Food safety

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It is very important that we have good hygiene standards and follow some basic, common-sense rules.


Clean hands

  • We have a sink dedicated to washing hands. There is a dispenser of liquid soap next to the sink. If the tea-towel above the sink is dirty, replace it with a clean one from below the sink.
  • When starting your shift, or when your hands become dirty during your shift (e.g. you touch your face, hair, sneeze or eat) wash your hands with soap and dry them thoroughly on a paper towel or hand towel provided.
  • Do not touch stock with your hands: please use the tongs, scoops or disposable gloves provided to handle stock. If necessary, also remind customers to use the utensils provided and not their hands to access stock.

Rotate stock

Rotating stock means putting new stock behind or under old stock so that the older stock sells first. This is important for making sure things don’t go stale or off or get bugs in them. With barrels this means emptying a barrel into another container, putting the new stock in, and putting the old stuff back on top. With cans and soymilk it means putting the new items behind the old. See refilling containers for a clear refill procedure.

Seal things properly

Sealing things properly is very important for keeping away creepy crawlies and for keeping things fresh. If you’ve ever had a pantry moth infestation, you’ll know how easy it is for the little buggers to get in even the tiniest of holes. So barrels need to be closed tightly and wiped down. Open bags need to be twisted or rolled till they’re airtight and fixed with tape or a rubber band. All plastic bags need to be stored in sealed boxes. If only cardboard boxes are available, they should be sealed with sticky tape (this may seem excessive, but you’d be surprised how cunning little rodent friends can be).

Keep things off the floor (at least 2.5cm)

Keep things off the floor - all food stock must be stored at least 2.5cm off the floor. This is a legal requirement.


Liquids

The cleaning liquids from Naturally Clean need to be shaken periodically to prevent them separating. All the liquid containers should have drip jars to catch any stray drops that form and keep the floor clean Plastic yoghurt containers with are good for this. These need to be washed weekly. When closing, it is a good idea to check the liquids to ensure that all taps are closed and all lids are on. We make up jars of some liquids/pastes like honey and tahini in batches, as it can be quite messy for individuals to do it themselves. See Pre-Jarring of products for more info.

Olives

  • The olives are kept in the fridge. Don't change the water, because the brine helps keep them fresh for longer.
  • Put some oil in container to form a thin film on surface. This will seal out air and increase shelf life.

Dried fruit

Some of the more moist dried fruits (e.g. apricots) need to be checked regularly, especially in the heat, to make sure that they are not fermenting.


Peanuts and peanut butter

Because some people can be violently allergic to peanuts, we need to be very careful with them. There is a labelled scoop that gets used only for peanuts. It lives in the peanut barrel. Use this to fill up the peanut butter machine. To protect against pests, the peanut butter chute needs to be covered at the end of a day (use a plastic bag and a rubber band).

Infestations

If you find something with bugs in it, do the following:

  • Find out how recently we received it. If it was recently delivered, it may have already had the bugs and you should contact the supplier to report the issue.
  • Is it salvageable? If yes, then put in the freezer to kill bugs and then be sold at cost price or given away (depending on condition). If not then into the compost it goes.
  • Write a note in the diary about what it was and what was done with it. Talk to the Groceries coordinator if you have any questions.