Gloucester Outdoor Church's Food and Hygiene policy and procedure
Date: Jul 2015. Writer: Alex Cole. To be reviewed Jul 2017 Updated 9/9/2015 to create version 2
Statement of Intent
It is important for Gloucester Outdoor Church (GOC) to have a food hygiene policy and procedure in order to ensure that we love the people who come to GOC. God cares for people's bodies as well as souls. We need to ensure that food and drink is served in a way that means their bodies are nourished. Also, we have to obey the rules of the land, in other words following the food hygiene recommendations of the government and local council. Finally, we have to be responsible to the people we come into contact with.
Purpose of policy This policy is for volunteers, church leaders and trustees.
Procedures The Food Hygiene department at Gloucester Council has decided that the food activities at Gloucester Outdoor Church are low risk. The following is based on the Safer Food Better Business Pack. We train volunteers initially in handling food according to the volunteer policy, and keep a record of who has been trained. Records of opening and closing checks are kept each week, as are monthly reviews. Here follows the food hygiene policy:
Overview of the procedures
The Outdoor Church will provide communion, (rolls and fruit (grape) juice), and then turn the communion rolls into cheese rolls by handing out grated cheese to put into the rolls, as well as providing Branston Pickle. It may provide bottled water in hot weather, and will provide tea and coffee in cold weather to help keep people warm.
Bread rolls: to be bought the day before from a supermarket and kept in a cool, dark, clean place, ensuring that there is no tear or hole in the bag. Note on buying items: It is a legal requirement to keep a record of what food products you have bought, who you bought them from, the quantity and the date. Therefore always keep receipts and give them to the church leader/treasurer. The buns are bought in bags of 6, so that the bag can be opened, and buns offered to people without the need to handle them (just handling the bag) and the visitors take them, only handling their bun. Although gloves shouldn't be needed if the buns are handled through the bags, it is best to wear gloves just in case. See end of food policy for glove policy. A stable, small table is erected (and disinfected with spray and a cloth when erected) to put the bags of buns, juice, cups, and cheese on to keep them off the ground. Bread to be transported in a way that ensures that the bag isn't punctured, and it is in a cool place (e.g. cool box or at least not in direct sunlight). As soon as bread is exposed to the air it can receive contaminants, so all the bread should be handed out / the rest taken away to be disposed of. Allergy information obtained from the baker is displayed at the Outdoor Church, and people are asked about their allergies (particularly to peanuts or need for gluten-free food) before partaking. Allergies: Single, wrapped, nut-free, gluten-free rolls/bread products to be bought in small packets for people who need gluten-free bread, and handed out to individuals. Use by date to be checked before handing it out. All allergy information is displayed on one of our boxes.
Juice and small plastic glasses: Small plastic disposable glasses. As soon as the packaging is opened and some cups are taken, the remaining cups are covered with cling film to prevent contamination. On site out in the open air, gloves are used to open the packaging and distribute the glasses. The juice is bought in 1 litre cartons from supermarket and kept in a cool place (it doesn't need to be refrigerated). Use by date checked before opening. Juice poured straight into small plastic glasses. Excess juice and glasses taken away and disposed of.
Cheese: Packets of grated cheese bought from supermarkets the day before, stored overnight in a fridge at 5 degrees C or less. The use by date is checked before they are distributed. The wrapping is kept, in case people need to check for allergies. The cheese is placed straight (from the fridge) into a coolbox/bag with an icepack in and the lid tightly closed. The coolbag/box is transported to the outdoor church. The grated cheese is shaken into opened buns. Any excess cheese is disposed of. The maximum length of time the cheese can be in the coolbox is 4 hours. Any longer and it all has to be disposed of. The coolbox is kept clean e.g. wiped out with antiseptic wipes before use.
Bottled water to be supplied in hot weather: Bottled water to be bought from a supermarket, transported in such a way that it can't be punctured, and stored in a cool place when not used. Date of use to be checked before it is transported to the outdoor church location. Before being handed out, it's checked to see that it's still intact and not punctured.
Tea / coffee / milk / sugar / boiling water / teaspoons: Tea / coffee /sugar bought from supermarket, stored in suitable temperatures and use by dates checked before being used. Portions of tea / coffee / sugar put out in plastic pots that have been washed in industrial washing machine in inspected kitchen (under cover if raining) and the rest sealed away (so that in case of contamination, the whole e.g. jar of coffee doesn't have to be thrown away). At the end, tea / coffee / sugar exposed to the elements to be thrown away because of the possibility of contamination.
