Observation of food safety practices in catering using notational analysis

Observations of food handlers’ practices have many uses. Describes the use of a notational analysis technique to monitor and analyse specific food safety actions of caterers. A total of 115 food handlers from 29 catering businesses were observed carrying out 31,050 food preparation and hygiene actions in their workplace. Notational analysis was found to offer little advantage, compared to traditional observation methods. However, this technique did allow tracking of sequential events and was successful in identifying and recording a greater number of cross-contamination events than would have been highlighted using traditional approaches. The results demonstrated that, based on hygiene guidelines, food handlers were required to implement de-contamination actions on a large number of occasions. These de-contamination actions were frequently inadequately conducted. To improve standards of food hygiene in catering there is a need to minimise the requirements for de-contamination activities thereby reducing the potential for cross-contamination.