Food Safety - C Stores face scrutiny

In the last two months it was reported in Sydney newspapers that two Service Station C-Stores received fines from a Sydney Council for breaching food safety laws. One store was fined for holding pre-cooked chickens in a chilled state but at a temperature above 13 degrees C, while another was fined for storing raw food above cooked food in their fridge.

All states now have ratified their food safety laws in accordance with FSANZ recommendations and federal statutes. Queensland upgraded laws come into play from July this year. As can be seen from the Sydney episodes local councils are beginning to stringently audit the food safety processes and procedures in C-Store.

All C-Store operators need to ensure that they have:

  • Developed and lodged a food safety plan with their local government authority.
  • That a nominated food supervisor has gained the necessary qualification for retail - WRRLP6 C Handle Food Hygienically
  • Has implemented and documented the training and assessment of food handling competency for all food handlers working in their business.

The law is very broad - it states that it is illegal to sell food that is not fit for consumption or contaminated in any way. Contamination can occur a number of ways - it can be physical objects like dirt, metal or glass, introduced chemical like pesticides or cleaning products. Most importantly though foods can be become contaminated with microbiological organisms and bacteria that can cause serious food poisoning and illness.

All food businesses including those who sell milk and dairy products must develop procedures to prevent these hazards occurring.

The two mina hazards are:

  • The growth of bacteria
  • Contaminating foods

Bacteria are known to multiply when they the food that attracts them is left too long in the temperature dangers zones of 5 to 60 degrees centigrade. All processes in the store must be aimed at preventing this occurring - hence every shift temperature monitoring must be undertaken and recorded.

Contamination can be prevented with common sense and procedures for hygienic food handling. Ensure cleaning rosters and tasks are implemented, hygienic handling practices are implemented and all food handlers maintain personal hygiene.

All C-Store operators need to ensure they have documented and self-audited food handling procedures (food plan) and that their nominated food supervisors have the necessary Qualifications.

All staff need to be trained in these procedures including hygienic handling of foods - and this should be assessed and their competency recorded on staff files. Naturally, this process must meet the stringent requirements of assessment and record keeping in case they are ver challenged by food safety inspectors.

There are numerous programs available today - whether form local councils and TAFEs or from Industry Training Organisations such as atmp pty ltd (see below). All that operators need to do is ensure that whatever pathway for training and assessment they choose - the appropriate skill sand knowledge is indeed achieved by each staff member and that the relevant documentation attests to that.

A brief heads up warning... in our travels we notice that many business have still not caught up with the requirement to store all food staffs off the floor in fridges, chillers and freezers and that some staff still believe that if they read the thermostat, then they have monitored the temperature. The temperature monitoring must record the temperature of the products in fridges and hot displays not the air temperature.

Ensuring ALL staff are trained and competent is one thing, but C-Store operators should be regularly checking (self auditing) their procedures to ensure that all food handling practices are indeed preventing food hazards and risks occurring in their business.

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