HYGIENE CONSCIOUS ESTABLISHMENT (HCE) AUDIT

PEACE OF MIND THROUGH A CREDIBLE COMMITMENT TO SAFE FOOD HANDLING PRACTICES

HCE is the optimal independent voluntary food safety (management, monitoring and certification) programme, recognized and displayed with pride by leading establishments worldwide.

The HCE programme not only offers reassurance to your customers but also ensures your operations maintain good food sanitation and safety standards.  

Objective
The objective of this assignment is to conduct a regular independent 3rd party HCE audit and microbiological analysis of food, water samples and swabs.

Inspection

• Cold Kitchen
• Butcher Shop
• Pastry/bakery kitchens
• Chinese Kitchen
• All Day Dining Kitchen
• Banquet (Main) Kitchen
• Staff Kitchen
• Executive Lounge
• Dry Store
• Staff toilets/Patron’s toilets
• Receiving Area
• Compactor/refuse Area
• Other F & B facilities

Hygiene Scoring – Each facility area is allocated a percentage score – which contributes to the overall score for housekeeping.  In this monitoring of standards can be specifically monitored. Graphs are generated for units that allow easy determination of problem areas and also compare present and previous scores. Non compliance and correctives actions taken are recorded.  A preliminary report outlining the areas of concern and giving audit scores and corrective actions suggested and taken are given to managers before a final report.

Reports/Certificates – Final typed reports with percentages, summaries of main problems as well as microbiological test results, summaries, certificates and graphs are forwarded to the unit management.

Food/Product Testing – Food samples will be taken from the unit during the time of audit and analyzed for microbiological contaminants. This screening test will provide indication of problems like temperature abuse on products and or presence of absence of food pathogens normally associated with food poisoning. Food samples can be taken during the audit and submitted to our SGS Labs for microbiological analysis. These samples are tested for:

• Total Bacterial Count
• Coli forms
• E.Coli
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Salmonella spp

Swabbing – Surface swabbing of equipment, preparation surfaces and hands of food handler for detection of microbiological contamination. Swabs are used to indicate whether or not staffs are cleaning while working and whether the chemicals being used are effective. It is SGS policy to swab items that are visually clean, items that are stored as clean or items that should be cleaned after use. Swabs are taken from: preparation surface; hands of staff; utensils; crockery/cutlery/area in immediate vicinity of food preparation.

Micro-Alerts – SGS will issue Micro-Alerts when test results come in positive to the key contact person assigned in the client. The Micro-Alert is send as a fax and a telephone.

Conclusion

• It is a PREVENTIVE SYSTEM for controlling safety of food.
• It provides a QUALIFIED and HIGHER ASSURANCE on food safety.
• It is a LIVE and DYNAMIC SYSTEM
• It is about TEAMWORK
• It reduces need for analysis of FINAL PREPARED products
• It shows your Due DILIGIENCE.