What Color Is Sanitation In Food Service

Over my 30-year career in the food manufacture, I have worked for pocket-sized, corporate and private businesses. Nutrient safety and the prevention of foodborne affliction has always been a priority in all kitchens I have worked in and I have seen the challenges facing the industry. I accept experienced difficulties in getting all food handlers to adhere to food prophylactic policies, whether information technology is due to employing a large staff, lack of training, inefficient systems, miscommunication betwixt front end of house and back of firm, or an inability to find qualified staff.

Awareness of Food Safety Today and Social Media

Industry professionals know that a culture of food safety is critical to preventing foodborne illness; in fact, 95% of chefs cite customers getting sick as their top business organization according to a recent study that surveyed nearly 1,000 American Culinary Federation member chefs.¹ In a time when more than Americans are enlightened of and educated near nutrient allergies than ever earlier, it is of import for food professionals to pay close attention to recent developments regarding food allergens and sensitivities, and their implications. Customer demands have increased and nearly three-in-five chefs say staying on top of food rubber issues and regulations is critically of import.

Rubbermaid Commercial Products, color coding — Rubbermaid Commercial Products (RCP) conducted a survey to better empathise the attitudes and behaviors of chefs toward food prep and storage. Infographic courtesy of RCP.

This heightened awareness, coupled with social media, tin can have a lasting bear on on a business organisation. More than consumers are relying on online reviews as much equally personal recommendations, making it vital that all staff are trained and proficient in food safety practices to protect professional reputations and maintain safe and salubrious environments. A bad review can damage a restaurant's reputation and crusade both customers and sales to decline. Beyond that, a foodborne illness can have a dramatic bear upon on insurance premiums, create negative media exposure and potentially lead to lawsuits and legal fees.

Food condom takes a large portion of chefs' time on the job. Really, 96% of chefs say they spend a off-white amount of their day making sure nutrient is being handled and stored correctly in their kitchen, while nearly half find food safety practices to be very time consuming.1 When you're working in a commercial kitchen surroundings, you need products that are not only compliant with food safety regulations but too save time on the job.

Tackling Food Safety with Colour Coding

A few months ago, I trialed a color-coded food storage and prep tools system. It delivers a fashion to tackle cross-contamination and potential foodborne disease in my kitchen, while providing my staff with a tool that is simple and saves time. The system comes in vii colors, each for use with a specific food type. Each utensil or storage container is matched to the appropriate food for a safer, more than sanitary kitchen.

Color coded food service system — A colour-coded food service system tin can assist facilitate compliance.

My tips for a safer kitchen:

Color-coding is an easy visual tool on the chore. A color-coded system makes information technology easier for staff to organize and identify stored items. All products in the line are made of quality, food-condom materials that are durable for a commercial setting. When you're looking for a organization, brand sure the quality can withstand the daily demands of a commercial kitchen.
Taking the time for preparation is cardinal. A colour-coded organisation helps forestall cross-contamination and the spread of foodborne illness every bit long as it is used as intended. The system is easy to learn, but only constructive if all staff members are properly trained. Have time to railroad train your squad on how to use and attach to the designated color codes.
Make certain you accept enough storage containers to meet your operation'due south needs. Y'all don't want to run out of storage and cause staff to mix and match with other containers when they're in a pinch. Incorporating containers that aren't function of the organisation and not as easy to identify tin lead to simple mistakes. Keeping your containers and cutting boards neatly organized on designated shelf space for each detail will make it easier for staff to discover and utilize the proper container. While containers are being used for storage, y'all may want to follow the "first in, first out" rotation when yous accept multiples of the same item.
Don't forget to consider storage. I like the thought of removing ingredients from their original boxes and storing them in their assigned, colour-coded containers because there is no telling what contaminants may be on the exterior of the boxes from leakage, dust and/or other elements during warehousing and shipping. Staff should take the aforementioned care with storage as they are with the product when information technology'southward in use.

Make Your Nutrient Rubber Solution Work for You lot

Overall, I institute the color-coded food storage organisation piece of cake to use and helpful in keeping things organized. When implementing a system, make certain to consider what works best for the size of your operation, whether you need larger or smaller containers based on the corporeality of production, and storage of product used in your performance. I experience the system I used would exist well-nigh constructive in a minor- to mid-sized operation. Information technology could be a claiming to get everyone in larger facilities on board, but with proper grooming and good communication it could be beneficial to any performance in the reduction and prevention of foodborne affliction.

The organisation is apply is designed to be an added do good and safeguard to a company's existing nutrient safe program, and then make certain you're equipping staff with the preparation and knowledge they demand to be successful. The color-coded nutrient storage system can make food storage prophylactic and like shooting fish in a barrel, and it's important to remember that all food handling and safety regulations demand to be followed in accord with your local health department and state guidelines.

All food service industries face the ongoing job of preventing cross contamination and it is our responsibility to train and manage our staff, and agree them answerable to adhering to all local health code and company policies regarding food prophylactic. A unmarried error on the job can jeopardize whatsoever safeguards that may be in place putting yourself, other employees and the public at risk. Proper hygiene, labeling, storage and having an HACCP system volition non work if all food handling staff from receiving to delivery of the production to client do non accept the proper training and supervision.