If you are a professional kitchen worker and you manage staff, especially if you're somewhere like Melbourne where food is very high on the entertainment list, you are aware as no one else is that this can be a very high-pressure situation to be in. One of your jobs is to make sure that your customers get the best food possible, of course, but you also need to make sure that your staff's first priority is food hygiene and safety.
Illness, a loss of reputation and even legal action are just some of the negative side effects that can occur when you start playing fast and loose with food safety. As a restaurant manager you have a responsibility to make certain that your restaurant is doing all that is necessary to meet the various challenges that food safety poses.
First, education for your staff is very important. They need to know about food safety practices. Even if your kitchen staff is quite experienced, it's still your responsibility to make sure that they have all the knowledge they need in order to be able to prepare food safely and with the appropriate sanitation practices.
There are certain food safety procedures that are commonsensical, while others may not be. Make sure everyone who's working in food preparation and serving understands what measures need to be taken and why. Make sure as well that your staff understands that no matter how much of a hurry they might be in, they can't be careless about food safety.
Another area to be concerned about is food storage. Keep your freezer and refrigerator at the appropriate temperatures. There are things you also need to be concerned about, like making sure food does not become contaminated before it's cooked, or that cross-contamination does not occur while cooking is being done. Remember as well that meat has to always be stored on the lowermost shelf possible in the refrigerator or freezer so that in the event of a thaw a drop in temperature, raw meat juices don't drip on the food below and contaminate it. Raw food and cooked food must also be stored separately so that there is no chance of cross-contamination there either.
In addition to these steps, you must also educate your staff that it's their responsibility to keep their areas clean. For example, dishes, working surfaces, and utensils must be cleaned with great regularity and then dried, preferably air-dried. You also need to make sure they know to sanitize any equipment that comes in contact with food before it's used, every single time. That means food serving dishes, utensils, and the like.
If you don't take food sanitation seriously enough, the consequences can be severe indeed. It is your responsibility to make sure that your guests are safe if they eat in your establishment, and if you fail to do so, you risk very dire outcomes.
If you're unsure about how to go about food safety measures, try consulting with an expert who can make sure you do everything right. It's worth it if you never have to face the results of a less than sanitary kitchen or unsafe food practices. If this makes you nervous, you can put your mind at rest by using the services of a food safety expert who can give you very valuable advice to make sure that everything goes right, and that your restaurant has smooth, efficient practices and meets or exceeds food safety standards. Once you can put your mind at rest in this area, you can focus on the job at hand, which is to give your customers a very pleasurable dining experience so that they come back for more.
Illness, a loss of reputation and even legal action are just some of the negative side effects that can occur when you start playing fast and loose with food safety. As a restaurant manager you have a responsibility to make certain that your restaurant is doing all that is necessary to meet the various challenges that food safety poses.
First, education for your staff is very important. They need to know about food safety practices. Even if your kitchen staff is quite experienced, it's still your responsibility to make sure that they have all the knowledge they need in order to be able to prepare food safely and with the appropriate sanitation practices.
There are certain food safety procedures that are commonsensical, while others may not be. Make sure everyone who's working in food preparation and serving understands what measures need to be taken and why. Make sure as well that your staff understands that no matter how much of a hurry they might be in, they can't be careless about food safety.
Another area to be concerned about is food storage. Keep your freezer and refrigerator at the appropriate temperatures. There are things you also need to be concerned about, like making sure food does not become contaminated before it's cooked, or that cross-contamination does not occur while cooking is being done. Remember as well that meat has to always be stored on the lowermost shelf possible in the refrigerator or freezer so that in the event of a thaw a drop in temperature, raw meat juices don't drip on the food below and contaminate it. Raw food and cooked food must also be stored separately so that there is no chance of cross-contamination there either.
In addition to these steps, you must also educate your staff that it's their responsibility to keep their areas clean. For example, dishes, working surfaces, and utensils must be cleaned with great regularity and then dried, preferably air-dried. You also need to make sure they know to sanitize any equipment that comes in contact with food before it's used, every single time. That means food serving dishes, utensils, and the like.
If you don't take food sanitation seriously enough, the consequences can be severe indeed. It is your responsibility to make sure that your guests are safe if they eat in your establishment, and if you fail to do so, you risk very dire outcomes.
If you're unsure about how to go about food safety measures, try consulting with an expert who can make sure you do everything right. It's worth it if you never have to face the results of a less than sanitary kitchen or unsafe food practices. If this makes you nervous, you can put your mind at rest by using the services of a food safety expert who can give you very valuable advice to make sure that everything goes right, and that your restaurant has smooth, efficient practices and meets or exceeds food safety standards. Once you can put your mind at rest in this area, you can focus on the job at hand, which is to give your customers a very pleasurable dining experience so that they come back for more.
About the Author:
About the author: Malcolm J. Richmond shares professional advice regarding food safety on his website where you can also discover strategies to make certain that your staff are knowledgeable when it comes to food hygiene.
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