A Simple and Effective Restaurant Food Safety Guide For Employees

Food Safety GuidelinesWhat are They?

Food safety guidelines are a set of principles and regulations set forth by public health authorities, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to make sure food served for public consumption is safe and free of contaminants. Food safety guidelines cover all aspects of food production and food handling, from farm to table. The aim of these guidelines is to prevent foodborne illness, which can occur when food items are contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, or toxins.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has mandated that these food safety guidelines must be followed by all food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurants. The guidelines cover everything, from how food is grown and processed, to how it is stored and served. There are four main principles of food safety- cleaning, cooking, separating to avoid cross contamination, and proper storage. To practice safe food handling, you must make sure you and your staff always keep your hands and kitchen surfaces clean, cook food thoroughly, avoid cross contamination of different types of food, and store food properly. By following these simple guidelines, you can help reduce the risk of virus and bacteria outbreaks.

Common Food Safety Violations Restaurants Encounter

If you are in charge of a restaurant, it is important to be aware of food safety violations that could occur at your premises, so that you can take steps to prevent them. Some of the most common food safety violations include-

• Improper cooking temperatures- This is one of the most common problems that restaurants face. Food must be cooked to specific temperatures to kill bacteria and other pathogens during food preparation.
  
• Poor personal hygiene- Employees who are in charge of food handling must practice good personal hygiene, including washing their hands frequently, to avoid contamination.
  
• Cross contamination- This occurs when bacteria or other pathogens are transferred from one food item to another. It can happen if raw meat comes into contact with other foods or surfaces. If cooked food and raw food is not separated, it can lead to cross contamination.
  
• Failure to clean and sanitize- Restaurants must regularly clean and sanitize all kitchen surfaces and equipment such as knives and cutting boards to prevent the spread of bacteria and other contaminants.
  

5 Food Safety Guidelines for Employees- No. 1 Create a HACCP Plan

A Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (Haccp Plan) is a systematic approach to food safety that identifies potential hazards and puts controls in place to minimize risk to public health. All food service businesses should have a HACCP plan in place and all employees should be familiar with it. HACCP is a prevention-based system that businesses in the food industry use to identify and control food safety hazards. A HACCP plan is based on seven distinct principles.
The seven principles of HACCP are-

1. Conduct a Hazard Analysis
2. Determine the critical control points (CCPs)
3. Establish critical limits for the control points
4. Monitor the critical control points
5. Establish corrective actions
   
6. Verify the HACCP plan's effectiveness
7. Document and keep records
   

Food Safety Guideline No. 2- Keep Areas Clean and Sanitized

Food safety is extremely important in any setting, but especially so in a commercial kitchen where public health is at stake. It's therefore important to maintain a clean and sanitized environment and ensure that all surfaces are free of food, bacteria, and other pathogens. This means scrubbing down all counters, cutting boards, appliances, and floors on a frequent basis. Also, anything that comes into contact with food must be washed often, including utensils, dishes and table linen.

In addition, all staff members involved in food handling need to prioritize personal hygiene. It is important for everyone in the kitchen to frequently wash hands between different cooking and food handling processes, and particularly after using the washroom or stepping out of the kitchen area.

Food Safety Guideline No. 3- Cook Thoroughly

Raw food products such as meat, poultry or seafood carry bacteria and pathogens that may lead to food poisoning. It is therefore crucial to cook these foods in particular thoroughly, especially meat, poultry, eggs, and shellfish. And for this purpose, food regulatory authorities have recommended a list of cooking temperatures and minimum safe temperatures that food handlers need to observe. When a raw food item reaches the minimum safe temperature, the heat kills all bacteria and pathogens, making the food safe for human consumption.

The best way to make sure the food is cooked thoroughly is to use a food thermometer. To check if meat is cooked, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and make sure it has reached the required minimum temperature. For poultry, insert the thermometer into the inner thigh and check. Cook eggs until the yolk and white become hard. Seafood should be opaque all the way through.

Food Safety Guideline No. 4- Store Food Properly

One of the best ways to prevent foodborne illness is to store foods properly. That means preserving it at the right temperature, whether it's hot or cold. Here are some general guidelines-

Hot foods should be kept in insulated utensils to keep them warm.
Cold foods should be kept in the refrigerator or packed with ice for transportation.
Frozen items should remain at 0 F or lower.

If you're not sure what temperature your fridge and freezer are set at, use an appliance thermometer to check. It's also important to keep an eye on the expiration dates and make sure you're using food products before they go bad.

Food Safety Guideline No. 5- Watch for Food Safety Recalls

The United States government has issued strict guidelines for the recall of food items that may put public health at risk. If you have any concerns about the safety of your food products, you should watch out for these recalls. The government issues these recalls when they have determined that a food product is unsafe for consumption. This can happen because the food is contaminated, traces of bacteria have been found in it, or the food has spoiled. If you spot a recall notice, you should immediately stop cooking that food and safely dispose of it. You should also check the website of the company that has manufactured the food to see if they have set a recall process in motion.

Advantages of Food Safety Management Software

The benefits of implementing an automated food safety management software are vast. Perhaps one of the most obvious advantages is that it can help cut down on costs related to recalls, food safety violations and other issues that may arise from poor food safety practices. The software system will ensure that you minimize public health risks and do not violate norms laid out by Disease Control authorities. In addition, such software can help extend the shelf-life of products, as well as improve customer satisfaction rates.

Another big advantage is that food safety management software can help businesses keep track of their inventory levels and make sure that they always have enough fresh produce on hand. This information can be incredibly valuable when it comes to forecasting future needs of the business and avoiding potential shortages. Additionally, real-time tracking capabilities offered by some software solutions can alert businesses as soon as an issue arises, allowing them to take corrective action quickly. Moreover, with an automated restaurant food safety system, you can rest assured that your HACCP plan will be followed to the T, and that food safety norms are observed by everyone working for you.