Operating a restaurant is not as easy as you think. There are so many rules and regulations to be followed, and top most of all these are healthy and safety regulations, since restaurants are always dealing with food preparation and serving. Because of this, restaurant owners must be vigilant about the cleanliness and hygiene aspects of their staff as well as the premises and equipment, since food could easily get contaminated resulting in grave consequences and even closure at times.
For this reason, restauranteurs must ensure that their staff are properly trained in maintaining high standard of cleanliness and sanitation within the premises, as well as themselves, by providing staff with uniforms etc. Uniforms, especially such items as chef aprons and chef hats can prevent cross contamination of food, ensuring that they observe the highest possible standard when it comes to food preparation. However, in addition to clothing and cleanliness, there are many more aspects of restaurant operations that will fall under the purview of a health inspector, and it is the duty of both the management and staff to ensure that they adhere to these strict regulations.
So, what are some of the most common health code violations that restaurants face, and how can they avoid these?
Some ways to prevent your kitchen food entering this danger zone are to keep hot food at high temperatures of 140o F or above, by keeping them in chafing dishes, warming trays or slow cookers. Cold food should be kept below 40o F by storing them in containers and keeping them in ice. When reheating food or even defrosting, it should be done thoroughly and the internal temperature of the food checked. A temperature log book should always be maintained, and thermometers checked regularly for accuracy.
Proper care should be taken to store food at all times, and sufficient training given to staff on the same. Vegetables and fruits, cooked meats, raw meat etc should be stored in proper packaging or containers and on different levels or shelves, from top to bottom in the following order: raw vegetables, cooked vegetables, cooked meat, cooked seafood, raw seafood, raw beef, raw pork, raw chicken. Daily inspections should be carried out by the staff to ensure that proper storage methods are being followed.
All staff who handle food should be given extensive training on food safety and handling. In addition, it is also recommended that kitchens use different colored cutting boards and knives for different food items, so that there is absolutely no chance of cross contamination of food. Proper hygiene methods and standards such as washing of hands should be strictly enforced and adhered to by everyone.
Uniforms should be provided for all staff working in a kitchen, so that they won’t need to wear there outside clothing while preparing food. Certain parts of the uniform such as chef hats, keep sweat and hair from contaminating food, and chef aprons will also be useful in maintaining a sanitary environment. Staff should be made to cut their hair short, or tie it back, keep their nails, fingers and hands clean at all times, and to maintain proper personal hygiene. Antibacterial soap should be kept available for them to use when needed, and should be refilled regularly.
Those who supply cleaning chemicals can provide good training for restaurant staff, and these should be done on a regular basis. In addition, staff should be trained in how to protect themselves when using such chemicals, and also how to store them properly, away from food service areas so that there is no contamination of food from these chemicals.
Every restaurant should ensure that they have set procedures and a proper cleaning and safety, and hygiene manuals done for reference by all staff. Sufficient training sessions should be conducted on a regular basis by the management and management should ensure that everyone adheres to these regulations at all times. Non adherence to food safety standards can mean dire consequences for the restaurant owners and could even result in the business being closed down.
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