Episode 2 Food Fighters

We're a nation of food lovers, and there's more choice than ever.

Eating in or taking away, there's always a chance that something can go wrong.

It's a good job there's an army of people working hard to keep us safe.

They're the food fighters.

Could I have another two?

'Shopping on the market. Will these delicacies be bug-free?'

Rice is a high-risk product. People think it's fairly safe but it's not.

'I'm on the farm, learning about dangers in the humble duck egg.'

-What are the main things you're looking for?

-Salmonella.

'And an inspector calls.

'Even this dining service isn't going to escape our food fighters.'

I'll have a look at the kitchen area. Temperature's very, very warm.

I need to make sure that the ventilation's working.

I love visiting food markets.

I can snap up delicacies from all over the world.

These are just as popular with the bugs and bacteria.

It's a constant battle to make sure they're safe.

'The food fighters are on the case, checking out these temporary stalls and vans.

'We hit the road with a team in the northeast.'

'This is Newcastle's quayside market.

'Every Sunday, 40 stallholders pitch up next to the Tyne to sell their wares.

'This Sunday, three food fighters are also in town...

'..checking every one of these stalls is up to scratch.

'Paula Davis starts with Ron Dixon's burger van.

'It's going to really bring her down to Earth.'

Thank you. >

-Oh, it's windy, isn't it?

-Chilly breeze, that.

CRASH

What happened there?

Oh, dear! Too much weight on the back.

'Not the way to impress the food fighters!'

It's a bit of a worry!

'Ron's van has fallen off its supporting bricks.'

-Have I got some supports?

-Yeah. You'll be all right.

-She'll have to go on a diet! >

-She will!

'Ron's quick to work, putting his business back on an even keel.'

-You're quite safe now.

-That was a bit exciting!

-Very exciting!

-You see, there's only ever me on here.

-Yes, I know.

-So it's no problem.

'A shaky van won't give customers food poisoning,

'but it's certainly a wobbly start to the inspection.'

-Talk me through what you're doing here.

-Bacon, pork sausage, burgers.

-Hot dogs, beans, tomatoes.

-So very straightforward.

-Yeah.

-All cooked from raw?

-Oh, yes.

-Where's your raw stuff?

'There's no room for a fridge so the meat is left out.'

-How long are you here for this morning?

-Four.

-Four hours. OK.

You're just on the limit but it's good practice to have that in a cool box all the time.

-They'll just go off quicker.

-Yeah.

-It's quite warm in here.

'Ron's OK to keep his food out of the fridge for up to four hours, so long as it's properly cooked.

'Turning up the heat on his bacon and sausage will kill off any bacteria that have bred.'

-Are these things keeping warm?

-Yeah.

What I do is I cook them, then when somebody comes I put them back on.

They go back on there. How long might they stay in that pan for?

-It depends on the queue.

-Yes. Fairly quick.

-They could be gone...!

-It's all really well-cooked.

-It is.

-I'm sure it's safe.

-It's just a case of making sure it's not hanging around too long.

-Oh, no.

-I know you get fairly busy.

-Yes.

'It may not be the slickest van in town, but Ron is making safe food

'and certainly doesn't look like he's about to poison anyone.'

Can I help you?

He does a very simple operation, bacon and sausage sandwiches.

He's very keen to do it well. He does do it well.

He's an old-fashioned market trader who's happy to work with us, which is great.

'So it's a decent start to the day on the Tyne,

'but there are loads and loads of stalls here.

'The team had better get moving.'

-Are these chillies you've made yourself?

-Yes, we make everything ourselves.

'Bottles of sauces and jars of jam are classed as low-risk, so inspections are brief.'

-The stall looks fine, so I'm more than happy with that.

-Good, good.

'Paula spies some riskier recipes.'

This one, I'm a little concerned at how open a lot of this food is

and how close to the edge.

'The food on this stall may look delicious,

'but it's in danger of being contaminated by children's hands,

'sneezing and even an inquisitive dog's nose.

