Temperature Control in Food Preperation

Why is Temperature Control Important?

Poor or inadequate temperature control of food is the main cause of food poisoning. The bacteria that cause food poisoning need warmth to multiply, and so the correct use of temperature control can prevent food poisoning by providing an environment where bacteria is either dramatically reduced or the bacteria destroyed.

The Temperature Danger Zone?

Between 8°C and 63°C bacteria can multiply rapidly, and in optimum temperature conditions (37°C) they can double in number every 10 – 20 minutes. If bacteria multiply rapidly in food this can result in food poisoning. This does not always affect the taste, smell or appearance of the food itself. It is recommended that frozen food is stored below -18°C so that bacteria are prevented from growing.

---

Using a digital Probe.

The temperature control of food can be easily accomplished by the correct use of a digital temperature probe. These probes are used widely in food preparation to minimise the risks of food poisoning.

Cooking and Reheating

A digital probe is used during the cooking process to check if the food has been thoroughly cooked or reheated. The food is safe if it has reached a high enough temperature for a long enough period of time. To correctly check the temperature of food, use a clean probe and insert it so that the tip is in the centre of the food, or the thickest part.

Hot Holding

A probe can be used to ensure that food is kept at a hot enough temperature prior to serving. It is a legal requirement that hot food must be kept at a temperature of over 63°C. To check that the food in hot-holding is above this use a clean probe inserted so that the tip is in the centre of the food or the thickest part.

Storing and Displaying Chilled Food

It is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that certain chilled food must be kept below 8°C. In Scotland the regulations do not set a specific temperature. To check that food is being kept at a low enough temperature insert a clean probe so that the tip is in the centre of the food or the thickest part.

Chilling Down Hot Food

Hot food that is to be stored for later use needs to be chilled rapidly and then stored at a temperature as specified above for chilled food. To check the best method for doing this, use a clean probe to test the temperature at regular intervals to see how quickly it is dropping, Repeat this for other methods of rapid cooling and compare to find the best method.

Good Hygiene for Caterers

Personal Hygiene

The single most effective and the most important part of contolling cross-contamination and the spread of germs, bacteria and viruses is to ALWAYS wash your hands before handling any food. The standard guidelines for effective hand washing can be found here. We also supply a range of products and solutions to meet the needs of most catering establishments.



It is important that those working with food always wear clean work clothes, and preferably change into these just before starting work. The work clothes preferably should not be worn outside the food preperation areas if possible. Clothes worn outside can carry in dirt and bacteria increasing the risk of cross-contamination. At Adcocks we offer a range of catering wear suitable for most extablishments. Work Clothes should be long sleeved, light coloured (to easily show up dirt) and have no external pockets. This helps prevent skin coming into contact with food and fluff, fibres, etc. from inside the pockets transferring to the food itself.



In order to keep work clothes clean and to prevent cross-contamination through spills, you should always wear an apron over your clothes which can be easily removed between jobs. Preferably wear disposable aprons which can be simply thrown away and replaced with a new one at each job or work station.

You should always tie back longer hair, and everyone should wear a hat or hairnet to prevent loose hair from dropping into food. In some instances it may even be necessary for those with beards to cover these with a Beard Mask

Jewellery and watches should be removed when handling food, as in addition to the danger of them becoming loose and falling into the food, they can also carry dirt and bacteria which can be transferred.

Finally you should avoid touching your face, mouth and nose, eating, drinking or chewing gum when preparing food to minimise the spread of germs, bactria and viruses.

Employers are required to ensure that staff are fully trained to comply with the above measures, and in the case of failing, re-training may need to be undertaken. It would be helpful for employers to provide an area in which food handlers can change when they arrive at work, and before leaving for home. Spare aprons, hairnets, hats and coveralls should be kept on the premises for visitors that have access to food preparation areas.

6 Steps to Effective Hand Washing

October the 15th this year is Global Handwashing Day

Although people around the world wash their hands with water, very few wash their hands with soap at the critical occasions. More handwashing with soap means lower rates of infectious disease: Clean Hands Save Lives!

In light of this, here is the standard 6-step guide to effective handwashing.

---

1) Wet hands and apply soap. Rub palm-to-palm until you work up a rich lather.

---

2) Run Each palm thouroughly over the backs of the other hand

---

3) Rub thouroughly between the fingers of each hand

---

4) Rub your hands with the fingers together

---

5) Rub around each of your thumbs

---

6) Rub your fingertips in circles on each palm. Then rinse thouroughly and dry

---

At adcocks we have a range of soaps and dispensers, including antibacterial soap, Hyfoam foaming soap and tablet soap

Helping slow the spread of Swine Flu

HOW DOES SWINE FLU SPREAD?

Flu viruses are made up of tiny particles that can be spread through the droplets that come out of your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. If you do not cover your nose and mouth with a tissue, these droplets can spread and others will be at risk of breathing them.

If you cough or sneeze into your hand, these miniscule droplets and the germs in them can be easily spread from your hand to any surface that you touch. These germs can live on those surfaces for some time. Everyday items such as door handles, computer keyboards and telephones are all common surfaces where the flu virus can be found.

If other people touch these surfaces, then touch their faces, the germs can enter their system and they can become infected.

THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF IS TO FOLLOW GOOD HYGIENE PRACTICES.
Thes will help to slow down the spread of the virus and will be the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself and others from infection.

