How to Ensure Your Staff are Food Safety Savvy
If you work in a professional kitchen, particularly in a demanding city like Melbourne, you know that every night there is a lot at stake. Not only do you need to make sure that you are putting out great food, you also need to ensure that you are subscribing to the highest standards when it comes to food safety and hygiene.
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.
So first, you need to make sure that you educate your staff in food safety practices. It’s true that your kitchen staff might be quite experienced, but even so, make sure that they have all the education necessary to be able to prepare food appropriately and safely.
It’s true that while certain safety procedures might be common sense, others may not be. It’s up to you to make sure that everyone who works in food preparation and serving understands what measures they need to take and why. Make sure they understand well that no matter how much of a hurry they might be in, they must not be careless about food safety.
Another area that you consider is proper food storage. While of course you will be able to set some things up to run permanently, like the temperature of your refrigerator or freezer, also keep in mind that there are things that need to be done to ensure that food is not contaminated before it even gets to the cook! Remember, for instance, that meat should always be stored on the lowest shelf possible, as there is a chance that even a slight drop in temperature will cause it to melt and drip, contaminating the food below it. Also, raw food and cooked food must always be kept separate.
Besides these measures, educate your staff that they have a responsibility to keep their areas clean. As an example, utensils, dishes and all working surfaces need to be cleaned regularly and then dried, preferably by air-drying. In addition, you’ll need to sanitize any equipment that comes in contact with food before use every time. This includes utensils, food serving dishes, and so on.
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 not sure how to do these things, consulting with an expert can help make sure you do everything right, so that you never face the results of less than sanitary food practices. If you’re nervous about this, make sure that you consider using the services of a food safety expert who can give you invaluable advice to make sure that your restaurant runs smoothly and efficiently, and that you meet or exceed food safety legislation in force. Once you have peace of mind in this area, you can focus on giving your customers a very enjoyable dining experience, so that you keep them coming back.