In retail, food is often portioned, sliced, displayed and served, rather than cooked from raw. Each of these stages can control hazards, or create them.

In this module, you will learn how to handle pre-prepared food, thaw, cook, reheat and cool food safely, take food temperatures, and keep hot and cold food safe on display and during service.

Many retail products arrive ready-prepared, such as cooked meats, salads, sandwiches and desserts. These are high-risk foods, because they will not be cooked again.

• Keep them at the correct temperature, and within their use by date.
• Handle them as little as possible, using clean utensils or tongs.
• Never use equipment for ready-to-eat food that has been used for raw food, unless it has been cleaned and disinfected.

The safest way to thaw frozen food is in the fridge, where it stays at a safe temperature.

• Thaw raw meat and poultry in a separate area, covered, and below ready-to-eat food.
• If a fridge is not available, sealed food can be thawed under cold running water.
• If you use a microwave to defrost, check for uneven heating.
• Once thawed, keep food refrigerated, or cook it straight away.
• Clean and disinfect thawing areas afterwards.

Take special care with frozen poultry. If it is not fully thawed, the centre may not get hot enough to kill bacteria.

• Poultry is thawed when the body and legs are soft and flexible, with no ice crystals inside the cavity.
• Cook it within 24 hours of thawing.
• Never wash raw poultry, as splashes spread bacteria.
• Check the core temperature in the thickest part, the deep thigh muscle. It must reach at least 75 °C.

Undercooked or poorly reheated food lets harmful bacteria survive. Colour and appearance are not reliable, so always check the core temperature.

• Cook food until the core reaches 75 °C, or an equivalent, such as 70 °C for at least two minutes.
• Reheat food until it is piping hot all the way through, with a core temperature of at least 70 °C, as the FSAI advises.
• Reheat food only once.
• Cool food quickly after cooking, if it is not served hot.

A probe thermometer is the only reliable way to check food temperatures, and temperature checks are a key part of your food safety management system.

• Clean and disinfect the probe before and after each use, with a probe wipe, to avoid cross contamination.
• Insert it into the centre, or thickest part, of the food, avoiding bone, fat and the sides of the container.
• Check its accuracy regularly, in iced water, which should read 0 °C, and boiling water, which should read 100 °C.
• Record the readings.

Cooked food that is not served hot must be cooled as quickly as possible, and put in the fridge within two hours, at 5 °C or below. Slow cooling lets spores germinate and bacteria multiply.

• Divide large amounts into smaller portions, or shallow containers.
• Use a blast chiller, a cold water or ice bath, or a cool, clean area.
• Keep cooling food covered, and away from raw food.

Never put hot food straight into a fridge. It raises the temperature of everything else inside.

Improper cooling is a serious hazard, because spores that survived cooking can germinate and bacteria can produce toxins while food sits warm. Different foods need different cooling methods. Rice, vegetables and boiled potatoes can be cooled quickly under cold, running drinking water. Bagged joints of meat can be sprayed with cold water to bring the temperature down. Stews, soups and sauces should be transferred into shallow containers, which allow heat to escape much faster than a deep pot.

Ice baths, fans and blast chillers can all speed up cooling. Larger portions will naturally take longer, so divide them where you can. While food is cooling, keep it covered and well away from raw food, and once it has cooled, store it at 5 °C or below. Never put hot food straight into a fridge to cool it, because it raises the temperature inside and can put everything else stored there at risk.

Hot food on display, such as rotisserie chicken, pies or a hot counter, must be kept at 63 °C or above.

• Make sure food is fully cooked, or reheated, before it goes on display.
• Check and record the temperature when it goes on display, and regularly afterwards.
• Cover containers, and never mix fresh food with food already on display.
• If food has fallen below 63 °C, it should be thrown away.

Hot food on a counter, such as rotisserie chicken, pies or a hot buffet, must be held at 63 °C or above, both to stop bacteria multiplying and to stop spores becoming active. A simple routine makes this reliable. Always record the temperature of the food when it is first placed in hot holding. While it is on display, check its temperature again at least every two hours. If it has fallen below 63 °C, it must be discarded.

If a hot-holding unit fails, report it, and discard any food that has fallen below 63 °C. Cover hot food containers wherever possible, because covers help retain heat as well as protect the food from contamination. And when refilling a hot counter, never mix freshly prepared food with food that has already been on display, because the older food would shorten the safe life of the new.

Chilled food on display, such as a deli counter, open fridge or salad bar, should be kept at 5 °C or below. Check and record display temperatures regularly.

• Do not fill display units above the load line.
• Use clean containers when restocking, and never put fresh food on top of older food.

Serving and displaying food brings its own hazards:

• Bacteria growing when food is left out of temperature control.
• Contamination from hands, utensils and equipment.
• Physical hazards, such as hair, from staff not wearing protective clothing.
• Allergens transferred by shared utensils.

Protect displayed food with covers or sneeze screens. Where there is no chilled display, put out small amounts at a time, and keep the rest refrigerated.

• Serve raw and ready-to-eat foods from separate counters, with separate utensils and, ideally, separate staff.
• Clean and disinfect slicers often, and between raw and cooked products.
• Do not let customers touch uncovered food.
• Wrap or bag food close to where it is served, to avoid drips and spills.
• Keep equipment and utensils clean, and store them properly.
• Hold cutlery and cups by the handle, and glasses by the stem or base.

The deli counter is one of the busiest food safety points in a shop, and a few habits make a big difference. Slicing machines must be cleaned and disinfected frequently throughout the day. Where possible, slice meat in batches and disinfect the machine between each batch, rather than switching back and forth between products. Raw and ready-to-eat foods should be served from separate counters with different utensils, and ideally each member of staff should stay assigned to one type of food, so that bacteria are not carried from one to the other on hands or clothing.

Avoid carrying unwrapped food long distances before bagging or weighing it, because drips and spills spread contamination. Make sure customers do not touch uncovered food with their hands. And everyone working on the counter should understand the temperature controls and personal hygiene practices that keep the food safe, because one careless moment can undo the work of the whole team.

Money can carry bacteria from many hands. If you handle money, or card machines, as part of your job, remember to wash your hands before you handle food.

Where possible, use a different member of staff for payments. Otherwise, use tongs or other utensils for food, and wash your hands after taking payment, before you touch food again. Gloves are not a substitute for hand washing.

When preparing food:

• Use separate, colour-coded equipment for raw and ready-to-eat food, or clean and disinfect it thoroughly between uses.
• Wash vegetables in a sink kept for food, never in the hand basin.
• Use disposable cloths for wiping surfaces.
• Wash your hands before handling food, and after touching raw food.
• If you wear gloves, wash your hands first, and change gloves between tasks.
• Prepare only as much food as you need at one time.