Công văn 509/SYT-VSATTP

GUIDANCE

THREE STEPS IN FOOD SELF-ASSESSMENT PERFORMED AT COMMUNITY KITCHENS AND READY MEAL PROCESSING FACILITIES WITHIN THE TERRITORY OF HO CHI MINH CITY

Recently, cases of collective food poisoning occurring at community kitchens of companies, factories and schools throughout the city have been reported. In order to ensure food hygiene and safety, and prevent collective food poisoning, the Department of Health hereby provides community kitchens, ready meal processing facilities and restaurants within the city’s territory with the good practice guide to implementation of food hygiene and safety regulations, and three-step self-assessment guidance as follows:

1. Good practice guide to implementation of food hygiene and safety regulations

- Ensure adequate equipment or facilities are provided to meet statutory standards for food production and processing activities.

- Ensure that all of the kitchen’s managers and the facility’s food service assistants have undergone statutory health examinations at the City’s general hospitals or the district’s healthcare service providers. Health examinations shall focus on requirements concerning food industry, processing and business activities.

- Ensure that all employees directly engaged in food production and processing activities are fully equipped with personal protective equipment, and conform to regulatory good practice guidelines for personal sanitation.

- Ensure that all of the facility’s managers and food service assistants are provided with training opportunities concerning food hygiene and safety matters.

- Comply with good practice guidance on controlling harmful organisms, preventing cross-contamination in food production and processing activities. Avoid using chemicals, food additives which have not been emplaced in the list of allowed substances approved by the Ministry of Health.

2. Three-step good practice guidelines for the kitchen self-assessment

2.1. Kitchens under the management of the entities listed hereunder must follow three-step kitchen self-assessment guidelines

- Restaurants or hotels serving more than 200 portions/day.

- Citywide community kitchens and ready meal processing facilities.

2.2. Contents of the three-step self-assessment guide

Three self-assessment steps include:

2.2.1. Step 1 – Examine received raw food materials or ingredients.

- This examination is aimed at ensuring that received raw food materials or ingredients meet statutory requirements concerning origin, trade documentation, name and address of food providers, and are subject to the organoleptic testing.

- Only raw food materials or ingredients purchased from food traders that have achieved the Certificate of compliance with food hygiene and safety requirements will be accepted.

2.2.2. Step 2 – Examine food from the primary processing stage to the ready-to-eat stage

- The Step 2 includes 1 process whereby food hygiene and safety conditions are checked from the primary processing, complete cooking and dispense stage to the stage of commencement of eating.

- Pre- or post-processed food must be assessed by an organoleptic testing with specific timelines for each stage.

2.2.3. Step 3: Examine retained food samples

- Check retention of food samples for the purpose of investigation into any possible food poisoning cases.

- Ready meal processing facilities are required to retain 2 samples (1 sample stored at a facility and the other stored at a food provider) while only 1 food sample is retained at the kitchen of each entity. This examination focuses on determination of the time of food sample retention and elimination.

2.3. Task assignment and arrangements for implementation of self-assessment performed at each facility

- Kitchens: Assign one employee to perform self-assessment and record results thereof by completing the three-step self-assessment form adopted by the Ministry of Health.

- Examining officers: The entity that has its kitchen must assign its employees (internal medical officers or managers or those that do not fall under the management of the kitchen) to verify the kitchen’s compliance with the three-step self-assessment guidance.

- The record of verification prepared by examining officers must be attested by the head of the entity or the direct manager.

- All records thereof must be deposited in a sufficient manner and in chronological order.

2.4. Guide to using the following forms to write self-assessment results

2.4.1. Step 1 self-assessment form: Examination of received raw food materials or ingredients.

Including 2 templates:

- Template 1: For live and fresh food, such as meat, fish, vegetable, etc.

- Column 1 – No.: number received raw food materials or ingredients

- Column 2 – Receipt date and time: specify the date and time when raw food materials or ingredients are received into the kitchen.

- Column 3 – Food nomenclature: specify name and category of food.

- Column 4 – Quantity: specify the amount of kilograms.

- Column 5 – Name of the manufacturing facility or market: write name of the entity or market (entering into the contract to supply) supplying raw food materials or ingredients.

- Column 6 – Name of the consignor: specify name of the supplier.

