Cambro products are designed to promote food safety. In a busy kitchen, the last thing you want to worry about is if your equipment is helping or hurting you. However, when we walk in restaurants’ back of house, we see food safety nightmares more than we’d prefer. Utilizing Cambro products, you can turn your kitchen into a food safe space that’s better than your wildest dreams.

Step 1: Make Camshelving® Your Foundation

Rusty, corroded and broken. Three words you do not want to use to describe your shelving. If the foundation is weak, your back of house will crumble—sometimes literally! Not only is metal shelving difficult to clean and adjust, inevitable rust and corrosion increase your chances of cross-contamination. While metal shelves might seem cheaper, having to replace them every few years actually hurts your wallet a lot more.

Camshelving is the complete opposite of metal shelving. It’s easy to clean and actually promotes safety thanks to antimicrobial Camguard that is molded into each shelf. Microbes that cause disease or fermentation are found everywhere in the environment. To survive, microbes need to find a surface rich in nutrients to attach to. Camguard creates a protective barrier on your Camshelving to discourage this from happening. Georgia James steakhouse is so confident in Camshelving that they dry age their meat directly on the shelf plates. Plus, all Camshelving models come with a lifetime guarantee against rust and corrosion.

Step 2: Stack Your Shelves with Cambro Containers

Equipping your kitchen with food safe containers is just as important as your shelving, if not more, because they have direct contact with your food. Dented metal pans aren’t going to cut it! We rarely see them with proper lids and even if they do, dents and warps make it easy for food to be compromised. Plus, if you’re planning to use them in a steam table later, their dented edges can allow steam to escape out of the table and away from your food.

While all Cambro storage containers support food safety, they each have different strengths:

• Camwear® Pans: The industry standard! Virtually unbreakable and resist high volume wear and tear.
• CamSquares®: Maximize your storage space.
• Rounds: Ideal for stirring and cooling.
• High Heat H-Pans™: Withstands 375°F to use for prep, cooler, oven and serving.

BONUS: Don’t forget the lid! The two top reasons to put a lid on your container is to keep your food fresh and contaminants out. Cambro lids increase efficiency while protecting your food.

Step 3: Put a Label on It

Labeling your containers increases efficiency, decreases the chances of cross contamination and supports FIFO. You don’t want employees searching for product and the less you open your containers the better. If you’re tempted to use tape as a label, save it for your next art project. Tape may seem suitable, but some types leave behind a sticky residue that can potentially harbor bacteria. Plus, it contributes more waste to the environment.

StoreSafe® Rotation Labels are biodegradable and dissolve in less than 30 seconds in the dishwasher or under running water without leaving a sticky residue behind. Available completely blank or with lines, StoreSafe Rotation Labels make it easy to consistently identify your containers.

Safe food storage truly is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Set your staff up for success by equipping your kitchen with the right tools. Contact your local Cambro sales rep to get started today.

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