'So, out comes the lab coat and the pot.

'It's sample time.'

Could I have another two?

'First on Paula's shopping list - stuffed vine leaves.

'Not just because they're at the front.

'They contain rice, and bacteria just love rice.'

People don't understand that rice is a high-risk product.

Rice does have all sorts of potential risks, particularly what are called bacillus,

which is a toxin-producing bacteria

that can stay alive and then grow at various times.

People think it's a safe product but it's not, so it's a good one to test.

'Rice isn't the only risk here.'

So the ones with feta cheese next, I think.

'Dairy products, such as cheese, can give us dicky tummies if they're not looked after properly.'

It's a protein food. Bacteria like protein.

It's just something different as well, slightly higher risk.

'Paula rounds off her sample shopping with stuffed olives.'

Another five.

'With the olive stall sampled, her team heads out to see what else catches the eye.'

Look at the queue at this one!

'This Mexican stall is certainly popular,

'but it's a typical example of why market stalls can be risky.

'No electricity means temporary traders rarely have fridges,

'so ingredients are left out in a temperature danger zone.

'That's when bacteria can attack.

'If eaten, this can lead to a nasty bout of food poisoning.'

-What are you doing first, Tracey?

-I'm going to sample some salad and some meat.

Which salad first? This mixed one?

Probably the one at the front with tomatoes and beans.

'Out come the lab pots again.'

They've got a lot of high-risk food here, lots of salads.

They have no refrigeration so on a sunny day like this,

bacteria are going to be growing very quickly.

There was no hand-washing facilities, no water.

All of this would add to the potential contamination of the food.

We want to get an idea of what quality this food's at.

'Samples of chicken, salad and beans are bagged up for a trip to the food-fighters' lab.'

Tomato and onion salad, six.

'Now the team can leave town.'

A good day's work. Yeah.

'They'll be back.

'A first for me. I'm given a lesson in collecting duck eggs.'

-This one, good or bad?

-That one's fine. It's just dirty.

I know about cooking to deadlines,

but regardless of how busy your kitchen gets, the safety of your diners comes first.

Imagine how difficult it must be if you've got no freezer and your kitchen is moving.

'This is Grosmont station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

'It's the 175th anniversary of the line and, to celebrate,

'they're serving up a special meal.

'Later today, 98 passengers will dine in these Pullman carriages,

'including VIPs and steam train fanatics.

'But this train is 100 years old,

'designed to be up to scratch for diners in Edwardian times.

'Mandy Beverly is in charge of tonight's service.

'If she wants the diners to be safe, good prep is going to be the key.'

It's very different to any other kind of restaurant

or catering establishment because you're on the move.

So you have to make sure everything is on board, ready for your journey.

Once the train leaves the station, it's too late.

Thank you.

'Mandy begins early, checking the ingredients for tonight's meal, as they pull into the station.'

We've been waiting for this. Lovely. Looks perfect. Let me just see.

Nice quality, just what we need.

I'm going to probe the meat to make sure it's a suitable temperature.

Perfect.

It's at four, so it's absolutely acceptable.

-Thank you very much, Ian. Could you put it on the bottom shelf of the fridge for me?

-Yeah.

'To keep the beef bug-free, it must now be kept cold.

'Along with the rest of the food, it's whisked into the store room on the platform.'

Because we don't know where these have been stored in the warehouse,

it could have come into contact with all sorts of bugs and germs.

So I'll remove the outer packaging.

These can then go into the fridge to be safely stored until we need them.

'The ingredients for roast beef and trimmings are safely stored.

'But Mandy's work is far from over.

'Now she needs to set the tables.

'Sounds simple enough, but not on a 100-year-old locomotive.'

With having steam trains, obviously, soot and dust do get everywhere.

So we have to ensure that everything is pristine.

'The cutlery must be germ-free but, at £240 for a table of four,

'the guests want quality, too.'

We're dipping the cutlery into boiling water

to sterilise it, really, and get all the small, little marks off.

