Your Food Groups

HIGH-RISK FOOD: (ready to eat) These foods are high risk as people WILL eat them!

• Ready to eat food that supports rapid pathogenic bacterial growth (mostly high protein foods).
• They need to be kept under temperature control outside of the danger zone of 5-63°C (Rapid bacteria growth).
• They can act as "vehicles" for outbreaks of food poisoning & illness (people sneezing on high-risk food for example).

The image below shows examples of high-risk foods. People will eat these without any further action to kill bacteria i.e: cooking to a high temperature. These foods are the ones you serve directly to your passengers, they may help themselves from a buffet or the crew will help themselves from the crew mess.

Raw Food to Be Cooked

• This food is intended to be cooked.
• They are a MAJOR source of food poisoning bacteria.
• Normally found in the galley, not guest and crew areas.
• This food MUST be kept away from high-risk ready-to-eat food (Cross-contamination).
• This food is perishable and supports the multiplication of bacteria.
• Watch out for cross-contamination during delivery and storage.
• Cooking food above 75°C will kill the bacteria.

The image below shows examples of raw food to be cooked. They are likely to have pathogenic bacteria but they are not high risk as they are not ready to eat foods. In other words, the risk of someone eating these foods is unlikely as they require cooking. Some of the items below can be eaten raw (e.g. carrots and radish) but they MUST be peeled and/or washed thoroughly as they could be contaminated by soil or infected water. They are mostly cooked before eating but be aware that they are classed as raw food to be cooked. They must be stored and prepared away from raw ready-to-eat foods and all high-risk foods.

Raw Food Ready to Eat

• May have low-dose bacteria on them.
• They must be washed in potable (drinking)  running water or blanched (plunged into boiling water) .
• You can wash them in potassium permanganate to kill bacteria (follow instructions on the label).
• Make sure you sanitise your sink and preparation areas after use.
• Watch out for cross-contamination during delivery and storage.

The image below shows examples of raw food ready to eat.  These foods are often not washed and stored away from the raw vegetables that are more likely to be cooked before eating. They can also have chemicals on them from farms that can be harmful to humans.    

There have been many reported cases of when watermelons have been cut without washing. The fleshy part of the juicy watermelon has been contaminated by the knife now covered with bacteria and on the hands of the food handler.

Low Risk

• They do not support the multiplication of pathogenic bacteria (low water, low protein, high salt or sugar).
• Rarely cause food poisoning.
• They can generally be stored in the pantry or galley dry stores.
• Once powders like stock, gravy and milk are rehydrated with water they are then at HIGH RISK.

The below image shows examples of low-risk foods. These foods generally have a long shelf life and can be stored safely in bulk for the convenience of the food operation.

Let us watch this video to test our knowledge on what we have learned so far. 

Remember high-risk foods are foods that are ready for guests and crew to eat. They are generally high in protein. If eaten hot, serve straight after cooking or hold above 63°C. If eaten cold, make sure they are 5°c or below. They can be easily contaminated, so keep covered.