It's vital to avoid bad bacteria in a commercial kitchen. If the right processes are not followed food can be dangerous as well as unpleasant to eat. This is why any professional who works in a commercial kitchen needs to pay careful attention when storing, preparing and cooking food.
After all, no professional establishment can run the risk of damaging the health of the people who eat there. Anyone can be at risk from problems that can be caused by bacteria. This is especially the case when people have compromised immune systems. The fact is that no matter who is going to be eating the food, it needs to be dealt with in a secure and safe manner. So, how can bad bacteria be avoided in a professional kitchen?
Knowing when there is a high risk
Hygienic and safe processes should always be adhered to in a professional kitchen. However, there are some high risk foods where this is even more important. These foods include:
- Raw and cooked meats.
- Dairy products.
- Seafood.
- Cooked rice and pasta.
- Prepared salads and fruit salads.
- Ready to eat food.
When high risk food is involved the potential danger is increased. The danger can be decreased by dealing with foods in the correct manner. In order to do this there are certain kitchen rules that should be followed.
Secure and safe packaging
Packaging plays an important role in preserving safety in a commercial kitchen. This is because it needs to protect the food which is contained within. Using vacuum pack machines helps to make this happen.
This is because the air is removed from the packaging during the vacuum packing process. The lack of oxygen in the packaging helps to prevent the growth of bad bacteria.
Washing hands and lower arms
Anyone who handles food in a commercial kitchen should wash their hands and lower arms after dealing with raw food, touching bins or going to the toilet. They should use warm water and soap to do so.
This helps to reduce the risk of spreading bad bacteria. It also helps to reduce the risk of developing skin conditions such as contact dermatitis.
Washing down work surfaces
Work surfaces in the kitchen should always be kept clean by using warm soapy water to wash them down. This is especially important when the surface has been used for the preparation of raw foods such as meat, fish and raw eggs.
Keeping dishcloths clean
It's not just surfaces that need to be kept clean in the kitchen. It's also important that all dishcloths are laundered and dried regularly. This is because dirty cloths are the perfect breeding ground for bad bacteria.
Using different boards for preparing different foods
Raw foods and already cooked food should never be prepared using the same boards. This is because using the same board can lead to the spread of bad bacteria. This can be very dangerous to the health of people who are going to eat the food.
It's also important to keep raw foods like meat away from foods which are not going to be cooked as any bacteria which is spread cannot be killed by cooking.
Storing raw meat at the bottom of the fridge
It's important to always store raw meat at the bottom of a fridge. Doing so keeps it apart from other foods and prevents juices from dripping onto anything else.
Cooking food at the right temperature
One of the most important ways to avoid issues with bad bacteria in a professional kitchen is to ensure that food is cooked at the right temperature. Usually, food should be cooked at least 75°C. Once it has been cooked, food should be served to be eaten straight away or immediately cooled and covered before being stored in a fridge or freezer.
In summary
Avoiding bad bacteria is important when running a professional kitchen. This is because bacteria can be dangerous to the health of the people who are eating the food. This is especially likely if the people have compromised immune systems.
In order to reduce the risk of bad bacteria being present, it's important for kitchen professionals to follow the right food preparation, cooking and storage procedures. This includes preparing raw food and cooked food separately, keeping surfaces and dishcloths clean and packing foods in the right way, such as using vacuum packaging. Following these rules helps to maintain a safe and healthy kitchen where the growth of bad bacteria is limited.