Upholding a high standard of food safety in your restaurant is vital to protect customers and maintain your reputation. If your food makes someone sick, the consequences can be severe. Serious cases of food poisoning can require hospitalization, and you may be held legally accountable.
Foodborne illnesses are on the rise, but that’s not all you need to worry about. Food can also be contaminated by foreign materials like metal or plastic during the manufacturing process. Having solid safety measures in place is more urgent than ever. Let’s look at five ways for you to ensure food safety in your establishment.
1. Choose Your Suppliers Carefully
It’s not only how you treat your food that determines if it’s safe or not. Food safety issues can be traced all the way back up a supply chain. You’ll want to make sure you only use quality ingredients from reputable suppliers. Check their safety records and make sure they follow correct food handling practices.
If you can, inspect their facilities. If not, don’t be afraid to ask about certifications or inspection methods. For example, suppliers of bulked packed food products should use large format x-rays to scan their food for contaminants. Ultimately, reliable suppliers reduce the risk of contaminated ingredients entering your kitchen.
2. Conduct Regular Staff Training
Once food does enter your kitchen, your staff are your front line in food safety. Training should not only be for new hires; regular refresher sessions will ensure they thoroughly understand everything from handling processes to the latest safety standards. Use practical, hands-on training methods for the best results, so they can more easily apply what they learn in real situations.
3. Enforce Strict Sanitation Protocols
A clean kitchen is a safe kitchen! Clean and sanitize surfaces and equipment regularly. Also, make sure staff are briefed on handwashing and personal hygiene requirements. You should provide ample handwashing stations and clear guidelines for uniform, hair, and so on.
4. Carry Out Routine Inspections and Audits
Internal audits and inspections will help you to catch potential issues before they become serious problems. Some checks should be done daily, like a morning and closing cleaning checklist. Other tasks can be done less frequently, like cleaning vent hoods, fans, behind major appliances, and inside refrigerators and freezers. Periodic audits by external experts can give you an unbiased view and help you maintain high standards.
5. Identify and Manage High-Risk Activities
Some food prep activities carry more risk than others. For example, cooling, reheating, and handling raw ingredients are categorized as high risk. You should implement detailed food safety management systems for these tasks, including documented procedures, training, and regular monitoring.
- Cooling and reheating: Ensure foods are cooled and reheated to safe temperatures to prevent bacterial growth.
- Cross-contamination: Use separate cutting boards, utensils, and areas for raw and cooked foods.
- Date marking: Date-mark all perishable items, make sure they’re stored properly, and throw away expired products.
Endnote
By vetting suppliers, training staff, upholding strict hygiene rules, doing inspections, and paying extra attention to high-risk activities, you can significantly improve food safety standards in your restaurant. These five steps will help keep your customers safe, your employees competent, and your business compliant.
