Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 7
An Overview of Retail Food Hygiene
in Europe
Alec Kyriakides
7.1
Introduction
The grocery store has been the primary vehicle by which the consumer accesses
their food for many years, and although there are huge variations in size and format
of grocery store, the fundamental proposition remains universally simple; procuring
a wide range of foods from a variety of sources, transporting them to an outlet and
merchandising them in a compelling way to the customer. Retail stores throughout
Europe vary in complexity of operation and include 'corner shops' offering pre-
dominantly ambient bought-in goods, specialist retailers such as delicatessens or
charcuteries where much of the offer is prepared in-house and large retail outlets
including supermarkets and hypermarkets, where these 'specialist' operations are
combined under one outlet to provide a complete shopping offer. Although the food
safety challenges differ depending on these circumstances, the fundamental princi-
ples of retail food hygiene are relatively simple and involve a small number of key
hazards and their control;
Microbiological
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Temperature (cooking, cooling and refrigeration)
-
Shelf life
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Hygiene (personal and environmental)
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Cross-contamination
