How to Record a Problem Foods Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Some foods carry risks that standard cooking procedures don't address. They contain natural toxins, harbour specific bacteria, or require special handling that differs from other ingredients. This video will train your team to handle problem foods safely—eggs, pulses, sprouted seeds, and starchy foods—understanding the specific hazards and the procedures that control them.

Step 1: Set the scene and context

Start your video by explaining why certain foods need dedicated procedures. This context helps staff understand they're not following arbitrary rules—they're addressing specific, documented hazards.

Some types of foods will require extra care to ensure food safety, in particular eggs and egg products, pulses and rice. These foods have caused outbreaks and continue to present risks when handled incorrectly. Standard cooking and storage procedures may not be sufficient.

Steps must be taken within the processes and procedures to ensure that these particular foods do not present a risk to consumers. Each problem food has its own hazard profile and its own control measures. Staff need to understand both—what the hazard is and how to control it.

Explain that this video covers four categories:

1. Eggs and egg products (Salmonella risk, vulnerable groups)
2. Pulses (natural toxins, processing requirements)
3. Sprouted seeds (E. coli risk, never raw)
4. Starchy foods like rice and pasta (Bacillus cereus, cooling requirements)

Film your opening in your prep area, ideally with examples of the problem foods you handle in your operation.

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Problem foods handling involves both visual demonstration of techniques and documentation of sourcing and procedures. The video shows the techniques; the written documents specify suppliers and company policies.

Record on video:

• How to check eggs for Lion brand marking
• Correct storage of eggs (fridge, away from other foods)
• Checking for cracked or damaged eggs
• Why pasteurised eggs are used for raw preparations
• Hand washing after handling shell eggs
• The soaking and cooking process for fresh pulses (or use tinned alternative)
• Checking tinned pulses for damage
• Why sprouted seeds must never be served raw
• Rapid cooling of rice and pasta under cold running water
• Correct storage of cooked starchy foods
• The cool once, reheat once rule in practice

Document in written procedures:

• Your egg supplier requirements (Lion brand only)
• Your policy on serving eggs to vulnerable groups
• Which egg preparations use pasteurised versus shell eggs
• Your approved pulse suppliers and processing requirements
• Your policy on sprouted seeds (cooked only)
• Your starchy food cooling procedure and time limits
• The 90-minute cooling requirement
• Corrective actions for each problem food category
• Training records

The video shows HOW to handle problem foods safely. The written documents specify WHICH products are approved and company policies.

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Structure your video around the four problem food categories. Each has specific hazards and control measures.

Eggs and egg products

The Salmonella risk: Raw shell eggs should always be treated as a raw product as the shells can hold pathogenic bacteria. Salmonella is the primary concern—it can be present on the shell surface and, less commonly, inside the egg.

Lion brand requirement: Company policy is only to purchase and use hen eggs holding the "lion brand." Lion branded eggs have been through stricter controls including hens being vaccinated against salmonella enteritidis as one day old chicks. This is not a total guarantee as other pathogens can potentially be present, but it significantly reduces Salmonella risk.

Date requirements: Eggs must not be used past the best before date printed on them. Unlike many foods where best before is about quality, with eggs it's also about safety—older eggs have higher risk.

Storage requirements: Store eggs in the fridge. Eggs must not be moved between chilled and ambient temperatures unless about to use. Fluctuations in temperature can alter the internal consistency and permeability of the eggs making them higher risk. The shell is porous—temperature fluctuations can draw bacteria through it.

Store eggs away from high risk and RTE foods. Broken or cracked eggs should be discarded.

Hygiene after handling: Always wash hands after handling shell eggs. The shell may carry bacteria that transfers to hands and then to other foods or surfaces.

Raw and lightly cooked eggs: Raw eggs and lightly cooked eggs are commonly used in catering; however, they are considered too high of a risk to be served to vulnerable or risk groups such as pregnant and nursing mothers, very young children and infants, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals.

Pasteurised egg policy: Foods such as bearnaise and hollandaise sauces, homemade mayonnaise, some salad dressings, ice cream, icing, tiramisu and other desserts containing eggs—company policy is to use pasteurised liquid eggs only. Pasteurised egg products must be kept refrigerated; strictly abide by the date of use once opened.

Lightly cooked option: Due to consumer pressure there may be times when eggs with lightly cooked yolks are requested. Although this is still a risk, you must always purchase eggs from a reputable supplier supplying lion branded eggs.

Thorough cooking eliminates risk: If shell eggs are cooked thoroughly then there should be no risk to consumers.

Pulses

The natural toxin hazard: Some pulses, red kidney beans in particular, contain natural toxins that must be destroyed before they can be served to consumers. These toxins cause severe gastrointestinal illness and cannot be detected by appearance, smell, or taste.

