SITXFSA002 Learner Resource.v1.0

Learner Resource
SITXFSA002 Participate in safe food handling practices

SITXFSA002 Participate in safe food handling practices Student Guide
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 2
Overview 3
Learning outcomes 6
Topic 1: Follow food safety program 7
Topic 2: Receiving and storing food 20
Topic 3: Safe food preparation, packaging and transportation and disposal 23
Topic 4: Cleaning and sanitation 30
Review and Assessment 36
Gamma Education & Training Pty Ltd RTO Code 41477 CRICOS PROVIDER CODE 03580F v1. 2020 Page 2
Overview
Introduction
• The Student Guide should be used in conjunction with the recommended reading and any further
course notes or activities given by the trainer/assessor.
Topics Content
Topic 1: Follow food safety program • Food safety programs
• Why is it important to have a food safety program?
• Responsibilities
• Food safety laws, regulations and standards
• HACCP
• Contamination hazards
• Temperature Devices
• Temperature Danger Zone and the 2/4 hour rule
• Reporting unsafe food handling practices
• High risk customer groups
Topic 2: Safe food storage • Receiving food

• Potentially hazardous foods
• Storing Food
• Food types
• Storage conditions
Topic 3: Safe food preparation, packaging • General safe food preparation handling procedures
and transportation and disposal • Cooling and reheating food
• Handy hints for cooling food quickly
• Handy hints for heating food quickly
• Serving and displaying food
• Food packaging
• Types of food packaging
• Safe food handling procedures for packaging
• Single use items
• Transporting food
• Disposing of food
Topic 4: Cleaning and sanitation • Cleaning and sanitising

• Essential cleaning materials
• Cleaning tasks
• Maintenance
• Environmental swabbing
• Chemical testing
• Pest control
Unit review and Assessment Tasks
Content
The Student Guide includes:
• Topics for the unit
• Activities
• Links to websites containing relevant information
• (if the links are broken, copy and paste into a web browser).
Activities:
The trainer/assessor will provide a simulated work environment therefore, the activities provided in the
Student Guide:
• Reflect real life work tasks.
• Are performed to industry safety requirements as relevant.
• Use authentic workplace documentation.
• Require you to work with others as part of a team.
• Require you to plan and prioritise competing work tasks.
• Involve the use of standard, workplace equipment such as computers and software.
• Take into consideration workplace constraints such as time and budgets.
• Activities will either be self-directed or carried out as part of group or team work.
• Read through the activity carefully and ask the trainer/assessor for guidance if required.
• Time will be allocated for completing the activity, along with class discussion and feedback.
• Some activities may require you to submit work to the trainer/assessor for feedback. Where this is
the case, it will be indicated at the bottom of the activity.
Video clips:
• If presented in class, take part in any class discussions, providing feedback and contributing to
debate and arguments.
• If directed to watch the video in self-study, or independently in class, then take notes so that
contributions to any future class discussions can be made.
Roleplays:
The trainer/assessor will direct class roleplays.
When undertaking these activities ensure that you understand the purpose of the roleplay and take part as
if you are in a professional situation to provide your fellow classmates with a true-to-life experience.
Roleplays rely on your ability to act in a manner which imitates real life situations and can provide you with
depth of understanding and practical skills.
Homework/Self-study
At the end of each session the trainer/assessor will direct you to complete any activities, questions or
reading from the day’s session as homework.
Further to this, time should be spent in self-study reading topic notes, independent research, completing
project work or watching webinars/video clips that relate to an area being covered.
Any work that you submit should be:
• Professionally typed and presented, using headings, consistent style and layout.
• Your own work and not copy and pasted information from the internet.
• If you are using information researched, reference and source the material or link.
• Submit your work to the trainer/assessor within the timeframe allocated.
Folder management and naming documents

As a guide, keep all work for this unit in a folder that has the unit code as its name, along with the name of
the student. Any activities and assessment tasks should then be saved to this folder.
Save documents logically within the folder structure, include:
• Unit code
• Task number
• Task name
• Your last name (optional)
• The date or version number (optional)
Back up
Always have a backup of work on a different device. If the college has a student network drive this would
be the safest option, however, a backup to a USB or removable hard drive should also be undertaken. If
using a USB to save files, then ensure a backup is kept on a laptop or home computer.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this unit, students will be able to have the skills and knowledge required to handle food safely
during the storage, preparation, display, service and disposal of food. It requires the ability to follow
predetermined procedures as outlined in a food safety program.
Outcomes include:
• Following food safety program
• Storing food safely
• Preparing food safely
• Providing safe single use items
• Maintaining a clean environment
• Disposing of food safely
Topic 1: Follow food safety program
Food safety programs

Food must be handled safely at all times including when receiving, storing, preparing, serving and/or
displaying and disposing of food. A food safety program ensures that there is a preventative approach to
food safety achieved through identifying and controlling hazards in all of the food handling processes listed.
People who work near food include:
Cooks and chefs
Caters
Kitchen stewards and kitchen hands
Bar attendants
Food and beverage attendants
Room attendant
Front office staff

It is important for anyone who is involved in handling food to follow safe handling procedures. It is therefore
important to understand and follow an organisation’s food safety program.
A food safety program sets out system and procedures for:
• Identifying potential hazards

• Ways to control those hazards.
The key areas of a Food Safety Program are:

Hazard identification
Hazard control
Monitoring
Corrective action
Review
Record keeping
Why is it important to have a food safety program?

