3.4 Food safety

This section requires students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the following subject content:

Food spoilage and contamination

Content	Students must know and understand	Suggested application and food preparation skills
the growth conditions for microorganisms and enzymes and the control of food spoilage bacteria, yeasts and moulds are microorganisms high risk foods enzymes are biological catalysts usually made from protein.	growth conditions for microorganisms: role of temperature, moisture, food and time control of microorganism growth: temperature control, pH, water availability high risk foods: ready to eat moist foods, usually high in protein that easily support the growth of pathogenic bacteria and do not require any further heat treatment or cooking control of enzymic action: blanching of vegetables before freezing, use of acids to prevent enzymic browning.	Bread making (S4 and S10). Water based methods using the hob – blanching of vegetables to demonstrate the destruction of enzymes in foods (S6). Oxidation – eg preventing water soluble vitamin loss when preparing and cooking vegetables (S3, S6 and S2).

Content	Students must know and understand	Suggested application and food preparation skills
enzymic action mould growth yeast action.	enzymic action: ripening of bananas, browning of some fruits mould growth: eg on bread and cheese. Recognise the signs of mould growth on foods yeast action on fruits eg grapes, strawberries and tomatoes.	Preparing fruit and vegetables – mash, shred, scoop, segment, juice and blanch fruits and vegetables to control enzymic browning (S3). Preparing fruit and vegetables which sustain yeast and mould growth, wash and chill to prevent their growth. Demonstrate the following techniques: de-seed, de-skin (for example, tomatoes).

Content	Students must know and understand	Suggested application and food preparation skills
the use of microorganisms in food production.	moulds in the production of blue cheese yeasts to raise bread bacteria in yoghurt and cheese production.	Make a bread dough, finish and shape a bread dough for use in flat breads, pizza or calzone (S4 and S10).

Content	Students must know and understand	Suggested application and food preparation skills
the different sources of bacterial contamination the main types of bacteria which cause food poisoning the main sources and methods of control of different food poisoning bacteria types the general symptoms of food poisoning.	Contamination from: other contaminated foods including the following raw foods: meat, poultry, eggs, seafood and vegetables work surfaces and equipment the people cooking pests waste food and rubbish campylobacter e-coli salmonella listeria staphylococcus aureus.

Content

Students must know and understand

Suggested application and food preparation skills

the different sources of bacterial contamination
the main types of bacteria which cause food poisoning
the main sources and methods of control of different food poisoning bacteria types
the general symptoms of food poisoning.

Contamination from:

other contaminated foods including the following raw foods: meat, poultry, eggs, seafood and vegetables
work surfaces and equipment
the people cooking
pests
waste food and rubbish
campylobacter
e-coli
salmonella
listeria
staphylococcus aureus.

Note: All temperatures and guidance in accordance with current Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines.

Content	Students must know and understand	Suggested application and food preparation skills
The food safety principles when buying and storing food.	temperature control: freezing: -18°c chilling: 0 to below 5°c danger zone: 5 to 63°c cooking: 75°c reheating: 75°c ambient storage temperature danger zone correct use of domestic fridges and freezers date marks 'best before' and 'use by' dates covering foods.	To apply food safety considerations when preparing, storing and cooking.

Content	Students must know and understand	Suggested application and food preparation skills
The food safety principles when preparing, cooking and serving food.	personal hygiene clean work surfaces separate raw and cooked foods and use of separate utensils correct cooking times appropriate temperature control including: defrosting and reheating appropriate care with high risk foods correct use of food temperature probes.	Knife skills: preventing cross-contamination (S2). Washing and drying vegetables during preparation to prevent food poisoning (S3). Using a blender to make fruit coulis as a decoration, focusing on good hygienic practice, washing and drying fruit and ensuring cleanliness of equipment (S5). Preparing, combining and shaping, for example wet mixtures (such as falafels, fish cakes or meatballs) whilst demonstrating technical skills of preventing cross contamination and handling high risk foods correctly (S7). General practical skills – test for readiness. Use a temperature probe, knife/skewer, finger or ‘poke’ test, ‘bite’, visual colour check or sound to establish whether an ingredient or recipe is ready, to ensure the food is safe to eat (S1).