Fiducia TogetherFood safety and hygiene
Keeping food safe: the temperatures, the cross-contamination rules and the hazards.
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.
What it is
Food safety covers personal hygiene, cross-contamination, temperature control, storage and cooking. The danger zone for bacterial growth is 5°C to 63°C.
Where it applies
GCSE food, hospitality and catering, and any food business.
How it works
Key temperatures worth memorising: fridge 0-5°C, freezer −18°C, cook to a core temperature of 75°C, hold hot food above 63°C, reheat once to 75°C.
The four hazards are microbiological, chemical, physical and allergenic. HACCP is the systematic approach used in industry.
The 14 named allergens must be declared by food businesses in the UK.
How to use it in your work
Quote the temperatures. They are specific marks.
For cross-contamination, name the route — raw to ready-to-eat via hands, boards, cloths or equipment — and the control for each.
Allergens are a guaranteed topic. Know that there are 14, name several, and know that a business must provide the information.
Where to get help
Your teacher and your board's specification — these qualifications vary more between boards than the traditional GCSEs do, and much of the grade is coursework marked against stated criteria.
Revise this with a song
These are ours. We write revision songs because a lot of people remember a tune when they cannot remember a page, and because revising out loud in the kitchen beats staring at a highlighter.
- The Food Tech Song The food preparation and nutrition topics, set to music.
Where to read more
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page explains a word or a process in education. It is general information about the system, the law and the guidance in England — not advice about your child, your school or your exam. If a decision is going against you, get advice from one of the free services we link to before you agree to anything or miss a deadline. If you are revising, check your own exam board's specification: boards word things differently and yours is the one that marks you.