- Column 7 – Address, telephone: identify address and telephone number of the supplier.

- Column 8 – Number of document or invoice: specify number of document or invoice of goods received.

- Column 9 – Quarantine: write the number of the Quarantine Certificate.

- Column 10 – Packaging: specify the packaging type.

- Column 11, 12 – Organoleptic testing (color, odor, taste, texture): mark in the column 11 or 12 to refer to "pass" or "fail" respectively.

- Column 13, 14 – Microbiological or physicochemical testing: mark in the column 13 or 14 to refer to “pass” or “fail” respectively (if the test result is shown).

- Template 2: For dried and packaged food

- Column 1 – No.: Number received raw food materials or ingredients

- Column 2 – Receipt date and time: specify the date and time when raw food materials or ingredients are received into the kitchen.

- Column 3 – Food nomenclature: specify name and category of food.

- Column 4 – Quantity: specify the amount of kilograms.

- Column 5 – Name of the manufacturing facility or market: write name of the entity or market (entering into the contract to provide) providing raw food materials or ingredients.

- Column 6 – Name of the consignor: specify name of the supplier.

- Column 7 – Address, telephone: identify address and telephone number of the supplier.

- Column 8 – Brand name: write the commercial name of goods displayed on packaging.

- Column 9 – Packaging: specify the packaging type.

- Column 10 – Expiry date: enter the expiry date of food.

- Column 11 – Number of document or invoice: specify number of document or invoice of goods received.

- Column 12, 13 – Storage condition: mark in the column 12 to refer to normal storage condition; specify the storage temperature in the column 13 to refer to the cold storage condition.

- Column 14 – Remark: where applicable.

2.4.2. Step 2 self-assessment form: Examination of food from the primary processing stage to the ready-to-eat stage.

- Column 1 – No.: number raw food materials or ingredients which have been used.

- Column 2 – Shift: specify eating shift (morning, noon, afternoon or evening).

- Column 3 – Name of course: clearly write name of processed course.

- Column 4 – Food weight: specify the amount of processed food.

- Column 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 – Name of food arranged into groups: mark in the equivalent column.

- Column 10,11,12,13: write the time of complete primary processing, cooking, dispensing and commencement of eating in the appropriate column.

- Column 14 – Organoleptic testing: give organoleptic comments on food before eating, and determine Pass or Fail.

- Column 15 – Containing item or packaging: specify the item or packaging used for containing food to eat.

- Column 16 – Storage temperature: clearly write the food storage temperature before eating.

2.4.3. Step 3 self-assessment form: Examination of retained food samples

- Template 1: For ready meal processing facilities

- Column 1 – No.: number retained food samples.

- Column 2 – Shift: specify eating shift (morning, noon, afternoon or evening).

- Column 3 – Name of course: clearly write name of processed course.

- Column 4, 5 – Depository: specify the depository, whether it is the processing or supplying place, (a unit of food sample is stored at each place).

- Column 6, 7 – Sample-retaining object, packaging: specify the depository, whether it is the processing or supplying place, (a unit of food sample is stored at each place).

- Column 8 – Sample retention time and date: specify the date and time when food samples are retained.

- Column 9 – Sample elimination time and date: specify the date and time when food samples are eliminated.

- Column 10 – Remark: where applicable.

- Template 2: For community kitchens.

- Column 1 – No.: number retained food samples.

- Column 2 – Shift: specify eating shift (morning, noon, afternoon or evening).

- Column 3 – Name of course: clearly write name of processed course.

- Column 4 – Sample-retaining item or packaging: specify the item or packaging used for retaining food samples.

- Column 5 – Sample retention time and date: specify the date and time when food samples are retained.

- Column 6 – Sample elimination time and date: specify the date and time when food samples are eliminated.

- Column 7 – Remark: where applicable.

2.5. Implementation schedule

- Daily self-assessment regime must be implemented on a daily basis as from the date of receipt or knowing of this guidance.

- The City’s Intersectoral Steering Committee of food hygiene and safety requests entities involved to strictly comply with this guidance. As from April 15, 2007, the Food Hygiene and Safety intersectoral and sectoral Inspection Team at the city or district level shall regularly examine food hygiene and safety conditions and compliance with the self-assessment regime. Those entities that fail to strictly comply with this shall be subject to relevant sanctions in accordance with laws.