• It is a legislative requirement for certain food businesses.
• It protects the health of the public and reduces food-borne illness.
• It provides a consistent standard for businesses to comply with the Food Act.
A Food Safety Program must be lodged with the local council before a food business is issued with a
license to operate.
Responsibilities
Employers
Typical responsibilities for employer under a food safety program are as shown in the following diagram,
these may form the basis of policies and procedures as part of the food safety program.
Ensure the business complies with all relevant council and

legislative requirements.
Installation and maintenance of food storage areas.
Installation of hand washing only basins and that staff follow

correct hand washing procedures.
Following regulations regarding hygienic food handling and

cleaning and sanitising premises.
Training of all employees in personal hygiene and food handling.
Avoid cross contamination.
Make sure staff with food-borne diseases do not handle food.
Heating food over 60°C to destroy food-borne pathogens.
Cooling food within specified times and temperatures (within two

hours from 60°C to 21°C; within a further four hours 21°C to 5°C)
Employees
Both employers and employees have responsibilities to participate in hygienic practices. Therefore policies
and procedures included as part of a food safety program would guide responsibilities such as those
indicated below:
Wash
hands
Use gloves
Report
and avoid
unsafe
touching
practices
food
Employee
responsibilities
Follow Wear
hygiene relevant
policies & uniform &
procedures PPE
Avoid
cross- Cook foods
contaminati properly
on
Employees can be prosecuted if found responsible for food poisoning.
Activity: Discussion
Your trainer will provide you with an example of a food safety program. Look at the sections and the
information contained within it. Discuss the policies and procedures that have to be followed as part of
the food safety program.
Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.
Food safety laws, regulations and standards
Food
Food Environmental
Standards The Food Act
Standards Health Officers
Code
In Australia, the government is proactive in its approach to food safety. Food poisoning is a notifiable
disease which means that doctors must report cases of food poisoning to their state health department.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand
This is the government body mainly concerned with food supply. They developed:
• Food Standards
• Joint Code of Practice with industry that provides standards and guidelines for the content and
labelling of food.
Food Standards Code
This outlines the responsibilities of a food business if they are producing, manufacturing or handling food.
Any premises involved in the preparation, production, storage and service of food must comply with the
Food Standards Code. One of its main features is prevention.
All registered food premises must prepare and lodge a Food Safety Program and conform to Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Points HACCP (this will be explained later).
Important definitions under the Food Standards Code are:
• Contaminant
• Contamination
• Potentially hazardous foods
Activity: Research and discussion
Use the internet to research these definitions under the Food Standards Code. Once you have done this
brainstorm, at least six examples of each. Your trainer and assessor will write these up.
The Food Act
This refers to state and federal legislation. The Act is administered by local state and territory authorities.
The Act defines food as “a substance, whether liquid or solid form, intended for human consumption.
The Food Act contains legislation about:
• Health Inspectors and the way they operate

• Food premises and vehicles for the delivery of food
• Food hygiene standards and practices
• Protection of food and appliances from contamination
• Packaging and labelling of food
• Transportation of food
• Sampling and analysis of food and food premises
• Personal hygiene practices when handling food
• The sale of unsafe foods
• Licensing of food sales
Environmental Health Officers
Environmental Health Officers (EHO) can also be called Health Inspectors, Health and Building Inspectors,
Health Surveyors, Health and Building Surveyors or Food Surveillance Officers.
They are employed at each level of government and have powers to do the following:
• Enter a property at any time without the owner’s permission. This is called ‘right of entry’;
• Go into any area of a hospitality establishment or shop that sells food or beverage;
• Go through the property and check that all obligations under the food act are being met. This is
called ‘power to inspect’;
• Collect samples of food and beverage from any area of the establishment and send them to the
Commonwealth laboratories for testing. The owner of the establishment can be charged the cost of
these actions;
• Provide warnings with time limits for changes or improvements to practices;
• Fine an owner or have them charged for infringement of the law; and
• Close a business on the spot.
It is a criminal offence in Australia to fail to meet the relevant food standards applicable. The business
owner or employer is the one who is responsible to ensure the law is followed.
Each state has their own legislation as listed below:
ACT NSW
NT
Food Safety Act 2001 & Food Act 2003 & Food
Food Act
Food Regulations 2002 Regulations 2015
QLD
Food Act 2006 & Food SA TAS
Regulation 2006 Food
Food Act 2001 Food Act 2003
Production (Safety) Act 2000
Food Regulations 2002 Food Regulations 2012
Food Production (Safety)
Regulation 2014
VIC WA Food Act

