The Importance of Food Hygiene in Schools

Food hygiene is one of the biggest health concerns for local authorities, along with the health and safety of children at school. Naturally, this means that food hygiene safety in educational settings is taken very seriously indeed. 

With children eating lunch and perhaps breakfast during school hours, along with cooking classes and other events, there’s a lot to think about when considering what impacts food hygiene in a school environment. In this article, we’re going to take a look at why food hygiene is important in schools, what the law says about it, and some of the key points that food handlers need to think about when they’re in a school setting.

Why is Food Hygiene in Schools So Important?

Children can be particularly at risk from foodborne illnesses, for a number of reasons. This includes the fact that children are less likely to practise good hygiene of their own accord, and that their immune systems are less well developed, meaning illnesses can be more severe. 

Allergies can also be more common in children than adults, which means that there’s a higher risk of a child suffering from an allergic reaction at school if proper food hygiene rules aren’t followed. Some allergic reactions can have severe health consequences, and since schools have a duty of care to their pupils, this should be avoided as much as possible. 

It’s also been proven that missed school time has a significant negative effect on outcomes when it comes to exam results and general educational attainment.This means that it’s really important for everyone that schools are safe and hygienic when it comes to preparing, storing and eating food.

What Does the Law Say?

Food law in the UK is governed by both UK law and EU law, and it does also vary between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This means it can be confusing when it comes to certain elements. 

To further complicate things, different local authorities might have their own rules too, and this is especially true when it comes to schools. Two neighbouring districts could well have entirely different rules surrounding what teachers are allowed to do when it comes to cooking classes, and what chefs must do if preparing food at lunch. 

As a result, if you’re ever in doubt as to what the rules are, then your first point of contact should be the relevant local authority. They will provide you with any mandatory procedures you should be following at school to maintain good food hygiene, and also let you know how you will be assessed on your ability to implement these. 

Food Hygiene for Schools: EU Law

Despite these variations between local authorities, there are a few general rules that are likely to apply across the board. One of the most prominent is around training. 

Under EU regulations, all people preparing food as part of a business or organisation must have adequate training for this role. This can be informal training from a more senior employee, but many local authorities require this training to be accredited. 

The Level 1, 2 and 3 certificates in food hygiene are by far the most commonly recognised. Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene is most suitable for kitchen staff or teachers, and you can find out more about what the food hygiene courses cover in the Virtual College online food safety course section here.

Inspections are also part of the law, and are actually the best way of working out what the law requires because most issues pertaining to food hygiene are the remit of food safety inspectors. These inspections will cover everything from the cleanliness of the premises to the storage facilities, the types of food on offer, the efforts to cater to allergies and more.

What to Include in a Food Hygiene Policy for Schools

Most forms of training, government guidelines, and even inspections, will cover the same general points of best practice. This best practice guidance applies to anywhere that food is being prepared, which means that the same goes for schools. 

Whether it’s a classroom where food technology is being taught, or it’s the school’s canteen, the same principles and guidance will apply. This should all be featured in your school's food hygiene policy, which outlines everything you’re doing to ensure food safety and reduce risk in the school environment.

Premises

The premises on which food is being prepared, stored and served in a school is very important. When it comes to schools, the kitchen will be just like any other commercial kitchen, but special attention will need to be paid to classrooms, especially if children eat packed lunches in these classrooms.

Excellent cleaning and hygiene standards will be required of all surfaces and food storage units in a school in order to reduce and remove the risk of cross-contamination. School kitchens must be kept very clean and regularly cleaned to a high standard, with functional kitchen appliances that ensure that food can be cooked and stored safely.

Processes

Defined processes are required as part of hygiene inspections and are essential to good food safety. The kitchen will need certain processes in place, such as those for recording and monitoring temperatures that ensure food is being cooked thoroughly and ingredients are being stored at a safe temperature.

Similarly, so will classrooms. For instance - are children bringing ingredients from home that need to be refrigerated? Then there needs to be some provision in place for this.

All of the processes used in food safety procedures at school must also be recorded so that they can be referenced by anyone working in the school or an inspector visiting the premises to assess its safety. New staff should be trained in these processes immediately, and should make senior management aware if they think that there’s more that could be done to improve food hygiene in schools.

Preparation

One of the most effective methods of ensuring that food is safe to eat is cooking it and storing it at the right temperature, and only reheating it when appropriate. When you’re cooking and serving meals to pupils, a really important part of food preparation safety is ensuring that you’re cooking things like meat and raw ingredients to a safe temperature, or that you’re storing perishable foods safely.

Fridges, for instance, should be kept at less than 5 degrees and most foods should be cooked to 75 degrees. This temperature isn’t just part of food hygiene regulations in schools, but a general requirement informed by overall food safety legislation.

People

Processes are only as effective as the people who follow them, preparation is only as safe as the people making the food, and the premises are only as hygienic as the people who clean them. We’ve already mentioned the need for training, but it’s certainly worth noting again. 

Having fully trained and competent staff is very important, as it ensures that all the necessary procedures are followed and that people working in the school understand food-related risks that could harm them or the pupils. By providing comprehensive training around school food standards and food health and safety regulations, you can minimise the likelihood that food hygiene risks will be caused by the people who work in school.

FAQs

What legislation covers food safety?

Food safety is covered by a range of different legislation that applies to different areas, such as how food is cooked, stored and labelled. The key laws that impact food hygiene policy for schools include the Food Safety Act 1990 and The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 is a specific piece of legislation that discusses what schools are required to do when catering for their pupils.

Where do schools get their food?

Schools get their food from a range of suppliers that specialise in providing ingredients and recipes that help to feed large groups of people in a nutritious but cost-effective way. Food standards for schools require meals to be “nutritious and of high quality” which means that they have to purchase food from quality suppliers, and guidance is provided for this in the Official Government Buying Standards (GBS) for food and catering services.

How safe is school cafeteria food?

Food that is cooked and served in school cafeterias should be safe to eat, as schools have a legal responsibility to ensure that their pupils aren’t harmed or made unwell by the food they consume at school. By following all of the guidance relating to food hygiene regulations in schools, you can be confident that the meals being served to pupils and staff are safe to eat.

Summary

In some cases, school is where pupils get the healthiest and most nutritious meal of the day. Not only is it important to ensure that the dishes being served provide the necessary energy and nutrients to fuel learning, but at the very least, these meals should be safe for all pupils to consume.

Food hygiene training for schools is one of the best ways that you can ensure you’re minimising risk in a school kitchen and reducing the likelihood of food-related hazards impacting staff and pupils. By adhering to government guidance, and following the procedures outlined in a food hygiene course for schools, you can ensure that everyone is safe to enjoy the dishes they choose.

If you’re responsible for ensuring food safety in a school, providing comprehensive food hygiene training is the best way to ensure compliance. Take a look at our range of food hygiene and safety online courses for more information.