Basics in Food Hygiene and Safety

News headlines about foodborne illness outbreaks have become all too common. Cases like Listeria monocytogenes in dairy products, Salmonella, and Hepatitis A associated with frozen products, have grown alarmingly frequent. Meat and poultry constantly rank as the main sources of severe and deadly foodborne diseases. However, food safety hazards can be present in any food and can be introduced at any stage of the food chain, from primary production to final consumption.

Understanding Food Safety: Key Practices for Risk Prevention

The Codex Alimentarius defines food hygiene as “all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food chain.” It defines food safety as “Assurance that food will not cause adverse health effects to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.”

Even large food companies sometimes fail to follow basic food safety practices, resulting in unsafe products. Such breaches can pose serious risks to consumer health.

With the rise of global trade, mass food production, and complex supply chains, ensuring food safety has become increasingly difficult. Even a small failure at any stage, from production to consumption, can have extensive consequences, affecting thousands of people across different regions. This increasing complexity emphasizes the need for food businesses to adopt well-structured and preventive food safety systems rather than relying only on reactive solutions.

To effectively manage these risks, food businesses adopt Food Safety Management Systems - FSMS based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points - HACCP. 

Three main practices play a fundamental role in preventing food safety hazards:

1. Personal Hygiene

In both industrial and domestic food preparation, maintaining good personal hygiene is essential to prevent foodborne illness. Not only visibly ill personnel, but all individuals involved in food preparation can become sources of contamination.

Best practices include:

• Washing hands carefully and frequently with clean water and soap, especially before and after preparing food, using kitchen utensils, going to the toilet, or touching raw food, waste, or chemicals.
• Avoiding touching the face, hair, or mouth while handling food. If unavoidable, hands should be washed immediately afterward.
• Not eating, drinking, chewing, or smoking while working with food.
• Wearing suitable, clean, and protective clothing, such as hairnets, gloves, and aprons.

2. Time and Temperature Control

Controlling time and temperature is critical to reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Bacteria can multiply rapidly in the temperature range of 5°C and 57°C, commonly referred to as the danger zone. Under favorable conditions, their numbers can double every 20 minutes under favorable conditions.

Best practices include:

• Keeping hot food at 60°C or higher
• Cooling food from 60°C to 20°C within 2 hours, then from 20°C to 4°C within the next 4 hours
• Keeping cold food at 5°C or lower
• Keeping frozen food at -18°C or lower
• Thawing food safely in a refrigerator at 4°C or below

3. Cross-Contamination Prevention

Cross-contamination occurs when harmful microorganisms or contaminants are transferred from one surface or food to another. It can be biological, physical, or chemical in nature and is a major cause of foodborne illness. 

Three primary routes of cross-contamination include:

• People to food: The most common way, often caused by inappropriate hygiene practices. Training of employees and regular monitoring are essential to reduce this risk.
• Food to food: This happens when raw foods come into contact with ready-to-eat or cooked foods. Storing foods separately and covering all items helps prevent this type of contamination.
• Equipment to food: Surfaces that are not properly cleaned and sanitized can transfer hazards. All food-contact equipment should be carefully washed and sterilized after use.

Implementing a Food Safety Management System

Although maintaining personal hygiene, managing time and temperature, and preventing cross-contamination are crucial practices in food safety, they must be thoroughly controlled to be truly effective. This is where a Food Safety Management System - FSMS becomes necessary.

An FSMS offers an approach to identifying, assessing, and managing food safety risks at every point in the food supply process, from sourcing and manufacture through to storage, transportation, and delivery. It ensures that food safety measures are not only implemented but also consistently monitored, evaluated, and improved over time. A carefully implemented Food Safety Management System - FSMS, commonly aligned with established standards such as ISO 22000 or HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, allows organizations to fulfill regulatory requirements, maintain rigorous safety procedures, and strengthen consumer trust.

More than just preventing foodborne illnesses, a well-functioning FSMS promotes a proactive safety culture and organizational accountability, and drives continuous improvement across all operations.

PECB and ISO 22000 Certification

For professionals in the food industry, PECB provides ISO 22000 certification and training programs that help individuals implement and maintain an effective Food Safety Management System - FSMS.

PECB’s ISO 22000 Training Programs include:

• ISO 22000 Foundation
• ISO 22000 Lead Implementer
• ISO 22000 Lead Auditor

These training courses are designed for professionals seeking comprehensive knowledge of food safety systems, project managers leading FSMS implementation, auditors conducting certification audits, and others involved in ISO 22000 compliance.

About the author

Vesa Hyseni is a Senior Content and Campaigns Specialist at PECB. She is responsible for creating up-to-date content, conducting market research, and providing insights about ISO standards. For any questions, feel free to reach out to her at support@pecb.com.