Food Act 1984 2008 Food Regulations 2009
Source: https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/about/foodlawandtreaties/pages/default.aspx
Legal obligations of the business

Legal obligations of a business are summarised here:
Keep and diplay a Buy from reliable
copy of the Food Act Ensure all equipment suppliers whose
and regulations in works properlyto production meets
food preparation required temperatures required laws &
areas standards
Control pests & Control and provide Use coorect clenaing

vermin proper stirage areas methods
Make sure the

building meets all
legal requirements
Activity: A Guide to the Food Safety Standards
Chapter 3 is the chapter that is relevant for food businesses. Download the following guide and discuss
the key areas.
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/publications/Documents/Safe%20Food%20Australia/FSANZ%20Safe
%20Food%20Australia_WEB.pdf
Local councils
As referred to on the previous page, all levels of government get involved in food safety regulation. Local
councils act as government regulators and are responsible for providing advice to food businesses and the
community about food safety, audit and monitor businesses and issue infringements if violations occur and
can even close a business to protect the public health as required.
Activity: Research and discussion
Use the internet to research the local council and regulations relevant to the area where the RTO is
located.
HACCP
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internationally accredited system, or method, used
to control the food safety risks of a business. Not all workplaces will use this food safety program as it is not
a requirement in Australia to be accredited with HACCP; however, the method of controlling food safety
whether you use HACCP or a different program, will be similar. HACCP is used, for example in hospitals,
large factories, aged care or other larger businesses.
A Critical Control Point (CCP) is any:
Location
Practice
Process
Procedure
Which can minimise and/or prevent hazards if they are controlled properly.
HACCP is useful for identifying

• Where things go wrong
• When things are going wrong
• How to fix the problem
Is used to:
• Identify every step in a food business operation
• Identify specific hazards
• Implement effective control procedures
• Implement effective monitoring procedures
Activity: Reading and Discussion
Read the article about the Seven Principles of HACCP together as a class:
https://www.foodsafety.com.au/blog/the-seven-principles-of-haccp
Discuss the seven principles:
• Hazard Analysis
• Critical Control Points
• Critical Limits
• Critical Control Monitoring
• Corrective Action
• Procedures
• Record Keeping
Discuss in class the logical sequence and how each principle must be completed in order from 1 – 7.
The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the article.
Activity: Video and discussion
Watch the video about HACCP and food handling:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE-q9W4jqQg
Contamination hazards
There are 3 types of contamination hazards:
• Physical
• Chemical
• Microbiological
Physical contamination
Physical contamination can occur when food is not stored properly, when personal hygiene is neglected, or
when food is not handled correctly. For example, a loose screw from an appliance could drop into some
food during preparation, and be swallowed by a customer.
Common physical hazards include
Hair Glass Fabrics
Hair
Watches Fingernails
accessories
Other
Plastics Bandages
jewellry
Chemical contamination
Because chemicals are often used when cleaning in the kitchen, they can contaminate food. Chemical
contamination is therefore where food has been contaminated by a chemical substance.
It is important that chemicals are properly labelled and stored separately for foodstuff to minimise the risk of
contamination.
Microbiological contamination
Microbiological contamination is where food is contaminated by substances produced by humans, rodents,
pests or microorganisms.
Conditions for microbiological contamination is, for example, where food is stored at the wrong temperature
or at high humidity or beyond its shelf life or where a food handler has sneezed or coughed onto food.
Other conditions includes where the same knife or chopped board has been used for raw meats (containing
blood) and then the knife or chopping board has not been washed.
Another way microbiological contamination can occur is through pest droppings or faecal matter.
Bacterial contamination is considered to be the most common cause of food poisoning worldwide. The best
way to prevent this is ensure effective food safety practices
Temperature Devices
As a food handler, a temperature control device will be one of your most needed pieces of equipment. This
is because you need to check food to make sure it is at the right temperature and safe to eat.
Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses that handle
potentially hazardous food must have an accurate and accessible thermometer.
This means everyone should know where the thermometer is and be able to access it e.g. the drawer in
which it is kept is unlocked.
The thermometer must be accurate to within 1°C.
A digital probe thermometer is the best type for measuring food temperatures and is inexpensive and easy
to buy from catering and kitchen supply shops.
Food that is received, stored, displayed or transported should be 5°C or colder, or 60°C or hotter.
Cooling and reheating food need to be done to certain temperatures within time limits. More information on
this is included in Topic 3.
Instructions for using a thermometer include:
Place the probe into the Measure packaged chilled

thickest part of the food food by placing the
and wait until the thermometer length-wise
temperature stabilises along or between
before reading it. packages.
Measure the temperature

Never rely only on fixed
of different foods in the
temperature gauges on
fridge or display unit to
equipment – always
check if there are spots
measure the actual food
where food is not at the
with a probe thermometer.
right temperature.
Keep the thermometer in

Always clean and sanitise good condition by having
probe thermometers it calibrated regularly,
before and after use using replace flat batteries,
warm soapy water and an repair or replace it if it
alcohol wipe. breaks.
Activity: Practical
Practice taking the temperature for a task advised by your trainer and assessor.
Test the thermometer by using the “ice water test”.
Temperature Danger Zone and the 2/4 hour rule