Volunteers wearing gloves to dole out coffee using plastics teaspoons and teabags into strong cups (not squeezable, so that people don't squeeze the cups and get scalding liquid on their hands, and insulated enough so that the hot liquid doesn't burn anyone). Teaspoons to be provided for sugar, but people not to put the teaspoon in their drink and then back in the sugar – instead a rubbish bin will be located nearby to throw away plastic spoons.
Milk is bought that morning from a supermarket and brought straight to the church. If it has to be transported for any length of time, it is placed in a coolbag with ice packs. Coolbag opened as late as possible, and then the milk poured out by volunteers into cups. Milk not to be used more than 3 hours after purchase, and any left over to be disposed of. We try to keep the milk out of direct sunlight if it is sunny during the service so it doesn't go off, and it is thrown away if it has curdled in the sunlight.
Boiling water to be kept in large thermos flasks that can be opened / closed (to prevent contamination from the air) and where the top is pressed in to pump the water out. Volunteers to do this to prevent spillage / breakage. Thermos flasks to be stored and transported carefully to ensure the lining doesn't break inside and contaminate the water. Thermos flasks to be cleaned regularly according to their instructions in order to keep them hygienic.
All of the above to be placed on one sturdy table on level ground. Napkins also to be provided in case of spills. People who are intoxicated / high to be given an amount that reflects how unco- ordinated they are (e.g. if they look like they're going to spill it immediately, not given any.)
Other food/drink: Food / drink other than that above is to treated with extreme caution. Food/drink made by someone (e.g. a casserole) is not acceptable and they should be thanked but asked to save it after the service is ended, so that the Outdoor Church will bear no responsibility for it. Food/drink which is pre-packaged (e.g. pre-packaged doughnuts / biscuits) should be checked by Alex Cole. If the packaging is not intact, it should not be consumed druing the church service. If the food contains something that needs temperature control - could go off - (e.g. dairy products, meats), then there is no guarantee that it has been stored appropriately, and it should not be consumed during the church service. If the food is within its use-by date, food allergies are clearly displayed, and is not food that will easily “go off”, then it might be suitable for consumption along with the cheese rolls. It should be opened with gloves, in case there are contaminants on the packaging. It should be distributed with a separate set of gloves, to prevent people contaminating food they touch but don't take.
Allergens: We display a list of allergens at the outdoor church on public display at all times:
“We have rice cakes! Allergies: Bread: Wheat, gluten Milk, Cheese: Diary, lactose Pickle: Barley Malt Vinegar, Metabisulphite, Sulphite”
The Hazards / health risks People consuming products they are allergic to can result in death, in some cases, asphyxiation, if they have an allergic reaction that affects their throat and cuts off their breathing. If food and drink is not stored, transported and served safely, then people can get food poisoning, e.g. ◦ E Coli from dairy products resulting in vomiting, bloody diarrhoea and stomach pains. ◦ Listeria from cheese, resulting in flu-like symptoms, meningitis, septicaemia, miscarriage, be passed onto unborn babies. Vulnerable people who may have very weak health might possibly die as a result of food poisoning weakening their already weak bodies.
Training volunteers: Each person that has to handle the bread, juice, cheese, cups, tea, coffee, milk, sugar and boiling water will be trained in food hygiene by Food Safety Officer. The Outdoor Church has public liability insurance to cover any harm caused to volunteers during food preparation or distribution.
Volunteers are instructed to download the “Safer Food, Better Business” pack from http://multimedia.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/sfbbwebfriendlypack0513.pdf , and read the relevant parts (pages 3-4, 13-24, 32-36, 41-42).
Volunteers are given a print out of pages 3 and 4 of the Safer Food, Better Business pack to read. The staff sign the training record (on the next page).
Refer to the Volunteer policy for the training procedures, which cover these questions:
Cross-contamination: 1. Under what conditions would you be unfit to prepare food? 2. You're about to store the cheese in a fridge. What about the fridge should you check first? (think separation, temperature). 3. What allergic reactions could possibly be sparked by the rolls, bread and juice we serve, and how can you prevent this happening? 4. How do you prevent physical and chemical contamination of foods, specifically the cheese, tea, coffee, sugar and milk?
Cleaning: 1. What should you do when you use disposable gloves before and after using them? 2. Under what conditions would you need to clean the fridge . What did you learn from page 33 about cleaning this item? 3. Explain why clearing and cleaning as you go is important? 4. Why is it important to keep the table that the tea and coffee are served from clean?
Chilling 1. Why is it important to keep food chilled? 2. How will we ensure that the cheese is kept at an appropriate temperature all the way until being served? 3. How will we prevent the milk going off?
Opening and closing checklists The opening and closing checklists (below) are given out. A copy is stuck to the top of the table for reference.
Food safety officer carries out the monthly checks, and records whether opening and closing checks were carried out weekly, together with any information on environmental hazards (e.g. needles removed, bad weather).
