Food Standards Australia New Zealand

Part 6 - Food Preparation Instructions

Boiling water

Except where other instructions are provided, ' boiling water' means that the food is to be boiled in ' unsalted' water.

Crush

When the preparation instruction states 'crush' , then the following procedure is to be followed:

  • Place food into a plastic bag.
  • With a rolling pin crush food so that the food pieces are no larger than half a centimetre in any one direction .

Chop

Except where other instructions are provided, 'chop' means that the food is to be chopped with a stainless steel knife into pieces no larger than 1 cubic centimetre. In most cases, it should be possible to chop into pieces much smaller than this, which is desirable. 

Mix

When the preparation instruction states 'mix' or 'mix thoroughly', then the following procedure is to be followed:

(1) For dry foods (such as bran) or semi-dry foods (such as cooked chopped meat):

  • Form the food into a cone or pile.
  • Flatten the cone slightly and separate into four equal segments.
  • Pull the segments apart so that four separate piles are formed.
  • Combine diagonally opposite piles and mix together thoroughly.
  • This process should be repeated until thorough mixing of the group of purchases has been achieved.

(2) For foods containing juice such as tomatoes and oranges:

  • If possible, the food being prepared should be chopped in a large glass or stainless steel bowl so that all the juice is collected.
  • Mixing of the chopped pieces is then done in the bowl using gloved hands or stainless steel cutlery and should be mixed as thoroughly as possible.
  • For the purposes of the ATDS, any juice must be regarded as an integral part of the food being prepared for analysis. A proportional amount of juice and seeds must therefore be included in the sample containers.

(3) For liquids such as milk and beer:

  • Liquids are to be measured into a large receptacle such as bowl or jug made of stainless steel or Pyrex. Plastic containers are to be avoided.
  • The total volume added to the jug or bowl should be thoroughly stirred with a stainless steel utensil before being poured into the sample containers.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Gloves

Gloves are to be worn whenever the food being prepared could come into contact with hands.

The gloves to be used are Ansell rubber gloves not containing lubricant. Gloves will be provided by the State or Territory health departments.

Equipment

  • Stainless steel knives
  • Wooden cutting board (good quality, smooth, crack free)
  • Wooden rolling pin for crushing foods.
  • Stainless steel or teflon coated utensils (ie frypans, spatulas, etc.). Glass equipment can also be used provided it is Pyrex.
  • For the purposes of mixing liquids, a large stainless steel or Pyrex receptacle such as a jug or bowl is to be used.
  • Avoid ceramic or enamel ware to ensure traces of cadmium or lead are not leached into the sample.
  • Plastic bags for enclosing sample containers.

Washing of Equipment

Equipment is to be washed using only the detergent endorsed by AGAL, which is Neutracon and the ATDS liaison officers should have ensured that supplies of this detergent are available.

HANDLING PURCHASES IN THE FOOD PREPARATION FACILITY:

Each purchase as provided by the purchasing officer should arrive in separate packaging. Fresh foods such as pears and chicken fillets will be in separate packages labelled with the name of the food and the date of purchase. Manufactured, packaged foods will be labelled clearly with the date of purchase. Purchases will be in either lots of four or lots of nine. 

Keeping Samples Separate

In those cases where nine purchases have been made, care must be taken to ensure no mixing of any kind between the three groups of samples. This means careful cleaning of utensils between the three preparation procedures.

To ensure accuracy and to keep food samples separate, the procedure for preparing one sample in readiness for freezing, including labelling, should be completed and all utensils cleaned thoroughly before the preparation of the next sample is started.

Preparation Procedures

Where four purchases are provided, portions from each of these are mixed together and all utensils are thoroughly cleaned using the recommended detergent upon completion of the preparation.

Table 28 Food Preparation Instructions

Food

Preparation

Alfalfa sprouts

Chopped and mixed.

Apples

Unpeeled apples were cored and chopped and then mixed thoroughly.

Bananas

Remove skin, chop and mix together thoroughly.

Beans, green, frozen

Thaw, chop and mix together.

Beef, minced

Dry fry until cooked

Beer, 3.5% alcohol

Pour large glass jug, mix, allow sufficient time for the gas to escape

Biscuits, plain sweet

Crush and mix thoroughly

Biscuits, savoury

Crush and mix thoroughly

Bran, wheat, processed

Mix

Bread, white

Chop and mix

Bread, wholemeal

Chop and mix

Breakfast cereals, mixed grains

Crush and mix

Cake, chocolate with icing

Crumb and mix

Capsicum

Split and remove seeds, core and stalk. Chop and mix capsicum flesh.