It is important to understand the concept of the temperature danger zone as it is in this zone that food
poisoning bacteria can grow and be unsafe and make people sick.
Therefore:
It is important to keep food cold and the fridge should be at below 5°C as at these temperatures most food
poisoning bacteria stop growing or grow slowly. A fridge thermometer can be used to check that the
temperature stays at the required temperature and can therefore be adjusted if needed. It is also important
to ensure that the fridge is not overloaded as it won’t work properly.
Freshly cooked food, not for immediate consumption, should be cooled to below the danger zone as
quickly as possible. Divide food into small shallow containers and place in the fridge or freezer as soon as it
stops steaming.
Hot food needs to be kept and served at 60°C or hotter.
The two-hour/four-hour rule should be used to work out what action should be taken to avoid food
poisoning if potentially hazardous food is held at temperatures in the danger zone.
0 - 2 hours - use
immediately or
2 - 4 hours - use More than 4 hours -
keep at or below
immediately throw away
5°C or at or above
60°C
Activity: Reading and Discussion
Read the article about temperature control.

https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/safety/faqsafety/documents/CharityFS_Temperature_Contr
ol_July07.pdf
The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the article.
Reporting unsafe food handling practices

You are expected to report any unsafe food handling practices you see.
Unsafe practices include:
Ignoring workplace signs, procedures

or instructions
Poor personal hygiene or practices
Faulty equipment
Working when sick
Not using gloves or other PPE
Activity: Scenarios
Brainstorm several unsafe scenarios that you might encounter in relation to a critical control point of your
choice. Discuss how you will report these, Practice verbally reporting them to your supervisor.
High risk customer groups

The final section of this first topic is about high risk groups. It is important to understand that there are high
risk customer groups who are at higher risk of developing significant food-borne illnesses.
There are:
Children or
Pregnant women The elderly
babies
People with
immune People who are
deficiencies or unwell
allergies
These groups are at an increased risk of developing significant food-borne illnesses are generally those
who have compromised immune systems.
Activity: Further reading
For more information about food safety and vulnerable groups read:
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/userguide/Documents/Std%20331-
Food%20Safety%20Prog%20Vul%20Pers-guideFNL1.pdf
Topic 2: Receiving and storing food
As you know there a number of critical control points. This topic focuses on receiving and storing food.
Receiving food
It is important to only accept food that is safe.
Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses are required to
make sure that the food they receive is safe and suitable.
In order to ensure this food should:
• Come from a known supplier
• Be protected from contamination
• Arrive at a safe temperature.
There are a number of actions that should be taken when receiving food to make sure its safe. These
include:
• Having someone onsite to check the food as it is received.
• Checking food against the order form to make sure the order is correct
• Checking the packaging or covering of food to make sure it isn’t damaged.
• Checking use by dates to make sure the food is still in date.
• Checking there is no mould, insects, droppings or foreign objects (like glass or metal) in the food
• Checking food that is potentially hazardous to ensure it is delivered at the correct temperature.
Potentially hazardous food

For potentially hazardous foods, it is important to follow specific procedures when receiving food as follows:
Check frozen food is Check chilled food is Check hot food is delivered
delivered frozen hard. delivered at 5°C or colder. at 60°C or hotter.
If accepting food between

5°C and 60°C, it is important
to check the delivery has not Keep food under
taken longer than the temperature control once
required time (this means you have received it.
checking departure and
arrival times).
Storing Food
Food must be stored in a way that keeps it safe and suitable. This is also a requirement under Standard
3.2.2. Food Safety Practices and General requirements.
Food which is not correctly stored can spoil or become contaminated, which can then cause illness.
Food storage refers to food which is kept in a storage area such as a cupboard, a fridge or a freezer. There
are also rules about the temperatures that food must be stored at.
Food types
Food types can be broken down into three groups and each group has specific storage requirements. The
groups are:
Chilled goods
Dry goods such
such as cheese
as pasta, rice
or butter
Frozen goods
such as
icecream or
meat or fish
Storage Conditions
Each of the above goods must be stored according to certain conditions/requirements.
Dry goods conditions/requirements

Dry goods can include items such as cereals, flour, rice, dried pasta, fruit and vegetables, tinned products
and packaged foods.
• Storage area should be dry, cool, ventilated and vermin proof
• Protected from exposure to direct sunlight and moisture
• Different food groups should be stored separately
• Stored off the floor
• Dry goods should be stored in areas that have a temperature of between 11 and 18°C
Chilled good conditions

