To safeguard food safety, a precise European regulations came into force in 1997, known by the acronym HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point).
Why is hygiene in the kitchen important?
Some eating disorders can arise from incorrect hygiene in the preparation and storage of food that may contain bacteria, viruses and other pests. Among the unwelcome guests are Escherichia Coli and salmonella in the front row. The OMS (World Health Organization) says that bacteria can be everywhere: from the kitchen sink, the worktop to the cutlery tray without forgetting the food containers.
What do we do at Everest?
We at Everest are very concerned about this issue and this is precisely why we have developed the SMAE (Everest Food Machinery Sanitization) protocol, giving a guarantee of hygiene and cleanliness for your restaurant environment.
Designed by our Research Center, SMAE aims to avoid contamination of our machinery during packaging.
Through the SMAE protocol our machines are subjected to the sanitization process before being packaged, avoiding that the bacteria contaminate food that will be treated in the future through Everest machines. Not only that, Everest collaborates with the well-known company, Garmon: a leading company for the hygiene and professional cleansing of communities and industries.
So what are the most important rules for having an excellent level of hygiene in our kitchens?
The rules of hygiene in the kitchen
Personal hygiene care
Our skin gives hospitality to millions of microorganisms, including bacteria. That’s why, especially the hands, must be 100% clean: short nails, no polish, no rings, bracelets, watches (because favorable to bacterial contamination).
Wash your hands with specific detergents and hot water between phases of the work. Then it is a good idea to dry them with clean towels, preferably a single-use one. Hair is a vehicle of germs too: they must be collected and covered with a headgear.
Hygiene and food preservation
We must always check that the goods purchased are packaged correctly and not damaged, otherwise the risk of bacterial contamination could be high.
Avoid contact with air as much as possible using suitable covers and films.
The food will always be served hot, at least 70°C as heat is the number one enemy of bacteria.
In the cooling phase the temperature should drop from 65°C to 10°C within maximum two hours in order to prevent bacterial reproduction. Eye to campylobacter, bacterium present on the surface of the meat capable of spreading by water.
As for poultry and birds, the attention must be even higher because are among those most affected by germs and bacteria. The solution? Cook them instantly.
Food at room temperature should be processed quickly to avoid contamination.
A good rule is to keep separate cooked and raw food in different compartments of the refrigerator reducing the risk of infection (must be in airtight containers and never out of the fridge for more than 2 hours).
The best thing to do, in these cases, would be to have a blast chiller, capable of freezing food, respecting all their organoleptic characteristics.
Hygiene and conservation of instruments and the environment
The steam cleaner is the best tool for cleaning the kitchen, because it does not lift dust and sanitize the surfaces. As for the dishwasher, cleaning is another important step to be taken to achieve the highest degree of hygiene and cleanliness of the instrumentation: the washing water is not a guarantee of hygiene, in fact molds and bacteria can form when closed, since the heat is their ideal environment.
Taste the dishes in the right way
When tasting the dish in preparation, to check its taste and degree of cooking, make sure that the saliva does not end up in the dish, for example using the same spoon. This is because billions of microorganisms, able to contaminate food, are hidden inside our mouths. Opt for a clean cutlery.
Program the dishwasher
The washing machine should always be reprogrammed for the type of load to avoid a bacteria proliferation.
The boiling water is only the first step, after the washing phase the dishes should be dried with kitchen paper or with a freshly washed cloth.
The bacteria risk is high, the attention to cleanliness of the environment and food must be very scrupulous, but everything is easier with a strong ally like Everest: we assure you hygiene, cleanliness and absence of bacteria from your kitchen.
A clean food is healthy food.