Fresh pulse requirements: Fresh pulses and beans, such as chickpeas and dried beans must go through a process of soaking for a time period, rinsed thoroughly, then cooked for a specified time. Follow manufacturer's instructions strictly as to this procedure to avoid hazards from these toxins.

The soaking and cooking process isn't optional—it's essential for safety. Undercooked or insufficiently soaked pulses can cause food poisoning.

Tinned pulse alternative: Tinned pulses are pre-cooked to very high temperatures of 121°c for a specified time under pressure in a manufacturing plant (botulinum cook) to make the product commercially sterile—all organisms are destroyed including resilient spores and toxins.

Tinned pulses are safe to eat straight from the can, as long as the tin is intact. Damaged, rusty and leaking tins must be discarded.

Practical recommendation: Use tinned pulses instead of fresh to remove potential hazards. This is the safest approach for most operations.

Sprouted seeds

The E. coli hazard: Sprouted seeds such as alfalfa, mung beans (commonly called bean sprouts) and fenugreek must never be eaten raw. Various types of bean sprouts have been linked to serious outbreaks of E. coli; current guidance is that these are not served raw.

These products must be cooked every time before consumption. The sprouting process creates ideal conditions for bacterial growth—warm, moist environments. Cooking is the control measure.

This is a straightforward rule: sprouted seeds = cooking required. No exceptions for salads, garnishes, or any raw application.

Starchy foods (rice, pasta, couscous)

The Bacillus cereus hazard: It is critical that cooked starchy foods be cooled down quickly then chilled, if they are not intended for immediate consumption. Once cooked, the spores of a pathogenic bacteria called Bacillus cereus can germinate quite quickly at relatively high temperatures.

Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking. As rice or pasta cools through the danger zone, these spores germinate into active bacteria that produce toxins. The toxins cause vomiting and diarrhoea, typically within hours of consumption.

Rapid cooling methods: The quickest method of cooling these starchy foods is to run them under cold potable water using a colander. Alternatively, the food can be spread thinly over a clean surface or tray to speed up the process.

Protect the cooling food from contamination; however, do not use cling film or foil as they will act as insulators and subsequently slow the cooling process down which is not advised.

Storage after cooking: Once cooked, if not intended for immediate consumption these foods must be stored in a sealed container in a fridge. This is especially important if the food is to be served cold.

Reheating limitations: It is safe to reheat these foods but only if food has initially been cooked correctly and chilled down quickly. Reheating will not remove any heat resistant toxins that may have formed during poor storage conditions, therefore correct chilled storage is critical to safety.

Staff must understand that foods can only be cooled down once and reheated once.

Best practice: Whenever possible always try to cook once only and serve immediately. Alternatively, rice can be cooked first and held in rice cookers at temperatures above 63°c.

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

This is where you show staff exactly what safe problem food handling looks like.

Egg handling demonstration

Show the complete process:

"I'm receiving an egg delivery. First, I'm checking that every box shows the Lion brand mark. This is company policy—only Lion branded eggs."

"I'm checking dates—these eggs are dated two weeks from now. Good. Any eggs past their best before date would be rejected."

"Now I'm inspecting for damage. I'm opening the boxes and checking each egg. This one has a crack—it gets discarded. Cracked eggs can harbour bacteria and must not be used."

"These eggs are going straight into the fridge. Store eggs away from high risk and RTE foods—I'm putting them on a lower shelf, away from anything that won't be cooked."

"Important: I've been handling shell eggs, so I'm washing my hands now before I touch anything else. Always wash hands after handling shell eggs."

Pasteurised eggs for raw preparations

Demonstrate the policy:

"I'm making hollandaise sauce, which contains eggs that won't be fully cooked. For this preparation, I'm using pasteurised liquid eggs, not shell eggs."

"Company policy is to use pasteurised liquid eggs only for foods like bearnaise, hollandaise, mayonnaise, salad dressings, ice cream, icing, and tiramisu."

"These pasteurised eggs are refrigerated and I'm checking the use-by date. Once opened, I'll use them within the date specified and keep them refrigerated at all times."

Serving eggs to customers

Demonstrate the considerations:

"A customer has requested fried eggs with runny yolks. This is allowed with Lion branded eggs, but I need to be aware of vulnerable groups."

"Raw eggs and lightly cooked eggs are considered too high of a risk to be served to vulnerable groups—pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals."

"If I know the customer falls into a vulnerable group, I would recommend fully cooked eggs. I'd explain the risk and offer an alternative."

"For a standard customer with Lion branded eggs, lightly cooked yolks are an acceptable risk, though thorough cooking always eliminates the risk entirely."

