Why? Because no matter what is being prepared in the kitchen, all food carries a risk element in its supply, preparation, cooking and storage. And as we all know, certain foods carry an extremely high risk when not properly dealt with.
Seasonal variations have a bearing on this and it is incumbent on chefs and providers to review any 'safe methods'. This is one of the many good things to have come out of Safer Foods, Better Business' as it indicates a defined path to show safety with food products.
Although it's stating the obvious, food like fresh rope mussels must be treated entirely differently from say, a joint of beef. So a fail-safe system must be in place to deal with such widely differing foodstuffs and/or risk assessments to ensure that critical control points are highlighted and adhered to.
Shellfish, game and poultry all fall into the high-risk category for food poisoning.
It is always better to ask the supplier to gut the poultry or game birds when bought. The reason being that removing the guts and internal organs in a commercial kitchen carries an increased risk of contaminating worktops and equipment with harmful bacteria.
To keep the risk of food poisoning to a minimum, chefs should constantly think about what can go wrong at the purchase stage; what action has to be taken to effectively eliminate each hazard; what are the critical limits associated with each hazard and how are the control measures checked and recorded.
Current and prospective menus should be reviewed on a regular basis as, with any new dish or menu, it is critical that staff are fully trained to ensure they adhere to all the safety requirements.