To safeguard food safety, precise European regulations known as HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) were introduced in 1997, which means <Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point>.
Why is hygiene important in the kitchen?
Some food-related illnesses can arise from incorrect hygiene during the preparation and storage of food, which could contain bacteria, viruses, and other parasites. Among the unwelcome guests are Escherichia Coli and Salmonella at the forefront. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that bacteria can thrive anywhere: from the sink to the dishcloth, from the work surface to the cutlery holder, not to mention food containers.
What do we do at Everest?
At Everest, we care deeply about this issue, which is why we have developed the SMAE protocol (Everest Food Machinery Sanitization) to provide a guarantee of hygiene and cleanliness for your catering environment. Developed by our Research Center, SMAE aims to prevent contamination of our machinery during the packaging phase. Through the SMAE protocol, our machinery is subjected to a sanitization process before being packaged, preventing bacteria from contaminating the food that will be processed with Everest machines in the future. Furthermore, Everest collaborates with the well-known company Garmon, a leading company in professional hygiene and cleaning for communities and industries.
So, what are the most important rules to have excellent hygiene levels in our kitchens?
Hygiene rules in the kitchen
Personal hygiene care
Our skin is home to millions of microorganisms, including bacteria. That’s why hands, in particular, must be 100% clean: nails should be short and free of polish, rings, bracelets, watches should be avoided, as they tend to harbor bacterial contamination, and washing should be done with specific detergents and hot water between each stage of work. Then it’s a good practice to dry them with clean towels, preferably disposable ones. Hair is a vehicle for germs: it should be tied up and covered with a head covering.
Food hygiene and preservation
Always check that the purchased products are packaged correctly and not damaged, otherwise the risk of bacterial contamination could be high. Avoid as much as possible contact with air by using appropriate lids and films. Foods should always be served hot at a minimum of 70°C, as heat is the number one enemy of bacteria. During the cooling phase, the temperature should drop from 65 to 10°C within a maximum of two hours to prevent bacterial growth. Watch out for campylobacter, a bacterium present on the surface of meat capable of spreading with water. For poultry and game, attention must be even higher because they are among the most affected by germs and bacteria. The solution? Cook them instantly. Foods at room temperature should be processed quickly to avoid contamination. A good rule is to keep cooked and raw foods in separate compartments in the refrigerator, reducing the risk of contagion (they should be stored in hermetically sealed containers and never left out of the fridge for more than 2 hours). The ideal solution in these cases would be to own a temperature-reducing device capable of freezing foods while respecting all their organoleptic characteristics.
Hygiene and preservation of equipment and environment
The steam vacuum cleaner is the best tool for cleaning the kitchen because it does not raise dust and sanitizes surfaces. Regarding the dishwasher, cleaning it is another important step to achieve the highest degree of hygiene and cleanliness of the equipment: the washing water does not represent a guarantee of hygiene, in fact, molds and bacteria can form when it is closed since heat is their ideal environment.
Tasting dishes in the right way
During the tasting of the dish in preparation, to check its taste and degree of cooking, one must be careful that saliva does not end up in the dish, for example by using the same spoon. This is because billions of microorganisms capable of contaminating food are present inside our mouths. Opt for a clean utensil.
Programming the dishwasher
The dishwasher should always be reprogrammed based on the type of load to avoid residues sticking to the utensils, which can cause bacterial proliferation. Hot water is only the first step; after washing, dishes should be dried with kitchen paper or a freshly washed cloth.
The risk of bacteria is high, and attention to the cleanliness of the environment and food must be very meticulous, but everything is easier with a strong ally like us at Everest: we guarantee hygiene, cleanliness, and absence of bacteria from your kitchen. Clean food is healthy food.
