Hygiene for food businesses

Cleaning, disinfection and preventing cross-contamination are essential to make sure the food you serve is safe to eat, and to prevent food poisoning.

Cleaning, disinfection and food hygiene

Effective cleaning, and disinfection where necessary, removes bacteria from hands, equipment and surfaces. This helps prevent harmful bacteria spreading onto food. You should:

• wash and disinfect work surfaces and equipment between different tasks and after preparing raw meat, shellfish, poultry and eggs
• clean as you go, dealing with spills as they happen
• use appropriate cleaning products and follow the manufacturer's instructions
• use disinfectants that meet recognised standards such as BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697
• prevent food waste building up

Hand washing is a key part of food hygiene. Anyone who handles food must wash their hands:

• before starting work
• before handling food
• after breaks
• after using the toilet
• after emptying rubbish
• after cleaning
• after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs
• after touching a cut or changing a dressing

Download hand-washing guidance (PDF, 572KB).

Cross-contamination

Cross-contamination happens when harmful bacteria spread from food, surfaces, hands or equipment onto other food. It is most likely to happen when:

• raw food touches or drips onto other food
• raw food touches or drips onto equipment, work surfaces or cloths
• staff handle raw food with their hands and then touch ready-to-eat food

For example, storing raw meat above ready-to-eat food in the fridge can contaminate the food below.

How to prevent food cross-contamination

To prevent cross-contamination in your business, you should:

• Clean and disinfect work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment before preparing food and after using them with raw food.
• Use separate, colour-coded equipment (including chopping boards and knives) for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food unless they can be heat disinfected in, for example, a commercial dishwasher.
• Wash hands before preparing food and after touching raw food.
• Keep raw and ready-to-eat food apart at all times, including packaging.
• Store raw food below ready-to-eat food in the fridge or use separate fridges for raw and ready-to-eat food.
• Provide separate working areas, storage, clothing and staff for the handling of ready-to-eat food.
• Use separate machinery and equipment, such as vacuum packing machines, slicers and mincers, for raw and ready-to-eat food.
• Use separate cleaning materials, including cloths, sponges and mops, in areas where ready-to-eat foods are stored, handled and prepared.
• Train staff to understand how to avoid cross-contamination.