How to Maintain Food Hygiene In Your Food Business
March 21, 2025
Running a food business can be highly rewarding — and lucrative — but comes with its own set of challenges. For instance, avoiding food contamination, which can have a disastrous impact on a business’s success, is paramount. From spreading illnesses to legal consequences and reputational damage, a single food hygiene incident can have long-lasting repercussions.
There’s always a risk of food contamination in the food industry. It’s the businesses’ responsibility to reduce the risk as much as possible. In this post, we’ll run through some effective food hygiene strategies that can make all the difference.
Key Takeaways on Maintaining Food Hygiene in Your Business
- Proper food storage minimises contamination risks: Store raw and cooked foods separately, use airtight containers, and clean spills immediately.
- Hygienic flooring prevents bacterial transfer: Industry-specific flooring reduces cracks where bacteria thrive and enhances worker safety.
- Thorough cleaning ensures food safety: Regularly disinfect food preparation surfaces and enforce strict handwashing protocols.
- Staff training is essential: Educate employees on best hygiene practices and ensure managers undergo advanced food safety training.
- Pest control safeguards food hygiene: Maintain cleanliness, inspect premises for signs of pests, and act quickly to prevent contamination.
- Proper food labelling prevents spoilage: Clearly mark storage dates to track food safety and prevent the use of expired products.
- Compliance with regulations protects businesses: Following food hygiene standards reduces legal risks and enhances customer trust.
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START NOWCorrect Storage
Proper food storage is essential for reducing the risk of food contamination. For instance, cooked foods and raw foods must be stored in separate refrigerators. If that’s not possible — say, you run a small food business with only one fridge — then store them on separate shelves. Raw food products should be placed on the bottom shelves to reduce the risk of dripping. If you notice any drippings, then wipe them up immediately. It’s also important to use airtight containers to store your food items and to label them correctly.
Hygienic Flooring
In food production, there’s a high risk that bacteria will transfer from the floor to equipment. As such, it’s vital that food businesses install hygiene-friendly, food industry flooring that is not only easy to clean, but which prevents bacterial growth from forming. Installing flooring that has been specifically designed with the industry in mind is essential since regular flooring is more prone to cracks that can become a home for food particles. Good quality flooring will also enhance worker safety, since there’s a reduced risk of slips and falls, and will also be highly durable and long-lasting.
Thorough Cleaning
Maintaining a thoroughly clean, hygienic environment is essential for preventing cross-contamination. This process involves disinfecting any surfaces where food preparation takes place after it has come into contact with food products, people, or anything that may harbor contaminants.
And keep in mind that it’s not just surfaces that should be cleaned sufficiently, but employees’ hands, too. Ensuring that everyone who handles food washes their hands with warm, soapy water will lower the risk of germs or bacteria being transferred to the consumer.
Staff Training
Your employees will be on the frontline against cross-contamination. All staff members who handle food should be aware of the dangers of cross-contamination, as well as be thoroughly trained on the best practices that keep it at bay. Managers and supervisors who oversee food production should go on courses that go into more detail.
Pest Prevention
Finally, remember that it’s not just humans who can cause cross-contamination. Pests can, too — or at least, they can if they find their way into your premises. Maintaining a clean environment will reduce the chances. Even still, it’s important to check your premises for signs of pests, as well as thoroughly inspect your deliveries, too. If you notice signs of pests, then get in touch with pest control as soon as possible — and throw away any food that you think may have been impacted.
