All About Restaurant Sanitation

Restaurants have a natural challenge that comes with the territory: cleanliness and food safety. It seems like not a day goes by without another horror story in the news about tainted food products. Restaurants are routinely closed by the Health Department. Even if things don’t get too bad for your business, all it takes is for a delivery guy to see a puddle of manure on your kitchen floor for a bad word-of-mouth campaign to start circulating your establishment. The media reports daily cases of food poisoning even though the fast food business is booming.

It seems that fast food has become the American way and the public will continue to blindly order in the expectation that the food has been prepared under hygienic conditions. From bug problems to the breeding of bacteria, fast food restaurants have myriad problems behind their counters. Rules are set and enforced by management, inspectors, Food and Drug Administration, etc., they are there as the minimal defense and just the beginning. If you are the manager, awareness on your part is not enough; You must be vigilant in making sure that all employees know and follow the letter of the rules.

One of the most common causes of food poisoning is the transfer of bacteria, which is caused by food not being cooked properly or held at the proper temperature. With such a demand for fast food, it’s often all too easy for employees to compromise their duties for the sake of saving time, and before you know it, they’ve served a meal that carries an unpleasant risk of food poisoning. The rules must always be followed, not sometimes, as is unfortunately sometimes the case.

It is up to management to see that the employees are doing their jobs correctly and of course effective management makes all the difference in this endeavor. Close supervision is a must to help ensure the job is done correctly. Employees need to care about their work and, in return, feel valued so that they are more willing to perform their responsibilities well. Too often, factors like low pay, long hours, and little recognition make employees more likely to burn out and do less than is expected of them. In addition, inadequate training of personnel leads to inadequate performance of job functions.

Dirty areas like counters or tables where food has been prepared can also spread bacteria and cause food poisoning. That’s why it’s important for employees to clean up after themselves and make sure their workspace is kept meticulously clean. Also, food containers that have not been washed properly and stock that has not been rotated correctly are havens for bacteria.

Employees who do not wash their hands before returning to work may unknowingly spread bacteria and other illnesses. That’s why it’s so important that employees wash their hands, and also why every fast food restaurant should have at least one sink designated for handwashing only, with properly posted instructions, and including the necessary soap, paper. Wearing gloves when in contact with food helps as extra protection, but even gloves can touch dirty surfaces just like your hands, so they should be changed after coming into contact with unsanitary surfaces and items.

Even pests can present a challenge for cleanliness in fast food work environments, so it is important that restaurants are regularly inspected and treated for pests. No one wants an unwanted visitor in their food, but it happens more than we’d like to think. If an employee witnesses any pests coming into contact with food, the entire amount of food in the container must be discarded.

Hair nets are a good idea to keep loose hairs and dander out of food. Hats are usually the rule, but less effective at keeping hair and dander out of the food. It is essential to wear long hair in a ponytail or braid. And while we’re at it, today’s generation needs to be aware that extreme fashion statements are out of place in a professional kitchen. There are plenty of work environments where dreadlocks, Mohicans, and Afros don’t present a problem, but the kitchen isn’t one of them.

A fast food kitchen is set up to be convenient, but not always easy to clean. Every establishment must go above and beyond to ensure that food is handled correctly. Customers, before ordering their next meal at your restaurant, these days are taking a close look at employees and the environment if they can. They may not be able to detect what’s going on behind the scenes, but they trust their instincts for what they can observe.

This is one more reason why it is better not to be understaffed. Make sure your expectations of your employees are reasonable and have regular training programs. Even taking a few hours out of the day between meals to run a food safety drill, involving the entire team, will go a long way to promoting healthy practices in your kitchen. Going through a spot check from time to time will also be effective. To prevent your employees from being upset by your surprise inspection, show up ready to help for an hour or so during the shift. You will have the opportunity to set a good example as well as boost morale by showing staff that you can work alongside them as equals.