It can be safely said that a few years ago the food sector, especially catering and catering, underwent a paradigm shift. The lifestyle of the workers changed. Food hygiene saw a breakthrough. Complicated measures were put in place to keep the ingredients safe. This transformation occurred when:
- People became aware of foodborne illness
- Careless food handling and hygiene practices came to light
- Food handler skills and behavior were found to be lacking.
The result was the improvisation of the existing rules and the addition of new ones to provide greater security to the client.
Why must the food industry maintain hygiene standards?
Be it a wedding caterer or a nellai restaurant; food hygiene is vital for both. Cleanliness can define the fate of the business. When hygiene is kept as a priority, not only is the health of each worker ensured, but the image of the worker is also established. Proper sanitation maintains food safety and creates a good perception of catering or restaurant services.
Today’s customer is aware, more than ever. They choose outlets and catering companies that offer excellent quality food, excellent atmosphere and beyond hygiene. So much so, that hygiene has come to take second place after quality. Ergo, any food business that wants to thrive in today’s cutthroat and competitive world needs to invest in cleanliness and sanitation practices.
It’s not just the kitchen and prep area that needs to be spotless; the entire location has to be clean. For caterers, it means keeping cutlery and serving crockery spotless. For restaurants, it means keeping the entire establishment spotless.
How can caterers maintain standards?
A few simple steps are needed to keep food and all equipment used to prepare meals sanitized. Some methods that can be used by outdoor and indoor caterers are:
- Clean all surfaces with a mixture of warm water and detergent.
- Once clean, disinfect it. The step must be carried out to ensure that microorganisms that damage or contaminate food are eliminated.
- To do this, make a mixture of boiling water and a disinfectant.
- The disinfectant has to be non-toxic.
- To sanitize cutlery and cutlery:
- Get rid of all food scraps and waste on them.
- Wash with water and detergent.
- Rinse with hot water. It will prevent future infections.
- Sterilize them in a solution or immerse them in boiled water at eighty degrees for thirty seconds. Chlorine is the most common chemical that may be appropriate for sterilization because it kills a wide variety of organisms and can be used at low temperatures.
- If a dishwashing machine is used, then keep in mind to eradicate all food residues. Only then should the utensils be placed in the appliance; Otherwise, they do not wash evenly.
- Make sure the employee knows how to operate the equipment accurately.
- Do not use cloths, cloths or dryers to remove excess water after cleaning and sanitizing dishes. Let them air dry at room temperature.
What can restaurants do to practice better hygiene?
Restaurants and meetings have a physical space that extends beyond a kitchen. Therefore, the practices they must implement for sanitation are broader than those for catering services. In addition to following the same procedure for cleaning the tools of the trades, as explained above, five more habits must be instilled. The 5 steps explained below can also be put into practice by catering professionals.
- Maintenance team
Restaurant kitchens feature industrial-grade equipment for storing and preparing food. Every employee must be educated on:
- How to use it correctly
- How to clean it thoroughly
- how to keep them
It will increase the cleanliness factor of the kitchen, leading to a better reputation.
- adequate ventilation
Cooking, continuously, generates heat, humidity and smoke that creates the accumulation of sweat in the workers. Hence, another practice that restaurants should apply is adequate ventilation. It will offer a friendlier environment for employees and boost their morale. Also, food preparation areas and storage sections will be more comfortable to maintain when temperature is controlled.
- scheduled check
Cleaning, periodically, is only part of the story. Someone else is auditing it. Therefore, the dining room and kitchen area should have an inspection schedule. A regular check-up will ensure that standards are maintained. An employee should be put in charge of monitoring whether or not the required hygiene benchmarks are being met.
- staff cleaning
No matter how much you clean the kitchen and keep an eye on its upkeep, the effort goes down the drain if the food handlers aren’t spotless. Therefore, it is vital to train each worker in the maintenance of personal hygiene. The 3 aspects of creating a healthy environment are:
- clean clothes
- Use of net and gloves
- Continuous hand washing
- Create checklists
Employees are often overworked. They do not have time to remember the new practices implemented. Therefore, a restaurant should develop a checklist detailing all the tasks that must be performed to maintain hygiene. Every time a task or duty is completed, the list can be updated. You will ensure that each worker implements their cleaning responsibilities.