Some people love to eat out at their favorite restaurants, not only to enjoy delicious meals but to experience the invigorating or cozy vibe of the place. This is also where people often hang out with their family and friends, having a good chat over while sharing a sumptuous meal. But have you ever wondered how safe the food that is being served in your favorite restaurant is? Well, the great news is that the food industry is quite stringent when it comes to food safety guidelines in restaurants.
Kitchen
The kitchen is part of the restaurant where your meals are prepared. In this case, the health standards and health protocols are considered to be the most stringent in this area of the restaurant. Aside from being certified sous chefs, it is a good idea to ask whether the staff of your favorite restaurant had undergone ISO 22000 training because if they did, then it is most likely that they are knowledgeable about food safety management. This encompasses the proper hygiene measures such as wearing hairnets and gloves during food preparation. In some states, such as California, employees must obtain a food handler card.
Another food safety guideline in the kitchen is ensuring that food stored is maintained below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything that is stored between these temperatures is prone to the growth of bacteria. Food supplies must also follow the first in first out rule to ensure that older items are used before their expiration or best before dates. This is where food labels prove to be advantageous.
Customer Service Area
The customer service area is the part of the restaurant where you are served the meals that you have ordered. In this case, the surfaces of the tables and chairs intended for the customers should always be sanitized after each use. More often than not, restaurant staff uses damp cloths and disinfectants to keep these surfaces clean. There are also local health codes that outline a list of approved disinfectants for restaurants to avoid any cases of mishaps that can lead to food poisoning.
Preparation Stations
There is also a section in between the kitchen and the customer service area, which is referred to as the preparation station. This is where dishes and kitchen utensils are stored, ready for the use of the next customer. Thus, this station must also be clean and hygienic. There are instances wherein it is also in these preparation stations where food is queued, waiting to be served to the customers. However, the food should not be queued for a long time before being served to ensure that what reaches the customer are freshly cooked meals.
Try to assess whether your favorite restaurant implements the safety guidelines above because if they do, then you are sure about the safety of the food that they are serving you. Keep this in mind when you try out new restaurants too. In the end, what is important is not only the taste of the dishes that they serve or the ambiance of the restaurant but their overall safety standards as well.