Chilled goods can include meat, poultry, dairy, seafood, eggs, as well as ready-to-eat foods such as
casseroles, quiche, pasta salad, pizza, sandwiches and many cakes.
These foods must be stored at below 5 °C in order to stop them entering the temperature danger zone.
It is important to monitor the temperature of the fridge so that you can be sure that the fridge is at the right
temperature.
Some important things to remember when storing products in the fridge are:
• Develop and follow a “first in first out” system for refrigerated food.
• Designate areas in the refrigerator for certain items.
• Never leave the refrigerator door open longer than needed.
• Store raw products below cooked or ready-to-eat products.
• Never put hot foods in the fridge
• Use protective coverings.
• Soft fruits should not be stored too long.
• Be aware of special storage problems. For example, bananas stored in the refrigerator turn black
quickly and so should ideally not be stored in the fridge.
• Fresh meat must not be kept too long. Boned meat should be kept no longer than three days.
Individual cuts should be used within two days, preferably on the day they are cut.
Frozen goods
Freezing food makes it last longer because the water content of the food freezes and this prevents
bacteria. However, freezing food does not get rid of bacteria and so when the food thaws, the bacteria will
begin growing and multiplying again.
Food should be kept frozen at - 18 °C. When thawing frozen food, it should be stored in the fridge at below
5 °C reaches until it is ready to be prepared.
Just like fridges, freezers should be equipped with thermometers so it is easy to check and record the
temperatures inside to ensure they are working properly and keeping food out of the danger-zone.
It is also important not to refreeze food which has already been frozen and thawed as food which is frozen
again is more likely to have a higher bacteria count.
Keep raw and cooked foods separate in the freezer, as well as storing cooked food above raw food to
reduce the risk of cross-contamination.
Activity: Practical
Practice receiving and storing goods. Your trainer will provide each small group with a range of items to
receive and store. Receive and store the goods. At the end tell the rest of the group how you did this.
Topic 3: Safe food preparation, packaging and

transportation and disposal
This topic includes key principles of preparing and processing food safely, as well as packaging,
transporting and disposing of food safely.
General safe food preparation handling procedures

Some general procedures that should be followed when preparing food are as follows:
• Always keep raw foods and ready-to-eat foods separate to avoid cross-contamination
• Use separate, clean utensils and cutting boards for raw foods and ready-to-eat foods, or wash and
sanitise utensils and cutting boards between uses
• Make sure you clean and sanitise equipment before using it (see the next topic too).
• Rinse fruit and vegetables in clean water as this removes soil, bacteria, insects and chemicals
• Make sure food is thoroughly cooked and the centre of the cooked food has reached 75 °C
• Do not leave cooked food to cool for more than 1 hour. As soon as food has cooled, place it in the
refrigerator
• Avoid the temperature danger zone as bacteria grow quickly in high-risk foods that are kept at
temperatures between 5 °C and 60 °C.
• Thaw frozen food on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to keep it out of the temperature danger
zone
• Extra care should be taken when preparing foods that contain raw eggs, as bacteria on the egg
shells can contaminate the food
• Consider using colour coded utensils when preparing/serving food
Cooling and reheating food

It is vital to cool and reheat food correctly so as to ensure the food is protected from harmful
microorganisms and toxins that can cause food poisoning.
Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses must make
sure potentially hazardous food (e.g. egg or meat dishes) is cooled or reheated quickly so that the harmful
microorganisms can’t grow to unsafe levels. Harmful microorganisms grow quickest between to 21°C and
60°C.
Cooling: When cooling

Reheating: If you are
cooked potentially
reheating potentially
hazardous food, it must be
hazardous food, it must be
cooled to 21°C in two hours
heated quickly to 60°C or
or less, then cooled further
hotter — ideally in two
from 21°C to 5°C in four
hours or less.
hours or less.
Handy hints for cooling food quickly

Follow these tips for cooling food quickly:
• divide food into smaller portions in shallow containers to cool
• use rapid-cooling equipment such as a blast chiller
• stir liquid foods often using a clean and sanitised utensil
• use water or ice water baths
• allow air to flow freely around the cooling container, for example, on a rack
• add ice as an ingredient
• check temperature of the food that is cooling with a probe thermometer.
Handy hints for heating food quickly

• Use a microwave, oven or stove top to rapidly reheat the food to at least 60°C
• Never use bain maries, pie warmers or other equipment to heat food up as it will take too long and
won’t heat the food enough to keep it safe.
• Heat food to 60°C or hotter before transferring to hot-holding equipment
• Don’t reheat potentially hazardous food more than once
• Check the temperature of the food when heating with a thermometer.
Activity: Practical
If you are completing your learning in conjunction with a practical unit, your trainer will provide some
practice tasks for preparing food.
Serving and displaying food

When serving and displaying food, it is important to protect it from contamination and keep it at the right
temperature so it stays safe to eat.
Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses need to make
sure they serve display food in a safe and suitable way.
Ways of serving and displaying food safely include:
Ensuring potentially Keep food away from

hazardous food is open windows, doors, Use protective
Store food in cabinets
displayed at a safe fans and insect sprays coverings
temperature or zappers
Keep unpackaged,
Don’t top up dishes to
Make sure customers ready-to-eat food that
Separate ready-to-eat prevent cross
use serving utensils is displayed on
foods from raw foods contamination between
when choosing items counters behind a
batches of food
barrier.
Make sure that staff and

