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Food safety tips for Bed and Breakfasts, home stays, farm stays, small lodges

Bed and Breakfasts, home stays, farm stays, small lodges and other premises where food is supplied together with accommodation are currently exempt from the registration provisions of the Food Hygiene Regulations 1974. They are however required by the Food Act 1981 to provide safe and suitable food and to meet other requirements contained in the Food Hygiene Regulations.

Businesses that provide meals to non-resident customers, operators need to contact their local council to discuss registering their premises

Introduction

Bed and Breakfast businesses, home stays and farm stays are among the range of small accommodation providers that supply food to clients as part of their stay. Operators of these small businesses, like anyone who sells food, are covered by the Food Act. However, they usually don’t need to be registered and inspected by their local councils in the same way as other food businesses.

Food is provided to guests within this sector in conjunction with accommodation. A variety of meals can be offered including breakfast, dinner and lunch, sometimes in the style of a picnic or hamper.

Operators are encouraged to provide a New Zealand experience to guests throughout their stay including the food that they offer them.

Goal

To safely prepare food.

• Readily perishable foods, such as those that contain poultry, meat, fish, seafood and dairy products) can contain harmful microbes. If these foods aren’t cooked thoroughly or are held in the ‘temperature danger zone’ (4°C to 60°C) for periods over four hours, they can make people ill.

• Dirty hands, the environment, other food, utensils, equipment and surfaces can contaminate food.

Here’s how it’s done

Personal hygiene

If you are preparing food make sure you or your staff are healthy and clean.

People who have cold or flu symptoms or have had sickness or diarrhoea within 48 hours should not help with food or work in food preparation areas. Further guidance is available from the NZFSA website: www.nzfsa.govt.nz

• Always wash and dry your hands thoroughly before touching food, especially after going to the toilet, handling rubbish, touching animals or doing other activities. Use plenty of soap and hot water, and then dry your hands thoroughly with a clean dry towel or paper towel

• Disposable gloves don’t stay clean so if you’re using them change then between activities, eg after handling raw food and before handling cooked food.

Storing food

Prevent the spread and growth of harmful microbes by keeping food covered. Keep cold food cold and hot food hot (ie, not in the temperature danger zone 4°C – 60°C)

• Where possible keep raw and uncooked foods separate from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

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Cover or wrap cooked and other ready-to-eat foods and store them in clean containers to protect against contamination.

Preparing food

Preparing food hygienically will help stop the growth and spread of harmful microbes.

• Purchase food from suppliers who are registered with your local council or the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA). It is illegal to sell food that has been caught for recreation or home-killed. Further information about the rules relating to home-kill or recreational catch can be found on the NZFSA website www.nzfsa.govt.nz

• Wash hands thoroughly after touching raw foods and before touching other food.

• Thoroughly clean equipment and surfaces before preparing food.

• Use separate utensils when handling raw and cooked or ready-to eat-foods.

Cook food thoroughly

Proper cooking kills harmful microbes that can be present in foods containing poultry, meat, fish, shellfish and dairy products etc.

• Thoroughly cook poultry until the centre of the thickest part (usually the breast or the innermost part of the thigh) has reached at least 75°C. Other time and temperature options are available from the NZFSA website http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/policy-law/projects/domestic-food-review/food-control-plans/index.htm

• Check foods such as processed meats (eg, sausages, burgers) are steaming hot through to the centre, with no red or pink meat remaining.

• Frequently stir liquid dishes, such as soups to avoid cold spots and ensure an even temperature is reached.

• Look for changes in colour and texture when cooking shellfish – prawns will turn from blue-grey to pink, while scallops become milky white and firm when cooked.

• Check mussels or clams are cooked by ensuring shells are open and the flesh has shrunk inside the shell. If the shell has not opened during cooking, throw it away.

• Use whole eggs that are clean and free from cracks.

Cooling and reheating food

To prevent the growth of harmful microbes, cool hot foods quickly and thoroughly reheat foods all the way through.

• Put cooling food into the fridge within two hours.

• Speed up cooling by dividing food into smaller portions.

• Reheat food until it’s steaming hot all the way through.

• Keep food hot (above 60°C) until it is served.

Transporting food

If you provide picnics or hampers to your guests, ensure food is covered and packed in a way that protects it from contamination during transportation. Remember to:

• pack ready-to eat food separate from raw food

• ensure chilled readily perishable food can be kept at 4°C or below (eg, use ice packs to keep food cool) and hot food at 60°C or above. If this can’t be achieved, check with your guests that the food will be eaten within four hours of preparation.

Knowing your ingredients

People who have a food allergy need to know whether a particular ingredient is in the food they eat. Ask your guests when they make a booking if they, or anyone in their party, has a food allergy. This will allow you to plan to provide acceptable foods and to be careful during preparation to avoid cross-contact between foods, causing an allergic reaction.

• Know what is in your food, or what it may have come into contact with, especially the most common allergens – nuts, gluten, shellfish, seafood, eggs, dairy and bee products.

• You need to be able to tell a guest, if asked, what ingredients are in the food you are serving. Check your packaging labels or ask the supplier of the products.

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Remember to:

• Check with your local council about any requirements they may have for your type of business, such as liquor licensing or building requirements.

• Purchase your food from registered suppliers.

• Ensure people handling food know how to do things safely.

• Store food so it’s kept clean and protected from contamination.

• Store readily perishable and ready-to-eat foods in the refrigerator.

• Thoroughly clean preparation surfaces and equipment before use.

• If you prepare food that will be transported, ensure it’s packed in a way that’ll keep it safe..

Have equipment available to:

• Keep cold food cold and hot food hot until it’s served.

• Cool readily perishable food from 60°C to 21°C in two hours and from 21°C to 4°C in four hours.

For more information:

Contact your local council or check out NZFSA’s website at www.nzfsa.govt.nz