Now it's polishing it up, to make sure it looks nice on the table.

'Mandy's checks seem bang-on.

'But like anywhere that serves us, there's always room for the professional food fighters.

'They make certain the customers' safety is right on track.

'So, every six months in Grosmont, a railway inspector calls.'

My name is Nigel Graham. I carry out safety inspections on the dining train.

'Nigel has to be across the food prep.

'There's only a small window before the train departs.

'This must be an express service!'

Let's have a look at the kitchen area. Temperature's very, very warm.

You can imagine it's very difficult to cope in these temperatures.

I need to make sure that the ventilation's properly working.

'Today, the heat is on the head chef, Mark Cave.'

-That looks good.

-Bit warm in here today.

-It's very hot, isn't it?

-These fans up here are not working.

-They're not working?

-Anyone been out to them at all?

-I'm not sure.

-No. OK.

They do come on every now and again but not constant.

-Right. Have you got a thermometer here?

-I've got a probe.

'It's 27 degrees in here - too warm for Mark,

'but perfect for bacteria.

'And there's plenty here for them to eat.

'It's more important than ever that food is properly cooked.'

-Have you got a record of temperature checks that you've made?

-Yes.

'To keep the diners safe, Mark must regularly probe his food and record its temperature.'

So this indication of the probes.

I just need to know that they are being used.

-Yeah, I used them on Monday night.

-That's excellent.

That's good. Thank you for showing me that.

'Nigel continues his whistlestop tour behind the scenes.'

Plenty of towels there.

'Before stripping off his white coat and moving into the carriages.'

Just checking there's no rubbish.

'After a cutlery check, it's into the toilets...'

Fine.

'..before it's a thumbs-up from Nigel.'

Everything's clean.

'Back to the anniversary service, there's an added pressure.

'Normally, they wouldn't risk cooking raw meat,

'but for today's special trip, they're making an exception.'

We try not to deal with high-risk foods as much as possible.

We've got roast beef on tonight.

But it's had to be brought on separately

and we have to get it prepped-up in a different kitchen

so it's not contaminating anything in this kitchen.

'To do this safely takes time, and that's in short supply.

'With a bunch of VIPs waiting,

'you'd better get it right, or everyone will know about it.'

I'm checking the temperature of the meat.

You know it's not done because it's not 63 degrees or above.

That's the temperature when the bacteria stops growing as much.

No. That's not done yet.

'Mark can't serve this beef. It's not safe to eat - yet.'

This is what's going to put me behind now.

I was hoping it would have been ready 15 minutes ago.

So I can't get the oil in for the potatoes.

I need to get me desserts on and through the oven.

I can't do that until the Yorkshires are finished.

I'm a bit behind. At four o'clock we're leaving for Whitby.

So I've got even less time than normal.

'The clock is ticking

'but, just like in any kitchen, Mark can't cut corners.

'The last thing he wants is a train full of tummy troubles.

'As he gets to grips with making his food safe, there's another problem.'

I can't believe we're doing this.

'His train is being moved to another platform before he's loaded up his supplies.'

I've loads to do here.

'Is this special meal about to go off the rails?

'Mark fights to keep his meal bacteria-free.'

The last thing we want is 100-odd people with food poisoning!

Many people consider duck eggs a delicacy.

With deep yellow yolks and rich flavour, they can transform a basic dish.

Like chickens' eggs, duck eggs can be a source of salmonella.

In the chicken egg industry, customers can be assured by the red lion stamp.

The duck egg industry hasn't had the same set of standards, until now.

'These are the labs of the Health Protection Agency in London.

'Scientists here guard us against the spread of infections in the UK.'

My name is Chris Laine. I investigate outbreaks of salmonella infections.

'In 2010, there was a rapid rise in people suffering from salmonella.

'Scientists began checking the usual suspects, including hens' eggs.

'They quickly realised, this time, it was their avian cousins that were to blame.'

England and Wales had not seen an outbreak associated with duck eggs since the 1940s.

