Whether domestic or commercial, hygiene standards in a kitchen are undeniably important. Ironically, the kitchen houses some of the highest concentrations of disease-causing pathogens. For instance, did you know that cutting boards are known to hold 200 times more bacteria than toilet seats?
When it comes to managing the hygiene standards of your kitchen, we have the following four C’s to guide you with.
Cross-Contamination
Avoid using the same chopping board for raw meats and vegetables. As bacteria from raw meats are likely to find their way to the greens, you’ll not want to contaminate your ingredients before you begin cooking.
In fact, to minimise the risk of cross-contamination, all preparation surfaces, including your hands, should be kept clean. Do also educate the team about personal hygiene, their contact with food, appropriate kitchen wear, encourage the use of sanitisers and for them to follow proper cleaning procedures.
Cleaning
In addition to adopting regular cleaning schedules, ensure that you follow the right cleaning procedures for all supplies. This includes kitchen appliances such as microwaves, ice cream making machines, ovens and ice-makers. The process may seem tedious, but it’s a sure way to improve the hygiene standards in your kitchen and avoid penalties arising from failure to observe proper cleaning.
Chill temperatures
Chill temperatures help to keep bacterial growth at bay. Most hotel supplies have sell-by dates and should ideally be stored in chilled rooms to prevent the bacteria growth. This is especially important for ready-to-eat supplies often used in salads and other pre-cooked food items. It is crucial that to check the temperatures of the ingredients as they arrive and put to store in the cooler in the shortest time possible.
Also, do conduct regular checks on your coolers, to ensure that they maintain the right temperatures. When choosing from the list of restaurant equipment suppliers, to keep a look out for the range of temperatures that they offer.
Cooking
Always ensure that your food is properly cooked. It may seem like an obvious hygiene requirement, but some may overlook the importance of this factor. It is easy to serve undercooked food, especially when the kitchen is busy and is understaffed. Do note that thorough cooking also applies when you food is being reheated. For uncooked vegetables and salads, thorough washing in running water is essential.
The above four C’s will not only help you manage the handling and storage of kitchen supplies, it will do much to improve the hygiene standards of your work space.