Routine Cleaning (clear and clean as you go) is the normal everyday clearing up and cleaning that a food handling business must do to keep food safe from contamination and which begins when food is delivered.
Accepting Deliveries
The clear and clean as you go process begins when food is delivered. When delivery is accepted but before moving to storeroom or food handling area, strip off the outer packaging and dispose off. This is because the packaging may have become dirty or contaminated with bacteria and the same should not be transferred into areas where food is stored or prepared.
Stripping Off Close Packaging
Close packaging will be stripped off the food in the food preparation area. All packaging should be carefully removed off the food and disposed off. This is because when food is served, there are no remnants of plastic, for example, clinging to the food.
As always, be very careful when disposing of packaging that has come from meat, poultry and seafood. Make sure to clean up any splashes or spills as they occur, and to disinfect anything they may have touched.