70% of the people we interviewed had eaten duck eggs.

70% of the British public do not eat duck eggs regularly,

so that was much more than normal.

'The outbreak left five people in hospital and many more ill.

'It also claimed at least one life.

'Despite this, regulations surrounding duck eggs have never been changed.'

This farm in Dereham, Norfolk, has over 28,000 ducks

and produces more than seven million eggs a year.

On top of that, when it comes to food safety, it's leading the way.

And the reason Watercress Lane Farm is leading the way is this stamp.

It's been designed to help give shoppers confidence

that these eggs are safe to eat.

All ducks have been vaccinated against salmonella, and there are checks at every stage.

They do this not because they have to, but because they want to.

-How are you?

-Very well, thank you.

-What a fantastic set-up!

The first thing that strikes me - I've been to many farms -

it's incredibly clean.

It's immaculate.

Ducks are dirty animals, they really are.

You're providing a food stuff. You've got to have a clean egg.

By putting fresh bedding down, clearing out nest boxes, clearing out the water,

you're reducing the risk of any infection getting onto that egg.

Why is it that there isn't the same legislation for ducks

as there are for chickens?

I don't understand it.

Duck eggs have been eaten for many, many years.

During the war period, when eggs were rationed,

the housewife who wanted to bake a cake would raid the local pond,

or they had them in the garden.

So duck eggs have been eaten for a long time. It's like they've not been considered a food stuff.

-So, the salmonella, et cetera, exactly the same risks. There's no difference, is there?

-No.

To some extent, it's probably more, because of how dirty the duck is.

What are you guys doing about it in terms of your own legislation?

We've got a very tight biosecurity system round the farm.

Um...foot dips everywhere.

Staff that go into the pens have to wear specific boots,

and those boots don't go out the barns.

If there is any infection anywhere,

you keep that infection to one place.

The whole setup seems massively organised.

I'd like to see it from start to finish.

-What first? Collecting eggs?

-We've got some eggs still not collected yet. So, first stop.

Time for me to turn from foodie to farmer.

With around 20,000 eggs a day to collect, I'd better get cracking.

Is there anything I need to know, in terms of collecting them?

You'll find the majority of eggs in nest boxes. Put them on the trays.

Rounded side up, the air sac at the top keeps it fresher for longer.

-Is there anywhere they've laid that you don't use them?

-Near the water.

Any under the water troughs, they get broken, fed back to the ducks.

Near the water, there's more chance of bacteria getting into the egg.

That way, we keep it safe.

'First up, it's a quick boot change, a disinfectant dip

'and away we go.

'No pieces of straw left unturned here. There are eggs everywhere.

'Not all get a clean bill of health.'

Even out here, you can see that egg is no good. Strange shape.

You may as well reject it in the pen, give it to the ducks.

'A reject is a bonus for this lot.

'They love feasting on their own eggs.

'The ducks also have their own weapon against those nasty germs.'

-This one, good or bad?

-That one's fine. It's just dirty.

-A young duck has more wax on the shell.

-Right.

So they sometimes look really dirty but it's the protection the duck has put on.

-They do feel waxy. It's amazing.

-Yes.

'After an extremely good look around, I can't find any more.

'So we jump out and allow some food fighters to jump in.'

-What's happening with the swabbing?

-Lewis will do environment swabs.

All around their nest box, the feeding areas.

Also swabs for the faeces.

They're our main areas, nearer the water where it's messier.

Those swabs will be sent to the vet, who'll do his analysis.

How often do you do these?

We'll do them to new... Restocking new pens,

before they come into lay, then a couple of times during lay.

We also send off the eggs, send those off for testing as well.

-What are the main things you're looking for?

-The main thing is salmonella.

This is a process that you do voluntarily. There's no requirement.

None at all. We choose to do it. We've got to make sure that we are as clean as we can possibly get.

'And that's what we need to do now.

'My eggs need to be washed.

'This is where that happens.

