Hygiene

Services

Cleaning and sanitisingCleaning takes the dirt off. Sanitising kills what is left. They are two jobs, in that order, and the second fails if the first was skipped. A schedule says who does what, and checks show it worked.8 stepsPersonal hygiene and staff illnessPeople carry the microbes that make food unsafe, sometimes without knowing. Staff who are ill stay away from food, hands get washed properly, and nobody feels they have to hide being sick.6 stepsPest controlPests carry pathogens and contaminate food. Keep them out, give them nothing to live on, and treat any sign of one as a problem to solve now, with a record behind it.7 stepsKeeping foreign matter outGlass, metal and hard plastic in food can cut, choke and cause recalls. Prevent it by knowing where it could come from, keeping equipment in repair, and acting firmly when something breaks.6 stepsWashing and sanitising fruit and vegetablesSalads, herbs, garnishes and cut fruit reach the guest with no later step to kill what's on them. Cleaning removes soil, and sanitising, where your plan uses it, reduces what remains. Neither makes produce sterile.8 stepsMaintenance and contractorsA failing seal, a fridge that can't hold temperature or a bolt left behind can all reach food with no food handler involved. Keep things in repair on a schedule, log faults, and control what contractors bring in and leave behind.9 stepsWater and iceWater goes into food, cleans the equipment and washes the hands. Ice is a food, even when it only cools a drink or sits under the seafood. Know where each comes from, keep it clean, and plan for the day you can't trust it.8 stepsPremises and fit-outA kitchen's layout decides what is easy to keep safe. Moving a drain, a basin or a wall after opening is far harder than getting it right on paper. Show your plans before you build, and treat any later change the same way.8 steps