It might seem an overly obvious point to make that a food business needs to keep on top of its hygiene practices, not least because of the immense consequences that can await if it fails to do so.
After all, inadequate kitchen sanitisation won’t just heighten the risk of food becoming contaminated and unsafe, as horrendous a consequence as that already is. That’s because it also means the business could fail health and safety inspections, which would force it to take quick remedial action regardless.
Unfortunately, it can be all too easy for the employees of a food business to slip out of the vigilant “culture of cleanliness” that is so crucial. So, if you run such a company, it is worth reminding yourself of some of the below common mistakes that your own team members may be making.
Failing to wash hands regularly
It’s the most elementary of elementary food safety mistakes, but it also isn’t a mistake that the employees of a food business can afford to make.
Whenever a worker at a restaurant or eatery touches meat, leaves the food preparation area, and readies fresh foods, they need to be washing their hands. Doing so for at least 20 seconds, rubbing their hands together with soap and water, is good practice.
Leaving hot food uncovered
Unfortunately, the simple act of cooking something, in and of itself, doesn’t render it permanently safe; the maintenance of a consistent temperature is vital, too.
A massive no-no when food is being prepared in bulk, then, is taking the food off the heat and leaving it sitting in the pan, uncovered, while waiting for orders. This could cause hot food to fall to a sufficiently low “danger zone” temperature to allow bacteria to grow.
Eating food in the kitchen
One of your food business’s workers eating their own food in close proximity to the food preparation area is, of course, unprofessional as much as anything else. However, it can also have serious adverse consequences for food safety.
There could, after all, be a high risk of crumbs from the employee’s food ending up in the dishes that are subsequently served to customers. Furthermore, there could be traces of human saliva or other bacteria spread to the customers’ food through this process, thereby heightening the risk of illness.
Having rubbish bins in close proximity to food
Waste disposal areas can be notorious for attracting flies and fostering bacterial growth. So, you can probably begin to see the considerable risk that can arise when rubbish bins are close to the areas where food is being prepared for customers.
No food business wants to put its patrons at risk of food poisoning. So, you should make sure there is a clear separation between the food preparation area and the waste disposal area at your premises.
Skimping on kitchen cleaning
As a bare-minimum requirement, you should be having your kitchen cleaned twice a day. It is much better, however, to get into the habit of cleaning “as you go”, because constant, regular cleaning helps to prevent other potential food safety mistakes bringing about some of the consequences we have outlined in this article.
Here at Nationwide Property Clean, we can give your food business the benefit of the highest standard of commercial food preparation area cleaning. Our cleaning experts can be on your site quickly, cleaning such areas of your premises as the canopies, extractor fans, stoves, fryers, floors, and ceilings back to their original state.
Reach out to us today for a free quote, so that you can give your food business additional protection against some of the food safety risks that can arise during your company’s day-to-day operations.