'Every single egg goes through this purpose-built washing machine.'

We've collected the eggs, so the next stage is cleaning them.

-What happens here?

-Rinse off the worst with water.

Then put them on the conveyor belt, go through the machine.

There's a disinfectant and sanitiser in there. It's a relatively quick process.

It takes off the worst of the bacteria

to make sure you've got a relatively clean egg.

'Unlike some farmers, Melendy doesn't think a spotless egg is necessarily the best.

-Quite often, eggs are bleached.

-Yes.

They go through a solution that strips off that waxy coating

that the duck puts on for protection.

We don't do that because we don't believe that is right.

The duck put the wax on for protection so leave the protection in place.

Without that wax, the shelf life is less.

Again, you want them to have as long a life as possible.

'Duck eggs are porous, so perhaps nature's extra protection

'is a good thing.

'Once my eggs are cleaned, it's into the drying room for a final check.'

This is known as "candling".

What happens is every single egg is inspected,

looking for hairline cracks or impurities,

to make sure all eggs that are sold are as perfect as possible.

-You look at the air sac, to make sure it's at the top.

-Yeah.

Also, your air sac shows you how fresh your egg is.

If you've got a small air sac, it's a fresh egg.

And you're looking for cracks. That would be rejected.

-No matter how small a crack would be, it will be rejected?

-Yes.

If there's a hairline crack that bacteria will get through to the egg. We want to know they're safe.

'This is the end for our duck eggs' journey, the printing room.

'This is where that blue duck stamp is added. I now know what it means.

'That these duck eggs are as safe as can be.'

So you've got your logo. All the other information is what?

The date it was laid.

You've got the best before date

and your batch number, so you can trace it.

-That's it.

-Fantastic. Beautiful.

Lots of information. Of course, the main thing is, does it taste nice?

That's the story of duck eggs and the food fighters helping to protect the consumer.

Duck eggs are bigger than chickens' eggs and have a gamey flavour.

It's almost impossible to make Yorkshire puddings out of them, but they are delicious.

'The food fighters are back to wrap up the Mexican inspection.'

-Most of them are fine.

-OK. Great.

-The one that wasn't fine was the chicken.

-Right.

Back to our challenge of cooking on the move.

Chef Mark Cave is trying to cook a safe lunch on a hot steam train on the Pickering to Whitby line.

Now, the heat is really turning up.

'This year marks the 175th anniversary of the line.

'North Yorkshire Moors Railway are putting on an evening dining service.

'With such a tiny kitchen, doing this safely is hard work.

'Chef Mark must stop raw food contaminating the cooked stuff

'and ensure it's properly cooked.

'But there's another problem to deal with.'

They're moving the train into that platform.

So I've got to get everything done before it's gone. It's not good.

'The train's currently next to the stores - easy for loading the remaining food.

'But now there are orders for the train to switch platforms.

'It's going to make a short job much longer.'

It puts me further behind.

I've got to transfer everything to the other side and...

'Small stations like Grosmont need to shuffle their trains between platforms to keep things moving.

'It creates headaches for the catering team.'

I've got everything to move round by trolley to the Pullman diner so we don't leave anything behind.

We'll just have to work with it.

'Mandy must lug the remaining supplies right across the station.

'The beef should have been cooked half an hour ago.

'It needs to be at the right temperature to have killed off food poisoning nasties.'

It'll need another 15, 20 minutes.

'But it's now time for the train to leave.

'It's full steam ahead to Whitby, to pick up 98 waiting passengers.

'Amongst them are the manager of the railway line and steam train fanatics.

'They're the last guests you want to give food poisoning to.'

Can't remember what I'm doing!

'Time's running out. The train's about to pick up passengers promised a fine dining experience.'

We're at Whitby at the moment.

They're preparing the starters next door.

And I'm rushing to catch up at the minute, to be honest.

I feel very under pressure.

'Oblivious to the rush behind the scenes,

'passengers and local press commemorate a special day.

'It's down to the catering team to ensure that undercooked food doesn't spoil the memories.'

If you'd like to step on board.

'Despite the hurry, there can be no short cuts with food safety.

'The last thing Mark wants is for the train's Edwardian plumbing to be put to the test.'

It's absolutely boiling on here today.

'Mark might be too hot, but his beef has hit the right temperature and is now safe to serve,

-'along with most of the trimmings.'

-I've got the roast potatoes done.

The Yorkshire puddings I'm struggling on.

'If these Yorkshire people don't get a pudding with their dinner, it could turn ugly.'

Everybody's now on board. All starters have been served.

Beef was cooked in time. I've got one set of Yorkshires going through.

So, hopefully, soon we'll be on to the main course and we can have a rest at Pickering.

'The roast sirloin of beef is on the table, beautifully cooked.'

Where's the spray?

'Back in his tiny kitchen, Mark can't relax.

'He now must protect his pud.'

Finally getting there. I'm just having a quick clean around.

Even though we're busy, we have to keep on top of the cleanliness.

The last thing we want is 100-odd people with food poisoning.

So, as you can see, we've cleared down and we're now ready to go.

Excuse me, please.

'Catering manager Mandy needs to reuse the starter plates for dessert.

'This has to happen quickly. More importantly, the germs need to be washed away.'

We've got a very hectic wash-up going on.

Still changing the water frequently, washing in hot soapy water

and a nice hot rinse-down to sterilise all the pots and cutlery.

Then the kitchen, that's cleared down from the main course and the chef is preparing dessert.

'They've got rhubarb and apple tart,

'followed by a cheese board, coffee and cake.'

Got through the main course pretty smoothly. Hopefully, we'll do the same with dessert.

'After a stressful start, the catering team appear to be steaming towards the finish line.'

I'm happy now I'm serving the cake. I'm nearly finished.

I hope you've enjoyed your evening, and I hope you have a pleasant journey home.

'The kitchen crew can now let off steam

'as the passengers alight into the night.

'The question remains, was it a success for the diners?'

Food has been fabulous, really enjoyed it.

-Food was absolutely amazing. Wasn't it? Amazing.

-Yes. Yes.

The beef was cooked to perfection. How they heck they do that on a train, heaven only knows.

'Mark and his team have done it.

'Everyone's eaten a meal that has been safe and thoroughly delicious.'

Customers don't know what happens behind closed doors.

As long as we follow all the safety rules, everything's fine.

We've started clearing up already.

By the time we get back, we should be done.

If people are happy, we're happy.

I'm happy.

Thank you. Bye.

'Despite a tight timetable and cramped conditions,

'Mark has made a meal without once compromising on food safety.'

Finally, from fine dining to something completely different.

The food fighters have been out checking out mobile caterers.

There are vans and stalls all over the country, and they all need checking, too.

'When you think mobile catering vans, the first thing that comes to mind is probably not great hygiene,

'but they are subject to the same checks as a Michelin-starred restaurant.

'In theory, they should be just as safe.

'But what's the reality?

'Preston food fighter Simon Neighbour is here to find out at one van, at least.'

Simon Neighbour from Environmental Health. I've come to do a routine food hygiene inspection.

'The Green Frog serves from a car park on Preston docks.

'The woman running the show is Jessica.'

Jacket potatoes, hot pies, your Green Frog specials, chips,

everything on toast, your breakfasts.

'Simon's number one priority is basic, but vital.

'A major failing of catering vans is a decent sink to wash hands.'

-I saw you washing your hands when we got here. That's good to see.

-We're always washing our hands.

'It sounds obvious, but hand washing is the key to be germ-free.'

So we've got hot and cold water, soap, nice setup for a little unit.

They've also got alcohol disinfectant gel.

So even when they've cleaned their hands normally, an alcohol gel kills off any bacteria.

That's belt and braces, a really good approach.

'Jessica goes beyond the call of duty. How about her grub?'

-Would you like spinach on your vegetarian?

