The last thing you want to spread through word of mouth about your restaurant is food poisoning. Make food safety a top priority in your commercial kitchen to prevent food-borne illness from entering the community.
Table of Contents
Sanitize Equipment
One of the most important things in a kitchen, besides your fire detection and suppression New York system, is the cleaning equipment. Each surface must be sanitized properly with hot, soapy water and commercial strength cleaner. Counters, dishes, utensils, bowls and more need to be cleaned thoroughly each day. Don’t forget to clean your large restaurant equipment as well. It’s best to have a cleaning schedule to ensure everything is completely sanitized.
Train Employees
Training your staff is essential for food safety. Every employee needs to know the procedures for cooking and cleaning in your kitchen. Provide training on proper handwashing, sanitizing and cleaning to prepare your employees for every situation in the kitchen. Encourage your employees to follow the procedures without rushing, even when the restaurant is busy.
Wash Food
Bacteria, such as salmonella, can gather on the skins and peel of produce. Even if you’re peeling a vegetable for the main dish, you must have employees wash the item first. Fruits and vegetables should be washed in cold water with an FDA-approved produce rinse. This will prevent bacteria from entering the interior of the produce, which can lead to illness.
Use Gloves
Employees should have gloves available while preparing food, but they need to know to change gloves regularly. After preparing raw meat, gloves should be changed before touching anything else in the kitchen. Boxes of gloves should be readily available so your employees keep the food you’re serving free from contaminants.
Cook to the Correct Temperature
Illness can be spread easily when meats are not cooked to the proper temperatures. E-coli can easily spread through undercooked ground beef and salmonella can be present in raw chicken. Use meat thermometers to guarantee your employees are cooking meat to the correct temperatures.
Store Food Safely
Raw meat should always be stored separately from other foods. Make sure you place raw meats in the bottom of the refrigerator to prevent the meat from dripping onto produce and other items. Once vegetables are cut do not leave them at room temperature. The FDA recommends a refrigerator temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit or less and a freezer temperature of 0 degrees.
With proper training in food safety, your employees will prevent the spread of food-borne illness, keeping the focus on the delicious food you serve.