This section has advice on the '4 Cs' of food hygiene - cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination.
This page gives some basic practical tips for caterers on cooking.
Cooking Advice for Catering Businesses
For easy to use guidance on cooking controls, required as part of a written food safety management system for your business, download the Safer Food, Better Business Pack.
Thorough cooking is very important because it kills harmful bacteria in food. If bacteria survive in food because it is not cooked properly, it could make your customers ill.
Do not serve any food that is not properly cooked
Once food is cooked, serve it immediately or keep it hot until serving
If you are cooking food in advance, cool and chill it quickly
Inspect food to make sure it is thoroughly cooked - check that it is piping hot all the way through and that meat juices run clear
Check regularly that hot food is kept hot until serving
Hot food must be kept above 63°C (145°F)
When you are serving or displaying hot food, you can keep it below 63°C for a maximum of two hours. You can only do this once. Then you must throw away the food, or cool it as quickly as possible and keep it chilled until it is used
