Salads are mixtures of minimally processed ready-to-eat vegetables with or without dressings. Common ingredients include fruits, poultry, meat, seafood, eggs, pasta, herbs, nuts and cooked vegetables. Salads are usually served cold, and are considered high-risk foods as some of the ingredients are raw or undercooked. Pathogenic bacteria like Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. may also be present in some common ingredients such as eggs, salad dressings and fresh vegetables. Moreover, their preparation requires a lot of handling, which increases the risk of contamination with bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus from human skin and other microorganisms with antimicrobial resistance (i.e. “superbugs”) if personal and environmental hygiene are is not maintained. To ensure the safety of salads, Food handlers should adopt the control measures as identified in the following.

Purchase and receipt

Problems: Presence of harmful bacteria, chemical and foreign materials.

Control measures:

1. When making purchases, choose
   • food ingredients from approved and reliable sources;
   • pre-cut leafy greens with labels marked ‘ready to eat’, ‘triple washed’ or ‘no washing necessary’ if direct use is intended;
   • vegetables and fruits that are not bruised or damaged;
   • pasteurised eggs, cheese and milk products as ingredients and for making salad dressings; and
   • canned products (such as canned tuna, corns, kidney beans) of the suitable size to avoid the need to store the decanted contents for a longer period than required.
2. Upon receipt, check food ingredients to make sure that:
   
   • they are within the “use by” or “best before” dates;
   • there are no signs of contamination or damage to the packaging; and
   • chilled/frozen ingredients arrive at appropriate temperatures (e.g. frozen items at -18℃ or below and chilled items at 4℃ or below) and are free from signs of temperature abuse, such as the presence of ice crystals or water or fluid stains on the packaging

Storage

Problems: Growth of harmful bacteria and cross-contamination.

Control measures:

1. Immediately store perishable food ingredients, such as eggs, chicken breast, beef, smoked salmon at proper temperatures (chilled items at 4℃ or below; frozen items at -18℃ or below).
2. Foods that can be stored at room temperature should be placed in a cool and dry place.
3. Keep ready-to-eat raw material covered/wrapped until use.
4. Store cooked or ready-to-eat food ingredients separately from raw food ingredients in the refrigerator (i.e. cooked or ready-to-eat food on upper shelves above raw food to prevent cross-contamination).
5. Do not overload the refrigerator and practise first-in-first-out stock rotation

Preparation

Problems: Presence of harmful bacteria in raw materials, growth of harmful bacteria and cross-contamination.

Control measures:

1. Use separate equipment and utensils to handle raw food and cooked or ready-to-eat food to avoid cross-contamination.
2. Clean and sanitise all food preparation utensils and surfaces before starting work.
3. Maintain good personal hygiene (e.g. wash hands frequently, wear clean protective clothing, etc.) at all times.

Handling of fresh produce

• Wash all raw fresh produce thoroughly under running water in a sink exclusive for this use.
• Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub cucumbers and other firm produce. Peel or trim as appropriate.
• If disinfectants are used for fresh produce, food grade products should be chosen and used in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions regarding concentrations and contact time to ensure food safety and effectiveness.
• Cut fresh produce such as tomatoes, cucumbers should be refrigerated because it is susceptible to bacterial growth.

Cooking or reheating ingredients

• Frozen ingredients should be completely defrosted before cooking, unless the manufacturer claims it can be cooked from a frozen state, such as croutons.
• Thoroughly cook or reheat ingredients that are not intended for raw consumption, such as eggs, bacon, and chicken. The core food temperature should reach 75℃ or above for at least 30 seconds. 
• For making poached eggs, pasteurised egg should be used.
• Cooked ingredients should not be left at room temperature for too long, so plan the production schedule and avoid preparing cooked ingredients too far in advance.

Handling pre-packaged or canned ready-to-eat ingredients

• For pre-packaged ready-to-eat food ingredients, e.g. shredded cheese, smoked salmon, open the pack with sanitised utensils carefully to avoid contamination.
• After opening, pre-packaged or canned food should be stored in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and used up as soon as possible.
• Transfer food from an opened can/package to a clean, lidded container before refrigeration.

Preparing salad dressings

• Use pasteurised egg products to prepare mayonnaise-based dressings to reduce the risk of Salmonella contamination by raw eggs.
• For acid salad dressings such as mayonnaise, a total formula pH of less than or equal to 4.1 is essential to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in the dressing.
• Store creamy salad dressings right after production at 4℃ or below to prevent bacterial growth.

Dish Serving / Packing:

Problems: Growth of harmful bacteria and cross-contamination.

Control measures:

1. Serve mixed ingredients immediately.
2. Keep prepared ingredients or prepared salads, which are not for immediate use, in clean containers at 4℃ or below.
3. Avoid holding chilled ingredients and prepared salads at temperatures above 4℃ for more than two hours.
4. Packed salads, should be labelled with a “use-by” date and a statement of storage condition.

Transportation, distribution and display

Problems: Growth of harmful bacteria and cross-contamination.

Control measures:

1. Transport, distribute and display prepared salads properly at 4℃ or below to protect them from contamination and deterioration.
2. Distribute and sell finished products in a first-in-first-out basis.

Self-serve salad bars

Problems: Growth of harmful bacteria and cross-contamination.

Control measures: 

1. Display salad ingredients in clean containers in refrigerated display at 4℃    or below to protect them from contamination and deterioration.
2. Provide a sufficient number of clean and sanitised serving tools, such as    tongs or ladles with long handles. Each item should be provided with an    individual serving tool. Immediately replace utensils that are    contaminated, dropped on the floor or used for a wrong item container.
3. Display ingredients in small portions and replace the container with a tray of fresh ingredients. Avoid topping up with fresh ones.
4. Appoint trained staff to monitor the sanitary conditions of the salad bar area and immediately remove any contaminated food and replace dropped  utensils.
5. Discard leftovers at the end of meal service as the food may have been contaminated during the period of display

Food Safety Management system

Implement a preventive food safety management system (such as the HACCP-based Food Safety Plan) to identify and control food safety problems at every stage of the food manufacturing process.

Enquiry

For related food safety guidelines, please contact the Communication Resource Unit.

Telephone : 2381 6096
Address : Room 401, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon