Ready-to-eat Raw Foods
Raw foods such as salad leaves and fruit may be contaminated with bacteria and viruses which only need to be present in low numbers to cause illness. They must always be washed in running potable water before eating. Foods such as cut melons, tomatoes, raspberries, spinach and lettuce had caused food poisoning outbreaks on a number of occasions.
Do not use the same equipment for both raw and ready-to-eat food as bacteria from raw food could easily be transferred to ready-to-eat food.
If preparing both raw and ready-to-eat food, care must be taken to ensure where possible this is done in separate, clean and disinfected areas. If this is not possible, surface and utensils used must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between tasks.
Always wash hands thoroughly between tasks, especially when working with raw and ready-to-eat food. This stops bacteria and allergens being spread onto foods, surfaces and equipment.