Replace soiled cloths and
customers use a different Serve food quickly to
serving utensils with
serving tool or utensil for customers
clean ones regularly
each food item or dish.
Some specific things to remember about displaying food include:

• For hot food, ideally, the temperature should be 60°C or hotter and checked regularly.
• Potentially hazardous food must be displayed in a way that prevents harmful microorganisms
growing to unsafe levels or producing toxins. This means that food should be displayed at 5°C or
below or 60°C or above, frozen food on display must stay frozen hard.
• Always keep a records of the times and temperatures that food is displayed at to make sure your
display equipment is working properly and temperatures are safe.
Activity: Practical
practice tasks for serving/displaying food.
Food packaging
It is important that food packaging is undertaken according to safe food handling requirements. Packaging
can potentially make food unsafe or unsuitable, for example, if something contaminates food during the
packaging process or harmful microorganisms get into food from dirty or damaged packaging or parts of
the packaging break off into food (such as glass or plastic fragments) or chemicals leach from packaging
into food.
Under Standard 3.2.2 - Food Safety Practices and General Requirements, food businesses must:
• only use packaging material that is fit for its intended purpose
• only use material that is not likely to cause food contamination
• ensure there is no likelihood that the food may become contaminated during the packaging
process.
Types of food packaging

Types of food packaging that can be used for foods include:
• Protective coverings such as plastic film
• Plastic items such as containers, plates, cups
• Paper items such as containers, plates, cup
What factors would you take into account when choosing packaging for foods?
Think about sustainable food packaging. Why is it important to consider sustainable food packaging?
Safe food handling procedures for packaging

Bear in mind the following procedure to ensure safe food handling:
Make sure the packaging is food

Only use clean, undamaged, Buy from a supplier you know
safe and suitable for the
food-safe packaging and trust
particular type of food
Check manufacturer's
instructions or symbols so that
you know whether the
packaging will be suitable for Always handle packaging using Store packaging in a secure and
the conditions it will be exposed good hygienic practices clean place
to, for example, dry storage,
freezing, microwaving, or use in
dishwashers
Use appropriate cleaning and Use a food-safe inner liner if

Cut down on single use
sanitising methods for the there is a risk of chemicals
packaging if you can
packaging leaching into food.
Single use items

It is important to be aware of specific rules about single use item such as paper cups, straws, disposable
gloves, take away containers etc. The Food Safety Standard requires food business to make sure that
single-use items do not contaminate food, do not pass on any illness and are not reused.
To make single-use items are kept safe, food businesses must:
• Protect the single use item with packaging or a container;
• Use dispensers that will allow only the customer who will use the single use item to touch it;
• Store the single use item away from chemicals, in food storage areas;
• Throw away the single-use item if it has been used, damaged, touched or in any way
contaminated.
As a person involved in food handling, you must follow all of these instructions.
Transporting food
Some food businesses such as catering companies need to transport food to their customers.
Two main food safety issues need to be considered when transporting the food:
• keeping the food protected from contamination
• if the food is potentially hazardous, keeping it cold (5°C or colder) or hot (60°C or hotter).
Some important points relating to food safety and transportation are:

• Protect food from contamination by keeping it covered at all times. This means covering food using
containers with lids or by applying plastic film over containers. Packaging must be suitable and
food safe.
• When potentially hazardous foods are transported they should be kept cold (5°C or colder) or hot
(60°C or hotter) during the journey. Time could also be used rather than temperature to keep the
food safe while it is being transported. This was discussed in the first topic.
• For short journeys, insulated containers can be used to keep the food cold.
• For longer journeys, ice bricks can be used to keep food cold and heat packs used to keep food
hot.
• Only pre-heated or pre-cooled food should be placed in an insulated container.
It is important to remember that insulated containers must:

• Be in good condition and kept clean at all times
• Used only for food
• Have a lid
• Be kept away from other items such as chemicals, pet food, fuel and paint
• Be filled quickly and then and closed as soon as they have been filled.
• Kept closed until immediately before the food is needed or is placed in other temperature-
controlled equipment.
Regarding the vehicle that is being used to transport the food:

• Containers of cool food should be placed in the coolest part of the vehicle.
• If the inside of the vehicle is air-conditioned, it might be better to transport cold food in the vehicle
and not in the boot.
• Vehicles should be clean.
Disposing of food
The final section of this topic is about safe food disposal.
Bear in mind the following about safe disposal:
• Garbage containers are a source of bacteria and may also attract pests. They need to be carefully
managed in order to prevent food contamination.
• Remove food scraps from the kitchen regularly.
• Make sure you separate out food items and dispose of them correctly e.g. understand what food
goes into the rubbish bin and what goes into a compost bin if you have one in the kitchen.
• Do not allow garbage containers to overflow.
• Regularly hose down and clean garbage containers (see cleaning guidelines in the next topic).
• Always use a bin liner for garbage containers.
• Keep lids tightly closed on garbage containers when in use
• Refrigerate some items such as bones (and label them as rubbish) if the rubbish won’t be collected
for a few days. Otherwise the bin will smell and vermin may be attracted.
• Always wash your hands after handling garbage
Activity: Further reading
Have a read of this article about food waste too, as food waste is a huge issues in Australia and
financial, environmental and social impacts.
https://www.nisbets.com.au/food-waste
Discuss your response to this article in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.
Topic 4: Cleaning and sanitation

