Cooking for large numbers: hygiene rules make foods from commercial kitchens safer

People who prepare food for others carry a great deal of responsibility. Around 100,000 cases of illness are reported in Germany every year which are most probably attributable to the presence of microorganisms - especially bacteria, viruses and parasites - in foods. The actual number is likely to be much higher. Simple but very effective preventive hygiene measures provide protection from illnesses of this kind. The BfR and BZfE have jointly formulated these as hygiene rules for commercial kitchen staff. The leaflet, which has been thus far published in 13 languages and for which there is great demand, has now been updated.

People of many different nationalities work in the German catering sector. For this reason, the leaflet "Hygiene Rules in the Catering Sector" has already been translated from German into twelve other languages, such as English, Turkish and Russian. To make selected measures of risk communication available in the native languages of refugees, the leaflet is also now available in Arabic and Persian (Dari, Farsi). The contents of all language versions have been updated.

Hygiene rules in the catering sector involve personal body hygiene, the proper handling of food and the cleanliness of the facilities. If these rules are followed, foods can be protected from pathogens and consumers from foodborne diseases. The goal is to prevent the transfer of pathogens from humans to food on the one hand, and from food to food on the other. Heating kills off germs in food. It is also important to ensure that food is kept heated at the appropriate temperature and that already heated foods are chilled quickly and sufficiently before storage so that any surviving pathogens cannot propagate.

The BfR and BZfE have published more detailed information on this subject in the leaflet "Hygiene Rules in the Catering Sector". The leaflet is now available in 13 languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Persian, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Turkish and Vietnamese) and can be downloaded free of charge from the website of the BfR and BZfE. The German version can also be ordered in print from the BfR:

About the BfR

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is a scientifically independent institution within the portfolio of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in Germany. It advises the Federal Government and Federal Laender on questions of food, chemical and product safety. The BfR conducts its own research on topics that are closely linked to its assessment tasks.

About the BZfE

The Federal Centre for Nutrition (BZfE) is a competence and communication centre for nutritional matters in Germany. It provides professional information relating to all aspects of eating and drinking - scientifically sound, economically independent and above all close to everyday concerns.
The Federal Centre for Nutrition belongs to the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) and supports the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) in the performance of its duties.

This text version is a translation of the original German text which is the only legally binding version.


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