Keeping customers safe is the underlying responsibility in every sector of the foodservice industry. Despite numerous trainings, posters and health inspections, millions of people still get sick after visiting foodservice operations every year. One of the most common (and preventable) reasons customers get sick is because of insufficient cleanliness. By enacting these three practices at your operation today, you can greatly increase the level of hygiene in your kitchen:

1. Monitor employee hygiene

Make sure your employees are following proper hygiene protocols. This can include washing their hands frequently, wearing gloves and keeping their uniform clean. This is something that seems like it should be easy, but it often gets missed in the bustle of everything. Regularly check to make sure everyone is coming to work with clean uniforms and continuously washes their hands throughout service. While you may have plenty of sinks inside your kitchen, don’t forget the importance of cleanliness when you’re serving food off-premise. If you’re catering an event and actively serving food, employees still need the same access to a designated handwashing station. Rather than trying to MacGyver a water jug and some paper towels into a place for employees to wash their hands, Cambro designed a handwashing accessory  specifically for this purpose. Simply attach the accessory to a Camtainer and you instantly have a compact handwashing station to satisfy health inspectors, customers and employees.

2. Apply sanitary warewashing solutions

Another way to monitor your sanitation practices is with effective dishwashing. When using Cambro Camracks, glassware is safely washed, stored and transported without running the risk of contact with pests, dust, mop water or dirty hands. Dirty water can easily come into contact with clean glassware that has just been sanitized. Camracks take away any risk of contaminants getting where you don’t want them.

3. Create a cleaning schedule

Operators can ensure they’re following sanitation monitoring procedures by keeping food contact surfaces separated from anything unsanitary. One way to do this is to prepare and execute a cleaning schedule. Creating a plan ensures all surfaces are sanitized regularly and reduces the risk of cross-contamination. You might think a surface looks clean, but it could be covered in bacteria. Don’t limit your cleaning to cooking surfaces, it’s important to clean your shelving too. Inevitably, food spills, dries and leaves a layer of residue on your shelving. Keep cross-contamination or further spills from happening by cleaning your shelving each week. Camshelving shelf plates easily lift off traverses and can run through a dishwasher. Cleaning Camshelving takes minimal effort with a hefty reward!

Cambro products are designed with food safety in mind. For more information on the products mentioned, contact your Cambro sales rep.

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