Food Safety and Kitchen Cleanup

Many business environments have kitchen areas, aside from those in the hospitality industry. Kitchens can be the most hazardous areas of the workplace when left unclean and this is particularly dangerous if you are serving food to the public in a restaurant or similar environment. Without proper food safety protocols in place and proper cleaning schedules, food can easily become contaminated and foodborne illnesses and other serious problems can spread.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that 48 million Americans are sick from foodborne illnesses every single year and smaller numbers are hospitalized and even die from foodborne illness. Keeping the food preparation area clean and safe is essential for avoiding the spread of foodborne issues which can result in the closure of a business and more dangerously, serious illness in your patrons.

Kitchen Cleanup Essentials

Proper cleanliness in a commercial kitchen is absolutely essential for a functioning and safe businesses. Throughout a busy restaurant service cleaning must be consistent and at the beginning and end of every shift, full cleaning must take place. All surfaces, including walls and floors, must be sanitized and disinfected. Similarly, all utensils and cooking equipment must be washed thoroughly too. These are the basics that should be expected from a kitchen brigade working day in and day out. There are more specialized tasks where it is important to find the right cleaning partner. These include cleaning problem areas such as [professional ceiling cleaning]( http://www.penn-jersey.com/restaurant-and-hotel-ceiling-cleaning). Understandably, ceilings are not easily cleaned on a daily basis, but they can still easily accumulate a build up of oils, greases and other food waste. Professional ceiling cleaning delivers an unparalleled level of cleaning as our before and after shots show and this is essential for any business who wants to deliver the highest levels of hygiene for their patrons and their staff. A clean working environment also makes employees more likely to keep on top of their cleaning responsibilities and ensure there is no missing link in the process.

Food Temperatures and Organization

Foodborne illnesses can easily spread if food isn’t cooked or stored properly. Common and highly dangerous bacteria include salmonella, staphylococcus and E. Coli. These bacteria grow in undercooked food or food which is not stored or cooked properly. Chefs and kitchen staff should be trained in proper food safety and understand the core temperature food needs to reach to be safe to serve and eat. Keeping food out of what is known as the “danger zone” is essential for avoiding the spread of harmful bacteria.

This is equally true of the organization of food. Cooked, ready to eat and raw foods must be stored separately for examples. The right kind of shelving and storage bags and boxes are also required to keep food safe and at low risk of cross contamination. Professional kitchen environments should also look to keep separate cutting boards for separate foods and avoid any further risk of cross contamination.

Restaurant and Dining Room Cleaning

Every restaurant requires thorough cleaning in its public spaces too. This is also an area where there is a risk of the spread of bacteria and germs. Restaurant cleaning schedules will include daily cleaning essentials such as mopping and sanitization of surfaces. It is also important to consider restaurant turnaround cleaning and working with professionals to achieve this on at least an annual basis too.

Turnaround cleaning ensures the absolute cleanliness of the full restaurant area and allows for an audit of any general cleaning issues. It essentially amounts to a very in-depth clean, much more than a regular service clean. It ensures a safe and hygienic work environment, food environment and creates a culture of safety and responsibility in terms of food safety and hygiene. Turnaround cleaning may include everything from:

• Deep cleaning of all kitchen equipment including pulling out fixed machinery for proper cleaning underneath

• Canopy cleaning in kitchen areas

• Repairs to any issues in the floors and walls

Turnaround cleaning is provided by professional companies like ourselves, and ensures businesses can operate safely without any worries in relation to the overall cleanliness of their business.

Restaurant Cleaning from Penn Jersey

Penn Jersey cleaners work with businesses across the hospitality and catering sectors. All are trained in the best techniques for providing fully clean and hygienic food preparation and food serving environments. We want all restaurants in Philadelphia to provide memorable and enjoyable experiences for their patrons. Cleanliness is absolutely key to this and working with professional restaurant cleaners guarantees an environment you can be proud of. What’s more, it will also play a role in patrons coming back and enjoying your restaurant on many more occasions.

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