Pulse handling demonstration

Demonstrate the tinned option:

"I need kidney beans for today's chilli. I'm using tinned kidney beans because they're already fully processed and safe."

"Tinned pulses are pre-cooked to very high temperatures—121°c under pressure. All organisms including toxins are destroyed. They're safe to eat straight from the can."

"First, I check the tin. Is it damaged? Dented? Rusty? Leaking? This tin looks intact—no damage. If it were damaged, I'd discard it."

"I'm draining and rinsing these beans. They're ready to add to the chilli. No soaking, no lengthy cooking to destroy toxins—that's already been done."

Fresh pulse processing (if applicable)

If your operation uses fresh pulses:

"If you're using dried kidney beans instead of tinned, here's the critical process:"

"First, soaking. These beans need to soak according to manufacturer's instructions—typically overnight. This begins breaking down the toxins."

"After soaking, rinse thoroughly. Then cooking—again following manufacturer's instructions for time. This isn't about texture; it's about destroying natural toxins that cause illness."

"If you're not certain the beans have been properly soaked and cooked, don't serve them. The practical solution is to use tinned pulses instead of fresh to remove potential hazards."

Sprouted seeds demonstration

Demonstrate the absolute rule:

"These are mung beans—bean sprouts. I'm adding them to a stir-fry."

"Sprouted seeds must never be eaten raw. This isn't a preference; it's a safety requirement. Various types of bean sprouts have been linked to serious outbreaks of E. coli."

"Watch—I'm cooking these thoroughly in the wok. They need to be cooked every time before consumption. No exceptions for salads, no exceptions for garnishes, no exceptions for anything served raw."

"If a customer requests raw bean sprouts in a salad, the request must be declined. Current guidance is that these are not served raw."

Rice cooling demonstration

Demonstrate the critical technique:

"I've just finished cooking this batch of rice for service. If I'm not serving it immediately, I need to cool it rapidly."

"It is critical that cooked starchy foods be cooled down quickly then chilled. Once cooked, the spores of Bacillus cereus can germinate quite quickly at relatively high temperatures."

"The quickest method: running under cold potable water using a colander. Watch—I'm transferring the rice to a colander and running cold water through it."

"The rice is cooling rapidly. I'm spreading it out to expose more surface area. Within minutes, this rice will be at safe temperature for refrigeration."

"What I do NOT do: leave it sitting on the counter to cool slowly. Do NOT cover it with cling film—that insulates it and slows cooling. Protect from contamination but allow heat to escape."

Storing cooled rice

Demonstrate correct storage:

"This rice has cooled to below 8°c within 90 minutes. Now I'm transferring it to a sealed container for the fridge."

"Once cooked, if not intended for immediate consumption, these foods must be stored in a sealed container in a fridge. Label with date and time."

"This rice must be used within 24 hours. When I reheat it, I can only reheat it once—foods can only be cooled down once and reheated once."

"If I've cooled and stored this correctly, reheating is safe. But reheating will not remove any heat resistant toxins that may have formed during poor storage. Correct chilled storage is critical—reheating isn't a fix for poor cooling."

Rice held hot

Demonstrate the alternative:

"Alternatively, rice can be cooked first and held in rice cookers at temperatures above 63°c. This keeps the rice out of the danger zone where Bacillus cereus germinates."

"I'm checking my rice cooker temperature—68°c. As long as this stays above 63°c, the rice is safe. But I'm monitoring throughout service and not holding longer than necessary for quality."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Address the mistakes that lead to problem food incidents.

Mistake 1: Using non-Lion branded eggs. Lion branded eggs have additional safety controls including hen vaccination. Company policy is Lion brand only—don't substitute.

Mistake 2: Moving eggs between fridge and ambient repeatedly. Temperature fluctuations alter egg permeability and increase risk. Keep refrigerated until use; don't move in and out.

Mistake 3: Using shell eggs for raw preparations. Mayonnaise, hollandaise, tiramisu—any preparation where eggs aren't fully cooked must use pasteurised egg products, not shell eggs.

Mistake 4: Not washing hands after handling shell eggs. Shells can carry bacteria. Always wash hands after handling eggs before touching other foods or surfaces.

Mistake 5: Using undercooked fresh pulses. Natural toxins in pulses require complete soaking and cooking. If in doubt, use tinned pulses—they're already safe.

Mistake 6: Using damaged tins. Dented, rusty, or leaking tins may have lost sterility. Discard any damaged tinned goods.

Mistake 7: Serving sprouted seeds raw. No exceptions. Bean sprouts, alfalfa, fenugreek—all must be cooked. E. coli outbreaks have been traced to raw sprouted seeds.

