Standards › Standard 40 › Policies
Policy · NUT-POL-002 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee
Supports: 40.5
At a glance
- Food is prepared, stored and served under documented food safety rules.
- Staff who handle food are trained and the training is recorded.
- Temperatures and hygiene are checked and recorded each shift (NUT-REG-002).
- Food found outside safe temperature is not served.
- Stop and get help straight away if: food outside its safe temperature is served, or a food handler is untrained.
1. Purpose
To keep food safe to eat and prevent foodborne harm (40.5).
2. Scope
| Applies to | Clinical and support staff in the hospital |
| Locations | All wards, clinics and departments of the facility |
| When | Whenever the activity described is carried out |
| Does not apply to | Activities covered by another document listed in section 15 |
3. Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clinical lead | The doctor or nurse in charge of the area at the time |
4. Background
Food that is not stored, prepared and served safely causes outbreaks of illness, and vulnerable patients are the most at risk. Documented food safety rules are the basis of safe food.
5. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility | Competence |
|---|---|---|
| Catering manager | Owns the food safety rules and checks | Clinical director |
| Food handler | Follows the rules, records checks and reports problems | Catering manager |
6. Materials and equipment
| Item | Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Records and forms named in this document | Current version | Checked before use |
7. Safety
- Stop and call for help if a patient is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.
8. Before you start
- Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.
9. Procedure
Step 1. Prepare and store.
- Prepare and store food under the documented rules, with hand hygiene (HH-SOP-001).
Key point: Stored.
Step 2. Check.
- Check temperatures and hygiene on each shift and record them (NUT-REG-002).
Key point: Checked.
Step 3. Act.
- Stop serving any food outside safe temperature and report it at once.
Key point: Acted.
10. Decision points
- No decision points in this procedure.
11. Special situations
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Out of hours | Follow the same steps. Use the on-call contact on the wall of the area. |
12. Escalation
- Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.
13. Monitoring
| Measure | Target | Frequency | Owner | If not met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shifts with temperature and hygiene checks recorded | 100% | Weekly | Catering manager | Escalate to the clinical director |
14. Records
| Record | Kept in | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Record named in this document | Patient record or the area file | the period set by the facility’s records policy years |
15. Training
- Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.
16. Related documents
| ID | Title | Use |
|---|---|---|
| NUT-REG-002 | Food temperature and hygiene check register | Register |
| HH-SOP-001 | Hand hygiene at the point of care (existing) | Procedure |
17. Evidence
| Reference | Note |
|---|---|
| E-009 | Based on the ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition and hydration (2019), the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food (2006), and the ASF Hospital and Long-Term Care standards for nutrition care. |
| E-006 | ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted. |
| E-009 | ASF Expert Committee consensus. |
18. Change history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | the date of approval | First version | set Expert Committee approval |
E-learning for this document
- Food Safety & Hygiene Fundamentals (FOOD-01)
References
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)