An important area of food safety is cleaning and sanitising.
Surfaces, equipment, hands, food and liquids can all include bacteria and contaminants that can cause
harm and can easily be transferred during the handling of food between food handlers, equipment, food
and surfaces.
To reduce the risk of contamination and food causing illness, it is vital to clean and sanitise all surfaces,
utensils, hands and equipment that contact with food.
You will have already learnt about handwashing in the unit SITXFSA001 Prepare food safely. The focus of
this topic is the cleaning and sanitising of the kitchen environment and equipment.
It is important to understand the terms cleaning and sanitation as they are not the same.
Cleaning is the removal Sanitisation is where

of dirt, grease, food heat or chemicals is
waste and pest waste. used to kill bacteria.
Cleaning and sanitising

There are two general areas to consider when cleaning and sanitising the kitchen - the physical
environment and equipment:
• Physical - The physical environment includes floors, walls and ceilings, benches, shelves,
cupboards, light fittings, sinks, handwash basins, ventilation ducts and pipes.
• Equipment - For example, pots and pan, utensils, crockery, powered items such as food
processors.
Review the following fact sheets on cleaning and sanitising or source ones from your own state and
territory
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180309-eat-safe-fact-sheet-cleaning.pdf
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180309-eat-safe-fact-sheet-sanitising.pdf
What are the key points mentioned in the fact sheets?
When to clean
It is also important to follow a regular, set procedure for cleaning and sanitising. A cleaning and sanitation
procedure will make it clear who cleans, what is to be cleaned, how it is to be cleaned, how often and with
what materials. A business will often have a cleaning schedule to that outlines all the tasks to be completed
and when.
An example of a schedule could be:
Clean surface and utensils after each use
Clean ovens weekly
Clean sinks between uses
Clean fridges and freezers monthly
Clean bins weekly
Clean ventilation systems every 3 months to 1 year.
Essential cleaning materials

Essential cleaning materials for a kitchen include:
• A mop bucket
• Dustpan and brush
• Microfibre cloths
• Sponge scourers
• Cleaning gloves
• Cleaning products such as multipurpose cleaner, detergent, weak acid, sanitisers
Cleaning tasks
The next section covers cleaning tasks by area that should be completed and important points.
Cleaning - floors
Kitchen floors need to be swept and washed at least once every working day. This includes all food
preparation areas as well as the wash up area.
Any spills should be mopped and dried immediately otherwise they become hard to clean later and people
might slip on them.
Cleaning - Walls and ceilings

In the kitchen, walls should be cleaned with warm water and detergent at least once a week. Splashes on
the wall should be cleaned straight away.
Every month brush and sweep ceilings and remove dust from the top of girders and piping, window and
door ledges, and electric light fittings.
Cleaning – Food Preparation Areas

These areas need daily cleaning because food is constantly being handled here.
This usually happens at the end of the day, but if a lot of food preparation is done, it is important to clean
sooner and more often.
Most of the shelves, counters and tables in the food preparation area are stainless steel. They are easily
cleaned with hot detergent and a brush, then rinsed with water and dried.
Stainless steel should also ideally be wiped down with a weak acid solution once a week as it keeps
stainless steel bright and shiny. At the end, it is important to wash the acid off with a fresh water rinse and
then wipe dry.
It’s important to always use gloves when using caustic or acidic washing solutions.
Cleaning – Storage Areas

The following cleaning duties apply to storage areas
• Clear and clean shelves and cupboards used for storing linen and crockery at least once a month.
• Do the same for food and utensil cupboards once a week.
• Clean the outside of small refrigerators daily and the clean and sanitise the inside once a week.
• Clean cold rooms and freezers daily. Sanitise freezers monthly and cold rooms weekly.
Cleaning of storage areas also provides a good opportunity to check drainage holes, door seals and light
bulbs.
Cleaning - Crockery and utensils

Cleaning of crockery and utensils is achieved by:
• Scraping all the food scraps off
• rinsing
• washing
• rinsing again to remove all the detergent
Washing can either done by hand or machine. The water temperature should be 65ºC. The detergent is
rinsed off using clean water at 85ºC. Ideally the crockery and utensils should be airdried and put away as
soon as dry.
Commercial dishwashers are often also used and can be set at minimum temperatures to ensure utensils
are free from bacteria. Once the dishwasher cycle is finished and the items cool down, store them straight
away.
Sometimes you might notice a chipped or cracked item which must be thrown away.
Cleaning - pots and pans

• In many kitchens pots and pans are cleaned by hand, therefore it is important that excess dirt is
removed before washing and that water is changed frequently.
• If food is baked on, then soaking may be an added step.
• Remember to stack and clean dirty pots, saucepans and frypans in order from least to most dirty.
Cleaning - large powered equipment

• In general, when a major item of equipment is purchased, it comes with an operating manual and
cleaning instructions.
• Before cleaning major machinery and equipment make sure you read the manufacturer's cleaning
recommendations, or ask for help from your supervisor.
Activity: Practical
practice tasks for cleaning.
Trainers: if the students are completing their learning in conjunction with some practical tasks, give them
relevant practice activities in relation to cleaning so that they can practice safe handling practices.
Maintenance
Generally maintenance of major kitchen items will be completed by specialists but as a food handler you
may do certain minor tasks such as cleaning out the vacuum cleaner or replacing cleaning materials. Make
sure you understand what your responsibilities are.
If you see an item that has a fault, report it to your supervisor.
Environmental swabbing
Sometimes a food business may choose to undergo an environmental swabbing process. This can inform
food business owners and food regulators about how clean a food processing area is.
Environmental swabbing involves the microbiological testing of food preparation surfaces, equipment and
utensils using various swab techniques to find out if pathogens are present.
It is used to verify whether the food business’ cleaning and sanitation programs are effective and in a ‘seek
and destroy’ mission when a food business is concerned that a foodborne illness pathogen is present in the
food processing area.
Chemical testing
Chemical testing is when food is tested for the presence of heavy metals or pesticide residues. A supplier
may choose to do chemical testing on their produce as part of the quality assurance process or a health
authority may do chemical tests as part of an investigation. Usually, a third-party laboratory will test
samples of produce to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and customer satisfaction.
Pest control
It is important to ensure that pest infestations do not occur as are a serious contamination issue in kitchens
because pests rapidly spread harmful bacteria.
Checking for pest infestations is very important and should be done regularly.
Areas where pests may be found include:
waste disposal areas
Food storage areas
Food preparation areas
Outdoor areas
Dining areas
Signs of pest infestations can include:
Bite marks in
Droppings foods or
packaging
Signs of a
disturbance in
Strange smells
areas where
food is stored
If a pest infestation is detected, it is important for you to report this to your manager or supervisor
Actions that can be taken to reduce the risks of pests include:
Never store food on the Make sure all holes and Use fly-screens on
floor cracks are sealed windows and doors
Have a professional
Dispose of rubbish
regularly check the
regularly
premises
Look at the following fact sheet: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/sites/default/files/20180309-eat-safe-

fact-sheet-pest-control.pdf
Review and Assessment
The content of this unit has now been covered.
Review and completion

Ensure any outstanding activities, reading, role-plays, meetings, presentations or further tasks that require
observation or submission to the trainer/assessor has been completed.
Assessment Tasks
The trainer/assessor will discuss each task in detail – please ensure the assessment procedures,
submission instructions and deadlines are clear, and you understand any expectations.
Support
The trainer/assessor will provide support when required. If any reasonable adjustment is required please
speak with the trainer/assessor or college support services.

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SITXFSA002 Participate in safe food handling practices

Topic 2: Safe food storage • Receiving food

Topic 4: Cleaning and sanitation • Cleaning and sanitising

Unit review and Assessment Tasks

Folder management and naming documents

Topic 1: Follow food safety program

Food safety programs

People who work near food include:

Cooks and chefs

Kitchen stewards and kitchen hands

Food and beverage attendants

Front office staff

A food safety program sets out system and procedures for:

• Identifying potential hazards

The key areas of a Food Safety Program are:

Why is it important to have a food safety program?

Ensure the business complies with all relevant council and

Installation and maintenance of food storage areas.

Installation of hand washing only basins and that staff follow

Following regulations regarding hygienic food handling and

Training of all employees in personal hygiene and food handling.

Avoid cross contamination.

Make sure staff with food-borne diseases do not handle food.

Heating food over 60°C to destroy food-borne pathogens.

Cooling food within specified times and temperatures (within two

Employees can be prosecuted if found responsible for food poisoning.

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Food safety laws, regulations and standards

Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Food Standards Code

Important definitions under the Food Standards Code are:

Activity: Research and discussion

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

The Food Act

The Food Act contains legislation about:

• Health Inspectors and the way they operate

Environmental Health Officers

Each state has their own legislation as listed below:

VIC WA Food Act

Legal obligations of the business

Control pests & Control and provide Use coorect clenaing

Make sure the

Activity: A Guide to the Food Safety Standards

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Activity: Research and discussion

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

A Critical Control Point (CCP) is any:

HACCP is useful for identifying

Activity: Reading and Discussion

The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the article.

Activity: Video and discussion

Watch the video about HACCP and food handling:

Discuss your responses in a class discussion facilitated by your trainer/assessor.

Hair Glass Fabrics

Place the probe into the Measure packaged chilled

Measure the temperature

Keep the thermometer in

Temperature Danger Zone and the 2/4 hour rule

Activity: Reading and Discussion

Read the article about temperature control.

The trainer/assessor will facilitate a class discussion about the article.

Reporting unsafe food handling practices