Understand Food Safety
One of the biggest concerns is cross contamination, when harmful germs are spread between food, surfaces, and equipment. All restaurant staff should understand basic food safety to avoid making themselves or their customers sick. No one wants a salmonella complaint to lower high restaurant reviews. You’ll clear your dining area before you can blink!
Every restaurant kitchen should know to keep raw meats and poultry separate from fresh produce, use different chopping boards, and to disinfect and wipe down all surfaces when handling raw foods. All equipment should be washed in hot, soapy water before using it again. All kitchen staff should wash their hands routinely. Most chefs who use prep gloves may not keep these safe practices in mind when they do not feel contaminants on their hands, so change gloves routinely, or work with your hand
Remove clutter from food surfaces in the prep area to keep everyone safe. Make sure all sharp knives are sharp because a sharp knife is safer and doesn’t slip.
Anyone working with food will want to take or understand basic food safety:
- Use separate chopping boards for raw meat and fresh veg to avoid cross contamination.
- Avoid the food danger zone (4-60℃) when cooking, storing, keeping food on warmers or ice to limit risk of foodborne illness – bacteria multiply when kept between these temperatures for prolonged periods of time.
- Cook foods to 75℃ or above – you can cook it to a lower temperature if food is held at temperature for a suitable period of time (like steaks and fish).
- Cool foods to below 5℃.
- Store food in airtight containers that are clearly labeled and dated.
- Keep hot holding foods above 63℃ if not eaten within a couple of hours.
- All reheated food should be raised to 82℃ – time and temperature combinations ensure food has been safely reheated.