A house would crumble without a solid foundation. The same goes for a restaurant’s storage space. You can’t make amazing food if it’s not in a safe, organized and clean environment. Where does it all start? Shelving. Having the right shelving sets you up for efficient food organization, food safety compliance and inventory control. Here are three reasons why shelving should be your biggest priority:

1. Durable shelving paves the way to food safety success

Metal shelving will inevitably rust, there is no way around it. Stop the potential disaster before it has a chance to begin by choosing shelving that is so durable it simply can’t rust.

“Everything we do revolves around food safety, it’s engrained into our culture and that trickles down to the product we select for our kitchens. Camshelving® is definitely a part of that and has been for over 12 years. Our restaurant managers’ compensation is linked to food safety so value-engineering on such an important piece of equipment…the area where our food is stored just would not make sense for us,” said Kix McGinnis Nystrom, Vice President of Kitchen Operations at The Cheesecake Factory.

Camshelving is made of durable composite materials that have a lifetime warranty against rust and corrosion. Plus, Camguard® antimicrobial shelf plates inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and microbes. Camshelving is essentially bacteria’s worst nightmare and a health inspector’s greatest dream.

Bonus: Camshelving units easily let you set the bottom shelf at six inches off the ground, preventing you from breaking that food safety rule too. Just don’t shove anything underneath!

2. Smart shelving expands organization capabilities

Durable shelving is made even better with the right accessories that help expand your storage options. Have you ever had a bottle drop from a shelf and explode all over your storage room floor? Skip the fizzy mess with Cambro’s Camshelving Shelf Rails, available as an attachment to both its Elements Series and Premium Series shelving systems. This double rail system securely holds items in place and is especially suggested for mobile shelving units. If you’re looking to keep smaller items from toppling over, Cambro Camshelving Shelf Dividers support and separate stacked or narrow items, such as sealed produce packages and squeeze bottles. Easily take out items one at a time without anything moving out of place. Looking to organize a variety of fresh produce? Divider bars allow food boxes and pans to sit straight or at an angle on your Camshelving unit for easy access.

3. Control your inventory and reduce waste

Your storage space should allow you to find what you need quickly and efficiently. With the wrong setup, items often get lost behind other foods and go bad before they are dug out of the depths of the freezer. Unlike most shelving systems, Camshelving can share posts and connect at the corners. Opening the corners of your shelving unit creates more usable space and makes items easier to see and reach.

“You notice that meat hiding in the back is

two-years-old, and you can’t use it anymore because nobody noticed it was there,” said Ikuko Babcock, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Minnesota Masonic Home.

After Babcock switched to Camshelving, her operation gained 30 percent more storage space.

“It’s easy to access the food and easier to organize. With FIFO, it’s easy to rotate,” said Babcock.

Ready to make the switch to Camshelving? Contact your local Cambro sales representative.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ADRIANA DESIDERIO IS THE DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER AT CAMBRO.