When you cough and sneeze it is especially important to follow the rules of good hygeine and prevent the spread of germs and viruses. ALWAYS CARRY TISSUES. Use clean tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze and cough. BIN the tissue after use. WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP and hot water or use a SANITISING GEL often. MAKE SURE HARD SURFACES ARE CLEANED REGULARLY. Door handles and the like can be cleaned with a good disinfectant or SANITISING SPRAY.

THE SWINE FLU PACK FROM ADCOCKS

Even though news coverage has slowed down recently, we are facing an increased risk of Swine Flu becoming more widespread of the coming months. A number of schools in the UK have been forced to close for brief periods of time following confirmed cases amongst the pupils, and a high number of the cases nationwide have been amongst children. Good Hygeine helps to slow the spread of the infection, along with following the other recommendations already stated. At Adcocks we are able to offer a complete solution to your hygiene needs allowing you to follow all the major guidelines. All the products within this dedicated Swine Flu pack are of the highest quality, ensuring everyone gets the best protection possible. Click HERE to view the pack in detail.

More information can be obtained from

Summer Pests - Dealing with Flies

Flies and Bluebottles are particular pests during the warmer months of the year, in addition to merely being nuisances they can also pose a threat to health. Flies cannot be accused of being fussy eaters, and are not particular about their food sources. Their unsavoury eating habits mean they go from feeding on decaying matter or compost to landing on your freshly prepared steak dinner! With a flying range of 5 miles there is plenty of opportunity for these small pests to spread the 6 million bacteria that they carry on their feet. And that’s without the intestinal worms and gastro-intestinal diseases that they transmit!

So what is the solution to these little menaces? Apart from being time-consuming and tiring, chasing the little blighters around your establishment with a plastic fly swatter or rolled up newspaper is probably not the best way to comply with health and safety regulations or guidelines! At Adcocks we can provide a variety of effective solutions to control flies and similar pests.

Firstly we have the traditional pesticide route. We supply HSE approved Jangro Fly and Bug Spray, which is a traditional spray for the control of flies, mosquitos, ants, cockroaches, silverfish etc. It can be used as an airborn mist or sprayed directly onto surfaces. We also offer the SWAK Natural Insecticide and Automatic Dispenser which is an effective system that is designed to deliver programmed sprays of concentrates natural insecticide at set intervals throughout the day.

For places where sprays are not an option we offer alternative solutions. The FlyPod fly trap is a stylish and compact unit designed to discretely fit in with any front of house or domestic environments. The FlyPod incorporates several unique features that combines commercial effectiveness with domestic serviceability. The unit incorporates a patented rear glueboard removal system ensuring that the user does not come into direct contact with the sticky surface or the trapped insects. Incorporated into the unit are high efficacy UV tubes and Glupac pheremone impregnated glueboards with UV stabiliser.

For larger coverage, and where the looks are not a major issue we offer zapper-type fly-killers. These units incorporate UV tubes to attract the flies and a high-voltage grid that ‘zaps’ them and a catch tray for hygienic disposal. The FlyZap has been designed as a budget price solution and is ideal for shops, takeaways, kitchens and other applications requiring effective fly control. The PlusZap is a commercial zapper combining high specification features with a competitive market price. Both the FlyZap and the PlusZap are independantly tested and certified to RoHS and relevant European standards.

Plastic Glassware - Which should you choose?

What are the benefits for using plastic glassware? And which is the most appropriate to use?

Flexy-Glass

For large and one-off events the ideal choice is our disposable flexy-glass range. These glasses are made from a shatterproof flexible plastic (polypropylene), that is safe to use in most situations, shatterproof, very strong and yet lightweight for ease of use. Our plastic shot glasses are thinner than the flexy-glass range, while at the same time being rigid.

Polycarbonate Range

For a reusable daily range of glassware, our polycarbonate range is ideal as an effective alternative to glass. Polycarbonate is extremely rigid and sturdy and is resistant to breakage when dropped or thrown. They have a glass-like clarity, are dishwasher safe, child-proof and light making them easy and safe to handle.

Hayfever help!

Yes, its the time for sneezing, runny eyes and the variety of other symptoms associated with hayfever. The hayfever season lasts from February untill September and is broken down as

• Tree Pollen – February to June
• Grass Pollen – May to July/August
• Nettle/Weed Pollen – August to September

Standard advice for sufferers includes:

• Keep an eye on the pollen forecasts, and try to stay indoors on heavy pollen count days
  
• Stay inside if possible at the worst times of the day, typically morning and evening
  
• Wear dark sunglasses to protect eyes from pollen
  
• Put vaseline around nose to catch pollen Keep windows and doors closed at home
  
• Don’t drive around with the car windows open

Did you also know though, that just hanging your washing outside can irritate sufferers? Pollen is very sticky and tends to stick to fabric and hair, therefore recommendations are that you wash your hair and clothes every day, and don’t hang clothes outside to dry. Even pets can be a source of irritation, as pollen can stick to pet hair as well as your own hair!

Another feature of pollen is that it can ‘live’ in carpets and fabrics for up to three months, so regular and thorough cleaning of carpets and upholstery is essential to prevent not only hayfever, but also other allergies caused by dust-mites and particulates. At Adcocks we recommend using a good hoover such as the Lindhaus Dynamic Professional, with its 5 stage filtration system, this vacuum is one of the best for capturing pollen and emitting air clean and free from allergens.