Food Safety at Spinneys
At Spinneys we are serious about the safety and hygiene standards of food and therefore established a Food Safety and Hygiene department in 1999 to comply with international and UAE standards and to ensure the overall safety of our consumers.
The Food Safety and Hygiene team, a dynamic group, consist of qualified and experienced food technologists and specialists, microbiologists and biotechnologists who are diverse in nationality, language and culture. The main function of the team is to ensure that all product lines and systems are HACCP (Hazard Analasys Critical Control Point) approved, which means that each step, from product sourcing to the product display, is in line with food safety and hygiene standards.
To maintain our high food safety and hygiene standards, Spinneys invests in continuous improvement of systems and methods. Spinneys works closely with international consultants to ensure best practice and is a member of the Dubai Quality Group.
All operational, sanitation, manufacturing and retail practices are aligned to the rules and regulations of local government.
Meat Management at Home
- Remove meat from its plastic as soon as possible and store in the fridge.
- Meat should be transferred to a non-plastic dish and covered with foil to allow airflow.
- Always store raw and cooked meat separately.
- Fresh meat can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days while cooked meat for 5-7 days.
- Larger cuts of meat (like steaks and roasts) can be stored for up to 6 months in the freezer.
- Smaller cuts should not be frozen for more than 4 months while minced meat should not be frozen for more than 3 months.
- Never re-freeze meat which has been thawed and held at room temperature.
- In the refrigerator – plan ahead as this is the slowest technique. Small frozen items may thaw overnight in the refrigerator, while larger items will take significantly longer.
- In a microwave on the defrost setting – cook the food immediately after it has thawed because some areas of the food may have begun cooking during the defrost cycle.
- Meat that has been thawed in the fridge will keep for a few days.
Storing Food at Home
- Keep fresh food refrigerated.
- Do not overfill the fridge. Allow air to circulate around the food in order to maintain the correct temperature.
- Remove fruit, vegetables and salad leaves from plastic covering and store in the vegetable compartments of the fridge, separated from meat, fish or chicken.
- Store meat on a plate on the lowest shelf of the fridge to avoid any possible drips onto other foods.
- Always store leftover or cooked foods above raw foods.
- Keep milk tightly covered as it absorbs the flavours of other foods easily.
- If storing eggs in the fridge, store in the original carton on the top shelf and not on the door, as the temperature fluctuates if the door is opened and closed regularly.
- Cover all open products to prevent them from drying out and absorbing odours from other foods.
- Before freezing batches of fresh food, lower the freezer temperature in advance. When food is frozen solid, return the freezer to the regular temperature.
- Rotate freezer food regularly to ensure best eating quality when defrosted.
- Due to their high fat content, nuts and seeds such as flax are best stored in the fridge.
- Keep all other nuts and legumes in a cool, dry place tightly sealed in an airtight container.
- Rice and grains should also be kept in a cool, dry place in tightly sealed storage containers.
- Rotate foods in your pantry regularly. Place newly purchased items behind existing items.
- Check use by dates regularly.
- Store olive oils in a cool, dry, dark place as light causes the oil to deteriorate.