-Yes, please.

'A fridge is essential when your main ingredients are bacon and sausage.'

That's under five. That's brilliant.

'Jessica's record keeping is put to the test.'

-What's the maximum cold temperature?

-Five. We won't go over five.

-Lovely.

-Five is good. These temperatures are brilliant, really low.

-Yeah.

Lovely.

'Jessica's know-how is spot-on. At five degrees she'll be saying bye bye to bacteria.'

-There's your cheese burger.

-Thank you.

'Finally, and important for any chef, how does Jessica stop raw meat contaminating the cooked stuff?'

Normally, we'd have all this side just for raw bacon,

so it's not touching the cooked bacon.

We have sausage and bacon already cooked in here.

When the customer would like a bacon sandwich, we put that on here.

-I make sure it's cooked through.

-Really nice.

'Jessica is keeping her van as safe as houses.

'Time for Simon to score the Green Frog out of five.'

This is a five-star trailer - impressive given the huge range of food on offer.

A good result to get this, I think.

'It seems the Green Frog has turned into a prince among catering vans.'

Brilliant. Fantastic. Five star is what we wanted.

'Up the road from Preston, food fighters have been inspecting

'some pretty impressive stands and vans in Newcastle.'

I'm more than happy with that.

'There were two stalls that seemed risky,

'one selling olives, the other, hot Mexican food.

'So the team took samples.

'Paula and Tracey are back on the Tyne.'

Ah! Good work!

'Tests showed the olives and vine leaves from this stall were safe to eat.

'But a sample of chicken from the Mexican food stand raised some concerns.'

There was no bacteria that could cause food poisoning.

You didn't have salmonella or listeria.

But there were more bacteria than we would expect or like to find.

I want to go back to the stall

and just explore with the business operator what might cause that.

'The stall had no way of keeping food chilled.

'Hand-washing facilities weren't great, either.'

-Morning.

-Morning. How are you?

-Very good...

'Paula's hoping Hector's had a rethink about his stand.'

-We took some food away for some samples.

-Yeah. You did, yeah.

-Most of them are fine.

-OK. Yeah. Great.

-The one that wasn't fine was the chicken.

-Right.

-The fried chicken.

What have you done to change things since we were here?

There were two things - try to keep the things cool

and having, like, hand-washing facilities.

I've got cleaning liquids. I have soap here. I've got water.

-Cool boxes for keeping food cool. Have you got ice packs?

-Yeah.

OK.

'The cooked meat is now kept chilled.

'There's plenty of soap, too.

'Before Paula can wrap up, she wants to check the temperature of the spicy food.

'Ready-to-eat food must be stored at above 63 degrees.'

That's way over 70. That's great.

'Any lower, and those nasty bugs and bacteria will take a hold.

'The result, a very dicky tummy.'

-Have you got any more raw chicken left on the stall?

-Not raw.

-It's cooked, but it's on the...

-Is all of your chicken cooked?

Yes. All the meats are cooked. We don't bring any raw meats.

-All you're doing is refrying things?

-Exactly.

It comes out of the cool bag, into the pan, into there. That's fantastic practice.

-You're heating it up really quickly to a nice high temperature.

-This keeps it really hot.

I love this. I think you've done a great job keeping this clean.

-Thank you for sorting that out so quickly.

-Thank you.

-It's good.

'Paula's impressed and Hector's thrilled

'the revisit from the food fighters didn't turn into a stand-off.'

This is our livelihood. We really need to do well with it.

That's why we paid attention to the comments that they had for us

and we did our best to follow them.

I think the visit today proved that

we took things on board and we did things right.

We're really happy with the result.

'As Hector gets back to business selling his spicy Mexican food,

'Paula is left with a warm glow, too.'

-Great, thank you.

-Bye.

It is rewarding to see places improving.

At the end of the day, my job is to make sure the food that he serves is safe for people of Newcastle to eat.

When I see somebody responding,

clearly, that's my job done and I'm pleased.

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