Increasing Kitchen Safety and Sanitation

Written by on in 5 second rule, Kitchen sanitation checklist, Kitchen sanitation guidelines

We hope you enjoy this content. Just so you know, this website may collect a share of sales or other payment from any links, products, or videos on this page.

The content on this site is informational only, and is not intended to be professional advice. Please consult your attorney, doctor, or financial advisor before making any decisions.

Dirtiest place

Food safety guidelines should be followed by people in the restaurant industry and by home cooks alike. Food borne illness and food poisoning usually take 24 hours to become syptomatic, but the effects can cause anything from mild discomfort, to cases requiring hospitalization and even death. No matter what you may have heard, the “5 second rule” is not a valid tip for safety and sanitation in the kitchen.

Food safety facts are important because everyone can be effected by kitchen safety and sanitation. Fastidious hand washing and kitchen sanitation can help prevent the spread of all manner of illness. A study published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology found that 20 to 30 percent of viruses can be transferred from the hands to a non porous surface, like glass or counter tops. Bacteria is everywhere, even in the air. The average cat hosts colonies of 16 to 18 different types of bacteria, the average dog is colonized by 60 different types. This dramatic difference in bacterial flora has to do, in part, with the fact that cats keep their mouths shut more often then dogs.

Kitchen safety and sanitation not only requires attention to cleaning, food handling safety is also very important. Kitchen staff should be trained in ways to minimize cross contamination of both cooked and raw meat, but also how to isolate potential food allergens like nuts or shell fish. Worker concerned with kitchen safety and sanitation also need to be concerned with food temperatures. Bacteria grow best between 41 and 145 degrees Fahrenheit. Foods should be kept above or below this temperature to minimize the potential of bacterial spoiling. It is also important for kitchen safety and sanitation that food be brought through this “danger zone” as quickly as possible, by cooling cooked items in a refrigerated environment, not allowing product to cool on a counter top. Kitchen safety and sanitation is important to every person in the kitchen. Learn more at this link.