For those who are involved with commercial kitchens, hygiene is a constant concern. There are rules about food storage, such as keeping cooked and raw meats separate, as well as appropriate cleaning practices, including the use of special equipment to clean areas that have joints and crevices. Additionally, there are regulations relating to personal hygiene, such as the use of hairnets and thorough methods of hand washing, to ensure optimal control over bacteria. When these rules are not followed, the repercussions can have be devastating.
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A clean kitchen is a safe kitchen
The main reason for this extreme attention to hygiene is to prevent contamination of food. For example, when there is inadequate disposal of waste or if the surfaces in the kitchen have food remnants or grease on them, both insects and rodents can become a problem. Rats, mice and cockroaches, can carry bacteria from one surface to another. These bacteria, including botulism, clostridium and salmonella can proliferate in a kitchen that hasn’t been cleaned sufficiently and these can subsequently cause ‘food-poisoning’ which carries symptoms including high temperatures, vomiting and diarrhoea. In serious cases, or if the person who contracts the infection is particularly vulnerable, these bacteria can prove fatal.
Legal repercussions of ‘food-poisoning’
If a customer contracts an illness because of poor standards of hygiene in a kitchen, even if their illness is relatively mild, the company is then liable for legal action. For example, a holiday-maker in Venezuela contracted a serious case of food-poisoning in 2004 and was awarded a payment of £300,000 in compensation. Furthermore, in the event of a customer becoming ill, the damage to a business’ professional reputation can lead to a considerable loss of revenue as potential customers take their business elsewhere.
Compliance with the law
Whilst the danger of being responsible for cases of food-poisoning is the most important incentive for adopting a thorough hygiene programme, there is also the importance of being able to prove that the premises are hygienic when required to do so. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency controls the regulations surrounding the preparation and serving of food and professional kitchens must be conversant with their code of practice and submit to environmental health inspections as necessary. If a kitchen fails to meet the
requirements, although they will usually be given the guidance necessary to raise their standards, the kitchen may be closed in the interest of public safety. This means that poor hygiene may not only lead to a loss of income and the high cost of paying compensation, but could also lead to the complete loss of your business.
Stainless steel for better hygiene
Guest Author
SEE ALSO: Dream Kitchen Appliances
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| Image Credit: Barbara |
A clean kitchen is a safe kitchen
The main reason for this extreme attention to hygiene is to prevent contamination of food. For example, when there is inadequate disposal of waste or if the surfaces in the kitchen have food remnants or grease on them, both insects and rodents can become a problem. Rats, mice and cockroaches, can carry bacteria from one surface to another. These bacteria, including botulism, clostridium and salmonella can proliferate in a kitchen that hasn’t been cleaned sufficiently and these can subsequently cause ‘food-poisoning’ which carries symptoms including high temperatures, vomiting and diarrhoea. In serious cases, or if the person who contracts the infection is particularly vulnerable, these bacteria can prove fatal.
Legal repercussions of ‘food-poisoning’
If a customer contracts an illness because of poor standards of hygiene in a kitchen, even if their illness is relatively mild, the company is then liable for legal action. For example, a holiday-maker in Venezuela contracted a serious case of food-poisoning in 2004 and was awarded a payment of £300,000 in compensation. Furthermore, in the event of a customer becoming ill, the damage to a business’ professional reputation can lead to a considerable loss of revenue as potential customers take their business elsewhere.
Compliance with the law
Whilst the danger of being responsible for cases of food-poisoning is the most important incentive for adopting a thorough hygiene programme, there is also the importance of being able to prove that the premises are hygienic when required to do so. In the UK, the Food Standards Agency controls the regulations surrounding the preparation and serving of food and professional kitchens must be conversant with their code of practice and submit to environmental health inspections as necessary. If a kitchen fails to meet the
requirements, although they will usually be given the guidance necessary to raise their standards, the kitchen may be closed in the interest of public safety. This means that poor hygiene may not only lead to a loss of income and the high cost of paying compensation, but could also lead to the complete loss of your business.
Stainless steel for better hygiene
Most professional kitchens contain stainless steel tables and surfaces because they are particularly hygienic. As well as being durable and capable of withstanding the very high temperatures required for food safety, its non-porous structure makes it easier for bacteria to be wiped away. For the preservation of your high standards of hygiene, stainless steel is the perfect kitchen material.
Guest Author
About the Author:
I spent the best part of my youth working in a hot kitchen over the weekends, and half the job seemed to be spent cleaning and not cooking. Cleaning floors, sinks, all stainless steell, utensils etc. I recently was talking to my nephew who works in a pub kitchen and it still all seems the same! However they seem to have many more regulations and checklists to keep happy, whereas we did it just out of dilligence.
I spent the best part of my youth working in a hot kitchen over the weekends, and half the job seemed to be spent cleaning and not cooking. Cleaning floors, sinks, all stainless steell, utensils etc. I recently was talking to my nephew who works in a pub kitchen and it still all seems the same! However they seem to have many more regulations and checklists to keep happy, whereas we did it just out of dilligence.
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