Page 9 - Comprehensive Food Safety

31.03.2020

PHYSICAL HAZARDS

Physical hazards are foreign matter that accidentally gets into food. This includes:

• dirt or soil – from people, veggies, delivery cartons;
• staples and strapping materials from packing cartons and crates;
• toothpicks falling into soup from the shelf above the food plate-up area;

• a sticking plaster could come off and end up in the food;
• dead insects;
• hair – human or pet;
• jewellery;
• pieces of plastic from broken containers or packaging;

• broken fingernails;
• chipped nail polish;
• contaminants from overflowing rubbish bins.

Food can be spoiled if any physical contaminants are found in the food, or by physical damage,
such as being dropped.

What signs would you see that would show that the food was spoiled?

• Visible physical damage, eg broken eggshells, bruised or damaged fruit and vegetables..
• Visible evidence, such as dirt in the vegetable box, mouse droppings, dead insects in
serving bowls, a plaster in a batch of food..

CHEMICAL HAZARDS

Chemical hazards can include metals, man-made chemicals and natural chemicals. Food can be
spoiled if it has been contaminated with chemicals, or by natural chemical changes in food,
such as bananas going overripe, or toxins created through produce not being stored correctly.

What signs would you see that would show that the food was spoiled?

• Unusual smell, colour or physical appearance, for example an overripe banana will go
brown and very soft.
• Contaminated water might be a different colour, eg yellow, or have a metallic smell.

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