Mistake 8: Slow cooling of rice and pasta. Leaving starchy foods to cool at ambient temperature allows Bacillus cereus germination. Cool rapidly under cold running water.

Mistake 9: Covering cooling rice with cling film. Covers insulate and slow cooling. Protect from contamination but allow heat to escape.

Mistake 10: Reheating rice that was poorly cooled. Reheating doesn't remove toxins formed during slow cooling. If rice wasn't cooled properly, discard it—don't try to fix it with reheating.

Step 6: Key takeaways

End your video by reinforcing the core principles for each problem food.

Eggs: Lion brand only. Refrigerate, don't temperature cycle. Shell eggs are raw products—wash hands after handling. Pasteurised eggs for raw preparations. Don't serve raw or lightly cooked eggs to vulnerable groups.

Pulses: Natural toxins require proper soaking and cooking of fresh pulses. Tinned pulses are pre-processed and safe. Check tins for damage. Use tinned instead of fresh to remove potential hazards.

Sprouted seeds: Never serve raw. Cook every time, no exceptions. E. coli outbreaks have been linked to raw bean sprouts. If a customer requests raw sprouted seeds, decline.

Starchy foods: Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking and germinate during slow cooling. Cool rapidly under cold running water. Don't cover with insulating materials. Store chilled in sealed containers. Cool once, reheat once. Reheating doesn't fix poor cooling.

General principle: Whenever possible, cook once and serve immediately. This eliminates cooling and reheating risks for starchy foods.

Record any contraventions of these safety points and the corrective actions taken. Record any training or retraining undertaken.

If staff do not follow these safety points, retrain them and increase supervision until competency can be shown.

Problem foods require understanding the specific hazards each one presents. Generic food safety training isn't sufficient—staff need to understand why eggs require Lion brand and pasteurised alternatives, why pulses need processing, why sprouted seeds must be cooked, and why starchy foods demand rapid cooling.

Training on problem foods should include the science behind the rules. When staff understand that natural toxins in pulses aren't destroyed by normal cooking, or that Bacillus cereus spores survive cooking and germinate during slow cooling, they're more likely to follow procedures consistently.

Each problem food category has different risks and different controls. Don't treat them all the same—understand the specific hazard and apply the specific control for each one.

When in doubt about any problem food, take the cautious approach. Use pasteurised egg instead of shell egg. Use tinned pulses instead of fresh. Cook sprouted seeds instead of serving raw. Cool rice rapidly instead of letting it sit. The cautious approach prevents incidents.

Documentation protects the business. Record your egg supplier verification, your pulse processing methods, your sprouted seed cooking, your rice cooling times. If there's ever a question, your records demonstrate you followed safe procedures.

Review problem food procedures periodically. If you're having close calls with rice cooling times, if staff are uncertain about egg policies, or if sprouted seeds are being mishandled, investigate and address the root cause.

The cost of following problem food procedures correctly is minimal—a few extra minutes for cooling, a different product choice, some additional verification. The cost of getting it wrong can be severe illness for customers. The procedures exist because these foods have caused outbreaks. Follow them consistently.

Problem foods don't look dangerous. Eggs look innocent. Rice looks harmless. Sprouted seeds look healthy. But each carries specific risks that standard cooking doesn't address. Respect these risks by following the specific procedures for each problem food category.

Communicate these requirements to all kitchen staff. Anyone who handles eggs, prepares pulses, cooks sprouted seeds, or cools rice needs to understand the hazards and the controls. Problem food safety depends on everyone following the same procedures.

Supplier management matters for problem foods. Lion brand eggs, reputable pulse suppliers, quality sprouted seed sources—your safety depends partly on what arrives at your door. Verify suppliers meet your requirements.

Post-service review of problem food handling can identify improvements. Did rice get cooled quickly enough? Were pasteurised eggs used where required? Were sprouted seeds cooked thoroughly? Regular review maintains standards and catches problems early.

Training records for problem foods should be documented separately from general food safety training. The specific hazards and controls for eggs, pulses, sprouted seeds, and starchy foods require specific training that not all staff may have received.

New staff should be specifically trained on problem foods before they handle these categories. Don't assume general kitchen experience means understanding of Lion brand eggs, pulse toxins, or Bacillus cereus risk.

Problem food handling is a critical skill. Master these procedures and you protect your customers from hazards that have caused serious outbreaks. Get them wrong and you put people at risk from foods that look completely safe.

Every food safety system should include specific procedures for problem foods appropriate to the operation's menu. If you serve eggs, you need egg procedures. If you use rice, you need rice cooling procedures. Match your problem food controls to your actual menu.