Blog for restaurants and gastronomic entrepreneurs

Know the 8 rules of hygiene in food and apply them to your restaurant.

Know the 8 rules of hygiene in food and apply them to your restaurant.

When we think about the hygiene of a restaurant we imagine a clean, orderly place and free of any type of bug roaming around. It is a factor that influences the confidence of customers to eat in a restaurant and the reason why it must be borne in mind that the lack of care in food hygiene can significantly affect the prestige of your business and the loss Of customers. Reinforcing the mechanisms in food control and having trained personnel for it, will avoid public health problems that can lead to the closure of your business.

The issue of hygiene in restaurants involves internal and external cleaning aspects that must be taken care of responsibly. External hygiene is perceived by the appearance of the bathrooms, the floor and the furniture in general, it is evident at first glance. But when we talk about the hygiene used in the kitchen of a restaurant, in the preparation of food, in the cleaning habits of the staff and the utensils with which they work, a glance is not enough to prevent diseases.

On this occasion we will address the issue of food hygiene, what diseases are derived from neglecting this aspect and what measures should be applied to avoid the risk of contracting them.

Contamination is understood to be all biological, chemical or physical matter that is incorporated into food without being its own and that has the capacity to affect those who consume it. There are studies that show that around two thirds of stomach infections are caused by germs or bacteria in food prepared in restaurants, cafeterias, school canteens, even at home.

The use of contaminated water and the presence of toxins or chemicals in food that may be present in the animal from capture, collection or farming, as is the case with some shellfish, are triggers for the proliferation of diseases. The presence of wounds on the skin, hands, pimples, eyes and throat of people, produce bacteria such as staphylococcus gold. This bacterium produces a toxin that has the particularity of being resistant to heat, which means that not even cooking or reheating food can eliminate it. Another disease caused by the existence of toxins is botulism, produced by a bacterium present in foods such as canned sausages, or preserves, especially if they are prepared at home and in environments with variation in temperatures. Foodborne diseases, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) constitute one of the most recurrent health problems in the world and is the main cause of low productivity and absenteeism from work.

1) As a first measure to avoid infections caused by bacteria, a complete cooking of food should be ensured when preparing it, or by carrying out a good washing and disinfection of those that are normally consumed raw, such as vegetables and fruits.

2) To avoid cross contamination (It occurs when a raw food comes into contact with another cooked one) there must be a hand washing before touching the food or during the process, including cleaning utensils and equipment that has had contact with raw food. For example: if a piece of meat is placed on a cutting board and then the same, without washing and sanitizing, is used to place a cooked or ready-to-eat food, the probability of contamination by bacteria increases.

3) Deep cooking of food; avoid preparing meats in very thick pieces; separate the cooked meat from its cooking liquid to minimize the oxygen-free environment and proceed to cool quickly if it is not going to be consumed within the next two hours.

4) It must avoid buying and consuming seafood without knowing its origin or knowing that it comes from areas where the red tide phenomenon has occurred. The toxins from seaweed that some shellfish feed on can cause neurological paralysis and, depending on the amount ingested, can lead to death.

5) Contamination of food by chemicals such as pesticides or cleaning productscan be avoided by delimiting the work area where they will be used or by storing them in a separate place, if possible, under lock and key.

6) to proper food preservation and the application of measures such as refrigeration, acidification (addition of vinegar or lemon juice), salting or sugaring, are some measures to prevent the reproduction of bacteria harmful to man. The little presence of water in foods with a high salt or sugar content reduces the proliferation of bacteria.

7) The responsible attitude of people who work with food handling is essential to avoid diseases. Aspects related to their state of health, clothing and their hygienic habits generate a sense of security and confidence in the restaurant's customers.

8) It is recommended that establishments constantly audit their processes, carry out clinical analyzes of their personnel every six months and carry out food and water samples once a month to find out if there are microorganisms that indicate contamination.

 

A golden key due to its importance is always washing hands, before touching food and after any situation or change of activity that implies that they have been contaminated.

This habit should be practiced before starting work, when touching raw food and after touching other foods or surfaces, going to the bathroom, scratching the head, nose, sneezing, coughing, even with the protection of a tissue.

 

Proper hand washing should include:

  1. Roll the uniform up to the elbow.
  2. Rinse hands and forearm up to the elbow.
  3. Rub hands with soap until lather forms. Extend it from the hands to the elbows
  4. Carefully brush hands and nails. The brush should remain in a solution. disinfectant, chlorine or iodine, while not in use. It must be renewed at least twice per shift. In the absence of a brush, washing with soap and water should be done for 20 seconds, scrubbing hands and nails hard.
  5. Rinse well with the stream of water from the hands towards the elbows.
  6. Ideally, you should be able to dry your hands with a paper towel. If you do not have paper towels, you should use a towel that remains clean and is renewed when it is very wet or its cleanliness is not optimal.