Responsibilities of person overall in charge of food hygiene (Alex Cole) Review pages 69-73 of the SFBB pack on Training, supervision, customers, suppliers, stock control, and product recall to refresh memory on statutory requirements. Complete 4-weekly check (page 97 of the pack) to ensure methods are up to date and being followed. Collect and retain receipts of food and drink purchased. Train trainees according to the training pack below, and arrange further training as and when necessary e.g. Level 2 award in food safety Responsible for printing the risk assessment (separate) and this food policy and keeping it with us at each church service, as well as displaying the relevant nut allergy information.
Gloucester Outdoor Church's Glove policy Wear gloves when preparing the cheese, tea, coffee and sugar, and giving out the bread, juice, and cups of teas and coffees. Before using gloves , inspect for defects. Dispose of them after use into bin bags. Do not reuse or wash. When removing gloves, limit contact with the outer surfaces. We do not rely on handwashing – there are no suitable facilities onsite to wash hands with. Month:
Week 1 Opening checks Week 2 Opening checks Volunteers fit to work (e.g. not sick)? Volunteers fit to work (e.g. not sick)? Wearing apron and gloves? Wearing apron and gloves? Table disinfected and wiped? Table disinfected and wiped? Checked ground for needles etc.? Checked ground for needles etc.?
Closing checks Closing checks All food / drink disposed of? All food / drink disposed of? Area checked for rubbish? Area checked for rubbish? Rubbish taken away? Rubbish taken away?
Any problems / changes? What did you do? Any problems / changes? What did you do?
Signed: ...... Date: ...... Signed: ...... Date: ...... Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today. today. Week 3 Opening checks Week 4 Opening checks Volunteers fit to work (e.g. not sick)? Volunteers fit to work (e.g. not sick)? Wearing apron and gloves? Wearing apron and gloves? Table disinfected and wiped? Table disinfected and wiped? Checked ground for needles etc.? Checked ground for needles etc.?
Closing checks Closing checks All food / drink disposed of? All food / drink disposed of? Area checked for rubbish? Area checked for rubbish? Rubbish taken away? Rubbish taken away?
Any problems / changes? What did you do? Any problems / changes? What did you do?
Signed: ...... Date: ...... Signed: ...... Date: ...... Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today. today. Week 5 Opening checks Volunteers fit to work (e.g. not sick)? Wearing apron and gloves? Table disinfected and wiped? Checked ground for needles etc.?
Closing checks All food / drink disposed of? Area checked for rubbish? Rubbish taken away?
Any problems / changes? What did you do?
Signed: ...... Date: ...... Our safe methods were followed and effectively supervised today.
Monthly checks: 1. Did you have a serious problem or did the same thing go wrong 3 times or more? Details? What did you do about it?
2. Any new volunteers and have they been trained? Any extra training needed for existing volunteers?
3. Fridge where food stored less than 5 degrees C? Fridge need cleaning? Food still being stored and transported safely?
4. All aspects of food hygiene policy still being followed? Any changes needed? 5. Any new equipment / food – does this affect your policies? Training Record
Name of volunteer/church leader/congregant/trustee: ......
Contact details: ......
Date they started role (if applicable): ......
Date at which their 3 month probation period will be finished (if applicable): ......
If the church leaders decide that you have acted lovingly and safely towards all members of the church, then they will sign off your probation period:
Probation period signed off by (church leader): ......
Initial training: Further training:
Were you trained in...? What further training needs do I have? For example, you may want to do a free online safeguarding course (see “ Working with food?” http://www.gavca.org.uk/free-safeguarding-training- sheet voluntary-community-groups/ ) or have even more in-depth Opening and Closing safeguarding training (“Facing the Unthinkable” course by checks? CCPAS): Cross-contamination (gloves, apron, being “fit to work” (i.e. Not sick), throwing away opened food, etc.) Date on which training needs to be reviewed: Cleaning: (e.g. Wiping and disinfecting table, cleaning up afterwards, taking away rubbish) Annual training review 1: What training needs do I have? Chilling (e.g. storing and transporting food safely) Food management (e.g. Annual training review 2: What training needs do I have? completing opening and closing checks) Safeguarding: Do you understand your role? Annual training review 3: What training needs do I have?
Safeguarding: How to Courses I have done: deal with an allegation Safeguarding: Who to Name and date of course How can I feed this back report allegations to? Who to the to report allegations to if a church/use the church leader / the course material safeguarding officer is most usefully? involved? Safeguarding: How to act in a way to keep yourself and others safe. Health and Safety: How to handle the various situations that might take place to ensure you are safe.
Sign to say that I have undergone all this initial training:
...... Date: ......