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Food Hygiene Rules for Your Commercial Kitchen

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  • Admin
  • Tags:
  • Food Hygiene, Commercial Kitchens, HACCP, Raw Meat, Storing Food
  • Posted date:
  • 03-04-2024
Food Hygiene Rules for Your Commercial Kitchen

Are you looking to maintain impeccable food hygiene in your commercial kitchen? Understand commercial kitchen hygiene rules with our expert guide, essential for maintaining safety and cleanliness in any food service establishment. This article covers essential practices such as creating a HACCP food plan, personal hygiene, handling raw meat, disinfecting surfaces, and proper food storage to ensure safety and compliance in your kitchen.

Make a HACCP Food Plan

The initial phase in guaranteeing food hygiene in your business kitchen is creating a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) food plan. The HACCP protocol is a methodical preventive approach to food safety. It's designed to provide your business with a comprehensive guide to utilise when dealing with food materials.

An effective HACCP plan identifies and manages possible perils linked with the handling of food in every division of your business. This stretches from sourcing and storage to preparation, cooking and serving. The plan should draw the line for best practices that are focused on reducing risk.

A well-structured HACCP plan should encompass key areas such as cleaning routines for kitchen appliances, the right method of storing different food types, appropriate temperatures for cooking diverse foods, and protocols for waste disposal. It is essential that each of these areas is thoroughly addressed to guarantee food security.

Implementing a thoroughly executed HACCP plan can help your business avoid potential problems. For example, it could prevent incidents that lead to cross-contamination which often results in food poisoning cases. In the long run, adhering to such a plan will not only maintain a high standard of food hygiene in your commercial kitchen but also preserve the trust and confidence of your customers.

Turning to the HACCP plan for your commercial kitchen not only affirms your commitment to hygiene standards, but it also positions you as a responsible and diligent business owner. In conclusion, having a rigorously implemented HACCP protocol ensures your commercial kitchen is at the forefront of food hygiene and safety.

Personal Hygiene

For all food-related businesses, the standard of personal cleanliness of workers is a vital factor in ensuring the safety of food preparation areas. One of the most crucial practices is regular hand washing. This is essential to avoid introducing potentially harmful bacteria into the process of food preparation. It's crucial that hands are thoroughly washed with both hot and cold water prior to handling food. Washing should also be repeated subsequent to any activity that may cause potential contamination.

Additional advice for staff members includes keeping their nails short and clean, abstaining from wearing any form of jewellery while on duty, and keeping hair neatly tied up or concealed under a head covering. Such precautions are vital in preventing any foreign contaminants from inadvertently entering food during preparation.

Another important precautionary measure can be implementing a stringent clean uniform policy. This can substantially lower the risk of cross-contamination via clothing. Any accidental spillages or splashes on uniforms could, if not dealt with promptly, transfer harmful bacteria to food. Hence, it is highly recommended that staff be equipped with clean uniforms at the beginning of each working shift.

Washing hands - Commercial Kitchen Hygiene Rules

Training staff on the importance and implementation of these personal hygiene practices is key. It is equally important to have clear-cut rules and regulations in place to ensure compliance. The objective here should not be to intimidate staff but to educate them about the role they play in maintaining a hygienic and healthy kitchen environment. All members of the team, regardless of their role, must understand that their personal hygiene directly affects the quality of food and service provided by the business.

By prioritising the personal hygiene practices of staff, a business is better equipped to provide customers with top-quality food. It also reassures customers about the attention to hygiene and cleanliness in the business.

Ultimately, these hygiene practices, combined with a robust training and compliance system, will ensure the creation and maintenance of a clean, safe, and efficient kitchen environment – a place where great food is made safely and reliably.

Handling Raw Meat

Keeping raw meat safe in commercial kitchens is a critical part of maintaining food hygiene. The transfer of bacteria or other harmful pathogens from one food item or surface to another can result in cross-contamination, a risk that is particularly high with raw meat. A significant step in avoiding this risk is to ensure that raw and prepared foods are kept separate at all times.

It's not only food items that need to be kept apart; the utensils used for preparing them also need to remain distinct. Chopping boards, knives, and other tools that are used for raw meat should not be used for any other food preparation tasks. The importance of clean hands and surfaces that have contact with raw meat cannot be underestimated.

Any areas and equipment that come into contact with raw food need to be cleaned thoroughly immediately after use. An equally important factor is the proper and prompt refrigeration of raw meat. Chilling meat soon after it is prepared can significantly restrict the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.

Finally, it is crucial to ensure the meat is cooked adequately. Proper cooking can eliminate any remaining bacteria, forming a final safeguard against food poisoning. So, in maintaining food hygiene, a comprehensive approach including caution with raw meat, strict separation of food items and utensils, cleanliness, refrigeration and cooking, is essential.

Cleaning a surface - Commercial Kitchen Hygiene Rules

Disinfecting Surfaces

Maintaining cleanliness in a kitchen goes beyond mere sweeping and eliminating visible debris. It is crucial to ensure that all surfaces and equipment are thoroughly sterilised. 

This includes all worktops, cutting boards, and tools, which should be cleaned consistently using a suitable sanitising product. Regular cleaning prevents the accumulation of bacteria, keeping the areas fresh and reducing the risk of food contamination, ultimately ensuring a safe and hygienic environment in your kitchen.

Moreover, kitchen sinks and drain areas should be disinfected religiously. They often become a hotspot for grease and bacteria accumulation, which can lead to unpleasant odours and potential blockages. This not only harms the cleanliness of your kitchen but can also pose serious health risks.

Apart from sterilising surfaces and equipment, it is important to pay attention to the ventilation systems as well. Regular maintenance of these systems guarantees good airflow throughout the kitchen. The importance of this cannot be overstated as it reduces the chance of bacterial growth, thus contributing to maintaining a healthy kitchen environment.

In summary, keeping a kitchen clean and hygienic involves a blend of consistent sanitisation of surfaces and tools, regular disinfection of sinks and drains, as well as upkeep of ventilation systems to sustain good airflow. Observing these practices will greatly contribute to maintaining a clean, safe, and enjoyable cooking space.

Storing Food

Proper storage is a crucial aspect of maintaining food hygiene and safety, and every type of food requires a specific storage method. Overlooking these factors can impact food quality and even result in severe health problems due to cross-contamination or foodborne diseases.

One of the key rules when it comes to storing food safely is that raw and cooked foods should never be stored together. Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria or other microbes transfer from one food item to another, which can happen if raw and cooked foods come into contact. It is especially dangerous because it could lead to foodborne diseases, posing a significant health risk.

The temperature at which food is stored also determines its safety and quality. The fridge needs to be maintained at a temperature of 5°C or below at all times to slow down the growth of bacteria that could spoil the food and make people sick.

On the other hand, hot food should be kept at a temperature of 63°C or higher until it is served to ensure that any potentially harmful bacteria are destroyed. The right balance between hot and cold storage is critical to reducing the risk of bacterial contamination and sustaining the food's quality and freshness. Besides food storage, waste disposal is another essential area in maintaining food hygiene.

Having a well-organised, dedicated space for waste disposal is mandatory in any food-handling environment. From food trimmings and kitchen paper to packaging and other waste, a separate, well-managed disposal area will minimise the risk of attracting pests and spreading bacteria in the kitchen. Disposing of waste properly also prevents odour build-up and keeps your space clean and tidy.


Are you looking for commercial kitchen cleaners in Caernarfon, Anglesey and Gwynedd? For more information on how to keep your kitchen spaces cleaned or to hire a professional service, be sure to contact our team.