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Most of the restaurants strictly follow the food safety and hygiene regulations, but still there are many restaurants who are failing to reach up to the mark and realize that they are not up to the scratch.
Many restaurants in UK are forgetting the some of the biggest causes of poor hygiene and food poisoning.
Hygiene is the most essential part of kitchen and it should not be ignored. The reason of all the kitchen nasty problem such as food poisoning etc. is kitchen being less hygienic. In domestic kitchen cleanliness is not of much concern, as you have to pay the consequences of less hygiene such as bad stomach or food poisoning. But in commercial kitchen consequences can be bad, you might end up with bad customer reviews, less traffic, restaurant owner fined moneys and in long term the business might shut down.
So what are the five kitchen hygiene issues that you need to be aware of?
Grease and Grime
The grease gets deposited and builds up on the work surfaces, machinery and storage areas of kitchen which in turn attracts dust and dirt. Thus to avoid the build-up of grease and grime, every day kitchen should be cleaned thoroughly. The kitchen grease can be cleaned by using the various kitchen de-greasing biological treatment available in market or you can even clean it using hot soapy water. Ideally work surfaces should be smooth and perfect, free from cracks and other imperfections where grease and grime gets build up.
To get rid of all the kitchen contaminations proper cleaning is essential. All the kitchen equipments should be cleaned and disinfected, as well as utensils, cooking appliances, kitchen tops and kitchen grease traps. The cleaning solution and disinfectants used should meet the British standards. The clogged kitchen sink and grease trap maintenance is also a matter of great concern in especially in commercial kitchens. The grease trap cleaning and kitchen sink maintenance should be done regularly to avoid any foul odour or overflow problems.
Vermin on the Loose
The nasty creatures such as rats, mice, ants, cockroaches etc. are not normally welcome in kitchen, the reason is that they contaminate food and spread diseases. By keeping your kitchen clean and tidy you can easily avoid the infestation of vermin. The easy availability of food attracts the pests. So one should avoid drop scraps on the floor, leaving uncovered food.
Wash Your Hands
One of the other common and dangerous kitchen nightmares is cross contamination. Washing hands before you do anything is mandatory. Anyone who is indulge in cooking activity should wash their hand before handling food, in between holding raw food and other ingredients and after visiting the toilet. Your staff should be well trained and should understand what cross contamination is and how to avoid it.
Food Storage Disasters
All the times the food should be stored properly. To avoid contamination from insects and vermin, and prevent the growth of yeast and bacteria meat, dairy and fresh food should be stored in an environment where temperature is controlled or in a sealed containers as required. Raw food and cooked food should be kept separately to prevent any cross contamination problems.
Flaky Walls
Ideally the kitchen should be perfectly clean with spotless wall, floors and ceilings. But practically it is not implemented. It is not uncommon to see the floors which are uneven, tiles which cracked and flaking paints in food preparation area. Such problems can be avoided with the help of regular maintenance and scheduled cleaning. Deal with all the above mentioned kitchen nightmares before they become threat for you.
