Proper food hygiene is essential at any time, but especially if you run a business which prepares and serves food to the general public. A poor restaurant hygiene rating or bad review can cost your business a great deal, both in loss of earnings and reputation. Knowing how to store and prepare food safely is vital to keep your customers safe and ensure you’re delivering the best service possible, so read on to find out more.
Food preparation
Always use separate chopping boards for different types of food, e.g one board for vegetables, one for raw meat and one for cooked meat. In many professional kitchens, chopping boards are colour coded to make the practice easier. Raw and cooked food should always be handled separately, using different utensils and you should switch knives when chopping different types of food.
Clean up food preparation areas as you go and ensure that any utensils are cleaned and put away as soon as possible.
Personal hygiene
Personal hygiene is just as important for anyone preparing food, especially in the current climate. Wash hands before and after preparing food, tie long hair back and don’t smoke in or around any food preparation areas. Clothing should also be clean and covered with an apron or chef’s jacket. Any cuts should be covered with a waterproof dressing and, it might sound obvious, but don’t handle or prepare food if you feel unwell.
Storing food
Raw and cooked food should be stored in separate containers and on separate shelves, with raw meat placed below cooked food to prevent juices dripping. All containers should also be clearly labelled with expiry dates or dates of when the food was cooked.
Hot food needs to be kept at a temperature above 63 degrees C and cold food needs to be refrigerated below 5 degrees C.
Proper refrigeration is essential for maintaining good food hygiene, so if you’re in need of commercial refrigeration maintenance or repair, get in touch with the experts at Mitchell’s. We understand that many industries rely on reliable refrigeration for their business, which is why we’re proud to offer services for retail fridges, walk-in freezers, industrial cold rooms, catering fridges and more. We can also install refrigeration systems if required, so to find out more about how we can help keep your business hygienic and running smoothly, give us a call today or visit our website.