Commercial kitchens are designed to produce food at scale and must meet FDA standards. This means ensuring safety and sanitation to prevent injuries and contamination. Failing to implement proper procedures can result in disciplinary action and reputational damage.
Here are 16 sanitation rules you can implement in your kitchen:
Personal Hygiene Rules
1. Wash Your Hands
Handwashing after handling raw food or changing tasks prevents the spread of germs and bacteria. Employees should wash their hands with soap for 20 seconds (minimum), scrubbing between every finger. A good way to time 20 seconds is to hum the tune to Happy Birthday twice.
2. Remove Jewelry
Jewelry can harbor bacteria and get in the way. Even with gloves, employees should remove jewelry while working.
3. Wear Clean Uniforms
Aprons and uniforms should be clean. Store dirty items or street clothes away from the food prep areas. If wearing gloves, employees should change them between each task or if they step away and return to a task.
4. Keep Hair Restrained
Employees should restrain their hair to prevent loose hairs from ending up in food products. If an employee has long hair, they should tie it back and wear a hat or hairnet. The same principle applies for long beards.
5. Keep Sick Employees Away
Sick employees can spread germs and contaminate food. If an employee is sick, ask them to stay home.
6. Handle Injuries Appropriately
Never ignore a cut in the kitchen. If an employee cuts themselves, they should step away, clean the cut thoroughly, and put on a bandage and new gloves. Throw away any food product they were handling, and sanitize the tools they used. Larger cuts may require a hospital visit.
Food Handling
7. Inspect All Food Shipments
Carefully inspect every food shipment as it arrives. Look for clear signs of temperature changes, like ice crystals and water stains. Check the temperature to ensure it is in the proper range. Reject any product that doesn't meet your company’s standards.
8. Store Food Correctly
Store your product in food-safe containers at the appropriate temperatures. It should also all be clearly labeled with the date it was received.
9. Have Dedicated Cutting Boards and Utensils
Never share cutting boards or utensils between food products. Have designated items for produce, meat, poultry, eggs, etc. Color coding is a great way to separate and organize utensils and cutting boards.
Cleaning and Sanitizing
11. Clean and Sanitize Food-Contact Surfaces
One of the primary concerns in kitchens is the food-contact surfaces. Clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces after each use to prevent cross-contamination.
- Wipe the surface to remove all crumbs and food particles.
- Wash it with a food-safe cleaning solution.
- Rinse it with water.
- Sanitize using an approved sanitizing solution mixed with the appropriate concentration.
- Let it dry.
12. Have a Dishwashing Program
While commercial kitchens have dishwashers, not everything should go through them. Dining ware can go through the dishwasher, while pots and pans require manual cleaning and sanitizing.
Pest Control
13. Check Shipments for Pests
The first place to watch for pests is in food shipments. As you check the deliveries, look for signs of pests and reject shipments if you find any.
14. Seal off Building Access
Carefully inspect your building and seal any cracks or holes, no matter how small. Install window and vent screens and air curtains to cut off access.
15. Deny Them Food and Shelter
Since pests are attracted to food, keep it out of reach. Clean up spills, crumbs, and any other food debris, and never leave food out at night. Empty the garbage regularly throughout the day and keep the cans clean. Secure the dumpsters so animals cannot climb inside.
Wastewater management
16. Install Hygienic Drainage
Hygienic drainage is foundational to kitchen safety. Maintaining a clean kitchen requires washdowns, which produce wastewater. All that dirty water goes into your drains, making them a hotbed for bacterial growth.
Industry evidence shows that most positive bacterial swabs come from the floor and drainage environment. To avoid contamination, you must clean your drains daily. If you do not, bacteria and biofilms can transfer from the drains to your employees.
Dirty drains can lead to an environment teeming with dangerous pathogens.
The only way to maintain an audit-ready kitchen is to install hygienic drainage that can be cleaned to the microbial level. This means installing stainless steel systems that are fully compliant with NSF/ANSI/3-A standards. Hygienic systems have smooth interiors, fully radiused edges, and no sharp corners that could harbor bacterial growth.
FoodSafe Drains offers various systems suitable for commercial kitchens, including:
The FoodSafe Trench Drain
The FoodSafe Trench Drain offers a robust solution for demanding applications. Designed to manage oversized flows of solids and liquids, these pre-sloped grated channel drains are ideal for commercial kitchens with large kettles or processing units.
FoodSafe Trench Drains feature sanitary stainless steel construction. They come in both standard and custom widths and are available in heavy-duty forklift-rated configurations.
Rattle-free, maintenance-friendly, flush-fitting grating is offered in multiple styles to meet your needs. Ensuring a safe and trip-free environment.
The FoodSafe Slot Drain
With no grating to clean, FoodSafe Slot Drains are exceptionally easy to maintain. These linear drains have smooth pre-sloped bodies, giving them self-cleaning properties. and allowing for automatic flushing.
Slot drains accept high flow rates while their hygienic design protects from standing water, bacteria, and pests. With durable and weight-rated options, slot drains can withstand heavy carts and foot traffic. Their sleek design integrates both visually and functionally for a seamless finish.
FoodSafe Hub and Area Drains
FoodSafe Area Drains feature radiused corners and a no-niche hygienic design. They are recommended for rooms or localized processes that do not require linear drainage. This drain is offered in both round and square top varieties with customizable options such as lids/grates, strainer baskets, and secondary locking strainers.
FoodSafe Hub Drains are specialized drains that provide drainage for equipment whose drainage outlets require an air gap before draining into the main wastewater system.
We offer standard hub drains and custom funnel drains of any size.
Contact FoodSafe Drains today to learn more about sanitary drainage options for commercial kitchens!
