market (Food 2013: 24). The recommendation for this would be to penalize the offender for putting the lives of consumers at risk. Reference 12 shows a hole in the wall of a dry goods storage room. This shows poor maintenance of the storage facility, something which can attract rodents contaminating the stored food. Such a facility should be well constructed from strong materials and kept in such a good order with frequent repairs so as to minimize the risks of contamination (Regulation 2004: 47). Conclusion For the safety in the food industry, EHPs play a vital role to play. Inspection of the food industries has to be done regularly to ensure the food handlers adhere to the regulations stipulated in the law concerning food handling. The findings collected by the EHPs should be recorded for following up the business operators in contravention of the regulations. Continued non-adherence to these regulations may result in closure of such a business. In prolonged cases, such a person may be sued in a court of law for risking the lives of the consumers. Sanity in the food industry will come to be when the EHPs strictly adhere to their duties in the execution of their powers. Bibliography FOOD, ENGLAND (2013). No.2996 of the statutory instruments. The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. LUND, B. M., & HUNTER, P. R. (2008). The microbiological safety of food in healthcare settings. Oxford, UK, Blackwell Pub. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10297525. REGULATION, E. C. (2004). No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Communities, 18. STEPHEN BATTERSBY (2013). Clay's Handbook of Environmental Health. Routledge,2013 APPENDIX Read More