Effective Ways to Avoid Cross-Contamination in Your Commercial Kitchen
Taking steps to control cross-contamination is essential in every kitchen and cooking environment, but especially so in commercial kitchens. Casco (Commercial Appliance Service Company) is just as dedicated to helping customers keep unnecessary contamination at bay as we are to providing them with proper restaurant equipment service. Arm yourself and your kitchen as well as your wait staff with knowledge of how to keep harmful viruses, bacteria, germs, food poisoning and the resulting bad reviews at bay.
Prepare Food the Right Way
When preparing dishes that contain raw meat or dairy, it’s a good idea to use separate tools and utensils, and the same is true of any foods to which your guests might be allergic. While it might be cumbersome to buy so many different cutting boards, knives and other cooking implements, it helps cut down on the transfer of bacteria and the like. To make things easy, consider color-coding cooking equipment to better avoid mistakes and to make finding the right items easier and faster.
Additionally, we recommend preparing food on carefully cleaned, sterilized and sanitized surfaces. Get your employees into the habit of properly preparing surfaces and cooking equipment before and after they prepare food.
Store Food the Right Way
When it comes to preventing cross-contamination while storing food, use labels that are easy to read and identify at a glance. Potentially harmful foods like dairy and raw meat should be separately sealed and stored in fridges and freezers. If you’ve got the room and money for it, you might even want to consider separate fridges and freezers for your meats and dairy.
As you’re choosing storage for food, be sure to opt for quality containers made specifically to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of germs and bacteria. Anything that might leak or has juices shouldn’t be positioned above other food items.
Have Employees Take Care of Hygiene the Right Way
Hygiene is something that can turn into a bad habit if employees let their training and attention slip. Stress the importance of using the right headwear, gloves, and aprons to your team. When your kitchen staff uses the restroom, make sure they know to remove their aprons, gloves and any other protective wear they usually have on before stepping out of the kitchen. As always, proper hand washing is another cornerstone of preventing cross-contamination. Finally, no matter how minor employees might feel a sickness or potential sickness might be, make sure they take time off of work until they feel 100 percent.
For more tips on a cleaner and healthier restaurant, be sure to contact us at 707-544-5200. You’re also welcome to schedule maintenance or repair for your commercial restaurant equipment right here, and be sure to follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our blog.
Prepare Food the Right Way
When preparing dishes that contain raw meat or dairy, it’s a good idea to use separate tools and utensils, and the same is true of any foods to which your guests might be allergic. While it might be cumbersome to buy so many different cutting boards, knives and other cooking implements, it helps cut down on the transfer of bacteria and the like. To make things easy, consider color-coding cooking equipment to better avoid mistakes and to make finding the right items easier and faster.
Additionally, we recommend preparing food on carefully cleaned, sterilized and sanitized surfaces. Get your employees into the habit of properly preparing surfaces and cooking equipment before and after they prepare food.
Store Food the Right Way
When it comes to preventing cross-contamination while storing food, use labels that are easy to read and identify at a glance. Potentially harmful foods like dairy and raw meat should be separately sealed and stored in fridges and freezers. If you’ve got the room and money for it, you might even want to consider separate fridges and freezers for your meats and dairy.
As you’re choosing storage for food, be sure to opt for quality containers made specifically to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of germs and bacteria. Anything that might leak or has juices shouldn’t be positioned above other food items.
Have Employees Take Care of Hygiene the Right Way
Hygiene is something that can turn into a bad habit if employees let their training and attention slip. Stress the importance of using the right headwear, gloves, and aprons to your team. When your kitchen staff uses the restroom, make sure they know to remove their aprons, gloves and any other protective wear they usually have on before stepping out of the kitchen. As always, proper hand washing is another cornerstone of preventing cross-contamination. Finally, no matter how minor employees might feel a sickness or potential sickness might be, make sure they take time off of work until they feel 100 percent.
For more tips on a cleaner and healthier restaurant, be sure to contact us at 707-544-5200. You’re also welcome to schedule maintenance or repair for your commercial restaurant equipment right here, and be sure to follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our blog.