Avoiding Food Contamination, Including Using Commercial Refrigeration
When you own a restaurant, food safety should be your number one priority. If you don’t keep your food safe for your patrons, you could cause someone’s death. Salmonella poisoning, E. coli, and other bacteria that causes food poisoning is dangerous business that can’t be taken lightly. Here are some basics for keeping you safe.
Food Suppliers
The first is having a food supplier that you can trust. If the food you receive at your restaurant is already contaminated, you can’t do anything to make it safe to eat.
Keep the Food Cold
When you receive food from your supplier, be sure that cold food stays cold and frozen food stays frozen. This involves using commercial refrigeration that is kept below 41 degrees Fahrenheit for all refrigerated foods and 0 degrees or below for frozen. If any refrigerated food is left out for more than two hours, it should be tossed rather than taking any chances.
Cook Food Thoroughly
This is essential for meat that is more likely to contain harmful bacteria that is not killed if it’s not cooked at the right temperature. Each meat has an optimal temperature: For roasts, fish, and steaks, it’s 145 degrees. For poultry, the meat must reach at least 165 in the innermost part of the cut. For ground meat, it must reach 155 degrees.
Avoid Cross-Contamination
Cross contamination most likely occurs when cooked meat or fresh foods are prepared in the same location as uncooked meats. The bacteria from the uncooked meat is contaminated on the other food that either already has been cooked or will not be cooked.
Food Handling Safety
Be sure that all your employees have been educated by a government food handling course and have received his or her food handling permit. Most states require this, but even if yours doesn’t, require it of all employees who will be preparing food or handling food.