Carrots

Top, tail and peel to remove blemishes. Slice thinly. Boil in unsalted water.

Carrots, canned

Drain the contents of each of the three cans. Chop and mix together.

Cauliflower

Cut into flowerets, boil in sufficient unsalted water, drain and cool. Chop and mix.

Cheese, Feta,

Chop into small cubes and mix.

Chicken drumsticks

Cover with foil and bake in a moderately hot oven until cooked. Remove from bone and chop and mix

Chiko rolls

Chop and mix together thoroughly.

Chinese greens, Bok choy

Separate stalks and wash leaves. Chop and mix.

Chocolate, (milk chocolate)

As purchased

Cornflakes

Crush and mix together.

Crab, canned

Drain the contents of each of the three cans. Chop and mix together.

Crocodile meat

 

Grill the three purchases of crocodile meat lightly. When cooked, cut all the meat away from any bone and trim off grizzle. Chop the cooked meat as finely as possible.

Eggs

Hard boil, remove shells. Chop and mix thoroughly.

Fish fillets

Grill fish until cooked thoroughly. Chop and mix

Grapes, seedless,

Remove stalks, chop grapes and mix together.

Honey

Mix together in large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Infant cereal, rice

Mix the contents.

Infant chocolate custard, canned

Mix the contents.

Infant dinner, strained (beef and vegetables)

Mix the contents.

Infant formula, powder

 

Make up the formula according to manufacturers directions in a stainless steel or Pyrex bowl. Mix thoroughly.

Kidney beans, canned

Drain the contents. Chop and mix together.

Lamb chops, loin

 

Grill, cut all the meat away from the bone and trim off excess fat. Chop the cooked meat as finely as possible.

Lamb kidneys

 

Grill, cool, split the kidneys and remove large vessels. Chop the cooked kidneys as finely as possible.

Lettuce

Remove any shrivelled outer leaves and roots, if any. Wash, chop and mix.

Liver, lamb

Trim and slice the liver. Grill slices of liver until cooked. Chop and mix cooked liver.

Margarine, canola oil based

Mix thoroughly.

Meat pies

Chop and mix together thoroughly.

Milk, liquid, full cream

Mix together in large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Muscatels, dried

Chop and mix.

Mushrooms

Wash, wipe dry with paper towel. Chop and mix.

Mussels, fresh

 

Boil mussels in unsalted water until they open. Remove and cool. Remove mussels flesh from shell. Chop and mix together.

Oats, rolled

Mix together thoroughly. Add water and simmer until cooked. Cool.

Oil, blended vegetable

Mix together in large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Onions

Peel and rinse. Slice into rings and dry fry until soft. Do not scrape pan. Chop and mix.

Orange juice

Shake and invert containers to ensure thorough mixing. Mix in a large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Pasta, macaroni

Boil in unsalted water until cooked. Drain and chop.

Peaches

 

Do not peel peaches. Split peaches, remove stone and chop peaches. Mix the cubes together thoroughly.

Peanuts, roasted

Mix together.

Pears, Russet,

 

Do not peel pears. Core and chop pears. Mix the cubes together thoroughly.

Peas, canned

Drain the contents of each of the three cans. Chop and mix together.

Pineapple, canned

Drain the contents of each of the three cans. Chop and mix together.

Pork, Butterfly steaks

Grill, chop and mix together thoroughly.

Potatoes

 

Wash thoroughly, peel and halve potatoes. Cook together in unsalted water. When cooked, drain potatoes, chop finely and mix.

Rice crackers

 

Mix the crushed rice crackers thoroughly in a large bowl.

Rice, jasmine

Cook in unsalted boiling water. Drain.

Rock melon

 

Split the rock melons, remove the seeds and skin and chop into cubes. Mix the cubes together thoroughly.

Salmon red, canned

Chop and mix together.

Sandwich ham

Chop and mix together thoroughly.

Sausages

 

Dry fry, cool, chop and mix together thoroughly. Include the fat that has been extracted from the sausages.

Soy sauce

Mix together in large stainless steel or glass bowl.

Tahina

Mix thoroughly.

Tea

Brew, wait 5 minutes for the tea to infuse. Mix. Let cool.

Tomato salsa

Mix.

Tomatoes

Chop and mix together.

Walnuts

Chop and mix.

Yogurt, full fat, strawberry

Mix together.