How Safe are your Food Safety Procedures?

If you own your own restaurant you already know how lucrative the food business is. However, it is very easy to ruin you restaurant business if you do not pay attention to the sanitation of your food.

There are many things to keep in mind when you are looking at making sure that your kitchen meets the standards that have been set by the health code, but the truth of the matter is that for even the most conscientious of kitchens, it can be easy to get sloppy.

Your staff have to be taught to keep the cleanliness of your kitchen flaw proof. A lot is at stake here. Food and table service must leave customers feeling good. That?s what keeps the goodwill of your restaurant on a consistent high. The very last thing you want is for them to feel sick. News of a bad experience spreads very fast by word of mouth and can be pretty dreadful for your restaurant.

There is also the fact that if you are careless with your sanitation you can, and most likely will run into legal difficulties. There are many things that you can do to help leave legal matters out of your life, and taking care of your health issues is one of them. Also keep in mind that it doesn’t take much to ruin the reputation of even an established restaurant.

Storing cooked food is a tricky task. Most of us do not pay attention to the temperature of the food before we shove the leftover into the refrigerator. This can go horribly wrong if the food is too hot. The sudden change in temperature will result in souring of the dish. Make sure that the cooked food has come down to normal room temperature before it is put inside the fridge.

Remember that all food should always be covered and that raw and cooked foods should always be kept separate. Take some time to make sure that food is not defrosted in the open air and that hands are washed before and after handling food.

Also take care that the various hot and cold places in your kitchen meet the requirements of the local legislation, and always store meats on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator in order to keep juices from dripping down onto other foods. These are the basics for a commercial kitchen, but remember that as a general rule, the busier the kitchen, the more stringent food safety procedures need to be.

Amidst the calamity that dinner time can bring to commercial kitchens it can be exhausting to keep even the simplest orders in mind; let alone adhering to proper food safety procedures. However the reputation of your restaurant depends on these procedures so it is vital that you take no chances. The more streamlined your procedures are the more likely they are to be followed by your staff. Consultation with a food safety expert is often a worthwhile exercise. These people can evaluate your current procedures and suggest any improvements to strengthen your restaurant?s ability to produce safe, quality food.

About the author: Malcolm J. Richmond is an expert on Food Safety Programs and his advice will make sure you have the latest rules for HACCP Food Safety.