Bacteria and other harmful elements can grow on dirty surfaces and contaminate food. Maintaining a safe and clean work environment is critical in preventing foodborne illness.

As a food handler or restaurant owner, make sure that your food handling meets sanitation standards. A work area that looks clean should not be considered a sanitized environment. And that you are delivering safe-to-eat food to customers.

Food can become contaminated during preparation, distribution, and production. Everyone along the production chain should be equipped and trained in food safety. Unfortunately, most food handling facilities (such as restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, institutional cafeterias, etc.) do not give due attention to sanitation. This is why a great majority of people experience foodborne diseases.

Why is food safety important?

According to World Health Organization, more than 200 diseases spread through food. Such contamination can be harmful chemicals, toxins, parasites, viruses, and bacteria. This fact highlights the importance of ensuring our food is not contaminated. Read the World Health Organization’s Five Keys to safer food to improve the situation. This helps countries promote safe food handling practices and procedures. And educates people associated with the food industry.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 48 million Americans fall prey to foodborne illness annually. Restaurants and other places where food is processed or handled must protect against foodborne health issues. It can take only one incident to tarnish your brand. Honeycomb hairnets can prevent hair from entering food; it only takes one annoyed customer to damage your reputation.

Food safety tips and basics

There are 4 basic principles of food safety: clean, separate, cook, and chill. Use food service wipes to clean anything that comes into contact with food or is a food contact surface. Different raw meat and seafood from cooked items to prevent cross-contamination. Preparing various food items, such as meat and poultry, at an optimal temperature also helps to kill pathogens. Besides that, refrigerate food promptly.

How to improve food safety

How can you establish food-safety practices without spending too much money and time? The following are some of the precautionary measures you can consider and put in place for enhanced food safety:

• Reduce the risk of non-compliance from workers throughout the food handling system.
• Simplify sanitation practices by adopting easy-to-use sanitizing food equipment.
• Proper food handling and sanitation (consistent cleaning of food contact surfaces with all-encompassing products such as quat disinfectant cleaners)
• Dry hands with a clean towel, disposable paper towel, or food service wipes
• Instruct your workers to wear and change disposable food gloves frequently
• Ensure supply chain compliance with recommended food-safety practices.
• Always use recommended and approved products to ensure food contact surface sanitation.

Personal hygiene and affordable solutions

Besides training programs, provide employees with enough facilities and sanitation products to improve sanitary conditions. Food service wipes, for example, are an inexpensive and valuable sanitation item.

Better prepare your facility to meet sanitation requirements. Help your staff improve hygiene without doing anything complex or challenging. Use polyester towels made to ensure food contact surface sanitation. Get bulk food service towels, Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaners, and other proven food safety products.

Personal hygiene is essential for food handlers and food servers. Employees with infected sores or cuts should not be allowed to prepare or serve food.

Food handlers manufacture, prepare, process, deliver, transport, or serve food. Employees who have anything to do with food or food contact surfaces must be given training so that they can understand the idea of personal or environmental hygiene. Even people who clean equipment and premises should be aware of sanitation and cleanliness.

The impact of sanitation

The significance of food workplace sanitation goes beyond regulatory actions. Cleaning activities must be done in a manner that will not harm workers.

Some sanitation tasks require staff to clean potentially dangerous equipment. But, having proper sanitation apparel and safety gear can improve the productivity of your food business.

Conclusion

Food safety has become a vital global public health issue as consumers suffer from many foodborne diseases. Health concerns from foodborne pathogens make it mandatory for the food industry to take action to mitigate the situation.

Regulatory authorities and government agencies worldwide are putting their efforts into enhancing food safety so that no one suffers following the consumption of food items.

Start improving food sanitation conditions at your facility. Provide employees with simple and affordable solutions. Use food service wipes, food gloves, and disinfectant cleaners.

Keep your restaurant’s reputation intact and keep customers coming back. Put in place recommended food safety practices and stock approved food handling products. Find food safety janitorial and disposable goods at Harmony Lab & Safety Supplies.