Food Safety in the Kitchen

Public Kitchen Supply understands the severity of food allergies. Life-threatening allergies can develop in any person at any time. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, expects food manufactures to list the most common ingredients that result in anaphylaxis. These eight foods include: Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, Soy, and Wheat. Most of these foods are incredibly common in restaurants and most homes, increasing the chance of a life threatening allergic reaction. It is important for both restaurant and personal kitchens to organize and label their ingredients to ensure no accidents occur. With the use of tools like the Ecolab Label Dispenser, kitchens will be labeled and food will be organized. The clear lid makes labels easy to read and find. With 2 million Americans who suffer from mild to severe food allergies, restaurants must improve their food safety system to accommodate these customers.
Food allergies are not the only danger in the kitchen. In years past, salads and vegetables have been exposed to Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria contamination. The consequences of these large scale food disasters have resulted in sickness, loss of product, poor reputation, and even death. The best way to promote food safety in your business and home is food awareness. When food poisoning occurs on a small scale, poor preparation is often to blame, one example of this is cross contamination. By being aware of proper cooking techniques there is less of a chance for contamination and sickness.Cross contamination ensues when microorganisms and bacteria are inadvertently transferred from one object or substance to another. When chefs become busy or distracted it is easy to use contaminated utensils or forgo hand washing, both of which are some of the worst mistakes you can make while cooking. Simple products like the Nemco Easy Slicer™ Vegetable Slicer Mounting Board maximizes counter space, allowing for more room between vegetables and raw meat. It is very easy to remove the mounted cutting board to clean and reattach it for future use. This feature ensures food will not be left behind to contaminate upcoming meals.
Another fundamental rule in the culinary world is to keep cold food cold, and hot food hot. The “Food Temperature Danger Zone” is between 41°F and 140°F. You can significantly reduce the chances of contracting or developing a food-borne illness if you do not let food perishables be in the “Food Temperature Danger Zone” for more than an hour. Invest in a kitchen thermometer. There are an array of different thermometers ranging from freezer thermometers to digital pocket thermometers. Typically a versatile one like an Update International Pocket Thermometer is a great choice for chefs. It is portable, easy to use, and can measure many different substances. A food thermometer is a necessary tool for any kitchen that wants to keep food safe.
Public Kitchen Supply asks restaurateurs, professional chefs, and those who simply enjoy cooking to review their kitchen’s safety precautions and procedures while cooking with allergens. When evaluating your kitchen remind yourself of those with food allergies, potential areas for cross contamination, and check the temperature of your equipment and food on a regular basis. It is our mission to provide the tools necessary to help keep your business and home safe.

Food Safety Needs Labeling System

Did you know? 76% of food allergy deaths occur outside of the home.

With a statistic this high, you ought to wonder what happens outside the home that doesn’t happen in the home. One of the biggest pieces of the puzzle is simply not paying attention. In one’s home, one pays attention to whatever food allergies they or their family member have. They are extra careful when preparing any food that may potentially be harmful.

On the other hand, when you’re out, let’s say at a restaurant, there are a lot of things that can go wrong and cause an allergic person to end up eating an item they are allergic to. They can eat food that has come into contact with their allergy, their allergy was never kept from their food, or they were not told that the specific ingredient was in the food to begin with.

Now here’s a spot that gets even trickier when eating out. If a cook or chef is not trained properly, they may think that it’s okay to simply “remove” an allergy item and then send the dish out. If a person is severely or mildly allergic, this can still highly affect them. Some people are so allergic to some ingredients coming into contact with the item, can potentially be fatal.

What can restaurants do to help fix this issue? Educate and Label. 

Educating your staff regularly about food allergies is important in any type of establishment that serves food to consumers. Everyone on the staff needs to know how to answer food questions, how to suggest food options, and how to prepare food without cross-contamination.

Next, the restaurant needs to learn how to label. By investing in and installing a labeling system in your kitchen you can know immediately what food contains with absolutely no guessing.

While educating your staff is something that we can’t necessarily help with, we can help you with the labeling side of things. At Public Kitchen Supply we offer a wide assortment of labels for food safety. Just browse our label category and you’ll be sure to find something that will meet your needs and keep your restaurant allergy-safe. For more information, browse our selection: http://bit.ly/10wy3Pm